Runewars Revised Edition rules summary

Setup:
1. Shuffle the Fate cards and deal one to each player. The highest numbered card determines the first
player.
2. Starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, each player chooses a faction and receives
the corresponding faction sheet, figures, home realm map tile, activation markers, and Order cards.
Also give each player a neutral units reference sheet.
3. Remove all Setup Quest cards from the Quest deck and shuffle them. Deal 2 to each player.
Each player exchanges their cards for the map tiles that match the alphanumeric identifier on their
cards.
4. The first player places one of his two tiles in the center of the table. Proceeding clockwise, each
player adds a tile until each player has placed his two tiles. A tile must be placed so that two areas
on the tile touch at least two different areas of the previously placed tiles. Also, you may not place
a mountain (red) or water (blue) border against another red or blue border.
5. The first player places a number of home realm setup markers adjacent to the board edge equal to
the number of players. Each marker must touch at least three non-colored (not red or blue) borders
and have at least three areas between it and other home realm setup markers. If still unable to place
the markers, the players retrieve their tiles and return to step 4 above.
6. Starting with the player to the left of the first player and proceeding clockwise, each player
replaces a home realm setup marker with his home realm map tile so that two areas of his home
realm occupy the markers previous space. Home realms may never be placed adjacent to another
home realm.
7. Give each player one dragon rune token and one false rune token. Starting with the first player and
proceeding counterclockwise, place the tokens face down in any two areas that do not have a token
and are not adjacent to a home realm setup marker.
8. Place neutral units in each area that has a corresponding image and number.
Map tile areas 3C and 6D should each list one Giant as their starting neutral unit. The only
map tile that should be set up with two Giants is 2A.
9. Randomly place a city token face up on each city space on the board.
10. Each player sets his resource dials to the red numbers on his faction sheet.
11. Shuffle the Tactics cards and give each player a number of Tactics cards and influence tokens as
indicated on the bottom left of his faction sheet.
12. Starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, each player places one of his stronghold
tokens in any area of his home realm. He then recruits units using all three of his starting resources
(as per the Recruit Order) and places them in any areas of his home realm.
13. Return all Quest cards that refer to areas that are not part of the game board to the game box.
14. Shuffle the Quest cards (including the cards dealt to the players in step 3) and deal two Quest cards
to each player.
15. Separate the Hero cards into three piles of four cards each based on alignment. The color of the
banner in the top right of a heros card shows its alignment: white (good), green (neutral), or black
(evil). Shuffle the good and evil piles and deal one Hero card to each player that matches his
alignment. Each player places the matching Hero figure in any area of his home realm.
16. Shuffle all of the remaining Hero cards into one Hero deck.
17. Shuffle the Fate deck, the Reward deck, the two Objective decks, and the four Season decks.
18. Place the three Title cards face up near the card decks.
19. Deal one Objective card to each player that matches their alignment. These are kept secret until
fulfilled and then they are discarded to receive a dragon rune.
Terms:
Resource Dials used to track your food, wood, and ore. They are only adjusted when instructed by
cards or abilities. They often will point to spaces lower or higher than the current resources in your
friendly areas. The units, Tactics cards, and influence tokens on the dials are gained when
instructed by cards or abilities (which does not result in adjusting the dials).
Area a single hexagonal region of the game board. Each has an alphanumeric identifier. A number
of food, wood, and ore icons indicate what the area can produce if friendly. An icon with a number
indicates any neutral units that are placed there during setup.
Activated Area an area with a friendly activation token.
Contested Area an area where a battle or duel is being resolved.
Controlled Area you control an area with at least one plastic unit of your color and/or one of your
strongholds. Having only a hero or neutral units does not establish control.
You always control areas in your home realm (even if they dont have any units or strongholds in
them) unless enemy units or an enemy stronghold is present.
Empty Area any non-home area that contains no units or strongholds. It may contain a city.
Enemy Area an area controlled by another player.
Friendly Area an area under your control.
Neutral Area an area containing neutral units and not controlled by a player.
Uncontrolled Area an area not controlled by a player. This includes neutral and empty areas.
Units plastic figures representing armies including neutral armies. Heroes are not units.
Routed a figure that is tipped over, usually in combat. A routed figure cannot move, start a duel, or
attack.
Alignment each faction is identified by the banner color in the lower left of its faction sheet. Good is
white and evil is black.
Current Player the player that is currently resolving an Order, if applicable.

