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- BGG #14,837
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Monolith: The Strategy Game
- 1–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #25,345
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Ruckus: The Goblin Army Game
2014
Rules assistance for Ruckus: The Goblin Army Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.1/5
Rules assistant for Ruckus: The Goblin Army Game
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ruckus: The Goblin Army Game is a board game released in 2014 for 2–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Matthew Papa and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
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About the game
Ruckus: The Goblin Army Game is a tactical war game that introduces an innovative army formation mechanic to create fast, intense combat for 2-4 players. Players choose from one of four unique Goblin Guilds, each with a special set of skills and tactical advantages, and build their army to destroy anyone that stands in their way. As battles are won and lost, players gain Victory cards, Victory Points, or the ability to upgrade their army. Who will be victorious, the mighty Fighters, the cunning Thieves, the powerful Clerics, or the magical Necromancers? To begin the game, players set up the Camp, the area of the game board housing Victory Point Tokens, action markers, the Kicker card deck, the Victory card deck, and the Upgrade deck. Next, players choose a Goblin Guild consisting of 25 units. In addition to the starting units of each Guild, players have 12 draft points to use in order to draft additional units to create their own unique army. All remaining units that are not drafted are combined to create the Upgrade deck. Players will compete in battle to gain 5 valuable Victory cards. Players will secretly set up their army's battle formation behind a Battle Screen. After shuffling their unit cards, players will draw 5 cards into their hand. These 5 cards are then set up into a battle formation consisting of 1-3 units in the first row, 1-2 units in the second, and an optional 1 unit in the third combat row. Once all players' formations are complete, players remove their Battle Screens and combat begins. Players may first recruit any available units to their army, and may then choose to activate 1 combat skill per round. Next, damage between opposing Guilds is declared and resolved. As units take damage and are defeated, they are removed from combat and are placed in a player’s discard pile. Combat continues until one Guild is left standing, with the winner gaining the first Victory card and its benefits. Players who lose the combat round may chose to upgrade a unit in their army. Once the 5th Victory card has been won, the player with the most Victory Points is declared the winner. Who will be victorious? Will it be the Mighty Fighters, the Cunning Thieves, the Powerful Clerics, or the Magical Necromancers? Choose your guild! Draft your army! Destroy your enemies!
Designers
Publishers
- Goblin Army Games
Questions and answers
Ruckus: The Goblin Army Game 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 Ruckus: The Goblin Army Game is 20 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 Ruckus: The Goblin Army Game for ages 8 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.
Ruckus: The Goblin Army Game has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
Ruckus: The Goblin Army Game belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Fighting. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. 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 Ruckus: The Goblin Army Game are: Matthew Papa. 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 Ruckus: The Goblin Army Game 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.