So for some background, I almost always play this game 3-4 player, often we would like to do 5-6 because the gaming group is random every friday. While we don't play it every week or every month, it stays in the queue.

Last night was the first time I ever played the game 2 player. I was thinking that the game would get a little boring with only 2 players, or maybe a little onesided, as how could you make a comeback if the player in the lead was at an advantage. Turned out that even 2 player the game is deep and a really fullfilling play. We played Undead v Elves, and the game went back and forth with undead in the lead at first, but every turn it would switch. In the end, the elves won it, but it was never a sure thing.

Anyone else have any surprises with the game?

I agree that playing with 2-players works really well. In fact, I almost prefer it to 4 players because it is so much faster. Part of the struggle with 4 players is managing table talk and making sure that everyone knows when it's their turn to do something. I think another reason why the 2-player game works better is because you have less variance to keep track of. You have one enemy to watch and predict, instead of trying to predict what 3 different people are going to do.

That being said, I have seen runaway games with 2 players, whereas a player in the lead is quickly torn down in 4-player games if they reveal how close they are to gathering all the runes. I've played an Uthuk vs. Waiqar game the other day where Waiqar amassed a large force of Reanimates with his Necromancers in the first couple years, but never triggered them again. Their look ran out and before too long, the Uthuk Y'llan conquered the land.

Also, I've never seen a player get eliminated in a 4-player game, but I've had 2-player games where I eliminated the other player by taking over their home realm and destroying their forces before finding all 6 dragon runes. It's rare, though.