by winterplum
I have and play Runewars, and I saw the review from Miami Dice.Short answer: Keep the game and play it.
The soapbox: First, the heroes addressed in the review: The heroes are not the central part of the game. Once someone plays Runbound, where the heroes are central, it could be a misconception that they are in a similar postion in Runewars. But they are not. Your faction and it's unique units are what is central to the game.
Never the less, they are an element in the game that adds a boon to your faction and with the banners of war expansion, they are indeed a bit more useful in combat.
Second, the battle system...aka 'the Fate Deck'. It is a deck of cards used for battle, and the symbols on the cards will determine who wins each phase. You draw as many cards as you have units in the battle. Since many times there are a similar amount of units in battle, it is made more interesting with initiative order.
You see, each faction has several types of units, each type with their own special abilities, and initiative order. When battle begins, you put your units on a special player board that will show where each type goes, and in what initiative order they belong. So you may have more units in battle, but if I have more units that have initiative before you, I may cut down your army to a significant size before they get to 'fire' on me...and in the end, who ever has the most 'standing' units wins the battle.
The cards drawn will say weather each of your units got a hit, a special ability triggered, or a route...or nothing. The lack of dice means nothing here and I find the system interesting and enjoyable.
I only touched on the whole battle, but that is it basically and it's fun.
Third, the map tiles and the whole 'I cant see the mountain thing' in the review...
Well that was just silly I think. Whenever you have a map or board with elements you need to be aware of, then you pay attention to it. Looking to see if there is a mountain range is no different than looking to see the resources printed on the map...and I heard no complaints in the review about looking at resources...
Forth, the game length. It can take a while. I play with 2 players, and it takes us average 2 and half to 3 hours.
I like finding ways to distribute my faction's units so that I can hold the most desired map tiles while keeping my oponent at bay. I enjoy building up my strongholds. I enjoy the four seasons and preparing to meet the requirement of winter, (feeding)...the little challenges that add just enough 'to do' to keep my mind busy.
Oh, and love the 'Order' cards. You have them all at your disposal in the beginning of the year, and each new year you have them all again.
The game as a whole is one of my personal favorites. I was surprised to hear Tom and Sam not take to it. I find it a simple but engaging game, and the expansion is worth getting, not to fix any issues, but just to add more heroes, cards, and units to the factions.
Now I don't know how anyone else would take to this game, but since you already have it, why not try it? I would suggest playing with just 2 the first couple of times untill you are used to the nuances of the game.
Hope this helped.
:)