- BGG rating
- 8.0
Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala – Creatures of Valerna
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,393
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala
2023
Rules assistance for Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala is a board game released in 2023 for 1–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Alessio Cavatore, William Burgos, and Tamsin Caesar and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Dice Rolling.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 4.0
Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala – Epics of Valerna
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 2024
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala – Legends of Valerna
- 1–6 players
- 60–120 min
- 2024
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala – Scourge of Valerna
- 1–6 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2024
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About the game
A game of power based in the universe of Dragonbond. Raid as a dragon or raise armies as a general, destroy your enemies, and cast mighty spells, all to collect power. The player who collects 10 Power tokens, wins. In a world without gods, only you may claim your destiny. During the game, a general and a dragon entering to the same region peacefully, have a chance of becoming Dragonbonded to unlock a unique ability that interacts with each other, and playing as a team for the rest of the game. In the planning phase players secretly play action cards in a face-down pile to program their actions across the board until one player passes; in the resolution phase, actions are resolved in order. Through these actions, players move to different regions, attack, collect power or cast spells by spending the Power collected. Combat has a wargame feel into it due to the dice-based resolution with critical hits, counterattacks and retreats. If Power is scarce on the board, you can steal a Power token from another player entering into combat and dealing more hits than they can take. Dragons and generals play entirely different in strategy and actions. Generals raise armies and customize them in different regions around the board to control them and harvest Power. Dragons can gain Power by devouring units, they also have a health track and must rest and recover if they get wounded too much. All characters in the game have a unique Vaala deck of spells. -description from developer
Categories
Mechanics
Publishers
- Lifestyle Boardgames Ltd
- Draco Studios
- River Horse (Europe) Ltd
Questions and answers
Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala has a complexity rating of 2.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Dice, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala are: Alessio Cavatore, William Burgos, and Tamsin Caesar. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.