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Rune Age Rules PDF
Rune Age Rules PDF
TM
It is the dawn of a new era – one foretold in ancient prophecies. Component List
War has brought famine, and in turn the omens of a coming storm
• This Rulebook
continue to wither the chances of peace and prosperity. Amidst
the impending calamities that lie ahead, four races struggle to • 252 Cards
gain wealth, influence, and the precious dragon runes. With great
conflict on the horizon and whisperings of a prophetic tide of woe - 92 Faction Cards (23 per faction, 4 factions)
approaching, now is the time to gather all your strength and set - 4 Home Realms
out to forge your place in Terrinoth’s book of legend!
- 12 Strongholds
Rune Age is a card game where each player builds his own deck - 16 Two-cost Units
of cards over the course of the game. Two to four players each - 16 Three-cost Units
control one of four races (Humans, Elves, Uthuk, or Undead),
- 12 Five-cost Units
seeking conquest, riches, and the precious dragon runes.
Throughout the game, players build up their army by purchasing - 104 Scenario-specific Cards
new cards to add to their deck. Players use these cards to secure
- 50 Neutral Cards (10 Types – 5 of each)
cities, defeat Enemies, and ultimately win the game by completing
the scenario’s objective (see “Winning the Game” on page 14). - 4 Objective Cards
- 40 Event Cards (10 per scenario)
Object of the Game - 6 Dragon Rune Cards
The object of the game varies depending upon which scenario - 4 Monument Cards
the players choose. Rune Age comes with four unique scenarios;
some focus on player elimination, while others require all races - 48 Gold Cards (24 – “1,” 14 – “2,” 10 – “3”)
to unite and defeat a common threat. This rulebook is written - 8 City Cards
assuming that players are using the first scenario: “Resurgence of
the Dragonlords.” Other scenarios are described in greater detail • 38 Cardboard Damage Tokens
on pages 15–16. • 1 Six-sided Attrition Die
2
Component Overview Event Cards
This section describes all of the various components in detail. Each scenario uses a deck of 10 Event cards.
These cards present the players with unique
challenges during each scenario.
Home Realm Cards
Each race has one Home Realm card, which
identifies the capital city. If a player accumulates
City Cards
20 damage on his Home Realm card, he is City cards represent the great neutral cities
eliminated from the game. of Terrinoth. Players can secure cities, which
provide them with influence.
Stronghold Cards
Each race has three stronghold cards,
Dragon Rune Power Cards
which represent military outposts that Dragon Rune cards are only used during the
generate influence. “Runewars” scenario. They provide each race
with a unique ability.
Unit Cards
Unit cards come in two types: faction units
Monument Cards
and neutral units. Faction units are unique to Monument cards are only used during “The
each race, but neutral units may be acquired Monument” scenario. They represent each race’s
and used by any race. Each race has four Artifact of Power.
types of faction units, which are classified by
their cost in the lower-right corner of the card Damage Tokens
(i.e., 1-cost unit, 2-cost unit, etc.).
Damage tokens come in denominations of “1”
and “5.” They track how much damage has
Tactic Cards been dealt to a player’s Home Realm.
Tactic cards represent spells, strategies, and
maneuvers that provide either bonuses in Attrition Die
combat or special actions to perform on a
player’s turn. The attrition die is used to determine how many units are
destroyed during combat against certain Event cards.
Gold Cards
Gold cards come in three denominations:
“1,” “2,” and “3.” They represent the basic
currency used to purchase faction units.
Objective Cards
The objective of each game of Rune Age
varies depending on the scenario. Each
scenario uses its own objective card.
3
Setup 7. Populate Terrinoth: Place the following components as
described below. Consult the table “Variable Setup” for
Before playing, players must set up the game as follows: correct quantities based on the number of players. Return
all unused cards to the box:
1. Separate Cards: Players take the cards out of the box and
sort them into piles by card type. • Gold: Place three piles of gold cards in the central play
area (one pile for each gold value).
2. Choose a Scenario: Players choose which scenario they
want to play. Then they collect the neutral cards indicated • Neutral Cards: Place the neutral cards in three faceup
by the wax seals on the back of the objective card. If all piles (by card name) in the central play area, below the
players cannot agree on which scenario to play, shuffle gold cards.
all the objective cards together and randomly choose one • Cities: Individually place the city cards (not in piles)
to use as the objective for this game. “Resurgence of the faceup in the central play area.
Dragonlords” is a good scenario for new players. Return
all unused scenario and neutral cards to the box. • Damage Tokens: Sort the damage tokens into piles by
value and place them near the central play area.
3. Choose a Race: Each player chooses one race to play. If
players cannot agree, randomly assign races. Return all • Attrition Die: Place the attrition die near the central
unused races to the box. play area.
4. Determine Play Order: The youngest player goes first. 8. Gather Starting Resources: Each player takes five “1-gold”
Play then proceeds clockwise. cards from the gold card pool and three 1-cost units from his
Barracks to create his starting deck. He shuffles these eight
5. Fortify your Home Realm: Each player places his Home cards and places this deck facedown to the left of his Home
Realm card on the table in front of him. Realm card.
