A Farewell to Arms

Terrinoth erupts into conflict in Runewars Miniatures Game, the grand tactical game of fantasy rank-and-file warfare. Through countless battles, four powerful factions struggle for control, filling their ranks with stalwart soldiers and formidable monsters as they attempt to outwit and outmaneuver their enemies. Many shall rise in their pursuit of power, but only one may rule.

Over the past five weeks, the Runewars Versus series took four inexperienced players and introduced them to the world of Terrinoth and Runewars Miniatures Game. Each participant created an army that was entirely their own, shaping the army to fit their strategies and playstyles in their attempt to conquer the realm. Over the course of their matches, they learned how to use their armies’ strengths and guard their weaknesses as they faced other factions with unique powers and abilities. Now, the dust has settled and each leader has emerged wiser and bolder.

Today, we'll meet with our military commanders one last time to ask about their experience and see how they have grown as players!

What did you think about your experience with Runewars Miniatures Game as a whole?

Lizzie: The experience kept getting better the more we played. Rose and I spent a bit of our match double-checking the rulebook, but by even halfway through the first game that time was cut down significantly and we could just have fun with it.

Rose: It was a fun learning experience and a cathartic release to finally tell Allen how I truly feel through smack talk.

Owen: It was a learning experience. I knew the basics of the game going in, but miniatures games can be pretty intimidating. I think I was able to learn a lot through my games and Runewars does a great job of teaching as you go.

Allen: There was a definite arc to my experience. I went from simply being excited to push little fantasy miniatures across a map to feeling the thrill of issuing commands and countering my enemy. The more I played, the more fun I had.

How did your strategy change over the course of your matches?

Lizzie: I learned to space my units out more and to be more careful how they’re placed during deployment. The Uthuk Y'llan aren’t the most maneuverable, but if they can hit the enemy early, they’re golden.

Rose: In the first match, I just went for it with no real strategy and things did not go well for me. Things went much better when I started taking advantage of ranged attacks in later matches and letting my Death Knights chase my enemies around.

Owen: I tried to play for objectives a bit more. I went from trying to wipe out my opponent to trying to play for victory points.

Allen: I started off just experimenting to see what might work, to realizing some basic strategies, to actually trying to implement those strategies. At the start, I knew I wanted to use my Aymhelin Scions and Vicious Roots to stop my opponent in their tracks, but I didn’t really know how to do this. I eventually realized how useful the Scions were for blocking and used them to protect my archers. Finally, I went from having many small units to realizing the value of increased threat provided by having many trays in a unit. Having a larger block of archers really helped tremendously.

Who was your army’s MVP?

Lizzie: Ravos the Everhungry, easily. With his End Phase ability, I could just park him next to an enemy unit with high armor and know that I would inflict at least one wound per round.

Rose: I really thought it would be Ankaur Maro, but I don’t think I ever used him to his full potential. Those Death Knights, though. *chef’s kiss* They were pretty consistent heavy hitters.

Owen: Both games had different big-time players, but I was always a fan of my giant unit of Oathsworn Cavalry, who at the very least kept a few of my opponent’s units busy throughout the whole game.

Allen: Probably the Aymhelin Scions. Their Vicious Roots helped me pin enemies down on more than one occasion. Aliana and her upgrades were a close second.

Did you have a favorite moment?

Lizzie: It might sound lame, but my favorite moment was in my first game where I stopped thinking about it as a big, scary minis game and just played it. Runewars is cool in that it’s designed so you can have the grand matchup between armies, but you can also have a demon-dog chasing a skull-surfer for half a game shouting, “Just let me kill you!”

Rose: My favorite moments were when any of us would charge and then miss our opponents by mere millimeters. It was really funny. OR my favorite moment was any time Allen tried to attack my Death Knights and fell short of doing any damage. Every time it happened, his look of disappointment filled me with joy.

Owen: In my first game, one Heavy Crossbowman held off the forces of Waiqar for several turns. This prevented them from marching into my deployment area to get victory points and I credit this one lone warrior for giving me a victory!

Allen: Basically, anytime I used Aliana, Ambush Predator, and Packleader’s Spear together. The damage keeps piling up and the punch she can pack always catches people off guard.

What do you think of Runewars?

Lizzie: There’s something really satisfying about customizing your army and watching it work against different kinds of enemies. You build an army and then it’s YOUR army—it stays with you. You don’t have to know what every card in the game does, just use what works for you.

Rose: Runewars is fun! There's still a lot to remember, but it’s not nearly as intimidating as I initially thought.

Owen: I like how it offers plenty of customization and strategy without feeling overwhelming. I always felt like I had choices without drowning in complexity. It felt like a really nice balance.

Allen: I enjoyed it quite a bit. I like the added layer of strategy that the modifier dial adds to the game. You can do some very cool things with this system and try different strategies within a single faction. I also really like how the different objectives make each match completely different, so I had to think about each game in a new way.

Would you play Runewars again?

Lizzie: I got the Uthuk Y'llan Army Expansion and I’ve challenged Rose to a rematch. I’m not sure if I would play the larger, 200-point battles again because it’s not my personal style, but there’s a 100-point option that I'm excited to try.

Rose: Yes, and I have! My friends are stoked I finally learned how to play. I look forward to the day I actually win a game.

Owen: I think so. I still feel like I’m learning, but felt a lot of improvement and I’m curious what else the game has to offer.

Allen: I’m already putting together a Waiqar list.

The War Has Just Begun

Now that our matchup series is drawing to a close, we would like to thank our players for their time, dedication, and assistance throughout the Runewars Versus series. We hope that you've enjoyed our excursions into Terrinoth, and now we turn it over to you. What stories will unfold in your battles? Will you defend the realm or conquer it in the name of your faction? The decision is yours.

To lead your own army into battle, you can purchase Runewars Miniatures Game (RWM01) at your local retailer or on the Fantasy Flight Games website here!