Hello forum. I am a new user to the forums and I'm fairly new to this type of board game so I had a couple inquiries.

Basically, my friends and I like to get together once a week to play a good 2-5 hour board game. We have played Talisman (both old school and current), Descent: Journeys into the Dark, and most recently Arkham Horror. We have always held Talisman in high regard and after playing Arkham Horror we've decided not only is it an amazing game but we really like the co op aspect of the game.

So I started looking at games that I could bring to the group (my brother brought Talisman and Descent, and my friend brought Arkham) and I stumbled upon Runebound. Everything I've read about it sounds amazing. Way up our alley with the whole co op fantasy setting leveling up awesomeness. But when we play it will be played with AT LEAST 3 of us and at most 6 of us and I just read the thread about how a 6 player game is just terrible.

So basically I've been getting really excited about this game but as of late and after reading some of these threads I'm starting to get worried that this game might not be for us and the last thing I want to do is introduce a game that my friends don't take a liking to.

So, with 3-6 players that LOVE long fantasy adventure games with a crap load of expansions and new ways to play is Runebound recommended or should we stick to Talisman and Arkham?

Or are there any other games to suggest that we try?

Thank you for your time and I look forward to reading any and all responses I can get this thread.

omgwtfcory said:

Mmh, I do own all the games you mention.

With my gaming group I have serious problems bringing on Descent and Runebound, since they are very long games. Descent is a cooperative game, Runebound is not. It is not suited for 5-6 players sessions, it plays better with 2-4 and has no cooperative playing, except some variants suggested by expansions.

Arkham Horror, Talisman and Descent are what suites your gaming group the best. If you want to explore a new game try World of Warcraft: the Board Game; it is really an enticing game for big groups, too bad it has not the support it deserves (= tons of expansions). Runebound is good, but it's ideal for small groups, I won't recommend it for casual players or for regular big groups.

Thanks for the input. I'm wondering if the game would maybe be more playable with house rules or even just changing things myself to get a better flow going. Chances are since I was initially so excited by this game I'll stick pick it up and play some solo runs and some plays with my fiance to see how it plays and then go from there.

Is there a good site or even a thread on here with some good house rules?

BoardGameGeek would be the most obvious choice if you're looking for house rules and variants. Here's a link for the Runebound page:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/21523/runebound-second-edition

Tons of stuff in the 'Files' section...

Runebound is not cooperative in the strictest sense (there will be only winner,) however, there is little if any conflict between the players unless they go out of their way to bump into each other. Even if they do bump into each other they don't HAVE to fight. They can smile and wave if they want to. They can even trade gear if they want to, if memory serves. I personally greatly enjoy coop games like Arkham and I definitely lump RB into the same group. We just play and have fun, whoever wins gets a pat on the back but we all had fun throughout.

As far as large numbers of players being a problem, the only complaint I've heard levelled against 4-6 player games is the severe amount of downtime between turns for any given player. While this is certainly a concern, there are some tips and tricks you can use to speed it up (there should be at least a few threads around here discussing that subject.) Also, if you derive enjoyment from watching your friends take their turns - which is easier to do in a game where you're not expressly fighting each other, I find - then the downtime isn't SO bad.

If you enjoyed Arkham and Descent and don't have an issue with the overall play time of those monsters, then I think RB will fit in quite nicely on your gaming table. Whatever minor concerns pop out at you can be dealt with by house rules, I'm sure.