6. Build your Barracks: Each player organizes his 9. Draw Five Cards: Each player draws five cards from his
strongholds and faction unit cards (in ascending order of deck to create his starting hand.
cost) faceup in his play area (see Setup Diagram on page
5). Group the units in piles according to their cost. Each 10. Prepare the Event Deck: Compile the Event deck using the
player should have five piles in his Barracks. cards with the same back as the scenario’s objective card.
Gather all Stage 2 Events, shuffle them together, and place
them facedown. Then gather all Stage 1 Events, shuffle
them together, and place them facedown on top of the stack
Variable Setup of Stage 2 Event cards. (For more details on Stages, see
page 9). Place the compiled Event deck in the area between
Number of 1-Gold 2-Gold 3-Gold Each Neutral the first player and the player to his right (the last player).
Players Pile Pile Pile Neutral Cities This placement should help remind the first player to always
Pile
draw an Event card before beginning another round.
4 Players 24 14 10 5 5 11. Display the Objective: Place the objective card faceup
3 Players 19 12 8 4 4 above the row of city cards. This card remains in play to
2 Players 14 10 6 3 3 remind players of how they can win the game. Then start
1 Player 9 8 4 2 2 the first game round.
4
Setup Diagram (for 4 players)
Damage Tokens
Attrition Die
Central Play Area
Objective
Card
Gold
Card
Pool
Neutral
Card
Pool
Neutral
Cities
First Player
ec nt
e
k
Ev
D
Home
Discard Deck Realm
Pile
Barracks
Anatomy of a Card
Card Anatomy
2 2 1 1 2
4
5 5
9 9 9 9
2
7 8 7
Event Objective City Stronghold
1 2 1 2 2 1
5
5 5
9 9 9 9
6 6
Faction Unit Neutral Unit Tactic Gold
5. Ability
3. Discard Hand: During this step, the player discards all
remaining cards in his hand. However, he may retain
Resources cards by spending one influence per card that he wants
There are three types of resources in Rune Age: gold, to keep. By doing so he can save cards for future rounds.
influence, and strength. These icons either appear in the
lower-right or upper-left corner of a card. 4. Draw up to Five Cards: During this step, each player
draws cards from the top of his deck until he has five cards
If the icon appears in the lower-right corner, it represents the in his hand.
card’s cost. If the icon appears in the upper-left corner, it
represents what type of resource and how much of that After performing these steps, the next player in clockwise order
resource the card generates. now takes his turn (starting with step 1). After each player has
Gold: Gold and Reward cards generate gold, completed his turn, resolve the Event phase (see page 9).
which players can spend to purchase units and
strongholds. To generate gold in order to spend it, Performing Actions
play gold cards from hand or exhaust a Reward
card that generates gold by rotating it sideways. Players spend a majority of their turn performing actions. Actions
may be performed in any order and any number of times per
Influence: City, stronghold, and Reward cards turn, provided that the player has sufficient resources to perform
generate influence, which players can spend to them. For example, a player may perform a Combat action, a Spend
acquire neutral cards and gold cards. To generate Gold action, and then another Combat action.
influence in order to spend it, exhaust the card
by rotating it sideways. A player may perform any of the following actions during his turn:
Strength: Unit cards generate a certain amount
of strength. Strongholds, cities, and some Combat Action
Enemies cost strength, which represents the
amount of strength that a player must play in A player performs a Combat action by playing unit cards from
combat against it. his hand to the play area. All units played in combat make
up a player’s army. All units in player’s army are considered
Note: Stronghold cards show both “4 gold” and “2
participating units. There are two different types of combat:
strength,” separated by a slash. This represents that a player
battles and sieges. Battles only involve a single player, while
may either purchase a stronghold for “4 gold” or secure a
sieges involve two players. A player may perform several Combat
stronghold for “2 strength.”
actions over the course of his turn, but he may only attack each
target once per round. For more details on battles and sieges, see
“Conduct a Battle” on page 10 and “Conduct a Siege” on page 12.
A Player’s Turn
Rune Age is played over a number of game rounds. During a Card Action
round, each player takes one turn and then the first player resolves
A player performs a Card action by playing a card from his hand
the Event phase. Starting with the first player, each player takes
or exhausting a card in his play area with the keyword Action.
his turn by following these steps:
After resolving the card’s ability, place it faceup in the player’s
1. Refresh Exhausted Cities, Strongholds, and Rewards: discard pile. Unit card abilities cannot be used during combat. If a
During this step, the player refreshes (rotates to original player plays a unit with an Action ability in combat, only count its
orientation) all cities, strongholds, and Rewards under his strength – do not resolve its ability.
control. They are now ready to generate more influence.
Spend Gold Action
2. Perform Actions: During this step, the player performs
any number of actions, including conducting in combat, A player performs a Spend Gold action by playing gold cards
spending gold, spending influence, and more (see page 7). from his hand into his discard pile. Gold is used to:
7
• Purchase Units: A player spends gold to purchase units Spend Influence Action
from his Barracks. Purchased units are placed faceup in
the player’s discard pile. A player performs a Spend Influence action by exhausting
• Purchase Strongholds: A player spends gold to purchase (rotating sideways) cards that generate influence, such as cities,
strongholds from his Barracks. Purchased strongholds are strongholds and certain Rewards (see page 9). Remember, cities,
placed upright (refreshed) above the player’s Home Realm. strongholds, and Rewards are not refreshed until the beginning of
a player’s turn. Influence is used to:
• Purchase Special Cards (scenario-dependent): A
player spends gold to purchase a special card (such as a • Acquire Neutral Cards: A player spends influence to
Monument) from his Barracks. These special locations are acquire neutral cards from Terrinoth. Neutral cards include
powerful and often trigger the end of the game. neutral units, spells, events, or other items. Acquired neutral
cards are placed faceup in the player’s discard pile.