Game Play: Each game year consists of four game rounds called Seasons. Each Season follows three
steps:
1. Resolve a Season Card
2. Choose Order Cards
3. Resolve Order Cards
Players continue resolving Seasons until the end of the seventh Winter (see also Winning the Game).
The game starts with a Spring card.

Step 1 Resolve a Season Card: Draw and resolve the top card from the appropriate deck.
First resolve the cards primary (text) ability.
Then resolve the cards secondary (icons) ability at the bottom of the card (which is the same on every
card for that Season). The secondary abilities are as follows:
Spring players remove their activation tokens from the board, stand up all of their routed
figures, and return all of their Order cards to their hands.
Summer conduct the Quest Phase for all of the players heroes.
Fall shuffle the Fate card discard pile back into the deck. Then each player chooses to
receive two Influence tokens or to draw one Tactics card.
Winter the maximum number of units you can have in each area is equal to your food dials
current space. All excess units are destroyed (owners choice). Allied neutral units count
towards this limit. Heroes are excluded (since they are not units).
Also, players may ignore the movement restriction of blue water borders during this season.
Secondary abilities are resolved in play order (see below).
The Season cards share a common discard pile. The top card in the discard pile indicates the current
season.

Play Order and Ties: Apply the following hierarchy to determine the order to resolve Order cards,
Season cards, and abilities:
1. The player whose current Order card is the lowest goes first.
2. If tied or no Order cards are not currently revealed, the player with the most influence tokens
goes first.
3. If still tied, the tied player with the most influence printed on their faction sheet goes first.

Step 2 Choose Order Cards: Choose an Order card and place it face down in front of you. This is
your Active Order. You will use four of your Order cards during the year.

Step 3 Resolve Order Cards: The cards are turned face up and then resolved in play order.
Supremacy Bonus if the card being resolved is your highest numbered card used this year, you may
use the Supremacy Bonus after resolving the cards primary ability.
Resolved Order cards remain face up in front of you until the following Spring.

Fate Cards: When drawing Fate cards, you must draw the full number of cards.
The Fate card discard pile may be examined at any time.

Moving Units and Heroes with the Strategize Order: You may move all of your units and/or heroes
into adjacent empty or friendly areas. Moving with this Order does not activate any areas.
Any units that started in an activated area may not move. Heroes are not units.

Moving Units and Heroes with the Mobilize and Conquer Orders: Place an activation token in an
area of your choice that does not already contain one of your activation tokens.
You may then move any of your units and heroes within two areas away into the activated area.
If there are enemy or neutral units in the activated area, you must start a battle with them or attempt
diplomacy.
Your units and heroes that move two areas to get to the activated area may only move through friendly
or empty areas. You may move through areas containing friendly activation tokens.
Any units and heroes that started in an activated area may not move.
Fast Units a unit with (Fast) under its name may move up to three areas.

Movement Restrictions: Water (blue) and mountain (red) borders are normally impassable although
flying units may ignore these borders.
Flying units may not move over enemy or neutral areas.
During each Winter, all water borders are ignored.
Some cards allow players to ignore border restrictions.
If the board is created with missing hexes (holes), units may not enter these nonexistent areas (even if
flying).

Stacking: You may never have more than eight units (including neutral units) in an area.
If you move units into an area and cause the area to be overstacked, destroy the excess units.
The only time you can exceed eight units is when starting a battle in an enemy or neutral area. If you
win the battle, any excess units must retreat into a single area.
Diplomacy: After moving into an area containing unallied neutral units, you must attempt diplomacy
or start a battle. For diplomacy, follow these steps against all of the units in the area:
1. Spend Influence spend between one and six influence tokens.
2. Draw Fate Cards draw a number equal to the amount of influence spent.
3. Resolve One Fate Card choose one of the cards and resolve its destiny symbol at the top of
the card.
A gold symbol means the neutral units become your allies (note that only 4 of the 30 cards have
this symbol).
A blue symbol routs the neutral units and retreats them to one adjacent area (chosen by the
player to your left). If the neutrals cant retreat, they are destroyed.
A red symbol means you must either start a battle or retreat all of your units into an adjacent
area.

