Hello, this is my first post here on the forums. I'm a teenager on a limited budget, and I enjoy playing strategy games with my brothers and friends such as Twilight Imperium and Lord of the Rings LCG. I'm interested in getting into some of the games in the Terrinoth Universe, but I don't know where to start. I'm not a huge Miniatures fan, so Runewars Miniatures wouldn't be for me. But outside of that, where would be the best place to start buying with a limited budget and as a newcomer to Terrinoth--Runewars? Runebound? Legacy of Dragonholt? Descent? BattleLore?

Thanks!

Hello, you should wait until August, check the portfolio after the GenGon. As I see the realm of Terrinoth is before a big change. After GenCon you will have a clear picture.

Hmmm. I would have definitely suggested Rune Age if that were still in print, because it had an MSRP of $30. I do love that game. With budget in mind, let's look at your options.

Runewars Miniatures Game - $200+ for you to have an enjoyable gaming experience (and that's for just one player's army! You really don't want just a core.)
Runewars Revised Edition - $80
Descent: Journeys in the Dark - $80
BattleLore: Second Edition - $80
Legacy of Dragonholt - $60
Runebound 3rd Edition - $60
Rune Age - $30 (though realistically $50 because you really do want the expansion)

I love Runewars. It has held the spot as my number one favorite board game for a long time. It's great because it plays well with 2, 3, or 4 players. I feel that a lot of strategy games like this don't work as well with only 2 players. The trouble is that the game is so long (including setup) that I just never get to play it. BattleLore has seen much more play from me and I know that game way better now than I know Runewars. The trouble with BattleLore is that is only for two players. Considering that they're the same cost, I think I would recommend Runewars over over BattleLore.

I haven't played Runebound, but that could be a good option for your group. Playtime is about the same as Runewars, but it is cheaper. I don't know, though. For me, it's the factions of Terrinoth that excite me more than the heroes and individuals. Do you know which part of Terrinoth draws you in more? One critique I've heard of Runebound is that there isn't a lot of direct interaction. The third edition fixed that with some of the combat mechanics, but while those do get players involved during other players' turns, it isn't clear to me how much the hero characters interact with each other.

Runebound 3rd edition doesn't have great player interaction and you can forget about solo unless you have the expansion.

Player count and the amount of time you can devote to a session should drive your choice as well as budget.

Runewars the board game is my favourite, it's 2-4 players but it takes a few hours to play. It's out of print but you can still find a copy on eBay for a good price. There is one expansion but it is harder to find. Lots of replayability in just the core set.

battlelore is another classic, it's 2 player only but plays quickly once everyone is familiar with the rules. There are a few expansions but you should be able to find them easy enough. There is a digital version which is a good way to try it.

descent has lots of expansions, it's difficult to collect them all. It's a 2-5 player game, 1-4 with the app. The app version is really good and seems the most common way for new players to join terrinoth.

there is also a rpg and a new game "heroes of terrinoth" , plus we may get gencon surprises announced this week.