Hi fellow future rank-and-file-wargamers,

before starting, I want to put two important pieces of information up:

1. The information and pictures I'm going to post here were extracted from Team Covenant's great Rune Wars demo video. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOfmW-vTK74 . All rights on the pictures belong to Rune Wars as far as I know. If you, Team Covenant, want me to put down this thread / the pictures in it, just contact me via PN and I'll do so.
2. I registered specifically for Rune Wars, which means this topic is waiting for FFG's approval. It's possible that the approval may take some time and someone else might already have posted the same info. If this happens, sorry for bothering you readers.

So, what's this topic about? When deciding on whether or not to invest in a tabletop wargame, I try to get as much information as possible before commiting to a possible huge money and time investment. In order to achieve this, I watched Team Covenant's video closely and tried to extract as much pictures that include rules information as possible. So, here we go:

Reference Cards

Actions

Dice Icons

Boons and Banes

Units: Ardus Ix'Erebus

Unit Card - Front

Unit Card - Back (missing)

Command Wheel (missing)

Unit: Carrion Lancers

Unit Card - Front

Unit Card - Back

Command Wheel

Unit: Kari Wraithstalker

Unit Card - Front

Unit Card - Back

Command Wheel

Unit: Oathsworn Cavalry

Unit Card - Front

Unit Card - Back (missing)

Command Wheel

Unit: Reanimate Archers

Unit Card - Front

Unit Card - Back (missing)

Comand Wheel

Unit: Reanimates

Unit Card: Front

Unit Card - Back

Command Wheel

Unit: Rune Golems

Unit Card - Front

Unit Card - Back (missing)

Command Wheel

Unit: Spearmen

Unit Card: Front

Unit Card - Back (missing)

Command Wheel

Upgrade Cards

So, what do you guys think about it? I, for example, was quite surprised that the human hero has a quite potent ranged attack, something none of the demo players used. I may have overseen some information, so if you find one of the missing pieces, just post them here - perhaps this way we can get a comprehensive understanding of the current starter set rules.

Thanks for pulling these out in one place for reference. One thing I'd like to see is JUST the dials set up in a grid so we can see them all at once and label which unit each one is so we can compare what options each unit has and how they differ from a command perspective.

Update: Found a picture of the Reanimates Command Wheel in German forum "tabletopwelt.de" and included it here. Man, these skeletons really charge slowly (2 MOV max).

Update 2: Something I seem to have missed on the showcase page of the game (kudos to Matt Nott from the Rune Wars facebook group):

The first and currently only look at an upgrade card it seems. I guess Ardus is a champion (third symbol on the unit card backs). These seem to be quite potent, because adding a white die to the unit's damage output (and of course, multiplying it by your thread is nothing to sniff at. He also keeps his secondary ability of surge usage.

Also, our first and only look at a scenario card. I wonder what the blue rune and number at the top right edge mean?

There are a few upgrade cards shown on boardgamegeek

There are a few upgrade cards shown on boardgamegeek

You sir, are a hero and a gentlemen. Posting them here for future reference:

Metered March seems to be huge (and if the number is true and it's only 2 points cost effective) because it would make accidentially bumping in opponents impossible. Seems like I need to get this horn guy fast.

Ardus is a hero and in one video it was said you can field them on their own or use them as upgrades for units.

Great stuff! Thanks for posting!

Ardus is a hero and in one video it was said you can field them on their own or use them as upgrades for units.

Yeah thanks, I'm not quite sure on the terminoly they use for their upgrades, but as it seems from the Reanimates there seem to be five types for them:

musician - standard bearer - champion/hero - magician? - monster?

The master-crafted weapons seem to be a sixth type, "equipment" which isn't available to all units (Reanimates don't have it).

Ardus is a hero and in one video it was said you can field them on their own or use them as upgrades for units.

Yeah thanks, I'm not quite sure on the terminoly they use for their upgrades, but as it seems from the Reanimates there seem to be five types for them:

musician - standard bearer - champion/hero - magician? - monster?

The master-crafted weapons seem to be a sixth type, "equipment" which isn't available to all units (Reanimates don't have it).

No problem, i don't know right terminology either i just know they refered to him as a hero.

Perhaps equipment is just for heroes?

I think if you look at the last symbol and the Carion Lancers wh have at least 7 types of upgrades because for me it looks different to the last one from the Reanimates.

Ardus is a hero and in one video it was said you can field them on their own or use them as upgrades for units.

Yeah thanks, I'm not quite sure on the terminoly they use for their upgrades, but as it seems from the Reanimates there seem to be five types for them:

musician - standard bearer - champion/hero - magician? - monster?

The master-crafted weapons seem to be a sixth type, "equipment" which isn't available to all units (Reanimates don't have it).

No problem, i don't know right terminology either i just know they refered to him as a hero.

Perhaps equipment is just for heroes?