Allied Units: Neutral units are treated as enemy units unless you have allied with them.
Your allied units are treated as if they are in your faction.
If allied units are ever in an area not controlled by you, they revert to neutral (except during a battle).
If your last unit is killed in battle, any remaining allied units stay allied until the end of the battle, even
retreating to a friendly area if you lose the battle.
Your allied units may move without being accompanied by your units, as long as they end their
movement in a friendly area.
If a Tactics card allows you to place or move neutral units into an area that you control, they become
your allied units. If a card causes your allied units to move into an empty or neutral area, they become
neutral.

Battles: When you move units into an enemy area, you must start a battle. Resolve it as follows:
1. Place the battle marker in the area.
2. Each player places his units to the right of the appropriate rows on his faction sheet.
Routed units remain in the contested area and do not participate.
If the defenders are unallied neutral units, the player to the attackers left controls them during
the battle (although he may not play Tactics cards).
3. The attacker may use any start of battle Tactics cards or abilities.
The defender then has the opportunity to do the same.
The attacker may assign any of his standing heroes in the area to a different type of friendly
unit. When he draws Fate cards for that type of unit during the combat rounds, he may draw
one additional card, look at the cards, and choose one to discard without effect. If he loses the
battle, the heroes are routed and retreat with his retreating units. If there are no retreating units,
the routed heroes still retreat (all to one area).
The defender then has the opportunity to assign his standing heroes.
4. Up to five rounds of combat are resolved (see the next section below).
5. After each unit has attacked once, both players tally their remaining strength.
a. If the defender has a stronghold with a defensive bonus development, he may use it now.
b. Each player totals the number of his standing units. This is his strength. Note: routed
hexagon-shaped units count as standing units for this step.
c. The defender adds his strongholds strength, if present.
d. If standing enemy units are present, the defender flips his stronghold to its damaged side. If
it was already damaged, it simply remains so.
6. The player with the highest strength wins. If tied, the defender wins.
 a. The losing player retreats his units from the area and routs them. Any of his units that were
already routed at the start of the battle (i.e., they were left in the area in step 2 above) may
not retreat and are destroyed instead. Units that were routed during the battle may retreat.
b. If the attacker won against a stronghold, he removes the stronghold. He may then replace it
with one of his own (damaged side face up). If all of his strongholds are already in play, he
may remove one from elsewhere to place in this area.
c. Both players remove damage tokens from their units.
d. The winner places his units in the contested area. Any units that were routed in the battle
remain routed. Remove the battle marker from the area.

Rounds of Combat: The first round consists of all Initiative 1 units attacking, following by the
Initiative 2 units in the second round, and so on:
1. The attacker chooses one of his unit types with the proper initiative number that has not
attacked yet (if able). He draws a number of Fate cards equal to the number of chosen units
and he refers to the section matching the shape of his units bases.
2. The defender does the same.
3. Both players reveal all Fate cards that have gold ability icons in the proper section of the card.
Starting with the attacker, each player resolves his units special abilities (as per the faction
sheets) a number of times equal to the special ability icons drawn.
4. Repeat for Fate cards with rout icons. Starting with the attacker, players rout a number of their
own figures equal to the number of routs their opponent drew.
5. Repeat for Fate cards with damage icons. Starting with the attacker, players deal a number of
damage to their own figures equal to the number of damage their opponent drew.
All drawn Fate cards are discarded.
If there are any standing units of this initiative that have not drawn cards yet, repeat these steps.
After all units of this initiative have drawn cards, a round of combat starts for the next initiative
number.

Concurrent Attacks: It is possible for units to be destroyed or routed before cards are drawn for them.
However, if cards have already been drawn for a unit type, the cards will be resolved regardless of
whether these units are later destroyed or routed.

Routed Units: A routed figure is tipped onto its side.

Routed units may not move or draw cards during battle.
During a battle, for each point of routing damage you are dealt, you must rout one of your undamaged
units. If all of your units are currently damaged, choose one of them to rout.
If you are forced to damage or destroy one of your units, you must choose a standing unit if able (as
opposed to a routed one).