A player may purchase multiple units with a single gold card;
additionally, a player may purchase a single unit with multiple • Acquire Gold Cards: A player spends influence to acquire
gold cards. However, once a player begins a Spend Gold action gold cards from Terrinoth. Acquired gold cards are placed
by playing a gold card, he must spend the entire value of that gold faceup in the player’s discard pile.
card now or lose it. He cannot “carry over” any unspent gold from
Similar to gold, a player may acquire multiple units by exhausting
cards that were already played with the intent of performing other
a single city, or acquire a single unit by exhausting multiple cities.
actions and spending that gold later. A Spend Gold action may
Once a player exhausts a card to generate its influence, he must
not be interrupted by another action (i.e., a player cannot spend a
spend the entire value of the influence generated by the card(s) or
“2-gold” card, purchase one “Reanimate,” engage in combat, and
lose it. Players cannot “carry over” any unspent influence from
then spend the 1 remaining gold to purchase another “Reanimate”).
exhausted city, stronghold, or Reward cards.
Gold in Hand
Home Realm
Home Realm Discard Deck
Discard Deck Elf Barracks
Pile Central Play Area Pile
Event Cards & the Event Phase Enemy cards with an ability that occurs at the “start of the Event
phase” do not take effect on the turn they are drawn. In order to
Event cards represent global effects that impact all players or take effect, they need to have already been in play at the “start of
common foes who pose a threat to all races. Event cards are the Event phase” (immediately before an Event card is drawn).
classified by Stages, which determine how a player prepares the
Event deck for each scenario during setup (see page 4). Stage Instant Event Cards
1 cards are typically less threatening than Stage 2 cards. Most
scenarios only have two Stages, but “The Cataclysm” scenario has When an Instant is drawn from the Event deck, immediately
three Stages. resolve the card’s effect. Some Instants provide an ongoing effect
during the next game round. As a reminder, place the card near
After each player has taken his turn for the round, the first player the objective until the round is over. Some Instants target multiple
draws the top card from the Event deck and reads it aloud to all players. To resolve an Instant that targets multiple players, start
players. Event cards are either Enemies or Instants. If the card with the first player and proceed in standard clockwise order. After
is an Enemy, place it in the central play area and leave it in play resolving an Instant’s ability, place it in the Event discard pile.
until a player defeats it. If the card is an Instant, resolve its text
immediately. Event cards that affect “each player” are resolved in Rewards
play order, starting with the first player. When a player claims a Reward (usually from an Event card), that
player takes the card and places it near his Home Realm. Rewards
After the Event card is resolved, all players draw back up to five give some type of bonus to the player who owns them. If a player
cards in hand and the game round continues as normal. If the who controls any Reward cards is eliminated, those cards are
Event deck is depleted, create a new Event deck by shuffling all removed from the game.
Stage 2 Events from the discard pile.
Some Reward cards have a gold or influence icon in the upper-
Some Event cards directly attack a player’s Home Realm. See left corner. These cards provide the player with a certain amount
page 10 for details on how to resolve these attacks. of resources, as indicated by the number on the icon. To generate
resources in order to spend them, the owning player exhausts the
Enemy Event Cards card. An exhausted card indicates that the player already generated
When an Enemy is drawn from the Event deck, place it near the the card’s resources during this round.
objective card. Players can engage the Enemies in battle during
their turn. When an Enemy is defeated, place it in the Event Other Reward cards explain their use in the ability text. These
discard pile unless the card states otherwise. Some Enemies cards typically provide a unique, scenario-specific bonus.
provide ongoing effects or have abilities that require damage
tokens be placed on them as listed on their card. When the first Note: Some Reward cards do not come from the Event deck, but
player draws an Enemy card, be sure to read its text carefully so the above rules also apply to these Reward cards.
that all effects are applied at the appropriate time.
Attrition Die
Some Event cards show a small icon of the attrition die in the
lower-left corner. For each icon that is present, the player must
roll the attrition die after committing his units against it in battle.
For each skull symbol on the die, the player must destroy that
many of his participating units. (Destroyed units are immediately
removed from combat and do not contribute their strength during
combat resolution; see page 14.) If a unit’s ability prohibits it
from being destroyed in combat, the player must choose another
participating unit to destroy. If there are no other participating
units, then no units are destroyed.
