by Embir
Picked Options and House Rules:Banners of War expansion, we played without commanders and exploration tokens
Preparation:
So this Saturday I had a chance to play another game of Runewars. This time instead of usual 2-player affair with my fiancee I had a chance to clash with two of my gaming buddies in battle for dominance over Terrinroth. At the start we drew fate cards and it turned out that I am the first player. I picked my favourite race Waiquar Undead and my rivals choose Lathari Elves and Uthuk Yllan. Lathari Elves player was pretty inexperienced player, having played two games of Runewars before; meanwhile Uthuk Yllan player is the one that show me this beautiful game, and I will be forever grateful to him for that, but it does not mean I won't be merciless when playing Runewars game against him!!!
After initial setup and picking our home realms we started the game.
My opponents, Lathari Elves player (on the left), and Uthuk Yllan player (on the right) at the start of the game. Me, filthy Waiquar Undead, was holding the camera.
Early game:
The first drawn season card was "Stormy Weather". No one bid any influence thus we started without army movements. Uthuk Yllan played "Garrison" and Elves and Undead played "Recruit" order cards.
Starting positions, and situation on the map during the first season of the game.
I had strange objective card, "Discouraging Defeat". On the one side it was good deterrent tool in my hand, on the other side I was unable to gain dragon rune without my opponents willingnes. Thus twice in later turns I used primary ability of spring card "Prepare for Coming Year" to finally get some card with objective I could actually achieve without opponents participation. What worried me the most, though, was the fact that around my home realm all hexes contained almost no food. By conquering nearby spaces I could gain only one, measly, food resource. That meant trouble every winter season. Thus I knew I had to get and keep title card "Guildmaster of Marchants" at some point in the game.
Uthuk player focused on fast and bold expansion. He had excellent tactic cards; by playing "Lost City" he raised Stronghold early in the game, and by playing "Economic Surplus" he gained 5 tactic cards. To make things worse, favourable placement of territories meant Uthuk Yllan gained a lot of lands rich in resources.
Meanwhile Lathari Elves focused on slowly build up and careful exploration.
As for me, I tried to expand and gain as rich territories as I can and focused on gaining lot of influence in autumn seasons. My goal was to get "Primarch of the Wizards' Council" and "Guildmaster of Merchants" title cards and to be able to win Dragon Runes in winter bids. As it turned out "Dragon Rune Discovery" winter season card wasn't drawn even once this game.
Middle game:
As it turned out I was the only one that focused on collecting influence and title cards. As I mentioned before, Uthuk Yllan choose the strategy of collecting huge amounts of tactic cards and Lathari Elves focused on developing infrastructure and recruiting units. Thanks to that I was able to, as I planned, gain title "Primarch of The Wizards' Council" and right after that I acquired"Guildmaster of Merchants" to circumvent my hopeless lack of food resources.
At the same time situation on the map clearly indicated that Uthuk Yllan player will be biggest threat for me. After he conquered all lands near his home realm he sent his forces really close to my borders, just two hexes from my starting stronghold. To make things worse, the relative passivity of Lathari Elves player, on the borders with Uthuk Yllan, encouraged the latter to shift almost all of his units to the territories closer to lands of my faction. This did not bode well.
Uthuk Yllan forces agressively approaching my borders.
Seeing agressive attitude of Uthuk Yllan player, his vast territories, wealth of resources and tactic cards, I focused all my actions on weakening him. Some of those actions resulted from bids won by me. Thanks to "Mandatory Disarmament", "The Broken Rune" and "Death Walks Among Us" season bids I was able to deliver several painful blows to Uthuk Yllan. All of this was topped by my preemptive attack, during which i destroyed and routed forces of Uthuk Yllan closest to my lands.
Situation at the narrow pass, just after my undead forces crushed army of Uthuk Yllan.
In this very moment courtesy disappeared completely and it was clearly visible that Uthuk player burnt for revenge. Luckily, thanks to later proper sequence of playing order cards and outmanoeuvring my enemy I was able to stabilize situation on my border and discourage him from continuing his agression. In all of this helped me the fact that the only path leading to my territory was going through narrow and easily defendable pass of one territory surrounded by mountain borders.
During all of those events all players, through fullfiling objective cards, completing quests, conquering territories or thanks to season cards were systematically gaining dragon runes. I was doing well in this regard and, as I was assuming, I was leading in dragon runes count. My good humor was spoiled only a little bit, by the fact that Uthuk Yllan player played tactic card "Political Control" and took from me title card "Master of Merchants".