Dealing Damage to Units: Assign a damage token (one at a time) for each damage point you are dealt
to units participating in the battle. Destroy a unit once it has damage equal to its health.
You must place damage on a previously damaged unit (if able).
If you dont have any standing units, assign damage to a routed unit.
All damage tokens are removed at the end of the battle.

Retreats: When your units have to retreat (including via the Sorceress special ability), you move them
all into one adjacent friendly area (or to an adjacent empty area if there are no friendly ones). If no
such retreat is available, the units are destroyed.
Unallied neutral units are moved by the player to your left into an uncontrolled area. If there is no
such area, they are destroyed.
Heroes may retreat to any adjacent area.
When a figure retreats, it is always routed.
After retreating, destroy excess units in the area beyond eight. Both routed and standing units are
counted.
Retreating units must follow normal movement restrictions for red and blue borders.

Heroes: The attributes down the right side are strength (red), agility (green), and wisdom (blue).
When gained, place your heros card face up in front of you and your heros figure in one of your
strongholds.
You may control a maximum of three heroes. If you gain a fourth, choose one to desert you.

Hero Movement: Heroes can move during the Quest Phase and also with the Strategize, Mobilize, and
Conquer Orders.
Unlike units, heroes may move through enemy and neutral units. Heroes do not start battles in such
areas (although they can start Duels).
Heroes may freely move out of areas containing friendly activation tokens.
Routed heroes (like units) may not move.

Quest Cards: Your Quests may be completed by any of your heroes.

You may have a maximum of three Quest cards in your hand at a time, discarding any excess if you
gain more.
Cards labeled as Setup Quests are used during setup. They are otherwise normal Quests.
A Quest is located in the specific area (if any) depicted in the bottom right of the card by a number and
a letter.

Quest Phase: The secondary ability of each Summer Season card is to resolve the Quest Phase.
In player order, each player may choose one of the following with each of his heroes (i.e., each hero
can do a different action):
Move up to two areas and optionally start a duel or attempt a Quest. Routed heroes may not
choose this action.
Heal all damage if in a friendly area.
Train to increase two attributes by one or increase one attribute by two. Place tokens to
indicate the increase(s). Each attribute may have a maximum of one training token.
Note that when you perform actions with your heroes, it is not considered part of your player turn.

Attempting and Completing Quests: Most Quest cards require a hero to be in a specific area. Reveal
the Quest card and follow the instructions. If the result is to receive reward, the hero draws a
Reward card, discards the completed Quest card, and draws a new Quest card.
After looking at it, place the Reward card face down under the Hero card.
The identification of a face down Reward card may not be shared with the other players.
Each hero may only attempt one Quest per Quest Phase.
If a hero fails to complete a Quest, the Quest card is not discarded. A Quest card is only discarded if
the Quest has been completed or the card specifically instructs you to discard it.
Attribute Tests: Most Quest cards require testing one of the heros attributes.
Draw a number of Fate cards equal to the heros attribute. Then choose one card to resolve the Quest
using the destiny icon at the top of the card.

Reward Cards: Turn a Reward card face up when you want to use its ability. It remains face up.
Reward cards may be freely traded between your heroes as long as they are in the same area during
your turn or when moving during the Quest Phase.
A hero may use a maximum of one weapon and one armor during each duel.

Duels:
1. Choose a single enemy hero present in your heros area.
2. You may use any Tactics cards or other abilities usable at the start of a duel.
The defender may then do the same.
3. Resolve four rounds of the duel as follows:
a. Starting with the attacker (you), each player draws one Fate card and reveals it.
b. Starting with the attacker, each player resolves the icon in the circle section of the card.
For a special ability icon, either deal one damage or use the ability of one of the heros Reward
cards.
For a rout icon, the hero may prevent a number of damage this round equal to the number of
flags. This result does not rout the opposing hero.
For a damage icon, the opposing hero is dealt that number of damage.
All damage is resolved simultaneously.
4. After four rounds or if a hero is defeated, the duel is over.
All damage remains on the undefeated Hero card(s) and they remain in the area.
If a hero is defeated, the surviving hero claims all of the defeated heros Reward cards. They may be
distributed to any of that players heroes in the area.
Routed heroes can be forced into a duel by an opponents hero. They act as if they are not routed
during the duel.