9
Conduct a Battle –– Enemy: The player fails to defeat the Enemy. It
remains in the central play area and a player may
If a player engages in combat against a target that is not attack it during a future turn.
controlled by another player, then the combat is considered a
battle. When a player conducts a battle, his goal is to secure a
• Defend Against an Instant Card:
stronghold or city, attack an Enemy card, or defend against an –– Army: The player successfully repels the attack
Instant card that is attacking his Home Realm. A player conducts against his Home Realm. (If this Instant is supposed
a battle by following these steps: to continue attacking other players, place it in front
of the next player in clockwise order so he can
1. Declare Target: During this step, the player declares conduct a battle against the Instant.)
at which target he is conducting the battle (stronghold,
neutral city, Enemy, or Instant). –– Instant: The player subtracts the Instant’s strength
from his army’s strength to see how much damage
2. Assault: During this step, the player plays unit or tactic his Home Realm suffers. He then places damage
cards one at a time from his hand. If the player wants tokens equal to that value on his Home Realm.
to use a card’s When Played ability, he must do so
immediately after playing the card. Using unit abilities 5. End of Combat: During this step, all wounded units
is always optional. Some unit abilities refer to destroying are destroyed. Return them to their place of origin in
or wounding units, which often occurs during this combat the Barracks/central play area (see page 14). Place all
step (see page 14). The player may stop playing cards surviving units in their owner’s discard pile.
whenever he chooses or when he has no unit or tactic
cards in hand. A player may conduct several battles over the course of his turn,
but he may only attack each target once per round. He is also
3. Attrition: During this step, the player rolls the attrition die limited by the cards in his hand and, unless he has a unit with a
if the target is an Event with the attrition die icon in the card-drawing ability, he does not replenish his hand until the end
lower-left corner of the card. The player must destroy that of a player’s turn (including his own turn).
many participating units of his choice (see “Attrition Die”
on page 9).
4. Resolution: During this step, apply all Resolution abilities
on participating unit, tactic, and Enemy cards. The player
chooses the order in which these abilities are resolved.
Then resolve the battle based on which side has the highest
total strength (see below). In case of a tie, the player’s
army wins the battle.
• Secure a Stronghold or City:
–– Army: The player succeeds and takes the stronghold
or city into his play area above his Home Realms.
–– Stronghold/City: The player fails to secure the target
card. It remains in its place of origin and a player
may attack it during a future turn.
• Attack an Enemy Card:
–– Army: The player succeeds. If the Enemy becomes
a Reward card, the player places it in his play area.
Otherwise, he places it in the Event card discard pile.
10
Example Battle
The Waiqar the Undying player performs a Combat action, 6 He then plays “Dark Knight” and then chooses to pass.
choosing to conduct a battle.
Before calculating his final strength, he must roll the
1 He declares “Dragonlord Kalladra,” one of the attrition die (as indicated in the lower-left corner of the card
Enemies in the central play area, as his target. “Dragonlord Kalladra”). 7 He rolls one skull, which
means that he must destroy one of his units involved in this
2 He plays a “Reanimate,” 3 uses its When Played
combat. He chooses to destroy one “Reanimate,” returning it
ability to search his discard pile for a “Reanimate,” and
adds it to the combat. to his Barracks. 8 Next comes the Resolution step, so he
calculates his final strength, which comes to a total of “10” –
4 He plays another “Reanimate,” searches his discard just enough to defeat “Dragonlord Kalladra.”
pile again, but there are no more “Reanimates” in his
He claims it as a Reward, placing it above his Home Realm near
discard pile.
his strongholds and cities. He then places his surviving units in
5 He plays a “Skeleton Archer,” whose ability only his discard pile.
affects opposing units, not Enemies.
5
1 Undying Army
Target
6
2 3 7 x Undying Army
8
(Dark Knight’s
Resolution
Ability)
4 Undying Army
Undying Army 1 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 3 = 10
Conduct a Siege • Siege a Home Realm:
If a player engages in combat against a target that is controlled –– Attacking Army: The defending player subtracts his
by another player, then the combat is considered a siege. When army’s strength from the attacking army’s strength
a player conducts a siege, his goal is to secure a city controlled by to determine how much damage his Home Realm
another player or to deal damage to an opposing Home Realm. A suffers. He then places damage tokens equal to that
player conducts a siege by following these steps: value on his Home Realm.
–– Defending Army: The defending player successfully
1. Declare Target: During this step, the player declares at repels the attack against his Home Realm.
which target he is conducting the siege (player-controlled
city or Home Realm). 4. End of Combat: During this step, all wounded units
are destroyed. Return them to their place of origin in
Note: Strongholds cannot be chosen as a siege target. the Barracks/central play area (see page 14). Place all
2. Assault: During this step, both players involved in the surviving units in their owner’s discard pile.
siege alternate playing one unit or tactic at a time, starting A player may conduct several sieges over the course of his turn,
with the attacking player. When a new unit is played, the but he may only attack each target once per round. He is also
player announces the current total strength of his army. limited by the cards in his hand and, unless he has a unit with a
If a player wants to use a card’s When Played ability, he card-drawing ability, he does not replenish his hand until the end
must do so immediately after playing the card. Using unit of a player’s turn (including his own turn). Remember, a player
abilities is always optional. Some unit abilities refer to cannot conduct a siege against a stronghold.
destroying or wounding units, which often occurs during
this combat step (see page 14).
Additional Rules
Players alternate playing cards until both players pass;
passing can happen by choice (a player does not want to This section addresses all rules not previously addressed.
play more cards, even though he has more in his hand) or by
default (there are no more cards in his hand). Once a player The Play Area
passes, he cannot play any more cards during this siege.
