Learning to Play: Common Pitfalls of a New Player - Part 1

Welcome back to Impact 3! Today I will be doing Part 1 of Common Pitfalls new players encounter in Runewars. While this article is directed towards newer players, I do think it can serve as a reminder to most veteran players, and some of y'all might actually learn something from this. In this article, I will be covering some of the issues I have run into in my games and some possible ways to prevent these same mistakes in the future. So, with that being said, let's jump into it!


Common Pitfall 1: Failure to Fully Read a Card or Rule

This one is quite simple, but I have seen it pop up for both myself and others multiple times. The local players in San Antonio can probably point out at least 4 or 5 times I have gotten super excited about something just to be told the card/rule specifically states I cannot do what I wanted to. This most often occurs when reading an upgrade card that has multiple parts to it. For instance, Vicious Roots not only gives the target unit an Immobilize token, but it also discards all boons on the unit. I somehow missed that it caused all boons to be discarded for the first couple weeks until someone graciously pointed it out to me. This is a very important part of the card as it stops the target unit from being able to easily clear the Immobilize token the same turn it was placed, and failure to recognize that can have a drastic impact on the game.

So, what can we all do to prevent this? #LearnToReadNoob... But in all seriousness, I think it is important, especially for newer players who are not familiar with all of the different upgrades, to not just skim over them. This is a very easy way to miss something important. When reading upgrade cards (or any card ability or other rule), it is important to take the extra 5-10 seconds to really read it and be sure you understand what it is (and is not) saying. This extra time spent being sure you clearly understand the ability or rule can have a significant impact in your games and possibly even be the difference between winning and losing.

Common Pitfall 2: Not Knowing Your Opponent's Dial
This one is a little more complicated than the first, but if properly avoided can be an easy way to gain an advantage in a game. This is because if you know the options your opponent does and does not have in any given turn, you are better able to plan your turn and use the advantages you may have. However, even more important than just knowing what is on your opponent's dial is knowing what upgrades they have in their list that may have an effect on the dial. For instance, if you forget your opponent has Raven Tabards equipped on a unit, you might think you are going to get the charge off first, and be unpleasantly surprised when your unit gets charged earlier than expected. Or if you forget that 3x3 unit of Spearmen has Aggressive Cornicen, you may end up being charged when you were not expecting it.


If you don't know your opponent's dial, being charged unexpectedly could be quite painful.

The easiest way to help with this is by asking lots of questions. You are allowed to ask to see your opponent's dials (before they have been locked in obviously) and upgrades throughout the game. Take advantage of this if you have forgotten what your opponent has available to them. Another idea is to create a printout for each faction that shows all of the units' dials so that you can take these with you to each game and not have to constantly ask your opponent to see their dial. I did this when I first started playing, and it has proved to be a huge help! However you plan to tackle this pitfall, it is most important to never assume you know your opponent's dials unless you are 100% confident. And even if you are, it can still be worth it during an important turn to ask your opponent a simple question such as "Your Spearmen's earliest march is on a 4 right?" just to confirm you are not surprised by anything that could cost you the game.

Common Pitfall 3: Size (Distance) Does Matter
I have not run into this quite as much, but I have noticed several other players face the problem of not confirming the distance between 2 objects and assuming they are/are not in range, can fit a unit between 2 terrain features, or anything else that could easily have been measured. Coming from a Warmachine background, where the game can be won and lost on an 1/8 of an inch (or less), I have gotten into the habit of measuring everything! In Runewars, while pre-measuring is limited to just using the range ruler, this should still be more than enough to give you all the information you need.

For those who are not aware, the range bands 2-5 of the range ruler are each the same size of a single tray. That means that if you place the range ruler backwards (with the 5 touching your unit), you can see how far it can move on a movement of 1-4 very easily. Additionally, by laying the range ruler along the side of your unit, you can determine whether or not you will come into contact with another unit or terrain feature when moving. This can be especially important when you are performing a reform and trying to line it up just right to avoid coming into contact with something. There are many other ways that you can use pre-measuring to your advantage in a game, but the important thing to remember is that the failure to use it when necessary is putting yourself at an unnecessary advantage.


While measuring is key, whatever you do, just don't measure like this guy.

So, how do you fix this? Don't be afraid to measure anything you want. Depending on different metas, it might not be common practice to pre-measure quite as much as I typically do. However, in the rules, it specifically states "Players can measure using the range ruler at any time" (RRG 62.1). So don't feel bad for pre-measuring. If you don't know what distance you need to dial in the charge for, measure it. If you don't know if you are going to be able to squeeze past terrain or if you will contact it, measure it. If you don't know if your opponent's Crossbowmen are about to annihilate your Scion or not, measure it. The bottom line is, don't be afraid to measure anything you need to as long as you keep it to just using the range ruler.

Conclusion:
While this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the issues new players will run into, these are some of the more common ones I have encountered myself and seen others encounter as well. I think one of the best ways to improve in a game is by noticing your weaknesses and areas you can improve on. Hopefully this article will help some of you recognize an issue you may be struggling with and a possible way to combat that particular pitfall. With all that being said, what are some of the things you struggled with as a new player? What are some of the things you still struggle with? How do you combat the pitfalls you run into? I look forward to hearing all your ideas and finding ways to make myself an even better player. And until next time, may the Morale deck always flip in your favor!