The woods were lit only by shafts of moonlight, each divided countless times by the needles of conifer trees. It was a world of blacks and whites, and in the shadows above Nanok, two red eyes glowed like coals. Sitting crosslegged at the base of the tree, Nanok ran his whetstone along the blade of his axe. By the time the beastman sprang, Nanok was already moving…

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce two new expansions for Runebound: Fall of the Dark Star and The Mountains Rise!

New dangers have arisen to imperil the realm of Terrinoth. A dark star has been seen in the sky above, causing even close friends and allies to turn on each other without warning and fight to the death. In the wild places, craggy mountains, and primeval forests, fell beasts are rising, eager to kill and savage with bloodlust. In these deadly times, real heroes are in short supply—but maybe a few still have the power to save the realm.

Like our previously announced expansions for Runebound, Fall of the Dark Star and The Mountains Rise fall into two separate categories: one Scenario Pack and one Adventure Pack. Fall of the Dark Star is a new Scenario Pack that introduces an entirely new scenario along with thirty new adventure cards and a new ten-card story deck that correspond to the new scenario. The Mountains Rise, on the other hand, is an Adventure Pack that can be added to any scenario with new adventure cards, assets, and skills. Each expansion also includes new combat tokens and a new hero, giving you new ways to experience Terrinoth every time you play!

Fall of the Dark Star

The coming of the dark star has long been foretold among the dark prophets of Terrinoth. When it falls, they say, an age of darkness will overtake the world, and its coming shall be heralded by a rain of dark shards that corrupt every stout and honorable soul. This dark and corrupted Terrinoth becomes the focus of your struggle to survive with theFall of the Dark Star Scenario Pack. 

Like other Scenario Packs, Fall of the Dark Star introduces an entirely new scenario to your games of Runebound with a substantially different experience. There is no evil nemesis that must be destroyed to restore peace; your goal is simply to become the strongest and survive for another day. Over the course of the game, you’ll collect more and more dark shards. These dark shards boost your health, but they also force you to draw from a deck of brand-new corruption cards. Each of these corruption cards offers a drawback—for instance, Darkening Sight raises the requirements of each exploration quest and Exiled forces you to become delayed whenever you enter a town or stronghold. 

You might think that increasing your health isn’t worth the trouble of taking corruption cards, but you’d be wrong—at the end of Act 2, the dark star falls to earth, and all heroes are immediately transported to the Cursed Ruins. There, the heroes enter a final, brutal combat against each other. Brief alliances may form in the chaos of battle, but in the end, only the last hero left standing will win the game!

Fall of the Dark Star also includes its own unique set of adventure cards. Within this Scenario Pack, you’ll find thirty new adventure cards: ten for each of the three archetypes. You may battle a Starborn Specter or travel to the Howling Valley in search of a fallen dark shard. Meanwhile, a new deck of story cards drives the scenario forward, raising the stakes as you search for the dark shards that fall from the heavens. Finally, you’ll find an entirely new hero, Zyla, a being from the Aenlong realm whose otherworldly powers have led her to become a hero of Terrinoth. Her strange powers are partially represented by the addition of a new symbol on her combat tokens—we’ll explore Zyla and the rest of this expansion more in a future preview.

The Mountains Rise

In the wilds of Terrinoth, strange beasts have begun to gather. Innocent townsfolk hurry home at night, barring their doors behind them, as bloodthirsty, savage creatures venture farther and farther from their lairs in search of their next meal. The realm has called upon its greatest heroes to venture into the hills and mountains to confront this threat. Only the most stalwart will return with The Mountains Rise Adventure Pack!

Like other Adventure Packs, The Mountains Rise offers new cards that can be incorporated into any existing scenario to dramatically change the flavor and feel. Fifteen new adventure cards (five per deck) introduce new enemies, events, and quests: you may need to test your might in battle against a troll or decide if you will aid a band of smugglerssneaking into the city. 

Of course, it’s not just adventure cards that you’ll find in this Adventure Pack. Twenty new asset cards and ten new skill cards give you dozens of new ways to customize your hero. Many of these new assets come with new combat tokens, some of which introduce new combat symbols to the game—ensuring that your Runebound battles will never be the same. Whether you fight with an Oak Staff or create a Cacophony as you enter battle, these new assets and skills give you the creative space to forge a unique hero in every game. You’ll even gain an entirely new hero—Nanok of the Blade, a warrior who eschews armor in favor of the pure thrill of battle. We’ll take a closer look at all the contents of The Mountains Rise in a future preview.

Corruption and Monsters

In the world of Terrinoth, danger is never more than a step away. Monsters are common; evil forces work ceaselessly to destroy the righteous. Yet with this danger comes a world of adventure, opportunity, and glory. Forge your own story with Fall of the Dark Star and The Mountains Rise, two new expansion for Runebound!

Look for these expansions at your local retailer in the third quarter of 2016.