
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,755
- BGG rating
- 6.8
City of Remnants
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2013

Rules assistance for Ether Wars
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ether Wars is a board game released in 2017 for 2–4 players, 45–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Alvaro Arteaga and Javier Alaiz Dominguez and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Open Drafting.
Ether Wars is a strategy board game, based on extraction and resource management as well as in combat and enemies domination. A game with a high replayability and a large number strategic combinations, where your decisions will depend of each movement of your enemies and environmental events. The game is set in a fantastic science fiction scenario. The planet “Etheria”, the only place in the universe where you can find the “Ether”, the most powerful energy in its purest form. The “Ethereals”, the old inhabitants of this planet time ago disappeared. They chose the highest elite of the universe, “The Council” to protect the power of the Ether. “The Wars”; An old tradition, a tournament organized by the Council where the different species of the universe fight to prove their skills over the others and make their champion part of the Council to own and protect the true power of Ether. The goal is to get a certain number of Ether, which depends according to the number of players. Once a player gets 5, 6 or 7 Ethers (4, 3 and 2 players respectively) wins the game. The game uses an innovative dice-piece system. Facing abstract strategy, turn placement as well as an important probability calculus to make the better decision. Along with it, a card mechanical will give the players the chance to surprise and create strategies that affect the elements of the game, including the fate. The game is divided into days, composed of a series of phases, each with its own characteristics and that are executed successively. These days will happening until a player achieves the goal. Players can choose one between the four species that are facing the Wars, each with their own skills and characteristics. They will command their army under the Hero orders and will face difficult strategic decisions. Choose the best tactic for each moment to extract the different resources of the planet, fight the enemy, defend your base and fight for the Ether domination. It is a game that seeks to encourage mainly the strategy and the improvisation skills in the players.
Ether Wars supports 2–4 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 Ether Wars is 45–90 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 Ether Wars for ages 12 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.
Ether Wars has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Ether Wars belongs to these categories: Dice and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Open Drafting. 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 Ether Wars are: Alvaro Arteaga and Javier Alaiz Dominguez. 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 Ether Wars 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.