Late game
After early agression and exchange of blows between Uthuk Yllan and Waiquar Undead, situation on whole board has stabilized. For a several turns all players focused on development, trying to acquiring dragon runes with peaceful methods. It seemed that whole hostility gone and all sides will try to play safely till the end of the 7th year. In fact this situation was fine for me. I had huge advantage in influence, and apparently, in dragon runes count. But my own negligence was soon to cause, dramatic turn for me in this game.
In one of the late summer seasons, during picking order cards, I completely forgot that autumn card "Bountiful Harvest" hasn't shown yet. Thus I didn't pick "Acquire Power" card to regain title card "Guildmaster of Merchants" and save myself from losing resources on my dial food. Indeed, food was so scarce resource on my territories that even "Bountiful Harvest" season card was harmful for me. Of course in following autumn season "Bountiful Harvest" was drawn and my food resource dials went even lower. To make things worse I completely forgot about 1+ bonus for food that "Bountiful Harvest" provided and my food resources dial went down from 6 to 4. Thanks to my own stupidity in following winter I lost huge amounts of troops.
I became an easy prey, and I didn't have to wait too long for an effects of disastrous autumn and winter. Suddenly elves gain vigor and attacked my north, weakly defended territory, ostensibly driven by the, to quote the elven player: "curiosity of what rune I hold in north" Truly, casus belli as good as any other.
Also Uthuk Yllan gladly back to pushing their huge armies towards my territories. Indeed, I took heavy blows from both sides. 
Positsion of Waiquar Undead after I messed order card pick. Elves already took my northern territory.
Despite all of that, I wasn't planning to surrender and I rushed for desperate offensive. To be able to win I had to put everything on one card. I used tactic card "Wrath of the Council" and from the discard reward cards pile I took "Rune of Teleportation". In following summer I used this item and my hero catched and killed another Uthuk Yllan hero, hero who Uthuk just recently gained. Moroever, besides depriving Uthuk Yllan from another hero I was also able, by doing this, to accomplish my objective card "The Price of Treachery" and gain another dragon rune. After that I counterattacked Lathari Elves, crushed their army and regained territory with dragon rune. By that moment I had 6 runes and I immadiately declared this fact; that was summer of the 6th year.
Unfortunately offensive against elves involved huge part of my forces, part of them had to retreat and become routed. Meanwhile, big armies of Uthuk Yllan on the east destroyed my measly undead forces defending the borders and had a clear path to my home realm stronghold. Also, Uthuk player was able to capture one of my dragon runes and declared himself that he has 6 dragon runes, that was autumn of the 6th year.
Uthuk Yllan furiously darting into my territory.
I knew in the coming season Uthuk will strike at the hearth of my kingdom. And luckily I had a nasty suprise for him. In following season I played "Conqest" order card myself, and because I had a huge advantage in influence I was able to act first. Also, earlier in the game, by using tactic card "Political Control" I was able to took title card "Lord Commander of the Warriors Guild" away from Uthuk Yllan. Then I played my suprise tacitc card... "Rally Cry"!!! I regruped four of my routed units and without hesitation I struck forces of Uthuk Yllan with all my available troops, crushing demonic horde completely!
Situation on the board just before I played "Rally Cry" card and counter attacked marching Uthuk Yllan army.
Situation on the board after I crushed Uthuk Yllan advancing forces.
Now I had to retain my positions at all cost and drive off coming enemy forces. It seemed like a difficult task because my armies, after all those dramatic fights were seriously depleted. So, the deciding spring season came. We draw the card and... it turned out to be "New Recruits"! Now I was able to muster considerable forces, I picked "Mobilization" order card and having highest initiative I was able to strike into Uthuk Yllan with all my might.
Forces of Waiquar Undead during final battle.
Forces of Uthuk Yllan during final battle.
This battle was about to decide who will become the winner of the whole game. And we, I and Uthuk Yllan player, both know that I had huge advantage this time. Armies clashed, we draw the fate cards... and my mighty army of undead won the battle! So victory was mine!
Situation on the board after final battle of the game that gave me victory. Note that on the easternmost hex should stand my big, victorious army.
What can I add, "Runewars" delivered again. This game amazes me all the time. There are so many things to do, there is so much theme and well thought out mechanics. Game is perfect in every aspect. Despite the fact that our game was 4 hour long, this time flew by. This time victory was mine but I know that soon I will have to clash again in another fight for dominance over Terrinroth, and I will gladly do it.