Each player’s play area is made up of several parts, all centered
3. Resolution: During this step, apply all Resolution abilities around his Home Realm card. His deck and discard pile are
on participating unit, tactic, and Enemy cards after both placed to one side of his Home Realm, while the Barracks piles
players pass. (The attacking player resolves all of his are placed to the other side (to avoid accidentally mixing cards
Resolution abilities first, then the defender resolves all of that have not been purchased into the deck). When a player
his Resolution abilities.) Also, if the target is a city, add secures a stronghold or city, or claims a Reward, he places that
the auto-defense bonus to the defending army’s strength. card above his Home Realm.
Then resolve the siege based on which side has the highest
total strength (see below). In case of a tie, the defending Reshuffling a Player’s Deck
player’s army wins the siege.
When a player needs to draw or reveal cards and is unable to do
• Siege a Player-controlled City: so because his deck is depleted, he reshuffles his discard pile to
–– Attacking Army: The attacking player secures the create a new deck. He may then draw or reveal the cards he needs.
city. He places it refreshed in his play area.
Access to Deck & Discard Pile
–– Defending Army: The defending player successfully
repels the attack against the city. He keeps the city Any player may count the cards remaining in any player’s deck. Also,
and leaves it in its current state (either exhausted any player may examine any player’s discard pile, provided that he
or refreshed). does not alter the order of the cards in the discard pile.
12
Example Siege
The Uthuk Y’llan player is attacking the Latari Elf player’s 5 The Uthuk player plays “Battle Cry.” The Elf player
Home Realm. chooses to pass. Because the Elf player has chosen to pass, he
cannot play more units during this combat. The Uthuk player
1 The Uthuk player plays a “Berserker.” 2 The Elf can proceed to play his cards immediately one after another.
player plays a “Storm Sorceress.”
6 The Uthuk player plays a “Berserker,” followed by
3 The Uthuk player plays a “Flesh Ripper” and activates another “Berserker.” He then chooses to pass.
its ability, which wounds the “Berserker” that is in play
(rotated sideways) and allows the player to draw a card. 7 Now that both players have passed, they check for
any Resolution abilities to apply. “Battle Cry” applies its
4 The Elf player plays a “Darnati Warrior” and Resolution ability. Neither of the surviving “Berserkers” can
activates its ability, which costs 1 influence to destroy apply their Resolution ability because they are not wounded.
an opposing unit. The Elf player exhausts one of his The players compare each army’s strength, and 8 the Elf
available strongholds and chooses to destroy the wounded player places two “1” damage tokens on his Home Realm card.
“Berserker,” which is returned to its place of origin. All surviving unit are placed in their owner’s discard pile.
1 5
Uthuk Army Elf Army Uthuk Army Elf Army
2 6
Uthuk Army Elf Army Uthuk Army Elf Army
+3
3 7
Uthuk Army Elf Army Uthuk Army Elf Army
7 5
x 4 7-5= 2 8
Uthuk Army Elf Army Home Realm
Drawing Cards
Resolution Abilities
At the end of each player’s turn and the Event phase, all players
The “Siege Machine” has an ability that reads
replenish their hand to five cards. Through card abilities, a player
“Resolution: Discard 1 card from your hand to
may draw additional cards. There is no maximum hand size.
add 2 strength to this unit.” During a battle, the
Daqan Lords player plays one “Siege Machine”
Tactic Cards from his hand. During the Resolution step, he
Similar to neutral unit cards, tactic cards are acquired by spending may choose to discard one card from his hand
influence. Tactic cards offer a variety of ways to incorporate other to gain the +2 strength bonus.
military options to an army’s arsenal. Similar to unit cards, tactic
cards have abilities that are triggered during certain times of the
game (see “Abilities” on page 14). Destroying & Wounding Units
Several cards use the terms destroy and wound. Both game terms
Player Elimination are explained here:
When any player’s Home Realm sustains 20 points worth of
damage tokens, that player is eliminated from the game. Neutral The term “destroy” means that the card is returned to its place
cards and gold cards are returned to their place of origin. Any cities of origin, which is either in a player’s Barracks (if it is a faction-
controlled by that player are returned to the central play area. Any specific unit) or in the central play area (if it is a neutral unit).
Reward cards controlled by that player are removed from the game. If a unit is destroyed during combat, that unit is immediately
removed from combat. The player who owns that unit does not
count its strength toward his total for this combat. If a city is
Abilities destroyed, it returns to the central play area and is considered a
Abilities on unit and tactic cards are always optional and can neutral city until a player secures it again.
only be used once per card per round. There are four different
abilities: When Played, Resolution, End of Combat, and Action. The term “wound” only occurs during combat and means that
the card will be destroyed after combat is resolved. If a unit is
• When Played means that the ability is triggered at the wounded during combat, rotate the card sideways. Wounded
moment the card is played in combat. Some cards require the units still add their combat value to a player’s strength total, but
player to discard a card from his hand or spend influence in they are destroyed during the End of Combat step. Once a unit is
order to activate the ability. wounded, it cannot be wounded again.
Victory Conditions: The objective card is considered an Enemy. Special Rules: When a player is defeated, the victor obtains the
The player who defeats the objective wins the game. loser’s dragon rune power card.
