Rune Age: Oath and Anvil Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Expansion Overview
• Component List
• Component Overview
  • Orc and Dwarf Faction Cards
  • New Faction Unit Cards
  • Objective and Event Cards
  • Landmark Cards
  • Neutral Cards
  • Mercenary Cards
  • Oath and Anvil Expansion Icon
• How to Use This Expansion
• New Rules
  • Mythic Units
  • Resolution Abilities
  • Friendly and Opposing Units
• The Scenarios
  • Ascent of the Overlord
  • The Quest for Power
  • Landmarks
• Optional Rules
  • Resurgence of the Dragonlords Cooperative Variant
• Mercenary Cards
• Siege Icon

Expansion Overview

The Oath and Anvil expansion for Rune Age pushes the boundaries of the core game, greatly increasing the deck-building options and variety. With two new races, new units for each core race, two new scenarios, new Event cards for each core game scenario, and random mercenary cards that make each game unique, this expansion enhances nearly every aspect of Rune Age.

Component List

• This Rulesheet
• 210 Cards
  • 24 Core Game Faction Unit Cards (6 per faction, 4 factions)
  • 60 Orc and Dwarf Faction Cards
    • 2 Home Realms
    • 6 Strongholds
    • 16 One-cost Units
    • 8 Two-cost Units
    • 16 Three-cost Units
    • 6 Five-cost Units
    • 4 Six-cost Units
    • 2 Monuments
  • 50 Mercenary Cards (10 Types – 5 of each)
  • 76 Scenario-specific Cards
    • 30 Neutral Cards (6 Types – 5 of each)
    • 2 Objective Cards
    • 36 Event Cards (24 for new scenarios, 12 for core game scenarios)
    • 8 Landmark Cards

Component Overview

This section describes the various components included in this expansion.

Orc and Dwarf Faction Cards

The savage Orcs of the Broken Plains and the stalwart Dwarves of Dunwarr muster their forces to stake their claim in Terrinoth's future. Each new race includes six unit types, as well as the full complement of Home Realm, Stronghold, and Monument cards.

New Faction Unit Cards

Each race from the core game has two new faction units.

Objective and Event Cards

Each new scenario has an objective card and a deck of 12 Event cards. In addition, new Event cards are included for each of the core game's scenarios.

Landmark Cards

Landmark cards represent locations of great power. They replace cities in "The Quest for Power" scenario.

Neutral Cards

These neutral unit and tactics cards are used with their respective new scenarios and function like the neutral cards in the core game.

Mercenary Cards

These randomized neutral cards, which may be added to any scenario, bring a host of deck-building options to each game.

Oath and Anvil Expansion Icon

The front of each card in this expansion is marked with the Oath and Anvil expansion icon to distinguish these expansion cards from the core game cards.

How to Use This Expansion

This section describes how to incorporate the cards from Oath and Anvil into the Rune Age core game. Most of these new cards are simply added to their respective card types found in Rune Age, and follow the normal rules from the core game. All four components described below must be used together when playing this expansion. Optional components that may be added to the game are described in the "Optional Rules" section on the back of this rulesheet.

New Races: Players may select the Dwarves of Dunwarr or the Orcs of the Broken Plains when choosing a race during setup, though they are not required to choose either. Each of these races has six unit types in their barracks, but otherwise these races are set up like the races in the core game. Though there are now six races to choose from, the game is still limited to four players.

New Faction Units: Two new types of units have been added to each race from the core game. When a player builds his barracks during setup, he simply uses the new faction units matching his race in addition to his core game units, creating a barracks of six faction units. Players are not required to purchase these units during play, though they are always available for purchase when playing this expansion.

New Event Cards: Each scenario in the core game has been expanded with two new Event cards. Each new card must be added to the Event deck and Stage matching the card's back. The "Resurgence of the Dragonlords" Variant Event cards (with brown card backs) are only used when playing the cooperative variant described in the "Optional Rules" section.

