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Myth
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The Banner Saga: Warbands
2016
Rules assistance for The Banner Saga: Warbands
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30–90 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.3/5
Rules assistant for The Banner Saga: Warbands
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Banner Saga: Warbands is a board game released in 2016 for 2–4 players, 30–90 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Brian Shotton and Kenny Sims and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Point to Point Movement, and Cooperative Game.
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About the game
The Banner Saga: Warbands is a cooperative game for 1-4 players. Players take up the role of the leaders in a warband tasked with keeping the warband together and alive. It is a cooperative, miniatures board game that deals with the difficulties and consequences of decision making. There are four roles in the warband: Quartermaster, Keeper of Names, Warmaster, and Thane. Each role must aggressively push for resolutions that help out themselves, while being open to compromise for the good of the warband. It is this conflict and compromise that is the heart of Warbands.
Designers
Publishers
- MegaCon Games
Questions and answers
The Banner Saga: Warbands 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 The Banner Saga: Warbands 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 The Banner Saga: Warbands for ages 13 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.
The Banner Saga: Warbands has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
The Banner Saga: Warbands belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Video Game Theme, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Point to Point Movement, and Cooperative Game. 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 The Banner Saga: Warbands are: Brian Shotton and Kenny Sims. 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 The Banner Saga: Warbands 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.