Strategy Tip: With so many Enemies in this deck, don’t forget to When a player obtains a dragon rune power card (by eliminating
purchase lots of cheap units so you can destroy them when taking another player or by the “Dragon Rune Discovery” Event card),
attrition instead of your expensive, powerful units. he must choose one dragon rune power card to be active. He
can continue using his first dragon rune power, or he may use the
Solitaire Play: A single player may play this scenario by himself. new dragon rune power that he just obtained. He places the active
This player can play any one race and competes against the Event dragon rune power faceup and removes the other dragon rune
deck. The player wins if he is able to defeat the objective card power from the game.
before his Home Realm sustains 20 points of damage, which
eliminates him from the game. Dragon rune power cards can only be used once per round.
Exhaust the card to use its ability.
Before compiling the Event deck, remove the “Bountiful Harvest”
Event card. All other rules remain unchanged. If a player is eliminated by taking damage from an Event card, his
dragon rune power card is removed from the game.
15
The Cataclysm The Monument
The end of the world is nigh. Prophecies As warfare continues to spread, it becomes
are coming to pass, and the signs of apparent that no one race can prevail over the
the end times have begun manifesting others without some sort of divine intervention.
themselves. All living beings must unite While each race scrambles to erect their
and stand against the calamities that are beacon of power, open war rages around them.
threatening all inhabitants of Terrinoth.
Scenario Description: “The Monument” scenario is designed
Scenario Description: The “Cataclysm” scenario is designed for players who dislike player elimination and do not enjoy other
for players who enjoy working together as a group to defeat players mucking with their strategy. The main player interaction in
a common enemy. The key is survival – at all costs. Just be this scenario is fighting over cities as well as drafting the popular
mindful of selfish, backstabbing players who are only looking neutral cards before your opponent drafts them for himself.
out for themselves. Ultimately, this scenario is a race against your opponents to
acquire the most gold to win the game.
Neutral Cards: “Pillage,” “Naga,” “Demon”
Neutral Cards: “Sorcerer,” “Naga,” “Mind Control”
Special Rules: When a player secures a player-controlled city, it
enters his play area exhausted. Additional Setup Instructions: Place each player’s Monument
in his Barracks. A player may perform a Spend Gold action during
Unlike the other scenarios, which separate the Event cards into two his turn to purchase his Monument. Place purchased Monument
stages, this scenario separates the Event cards into three stages. cards near the player’s Home Realm.
When the Event deck runs out, do not shuffle the Stage 2 cards Special Rules: Players cannot attack Home Realms.
from the discard pile to create a new deck.
Victory Conditions: When a player builds his Monument, he
Victory Conditions: All players win if the first player cannot wins the game at the end of this game round. If multiple players
draw an Event card because there are no cards left in the Event build their Monument during the same game round, each of these
deck. All players lose if any player is eliminated. players adds up the strength of all unit cards in his deck. The
player with the highest total wins. If players are tied for strength,
Strategy Tip: If a player doesn’t have the right cards in his hand then these players share the victory.
to take out an Enemy, try using “Pillage” on another player to
help improve the odds that he can deal with the impending threat! Rule Clarification: “Mind Control” can be used to take any card
from an opponent’s hand, including faction-specific cards that
Optional Rule: For players who want a purely cooperative other players would not normally have access to.
experience, remove “Brother Against Brother” from Stage 3
before compiling the Event deck. Strategy Tips:
Solitaire Play: A single player may play this scenario by • If your opponent has been saving lots of cards in his hand,
himself. This player can play any one race and competes against use “Mind Control” to steal his gold!
the Event deck.
• If Resolution abilities keep thwarting your strategy, acquire
Before compiling the Event deck, remove “The Guardian some “Nagas” to render Resolution abilities useless –
Obelisk” and “Brother Against Brother” from the Event deck. All except for your own units’ Resolution abilities, of course!
other rules remain unchanged. • Don’t forget about the Reward cards that provide a fixed
amount of gold once per turn! The gold generated by these
cards can be used when purchasing your Monument.
16
Optional Rule: Credits
Custom Neutral Cards Game Design: Corey Konieczka
Producer: Steven Kimball
Each scenario’s objective card displays the recommended neutral
Editing & Proofreading: David Johnson
cards for that scenario. However, to add more variety to each
Graphic Design: WiL Springer, Dallas Mehlhoff, Brian Schomburg
scenario, all players must agree to substitute any number of
neutral card types for any other neutral card type with the same Managing Art Director: Andrew Navaro
influence cost. Art Direction: Kyle J. Hough, Andrew Navaro, Steven Kimball
Cover Art: Alex Aparin
Index Interior Art: Ignacio Bazan Lazcano, João Bosco, Jason Caffoe,
Chelsea Conlin, Si Dominic, Carolina Eade, Melissa Findley, Tom
Garden,, Anna Ignatieva, McLean Kendree, Emil Landgreen, Jorge
Overview.................................................................................2 Maese, David Nash, Andrew Navaro, Nikolay Stoyanov, Santiago Villa,
Matt Zeilinger, Ben Zweifel
Object of the Game.................................................................2 Additional interior art by the artists of Runebound Second Edition.