New Scenarios: Players now have two new scenarios to choose from during setup. Specific rules for "Ascent of the Overlord" and "The Quest for Power" can be found in "The Scenarios" section of this rulesheet.

New Rules

This section describes new rules for the expansion and clarifies rules from the core game.

Mythic Units

One new unit in each faction is a mythic unit. Mythic units are clearly marked with a gold shield and a white strength numeral (see the image to the right). A mythic unit functions like a normal unit, except that when it is destroyed, it is discarded instead of returned to its place of origin.

Resolution Abilities

When a player has more than one card in a battle with the Resolution keyword, he may use the abilities of those cards in any order. The attacking player resolves all of his Resolution abilities first, then the defender resolves all of his Resolution abilities.

Friendly and Opposing Units

During combat, the participating units in a player's play area are his friendly units. The participating units in his opponent's play area are opposing units.

The Scenarios

This section describes each new scenario in greater detail.

Ascent of the Overlord

A shadow is growing in the darkest corner of Terrinoth, a blight upon the land that is gaining power with every passing moment. The Overlord rallies his hordes to dominate the land and all those upon it. The races of Terrinoth, living and dead, just and unjust, must join forces out of necessity to cast down the Overlord before he enslaves them all.

Scenario Description: The "Ascent of the Overlord" scenario is designed for players who wish to team up against a single foe. As that foe, the Overlord player will delight in the heightened power he achieves with the Event deck. The other players are allies who must cooperate if they hope to cast down the Overlord.

Player Requirement: This scenario requires at least three players.

Neutral Cards: "Reprieve," "Giant," "Shadow Rune"

Additional Setup Instructions: After each player chooses his race, randomly determine a player to be the Overlord. Take one 1-cost faction unit card from each race and shuffle them to form a deck, then reveal the top card. That race's player is the Overlord. Return the faction unit cards to their respective decks. The remaining players are the Allied Players who must defeat the Overlord.

Special Rules: The Overlord is the first player. At the end of each Allied Player's turn, the Overlord may discard his entire hand of cards before replenishing his hand. He cannot spend influence to retain cards in hand at the end of an Allied Player's turn, and he cannot discard cards at the end of the Event phase.

When an Allied Player secures a city from another Allied Player, it enters his play area exhausted.

An Allied Player cannot siege the Home Realm of another Allied Player.

Victory Conditions: The Overlord wins if all Allied Players are eliminated. If the Overlord is eliminated, all Allied Players win (even previously eliminated players).

Strategy Tips:

• The Overlord should maintain a highly efficient deck and use his special discard rule to establish a strong defense.
• Allied Players should communicate their plans and use their combined wit to identify weaknesses in the Overlord's deck.

The Quest for Power

An ancient ritual, buried through the eons, is discovered anew. Powered by ruins across Terrinoth, it will enact the invoker's truest desire. For the Latari Elves, it is a dream of redemption. For Waiqar the Undying, it is a promise of revenge. For all of Terrinoth, it signals a relentless struggle that will envelop the land.

Scenario Description: This scenario is designed for players who desire greater complexity. Players compete over special locations known as landmarks, which grant unique abilities to their controllers. Players also receive power from their landmarks, a resource they need to win this scenario.

Neutral Cards: "Goblin Raid," "Golem," "Teleportation Rune." (Note: These cards cannot be used when playing with the "Custom Neutral Cards" optional rule described on page 17 of the core game rulebook.)

Additional Setup Instructions: Do not place city cards during setup. Instead, place a number of random landmark cards into the central play area according to the table below.

The Quest for Power — Variable Setup

Number of Players	Landmarks
4 Players	6
3 Players	5
2 Players	4

Special Rules: This scenario uses a special type of resource called power. Power is accumulated on Home Realm cards and is represented with damage tokens. Home Realms cannot be damaged. Instead, when a player wins a siege, there are other effects (see below).

After a player refreshes his cards at the start of his turn, that player receives power (damage tokens) on his Home Realm equal to the combined power value of the landmarks he controls.

