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Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma
2016
Rules assistance for Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 45 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.5/5
Rules assistant for Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma
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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma is a board game released in 2016 for 1–2 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Brandon Patton and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Memory.
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About the game
The world of Soma is under siege by the Lords of Pestilence. Hideous invaders like Anthrax, Pertussis, Cholera, and the Black Death are running rampant inside the country’s borders, attempting to murder innocents. The only hope for these helpless villagers is that the Apothecary Healers, their god-like saviors, will save them. Led by ancient warriors Penicillin, Cipro, and Tetracycline, the Apothecary Healers rush into battle, destroying wave after wave of attacker just in the knick of time. Yet it’s not that simple: the Apothecary Healers have different specialties, and must be deployed in a sophisticated manner. And worse: the invaders learn quickly how to resist and evade the Apothecary powers, and some become even stronger when they are struck down. Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma immerses you in a fantasy realm that represents the real world struggle against infectious disease and bacterial resistance. It’s a two player card game wherein one player attacks with bacteria, and the other defends with antibiotics. The game requires no prior knowledge of medicine, yet accurately reflects the current state of actual antibiotic use against the most common and most feared bacterial infections. Designed in a collaboration between hardcore gamers and practicing physicians, Defenders of Soma offers a complex strategic gameplay experience, while also increasing familiarity with today’s medical quandries in the face of waning antibiotic effectiveness.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Nerdcore Medical
Questions and answers
Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma supports 1–2 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 Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma is 45 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 Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma 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.
Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Fighting. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Memory. 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 Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma are: Brandon Patton. 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 Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma 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.