Hello all,

It seems I've always played Runebound the wrong way. For some reasons, which made perfect sense to me, I thought a Hero might ATTACK during all the phases. That means that he can ATTACK during:

1. Ranged Phase
2. Melee Phase
3. Magic Phase

But now someone told me that a Hero can attack only during ONE of these three phases and that he must defend in the other two phases. Is this correct?

Seems pretty pointless to me though...

That is correct, you can only attack in one phase and must defend in the other two (barring special abilities or items, of course.) Your hero can only do so much in however many seconds constitute a combat turn, and equipping three completely different weapons probably isn't something time allows for.

Yes, you can only attack during one of the phases. But if you have the right gear and allies, you can attack during other phases or even before combat as well!

I admit that I have been playing that way for years. I guess I just looked at it dynamically. The hero gets off an attack at long range, closes in for melee, and the combatants back off after trading blows close range. That opens him up for a quick magic attack, which may or may not hit, which would the start the round over again at long range. It always seemed slow and dumb to only be able to do one thing and then block twice. If the monster can do it, the my hero should be able to kick as much butt as that thing is.

I can see it now...

Hero - "There's the beast! Let me hit it long range since I go first....yes I hit it! Now to wait patiently here while he assaults me at melee range, then thows a magic attack at me so I can wait until it flies away to attack again."

Shouldn't it be more like...I don't know..Conan (comic book not Arnold) where they battle it out at the same time? I roll to hit; I make it I damage it; I don't he damages me?

Orientalist said:

Realism suggests that a combat against a Challenge is a long and dynamic fight, where you can deal damage in ranged, melee or magic combat, if you're able to.

Game mechanics are devised to simulate combat and to keep things balanced and are very far from being pointless. If your Hero were able to attack in every Phase, an Object like Totem Staff or Silhouette special Ability would have no use. Most Allies will have no use! Moreover, Green and Yellow Challenges will be beaten more than likely in a single round of combat.

Didn't the whole game seem too easy and unchallenging to you and your fellow players?

I also made one mistake in my first game: we read rules wrong and understood that when a Hero is attacking, the Challenge can deal no damage if he failed the die roll. This little detail also made things very easy.

It's really interesting to hear about mistakes people have made. I've certainly made my share too.
It's clear that there is room for FFG to polish up the rule book.
(the above 2 sentences could be posted in any FFG board game thread ) < that was mean, I shouldn't have said that.

I've played so much Runebound now that I'm having hard time remembering some of the game mechanic screw ups that I use to make. But I know I did make mistakes.

More recently I let some one win the game after defeating 'the skeleton of lord margath' (sp). This was the players 3rd red card and I assumed it was their 3rd dragon rune. Since we played it as their 3rd dragon rune they won the game without having to search the deck, draw and fight lord margath as the skeleton card stated.

I read the card more closely later and it says nothing about becoming a dragon rune and certainly would not have been the 3rd run aquired.
The player should have had to fight the end boss right after.

(I'm also not sure I if I remember the name of the card 'the skeleton of lord margath' correctly. But I think everyone will know what I mean)

Hein99 said:

There are some Rulebooks which are made better than others. I own a lot of FFG games but the best Rulebooks I've ever seen are the World Of Warcraft ones. They are very clear and almost every aspect of the game is covered. There's almost no mistake in the Rulebook and almost every issue is covered and easy to find. Runebound and Talisman Rulebooks lack something and have a couple of misleading infos.

Hein99 said:

It's Skeleton of Margath and it's definitely the worst 3rd Red Challenge to draw!