- BGG rank
- BGG #5,444
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Champions of Hara
- 1–4 players
- 30–120 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2018
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- BGG #17,620
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Royal Defense
2016
Rules assistance for Royal Defense
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 30–90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Royal Defense
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Royal Defense is a board game released in 2016 for 2–4 players, 30–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Tustov Michael and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Movement, and Grid Movement.
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About the game
“Royal Defense” is an easy fantasy-themed strategy game. You are supposed to assume the role of the militant feudal and to put a halt to the hostile lords’ encroachments on the throne of the fairy kingdom. Mercenaries will help you: they are ready to spill their blood on the battlefield for a pretty penny and promises of glory. “Royal Defense” vaguely resembles “Battles of magicians” and “Memoir’44”. Lords’ castles are located on both sides of the game-board. Players can recruit troops and build fortifications there. The battlefield itself is two-sided and it contains special structures, giving bonuses to players who occupy these locations. Before starting the game, each player chooses one of the four mercenary factions, which will be his army. Characters of each faction are represented by the cards. They have their own particularities, strengths and weaknesses. A lot of soldiers have not only ordinary characteristics such as velocity, attack and defence, but also some special abilities (which are very often unique for the army) that can be used during the game. The confrontation between barons is very swift. Having recruited troops from hand, a player can move forward and attack. As soldiers can move only forward, so five “corridors” appear on the battlefield where the major battles occur. But each player can activate only five units during his or her turn, and some characters can change the lines they move along. All these points transform simple mechanics into an interesting tactical puzzle. The more the player is experienced, the more difficult is to solve this puzzle. Moreover, spells, able to change course of action, are available for each player. Soldiers also can be sent to the Catacombs in the hope of finding treasures hidden there. There are two ways to win: to help your mercenaries to end up beyond the edge of your adversary’s field or to get 20 points for having struck adversary’s troops and having destroyed his structures. “Royal Defense” is a duel strategy game with low learning curve. Its rules are easy to explain and the game will not take long. Besides, rules also propose different options for three and four players.
Editions
- Защитник короныruKilogames2016
Designers
Publishers
- Kilogames
Questions and answers
Royal Defense 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 Royal Defense is 30–90 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 Royal Defense 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.
Royal Defense has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Royal Defense belongs to these categories: Fantasy and Fighting. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Movement, and Grid Movement. 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 Royal Defense are: Tustov Michael. 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 Royal Defense 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.