Reply: Runewars:: General:: Re: A few rulequestions after my first game

by sigmazero13

DA_Maz wrote:

Wow thx for all your quick-answers

I'm still a little bit confused about the attacker retreating units after combat.
-)It would make sense that fleeing units flee regardless of winning or not (as long as they don't stand up again inspired by the glorious victory of their fellow warriors, they seem to want to flee whatever it takes).

Routed is not the same as retreated. As Matt points out, it just represents disorganized and/or demoralized units.

While all retreating units become routed, not all routed units have necessarily retreated from battle.

It seems strange that they don't leave the combat when the attacker can move his excess-units out of the area after combat, despite standing in an activated area.

This is more a mechanical/balance thing than a necessarily thematic thing, to prevent players from overloading areas with unsurmountable forces.

-)Can the winner move back his excess units to only one or to multiple friendly areas within reach?

The winner must move any excess units to only ONE area. It must be to a friendly area, if there are any adjacent. The only time you can move to an empty area is if there are no friendly areas adjacent.

You must move the excess to a friendly area even if this would case that new area to exceed 8; in that case, after moving the excess would be destroyed.

-)If the attacker truly is able to move his excess-units after battle, it seems kind of odd that defending players are at a big disadvantage because they can only defend with 8 (I was retreating with a tactic card just to attack in my turn, because with a mobilize order I could get the unitnumbers to my advantage and this seemed even like a good move, when I thought I had to kill every excess unit instantly after combat, without being able to retreat them). Is this huge advantage for attackers in late game intentional or am I missing something?

This is intentional, but it's also a big calculated risk for the attacker. They can bring in overwhelming forces, but since all the excess units have to retreat (and thus become routed), it leaves them vulnerable afterwards. And it also generally commits all the units used, which means you may have other areas less defended.

Strongholds can help the defender by giving bonus strength, too; a full strength stronghold plus 8 units is basically 13 strength (before the battle), and it's for this reason that the attacker often NEEDS to bring in more, or it would be nearly impossible to attack.

This game rewards aggression, but you have to be careful with overcommitting.

-) If you move into an area with only routed units in it or if you engage in a combat with enemy routed and unrouted units, are the routed units destroyed imidiatly? Scott didn't really adress the part where routed units die or not. He made it even read like you can't inflict any damage to them at all and can't really kill them off, like the fleeing easy prey they look like, just laying there all exhausted on the battlefield.

If the attacker wins after the "battle", the routed units will die. But there is still a "battle", even if it is one-sided, and it is possible (such as with Summon Lightning, or with Strongholds, etc) for the attacker to lose, which would mean the defending units survive.

For example, lets say that the defender has all routed units, and a damaged stronghold. The attacker brings in 4 units (which is enough to beat the stronghold's strength). Before the battle, the defender plays Summon Lightning, dealing 4 damage to the attacker (the defender takes no damage, since his units are all routed and thus aren't added to the battle, and Summon Lightning only hurts units in the battle). If this destroys even ONE of the attacker's units, the attacker would lose the battle because now the attacker only has 3 strength, vs the defender's 3, and he loses. The attacker would retreat, the routed units in the area survive.

regarding the runes:
Opinions on being able to swap an empty area with an area that contains a rune seem to diverge. As the action card specifically says that you swap runes, we played it this way. Then again it seemed kind of odd that there were no easy to come by options that let you transfer your newley found runes (those you conquered on the battlefield) to safe areas.

Just remember, the order card itself is just a summary; the rulebook is more explicit, and specifically says that swapping with an empty area to "move" a token is allowed. On page 36 of the revised edition rules:
"The player can choose one area with a rune token and one without to, in effect, move the rune token."

(I assume here you are talking about the Fortify order's effect?)

Regarding the titles.
Is it correct that titles are in play from the beginning of the game with "ownership: noone" and "influence pleddged: none", meaning you can effectivly choose a title by placing 1 influence on it, when you are the first who uses the corresponding action.

Yes, that is correct. Nobody owns them, and it would only take 1 influence to gain one with the Acquire Power order.

However, when you take one, sometimes you may want to consider paying more than the bare minimum, especially when it was unowned, because if you only pay 1, that means someone else could take it by paying 2 if they use Acquire Power. If you want to keep it for yourself, you'd commit more influence.

However, just be careful, because there still are a couple tactics cards which cause them to switch hands without paying, so don't go TOO hog wild on how much you commit.

I hope this helps :)