
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress – Abominable Intellect
- 1–5 players
- 120–180 min
- 2019

2018
Rules assistance for Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress is a board game released in 2018 for 1–5 players, 120–180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Storytelling.
As vast and dark as a sunless void, the Blackstone Fortress is a creation far beyond the ken of any race in the galaxy. In this age of darkness, in a galaxy riven with strife and horror, the desperate and intrepid alike search this Fortress for long-lost technologies that may be used to turn the tide of war. In Warhammer Quest Blackstone Fortress, you and your friends take on the role of a group of disparate explorers delving into the labyrinthine halls of a vast and ancient space station. Only by working together and balancing your strength and skills can you hope to survive. With each expedition, you will discover powerful archeotech and learn more of the Blackstone Fortress’ closely guarded secrets, including, perhaps, the location of its greatest treasure. The game can be played solo, or with up to 4 friends, with the fifth player controlling the hostiles. At the end of each expedition, the players return to the nearby port city of Precipice to rest, recuperate, and trade their loot for resources that will aid in their next adventure. Included in the box: Miniatures 44 push-fit Citadel miniatures are included in Blackstone Fortress, each supplied on pre-coloured plastic sprues: - 9 Explorers in red plastic: Janus Draik, Rogue Trader; Taddeus the Purifier, Ministorum Priest; Espern Locarno, Imperial Navigator; Pious Vorne, Missionary Zealot; UR-025, Imperial Robot; Dahyak Grekh, Kroot Tracker; Amallyn Shadowguide, Asuryani Ranger and the Ratling Twins, Rein and Raus; - 35 Hostiles in grey plastic: Obsidius Mallex, Chaos Lord; 2 Chaos Space Marines; 4 Chaos Beastmen; 4 Ur-Ghuls; 4 Negavolt Cultists; 2 Rogue Psykers; 4 Spindle Drones and 14 Traitor Guardsmen. Books The box contains 5 booklets full of rules, background and construction guides for the miniatures: - A 16-page Rules booklet: this walks the player through games of Blackstone Fortress from setup to exploration, with explanations of special rules and a quick reference guide; - A 16-page Combat booklet: this contains all the rules for resolving combat during games, with easy to follow annotated examples and a quick reference guide; - A 24-page Precipice booklet: this details the actions that occur between expeditions, with your explorers resting and rejuvenating; - A 24-page Background booklet: this provides details on the Fortress, the explorers and the hostile forces they face; - A 16-page booklet of datasheets for using the included miniatures in games of Warhammer 40,000. Gaming Content The box also contains everything you need to set up and play a game of Blackstone Fortress, including: - 40 double-sided board tiles to create the internal labyrinths of the Blackstone Fortress; - 234 gaming cards; - 9 Stasis Chambers – safe places for characters to rest between explorations; - A Databank and a Hidden Vault; - 70 markers; - 28 dice. -description from publisher
Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress 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 Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress is 120–180 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 Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress 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.
Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress has a complexity rating of 2.9 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.
Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress belongs to these categories: Fighting, Exploration, and Adventure. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Storytelling. 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 catalogue lists Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress 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.