Production Manager: Eric Knight
Component Overview.............................................................3 Executive Producer: Michael Hurley
Publisher: Christian T. Petersen
Setup.......................................................................................4
Playtesters: Joe Ackert, Jaffer Batica, Andrew Baussan, Jason Beaudoin,
Carolina Blanken, Pieter Blanken, Dan Bokusky Freekjan Brink, Pedar
Card Anatomy.........................................................................6 Brown, Ed Browne, Joost Boere, Wilco van de Camp, Scott Clifton, Meric
England, Jon Erstad, Tom Forrest, Chandra Foster, Sean Foster, Marieke
Player Turns............................................................................7 Franssen, Nate French, Andrew Frick, John Van Geest, John Goodenough,
Josh Greenman, Matthew Holmes, Keith Hurley, Michael Hurley, Mark
Performing Actions.................................................................7 Jenstad, Brett Klooster, Rob Kouba, Emile de Maat, Ramona McCance,
Andrew Meredith, Patricia Meredith, Francesco Moggia, Brian Mola, Ben
Event Cards & the Event Phase..............................................9 Mueller, Jenny Mueller, Peter Mueller, Rick Nauertz, Jeroen Nederhoff,
Gerwin Osnabrugge, Loren Overby, Marijke van der Pal, Sebastiaan van
der Pal, Patrick Piening, Lisa Poff, Mark Pollard, Brian Ries, Martijn
Conduct a Battle......................................................................10 Riphagen, Adam Sadler, Brady Sadler, Martin van Schaijk, Sander van
Schouwenburg, Gerben Seekles, Chris Shibata, Arjan Snippe, Erik Snippe,
Conduct a Siege......................................................................12 Sandra Stadman, Damon Stone, Elia Strambini, Remco Swenker, Anton
Torres, Tim Uren, Reinier Vens, Vera Visscher, Remco van der Waal,
The Play Area..........................................................................12 Jason Walden, Brad Webber, Eric Wetterlind, Chris Wilcoxen, Christian
Williams, Lynell Williams, Nik Wilson, and Peter Wocken
Tactic Cards............................................................................14
Player Elimination..................................................................14
Abilities...................................................................................14
17
The Latari Elves The Daqan Lords
Greatest of the Eleven Tribes, the A union of lords, great in power and
first people of Mennara. prestige, an ancient coalition held
together by long tradition of nobility
The Latari Elves are a strange and and rule of law.
distant people, when viewed through
the eyes of the younger races. “Terrinoth,” in the tongue of the Elder
Beautiful and wise, they remain Kings, means “the Land of Steel.” The
aloof from the day-to-day concerns of the world, safe in their name is thought to have described the mindsets and attire of its
great forest of the Aymhelin. They seem almost otherworldly, and inhabitants, as well as the wealth of iron deposits still found in its
if Elven legend is to be believed this is entirely true: the Elves are rugged mountains. The Elder Kings are now gone, and Terrinoth
not creatures of the mortal world, but rather a fallen people, exiles is no longer a kingdom. Instead, the region is divided amongst the
from the heavenly realm of the Empyrean. Free Cities and the noble barons of the Daqan Lords.
While their status as Empyreal beings remains a subject of debate The Daqan Lords govern themselves and their lands through the
among some mortal scholars, the Elves are certainly blessed Council of Thirteen, which meets each season in the citadel-city
with long lives and a natural gift for magic. To the Elves, their of Archaut. Each baron of Daqan holds a seat on the Council, and
superiority is an accepted fact: their soldiers are the most skilled, their wisdom and leadership has seen the people through many
their mages the most powerful, their cities the most grand. When crises. While each lord is free to rule his barony as he sees fit, it
the jealousy of the mortal races drives the Elves to war, Elven is the Council that decides matters affecting the lords as a whole,
retribution is swift and the war short. When a great darkness resolves disputes between barons, or presides over important
threatens all of Mennara, it is of course the Elves who must trials. On rare occasions, the Council is convened by reason of
protect their adopted home. Throughout Elven history, only once urgent crisis or other matters of special circumstance, and it takes
has the Aymhelin been conquered, by the Dragonlords. such an exceptional event to mobilize the knights and men-at-
arms of every barony to war.
Since the occupation of the Dragonlords was broken, Lord
Aenoeth has ruled the Latari from the hidden city of Lithelin. The Council of Thirteen dates to the time of the Second Darkness
Lord Aenoeth presides over the mightiest of the Elven nations and and the fate of King Daqan. The king vanished in the midst of the
is the custodian of those Tears of Latariana left by the nations that crisis, and his fate remains unknown. He left no heir, and with
were lost. At his side sits the controversial Maegan Cyndewin, the no certain proof of his death none of the barons would accept
half-elven sorceress and the remaining soul with a rightful claim one of their own ascending to the throne. Thus, the Council of
to the Shadow Tear, the Ynfetaar. “Daqan’s Lords” was formed. The Council, intended at first to be
a temporary solution, endures to this day.
Now, unnamed things stir once more at the borders of the
Aymhelin. Lord Aenoeth has not forgotten the occupation of the The people of Daqan whisper that King Daqan will return
Dragonlords and the shame of their exile from the Empyrean someday, and that he will suffer no other king to sit in his throne
drives the Elves to oppose the Ynfernael in all things, and so the before he does. The superstition and legend of the Lost King
armies of the Latari Elves ride forth again. They will oppose the forms as much a part of the character of Daqan’s former kingdom
growing darkness, and in so doing expunge some portion of the as the cult of Kellos or the Magistrates of the Common Law. As
shame of their fall, and perhaps prove themselves worthy to return darkness gathers once more, some whisper that Daqan’s return is
to the Empyrean. imminent…but the Council will not wait for the Lost King. The
Daqan Lords march to war.
