
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,148
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Thunderstone: Starter Set
- 2–5 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2013

Rules assistance for Thunderstone Advance: Caverns of Bane
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Thunderstone Advance: Caverns of Bane is an expansion for Thunderstone Advance: Numenera released in 2012 for 1–5 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Mike Elliott, Jeff Quick, Mark Wootton, Edward Bolme, Joe Babbitt, and Curt Crane and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
Following on the heels of Thunderstone Advance: Towers of Ruin, the game goes underground in Thunderstone Advance: Caverns of Bane. The first three Thunderstone Bearers have been defeated, and in the aftermath, the adventurers find clues leading to the abandoned Dwarven kingdom of Caligin, beneath the fortress at Cheah Dell. Caverns of Bane contains new challenges and allies in the growing Thunderstone Advance game: vicious burrowing worms, horrifying bat monsters, and regenerating subterranean trolls – six new monster groups in all. Monsters now carry treasure and use it against you – but when you slay them, you can claim the treasure and use it a new way when playing it from your hand. Three new Thunderstone Bearers provide an extra challenge. Thunderstone Advance: Caverns of Bane also includes seven new heroes and 14 new village cards.
Thunderstone Advance: Caverns of Bane supports 1–5 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 Thunderstone Advance: Caverns of Bane 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 Thunderstone Advance: Caverns of Bane 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.
Thunderstone Advance: Caverns of Bane has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
Thunderstone Advance: Caverns of Bane belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Expansion for Base-game. 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 Thunderstone Advance: Caverns of Bane are: Mike Elliott, Jeff Quick, Mark Wootton, Edward Bolme, Joe Babbitt, and Curt Crane. 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 Thunderstone Advance: Caverns of Bane as an expansion for Thunderstone Advance: Numenera. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Thunderstone Advance: Numenera to use it. Check that your edition of Thunderstone Advance: Numenera is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.