Join the Greatest Battles in the History of Lorehelm!

The Mythrohir slept as an unforeseen threat emerged from the forsaken desert mountains of Nul-Gar in the Third Act of the Age of the Living. Massive armies wearing the mark of Nul-Gador assembled at the shores of the Westerlore. The great kings of the Riverwide Alliance rose up to meet them. So, too, did the Denizens.

The sky burned red at the first clash of armies, signaling to all this would be a bloody and hard-fought war. It would not be decided by the might of armies nor the cunning of generals.

This would be a war of Heroes.

Epic in Scope. Small in Stature.

Denizens: The Hero-War is a card game for 1-2 players. In it, you will play out the most prominent battles in the Hero-War, the most impactful conflict in the Age of the Living.

Each player takes control of a faction: the disciplined and tyrannical Nul-Gador, and the gifted but disparate peoples of the Riverwide Alliance. Players compete over two active theaters at a time, claiming some for victory and others to build up their position. At the end of every conflict, cards will change hands, rotating to reveal their new allegiance as the other player recruits them.

Players must choose their strategy wisely, but be ready to adapt as opportunities arise. Some may want to focus on winning theaters that allow them to recruit powerful cards for future battles. Others may want to rush the end game, thinning their deck by directing the war towards locations in which they have an advantage, and focusing on claiming points early to see if their lead will hold as their enemy’s power grows.

Denizens: The Hero-War is played using just 18 cards. It is, however, quite complex to master, so be sure to go into it ready for a challenge! The game’s two factions play very differently, so it is recommended to choose a faction and play with it a few times before trying the other one.

Multiple Paths to Victory.

Claim enough locations--and with enough margin of victory--to win using the traditional Victory Point conditions. Or, recruit enough cards from your opponent to force them to lose due to Morale.

Plus, discover each faction's unique characters and asymmetric playstyles. Find out your preferred strategy, and be prepared to pivot when your opponent figures out what you're up to.

Yep, There's Deckbuilding.

Each round, you and your opponent will get the chance to recruit one or more cards from the other's Exhaust Row. This is your chance to hone your deck into the war machine you need it to be. Your more powerful Heroes, Armies and Commanders live on the opposite half of your opponent's starting cards. Their loss is your gain.

Pacing is Key.

There are always 2 theaters in play. Each has different stakes. The Primary Theater is being fought over for points. If you leave it uncontested or lose by too much, your opponent earns more points from it! The Secondary Theater will become next round's Primary Theater (so it will not be claimed for points just yet), but the winner here gets to choose between having an advantage in next round's battle there or getting additional recruitment power.

Players will need to master the decision of when to play it slow, when to press the advantage--and when it might be worth it to abandon a theater completely.

Solo Mode Included!

Face off against the bot using an easy-to-run AI flowchart. Full disclosure: I think the solo mode is good. It is challenging. It allows you to explore the nuances of the two factions' strategies. BUT, I would not necessarily recommend this game if you'll primarily be playing it solo. At least for me, it is a lot more fun with 2 players. You feel a lot more clever out-maneuvering a human opponent than you do the bot, and to me that's the fun part of this game :)

What's in the Box?

Denizens: The Hero-War is more expensive than some of my other 18-card games because it comes with more components. Here's what's included:

• 18 Game Cards
• 4 Reference Cards
• Two 20-page Rulebooks
• Keywords Pamphlet
• Solo Mode Pamphlet
• 4 Strength-Tracking Shards
• Tuck Box (holds all components!)

Why buy this?

• Hone your deck by recruiting cards from your opponent!
• Discover your favorite strategies with each faction!
• Play solo against an easy-to-run bot opponent!

Requirements

Components

Component	Quantity	Photo
Poker Tuck Box (36 cards)	1
Poker Folio Set	1 set of 1 poker folios
Poker Folio Set	1 set of 1 poker folios
Poker Deck	1 deck of 4 cards
Poker Deck	1 deck of 18 cards
Hex Shard Set	1 set of 4 hex shards
Small Booklet	2

Possible Discounts