I think if you look at the last symbol and the Carion Lancers wh have at least 7 types of upgrades because for me it looks different to the last one from the Reanimates.

Wow, didn't spot the carrion lancers thing. Nice find! The more details come out, the more interested I'm in this game. Despite seemingly being easy to learn, this shapes up to be a rich tactical experience.

Also, our first and only look at a scenario card. I wonder what the blue rune and number at the top right edge mean?

If Armada objectives are any indication, that symbol represents victory points, and the number is how many you get for scoring any individual objective.

Also, our first and only look at a scenario card. I wonder what the blue rune and number at the top right edge mean?

If Armada objectives are any indication, that symbol represents victory points, and the number is how many you get for scoring any individual objective.

Just a question, how movement works? you choose on the left move and on the right go straight or bank? then the Golem can't use bank templates?

Just a question, how movement works? you choose on the left move and on the right go straight or bank? then the Golem can't use bank templates?

it seems like it. But as you notice, Golem has 'reform' option in white (right wheel) that can be used with any option from the left wheel. It means that it can pivot before or after any movement, but then it goes only straight. It's better than bank.

The golem can't use banks at all, but he can use the reform action as a modifier. So at the end of each movement he can rotate his facing any direction. He is also fairly slow usually since his only normal speed is 2, but he does have a speed dependent on the red runes that come up that could be up to 4, which is the longest straight template. He is slow and plodding, but if you can get him engaged with other units, he can wreck hard. He also has huge defense, so he is great at locking down enemy formations.

Thanks TallTonyB, I didn't understand how reform modifier works, now is clear to me.

That's a lot of trays for the max units... this game could get very expensive!

Everything depend on how many trays come on each blister and the price of it. Carrion Lancers (6 is the biggest size of the unit) are almost 70 points, a third of your army on a tabletop of 6'x3'. I guess so few time are you going to maximise your units. Reanimates are 12 trays! (4 units on each, so 48 skeletons) and more or less the same points 64 vs 68.

Does anyone know if "assemble" means snap together (like Imperial Assault - well, some of the guys) or are you thinking sprues and glue?

No sprues, they should be similar to Imperial Assault figs.

If Armada objectives are any indication, that symbol represents victory points, and the number is how many you get for scoring any individual objective.

That is exactly what that is. A few of the objectives are very similar to Armada objectives (controlling points, grabbing up objective markers by moving over them, extra points for taking out bounty units, etc.) At the start of the game the objective deck and the deployment deck get shuffled and three cards drawn randomly from each. Then the first player chooses on objective or deployment and player two chooses the other.

This deployment deck seems to be quite a new concept (but well...I don't play X-Wing). Would you care to dish out any kind of information what it does? I guess it'll be kept secret here in this forum .

The deployment deck has cards that have both deployment zones on them in different configurations. One might have both sides deploying up to range three from thier edge all the way across, others might have you deploying out to range 4 but range 3 in from the edges, then there are some with different deployment zones for each player. Puts the players to a decision because whoever gets to pick the objectives his opponent picks the deployment zone card and which zone he wants. If you are running a mobile force and want to use the objective with tokens to pick up for points, your opponent could then choose the deployment card where he gets to deploy anywhere on his side and you have to deploy into the corner.

The deployment deck has cards that have both deployment zones on them in different configurations. One might have both sides deploying up to range three from thier edge all the way across, others might have you deploying out to range 4 but range 3 in from the edges, then there are some with different deployment zones for each player. Puts the players to a decision because whoever gets to pick the objectives his opponent picks the deployment zone card and which zone he wants. If you are running a mobile force and want to use the objective with tokens to pick up for points, your opponent could then choose the deployment card where he gets to deploy anywhere on his side and you have to deploy into the corner.

Wow, that sounds exciting! If this came from any other manufactorer than FFG, I would seriously question the effects of these on balancing and tournament play, but with FFG's excellent track record on balancing, I really look forward to it.

On the main topic: I found the Spearman Command Wheel and two more upgrade cards on FFG's HP and linked them in the OP:

I was quite surprised to see how fast Spearmen can move and the Front Line Golem sounds brutal (see what I did there? )- especially if you can pair it with some kind of champion/hero in the Spearmen to increase base dice. Terrifying Heraldry means you'll think twice before engaging a huge block of Reanimates.

So it looks like the upgrade cards can have an icon in the upper corner showing what units they can go on. Frontline Rune Golem has a Rune Golem icon. Terrifying Heraldry has nothing, so it can go on anyone? As far as I can tell you don't even need to have a Herald in the unit?

If that's correct it's disappointing to me as this seems to be a step backwards from the X-Wing upgrade system, un-thematic in the case of Terrifying Heraldry (which I would expect to require a Herald and also maybe be specific to certain factions), and also it means that not all cards will be faction specific which is a bad sign for upgrade card packaging.