Want a hex based strategy to warm my players into TI3 is this it? How long will a first game take? Don't like the 4x1s like descent cause im always the DM and that gets old quick! Thoughts suggestions etc?

This could possibly work. There are a few similarities, although I should note they are pretty thin. The activation system and the "build at a pre-built location" are about the two biggest similarities. However, although Runewars is less complex than TI3, it still has it's share of depth that could scare off new gamers if not approached right. No one thing is all that complex, but all the little moving parts can add up.