18
Waiqar the Undying The Uthuk Y’llan
Waiqar the Magnificent, Waiqar the Cruel, barbaric, and infused with the blood
Conqueror, Waiqar the Betrayer. Master of of demons. The First Darkness lives again!
Zorgas and Lord of the Land of Mists.
Centuries ago, a great shaman of the Uthuk
The legend of Waiqar Sumarion will tribe of the Loth K’har fell to darkness
forever be entwined with that of his friend and became a pawn of the Ynfernael. His
and master, the great wizard Timmorran name was Llovar Rotuno, and he destroyed
Lokander. During Mennara’s First Darkness, Timmorran united his people. Under his influence, barbaric
the lawful races to oppose the great evil that Llovar Rotuno and warriors of the Uthuk drank the blood of demons, then spread the
his hordes of Uthuk had unleashed. Waiqar was a general of taint throughout the Loth K’har by means of depraved blood rites.
Timmorran’s armies and successfully led his elite forces in many Soon, the Loth K’har were gone; only the Uthuk Y’llan remained.
battles against the First Darkness. When Llovar took his hordes south with their Ynfernael allies, it
was the beginning of Mennara’s First Darkness.
Emboldened by his victories and against Timmorran’s advice,
Waiqar set off to assault Llovar directly at the head of a great host. Ultimately, the First Darkness was defeated by an alliance of all
It was the greatest folly of the war. Waiqar was soundly beaten by the free peoples of Mennara and the great wizard Timmorran
Llovar’s forces and imprisoned in Llovar’s accursed citadel, where Lokander. The Uthuk Y’llan were broken, then hunted down and
he languished until he was rescued by Timmorran Lokander. destroyed…or so it was believed.
Waiqar was reinstated as a general, but his mind and spirit were In truth, some of the Uthuk escaped Timmorran’s armies and
twisted. Whether it was his own failure and self-hatred that made a new home on the shores of the Kaylor Morbis. Their
damned him, or some malignant remnant of Llovar’s tortures, bodies had been twisted and tainted by the demon blood that runs
none can say. Slowly, as Waiqar fought and destroyed the remnants through their veins, and that curse or gift has been passed down
of the Llovar’s forces, he fell to darkness. Always a clever and for generations. The Uthuk are now something both more and less
charismatic man, he turned his army against Timmorran’s scheme than human. Faster and stronger than any mortal man, their bodies
to imbue his powers into the Orb of the Sky, and convinced them are twisted by spurs of bone that sprout from their flesh. These
that Waiqar, not Timmorran, should possess the Orb. spurs are a source of pride to the Uthuk warriors, a mark of the
strength in their blood.
On the Night of Betrayal, Waiqar led his host to assault Timmorran
in the Wizards Vale. In response, Timmorran shattered the Orb and The Uthuk have grown strong once more in the demon-tainted
spread its shards – the Stars of Timmorran – across the world. wastelands that were once the home of the Loth K’har. Their
warriors hunt and tame the feral demons of that land, and drink
Furious at his failure, Waiqar surrendered completely to his their blood, renewing the ancient compact with the Ynfernael. The
inner darkness. He swore never to rest until he had claimed shamans and wise-women cast the bones and seek omens in the
Timmorran’s power for his own, and so cursed himself to an entrails of their prey, prophesying a time when the Uthuk Y’llan
undying existence. His men died under the weight of that curse, will rise again to cover the world like locusts.
but rose again to walk at his side – as loyal in undeath as they had
been in life. Now they gather in great warbands and strike out into the
civilized lands, killing or enslaving all they find. The devastation
Since that time, Waiqar has schemed and plotted from his citadel they leave in their wake is dismissed as the work of brigands or
of Zorgas. His has been the hand behind many a great evil that rogue orcs, for few are willing to contemplate the truth: the Uthuk
has befallen Mennara, even as his name fades from memory. Y’llan have returned, and a new darkness comes with them.
Now, more myth than man, Waiqar sends forth his legions. A new
darkness is stirring, and Waiqar’s centuries-long plans are coming
to fruition…
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Quick Reference Conduct a Battle
1. Declare Target
Setup
2. Assault (play unit and/or tactic cards)
(see pages 4–5)
3. Attrition (only against Enemies with the die icon)
A Player’s Turn
4. Resolution
1. Refresh Exhausted Cities, Strongholds, and Rewards
5. End of Combat
2. Perform Actions
• Spend Gold Action Conduct a Siege
1. Declare Target
• Spend Influence Action
2. Assault (alternate playing unit and/or tactic cards
• Card Action
against opponent)
• Combat Action
3. Resolution
3. Discard Hand (spend influence per card to keep)
4. End of Combat
4. Each Player Draws up to Five Cards
5. Event Occurs (only after the last player ends his turn)
Performing Actions
1. Spend Gold Action
• Purchase Units
• Purchase Strongholds
• Purchase Special Cards (scenario-dependent)
2. Spend Influence Action
• Acquire Neutral Cards
• Acquire Gold Cards
• Retain Cards in Hand
3. Card Action
4. Combat Action
• Secure a Stronghold/City
• Lay Siege to a Player-controlled City
• Lay Siege to a Home Realm
• Attack an Enemy Event Card (scenario-dependent)