If an attacking player wins a siege against another player's landmark, he may secure and refresh that landmark or he may steal up to 2 power from the defending player. If an attacking player wins a siege against a Home Realm, he must steal up to 2 power. When a player steals power from another player, he removes it from that player's Home Realm and places it on his own Home Realm.

A player's Home Realm cannot be attacked if that player controls at least one landmark.

Victory Conditions: The first player to have 20 or more power on his Home Realm at the start of an Event phase is the winner. If more than one player has 20 or more power at the start of an Event phase, the player with the most power is the winner. If two or more players are tied with the most power, the player with the most neutral Reward cards wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the highest combined influence value of all cards in his play area wins. If there is still a tie, they share the victory.

Strategy Tips: Players should claim influence-providing Rewards whenever possible. If any players begin to fall behind, "Goblin Raid" cards will be indispensable.

Landmarks

Landmark cards are only used in "The Quest for Power" scenario. Landmarks are governed by the same rules as cities, but they do not generate influence. Instead, a player receives power (damage tokens) on his Home Realm equal to the combined power value indicated on his landmarks after refreshing his cards at the start of his turn. Exhausting a landmark does not generate power.

Each landmark also has an ability described on the card. Two of the landmarks, "Valley of Exiles" and "Clockwork Forge," have abilities that must be resolved before a player can receive power from them. This is indicated by a lock symbol next to the power value on the card.

Important: A player is limited to two landmarks in his play area. If a player secures a third landmark, he must immediately choose one of his three landmarks and return it to the central play area.

Landmark Card Anatomy

1. Power
2. Title
3. Auto-defense Bonus
4. Ability
5. Strength Cost

Optional Rules

This section contains optional rules which modify the game to provide customizable play experiences. Before each game, the players must decide as a group if they would like to use one or more of the following variants.

Resurgence of the Dragonlords Cooperative Variant

This cooperative variant pits the Dragonlords against the united forces of Terrinoth. To play this variant, use the following rules in place of the original scenario rules.

Special Setup: Replace the scenario's original Stage I Event cards with the four Variant Event cards that have brown card backs (see image to the right). These cards are only used in this variant and should not be mixed with the original Stage I cards. After all players have chosen their factions, randomly choose one Home Realm and place it in the central play area. No other Home Realms are used in this game.

Neutral Cards: "Battle Cry," "Forced March," "Demon"

Special Rules: All players share a single Home Realm. This means that all damage dealt to a player's Home Realm is dealt to the shared Home Realm (the one in the central play area). Players cannot attack the shared Home Realm.

If an Event card targets each player, it instead targets only one player. The first player always chooses the player to be targeted by each Event card.

Players may attack each other's cities. When a player secures a player-controlled city, it enters his play area exhausted.

Victory Conditions: If the players' shared Home Realm sustains 20 points worth of damage tokens, all players lose. If any player defeats the objective, all players win.

Mercenary Cards

Mercenary cards are used in addition to scenario-specific neutral cards and should be treated as neutral cards during play. Mercenary cards are separated into two categories, marked by wax seals in the lower-left corner of each card.

During the "Populate Terrinoth" step of the setup instructions, set up mercenary cards as follows:

1. Take one copy of each mercenary card for category I and randomly choose two of them. Repeat this step for category II, choosing only one card. The three selected cards are the mercenary cards available this game.
2. For each selected mercenary card, collect the correct number of copies (as indicated by the "Each Neutral Pile" column of the Variable Setup table on page 4 of the core game rulebook) and place the card pile in the central play area below the scenario-specific neutral cards. Arrange the piles in order of ascending cost.

Siege Icon

Some mercenary cards are marked with the Siege icon in the lower-left corner of the card. Cards with this icon are only of use in competitive scenarios. These cards must be removed before choosing cards when playing "The Cataclysm" scenario and the cooperative variant of the "Resurgence of the Dragonlords" scenario.