Duel Quests: Some Quest cards require a hero to duel a certain type of neutral unit. This unit is not
placed on the board it only exists for the Quest.
Such a duel is handled as per above with the player to your left controlling the neutral unit.
If a neutral unit draws a card with a special ability icon, it triggers its special ability.

Damaging and Defeating Heroes: A hero with damage tokens equal to or greater than his health is
defeated. Place its figure and Hero card into the box.
All of a defeated heros Reward cards remain face down unless they were already face up.
If the defeated hero was defeated in other than a duel with another hero, place his Reward cards next to
the board. Mark his area with a defeated hero marker and place a matching marker on his Reward
cards.
Any hero in the area with a defeated hero marker may, during his controllers turn, take all Reward
cards from under the marker and place them under his Hero card.

Deserting Heroes: Desertion usually occurs if a hero does not match his controllers alignment during
a particular Season or Tactics card.
When a hero deserts, remove his figure from the board and shuffle his Hero card back into the deck.
All of his Reward cards are placed in the Reward card discard pile.
Winning the Game: The game ends at the end of the seventh Winter season. All dragon runes are
flipped face up and the player who controls the most wins. If tied, the tied player with the most
influence wins. If still tied, the tied player with the most influence printed on their faction sheet wins.
If you control six areas containing dragon runes during your turn at any point in the game before the
seventh year, you may reveal them. Place your factions Victory card face down on top of the current
Seasons deck. A maximum of one Victory card can be placed on a Season deck at a time. During the
Resolve a Season Card step, reveal any Victory card on top of that Seasons deck before drawing a
Season card. If that player still has six dragon runes, he reads the card and wins the game. Otherwise
the card is returned to him and the Season card is resolved normally.

Gaining Dragon Runes: Dragon runes can be gained from Objective, Reward, Title, and Season
cards.
When instructed to receive one dragon rune, perform the following steps:
1. You may optionally discard up to two false rune tokens from areas that you control.
2. Take one dragon rune token and one false rune token and then randomize them.
3. Look at each token and place them each face down in a friendly or uncontrolled area that does
not contain a rune token. If there is no legal area to place one or both tokens, the unplaced
tokens are discarded face up to the pile of unused tokens.
A Season or Tactics card that instructs players to place or move tokens to specific areas does not
follow the steps above. Specific tokens are placed. False rune tokens are not placed unless specified.
A rune token may never be placed in an area that already has a rune token.
You may look at rune tokens in areas that you control or that you have a hero in at any time. This
includes enemy areas with your heroes in them.
You may not show tokens to other players, although you may tell (or lie about) what type of token is in
an area.

Revealing Rune Tokens: If a card instructs you to reveal a rune token, choose one in an area that you
control and flip it face up. If the card requires you to reveal a dragon rune, you cannot reveal a false
rune token.
Rune tokens revealed this way remain face up although they can be flipped if chosen as part of a
Fortify Order card.

Tactics Cards: Most Tactics cards read Play during your turn which includes before, during, and
immediately after you resolve your current Order card.
You may not use a Tactics card during the same season that you drew it.
Tactics cards that may be played during battles or duels can only be played if you have friendly units
or a hero participating.
If you ever have more than 10 Tactics cards in your hand, you must discard down to 10.

Influence Bids: To conduct an Influence Bid, the players perform the following steps:
1. Each player must declare how many influence tokens he has.
Then players may discuss the bid and promise (or lie) about how much they are going to bid.
2. Each player takes all of his influence tokens in hand and secretly selects an amount of tokens
he wishes to bid (which can be 0). He then holds a closed fist above the board with the selected
tokens inside.
3. All players open their fists and reveal their bids. Each season card specifies how to determine
the outcome of the bid.
4. All influence tokens bid by all players are discarded.
The term Wizards Council refers to the involvement of a mysterious council but otherwise has no
game effect, although it may be targeted by cards.
If multiple players bid the same amount of influence, the player with the Primarch of the Wizards
Council Title card chooses the winner. If no player has that title, the tied player with the most
unspent influence chooses among the tied players. If still tied, the tied player with the most influence
printed on their faction sheet chooses among the tied players.

Component Limitations: Use replacements if you run out of activation tokens, damage tokens,
defeated hero markers, influence tokens, or training tokens.
All other cards, tokens, and figures are limited.
If a deck runs out, reshuffle the discard pile.
If you want to recruit a unit but they are all in play, you may voluntarily destroy one in a friendly area
before recruiting. The same applies to building a stronghold or a development. If a development is
left in an area without a stronghold, the development is discarded.

Player Elimination: If you ever control zero areas, you are eliminated from the game.
Remove your heroes from the board. Shuffle your Tactics, Quest, Reward, and Hero cards back into
their decks. Return your Title cards to the common area, leaving any influence on them.

Order Card Details:

Strategize Order (#1) the Supremacy Bonus lets you draw one Tactics card for each corresponding
image on the current space or lower on each of your resource dials.
Mobilize Order (#2) the Supremacy Bonus allows you to resolve the primary ability a second time,
but not start a battle. You may attempt diplomacy but you will have to retreat if the result is a red
symbol.
Conquer Order (#3)
Harvest Order (#4) this Order card forces you to set your resource dials according to the resources
you currently control.
The Supremacy Bonus allows you to receive bonuses from your developments. Then you may
reduce your wood dial by one (but not below 0) to place one development token in a friendly area
containing a stronghold.
Developments you are limited to one development token in each area. If a stronghold is
destroyed or taken over by an opponent, any development tokens in the area are also destroyed.
Resources allow you to increase one of your resource dials by one. The resource must be
of a type provided by the area.
Diplomat gain two influence (Elves and Humans only).
Training Ground draw one Tactics card (Undead and Uthuk only).
Defensive Bonus each faction has a unique development token that may be used by the
defender in step 5 (Tally Strength) of a battle in the tokens area:
o Elves force your opponent to retreat one of his standing units
o Humans provides +2 strength
o Undead you may discard this token to force your opponent to rout three figures
o Uthuk you may discard this token to deal four damage to your opponent
Recruit Order (#5) choose one resource type and receive units for each corresponding image on the
current space or lower of that resource dial.
Place the units in any areas containing friendly strongholds as desired. Destroy any excess units
until there are eight or less in each area.
The Supremacy Bonus allows you to recruit using a different resource.
Rally Support Order (#6) for each city you control, gain one of the four benefits printed on the city:
neutral units, Tactics cards, influence tokens, or Quest cards (discarding down to three Quest cards
in your hand afterwards).
The Supremacy Bonus allows you to spend up to three influence to draw that number of Hero
cards. Choose one to keep, shuffle the rest back into the Hero deck, place the Hero card in front of
you, and place the hero figure in one of your strongholds.
Acquire Power Order (#7) gain influence for each corresponding icon on the current space or lower
of each of your resource dials.
The Supremacy Bonus allows you to claim one of the three Title cards by placing more influence
on the card than is already there and then removing the pre-existing influence.
The Title cards provide ways for their controllers to more easily acquire dragon runes.
Fortify Order (#8) allows you to perform any of these three actions, in any order, once each:
Build a Stronghold place a stronghold in an area that you control that does not have a
stronghold or city. Place it with its 5 side face up.
Repair a Stronghold flip a damaged stronghold face up.
Move Rune Tokens pick up two of your rune tokens, randomize them, look at them, and
place them face down into the same two areas.

FAQ:
Elves the Pegasus Rider special ability of choosing two of one figure or one of another can only
apply the choice of two of one figure if two such units are in the area.
Humans the special ability of a Siege Tower applies at the end of the battle even if the Siege Tower
is destroyed or routed prior to the end of the battle.
Undead Reanimate units created by a Necromancers special ability remain in play after the battle
ends. The Reanimates can only come from the players pool you cannot destroy them in another
area in order to provide figures for the Necromancers ability.
Uthuk the Warlock special ability of choosing two of one figure or one of another can only apply the
choice of two of one figure if two such units are in the area.
Threatened Home Realms (Season card) resolve this card in play order. If players run out of friendly
or uncontrolled areas, each rune token that cannot be moved remains in its home area. Each player
moves 1 rune token (instead of 2).
Ambush (Tactics card) can only be played during the Quest Phase.
Mobilize and Conquer Order cards allow players to move heroes in addition to units.