Miniatures, Tactics, and Triumphs: Heroscape: Age of Annihilation

Imagine landing on the planet Valhalla, where serene forests, towering mountains, and endless oceans hide a secret more coveted than a cat’s love for a cardboard box. It’s the wellsprings—magical fountains that grant immense power!

Sounds great, right? Well, Thormun, the first Kyrie to take a sip, discovered it also comes with horrifying visions and a whole lot of drama. Now, thanks to the evil Kyrie Utgar, warriors from across time and space are clashing in an epic battle to control these mystical waters.

So, will Heroscape: Age of Annihilation – Battle for the Wellspring be a hero’s triumph or a tabletop annihilation?

Getting Ready to Play a Basic Game

1. SET UP YOUR BATTLEFIELD AND YOUR ARMY

To do this, open the Battlefields and Scenarios Book and choose a battlefield. The book features several battlefields, each with its own story and step-by-step instructions for building it. The instructions start with the bottom layer and then build up from there. If this is your first game, we recommend you choose the first battlefield in your accompanying Battlefields and Scenarios Book.

After you’ve chosen a Basic Game Scenario and built the battlefield, choose one of the Scenario’s available Armies. Place your Army Cards in front of you, then position your figures on the battlefield as shown in the Scenario.

About Your Army Cards

The Army Cards feature all the characters who can fight in your battles. The cards include an image of the character(s) and show various attributes. There are two types of Army Cards: Heroes, which show one (usually more powerful) warrior, and Squads, which show two or more (usually less individually powerful) warriors who all work together. The Army Cards are two-sided, with one side used for the Basic Game and the other side used for the Master Game. In this game, you’ll use the Basic Game side of the Army Cards.
Basic Game Scenarios will tell you which figures to use for each player.

2. PLACE THE COMBAT DICE

Position the combat dice near the battlefield. The combat dice are used as attack dice (rolling for skulls) and also as defense dice (rolling for shields).

Unless you are otherwise directed by your chosen Scenario, you don’t need any other game parts for the Basic Game. Just place the other game components aside, out of play.

The Battle Begins!

Each player rolls six combat dice. The player who rolls the most skulls takes the first turn. (Re-roll if there’s a tie.) Players then alternate turns until the game is over.
On Your Turn

Usually, you’ll take three actions on your turn, in this order:

• Action 1. Choose an Army Card
• Action 2. Move figures on your Army Card
• Action 3. Attack with figures on your Army Card

All three of these actions are explained in detail in the following sections.

Action 1. Choose an Army Card

First, choose one of your Army Cards to use on your turn. You can’t choose a card if all of its figures have been destroyed.

Action 2. Move figures represented by your Army Card

Now you may move any or all of the figures that are shown on the Army Card you chose. Follow these rules for moving each figure:

• Check the Move Value: You can move a figure in any direction a number of spaces up to the Move Value on its Army Card.
• Order of movement for Squads: You may move a Squad’s figures in any order you choose, one at a time.
• Passing through and landing on other figures: You can move through a space with a figure you control on it; but you can’t move through a space with an opponent’s figure on it. You can never end a move on a space with any other figure.
• Moving up and down: In Heroscape, the battlefield is rarely flat! Each layer of same-height tiles is called a level. Your figure’s level is the same as the level of tile it is currently standing on. When you move to a higher level, count the side of each tile you ascend to determine how much extra movement it takes to reach the new higher level. When you move to any lower level, you don’t need to count extra movement on the way down.
• Obstacles: Walls, trees, and other large barriers are known as “obstacles”. A figure cannot move through or onto obstacles
• Moving onto water: When you move onto a water space from any other space (even from another water space), you must end your move there
• Moving from water onto land: For water spaces that are lower than the adjacent land spaces, the “moving up” rule applies—When moving from water to land, count the side of each land space as you move up.
• Moving a double-space figure: Some figures, like Xenithrax and Raelin, take up two spaces. When moving a double-space figure, decide which end to lead with (for example, the front end or the back end). Then move the figure so that the other end enters the same spaces that the leading end just left. You must always end a double-spaced figure’s move on two spaces of the same level. A double-space figure does not have to stop when it moves over one water space between two land spaces; but it does have to stop if it moves down onto two adjacent water spaces.

Action 3: Attack with figures on your Army Card

Now it’s time for your Hero or Squad to attack any figures in your opponent’s Army that they can. Who can attack? Any figures represented by your chosen Army Card that are within Range of an opponent’s figure and have a clear Line of Sight can attack. If no figure on your Army Card meets these two conditions, you can’t attack and your turn is over.

To see if a figure can attack, check the figure’s Range and Line of Sight as explained below:

• Range: The target figure must be within the attacking figure’s Range. A figure with a Range Value of 1 can only attack a figure on an adjacent space. A double-space figure like Raelin the Kyrie Warrior can attack from either space they occupy.

When checking a figure’s Range, don’t count extra spaces for higher levels. (However, being on a higher level is an advantage during an attack—see below.) If the distance between your figure and the target includes an area with no spaces (for example, near the edge of the battlefield), you must count the spaces along the edge of the battlefield to check the Range.

• Line of Sight: To attack a figure, your figure must be able to “see” it from its location. For example, if the target figure is behind a stack of tiles, so that the attacker can’t see any part of it, then no attack is possible.

Unlike Range, Line of Sight is an imaginary straight line that has nothing to do with the spaces on the battlefield. The best way to tell if your attacker has a clear Line of Sight is to get behind its head and look at the targeted figure. If you can see any part of it from its head, you have a clear Line of Sight. Note: It doesn’t matter if the Line of Sight goes off the edge of the battlefield, with no spaces below it.

Attacking

For each attacker, follow the steps below:

1. Announce which one of your figures is the attacker, and which f igure it is targeting. The target figure becomes the defender.
2.  Check the Attack Value on your attacker’s Army Card, then roll that number of attack dice. After you roll, your opponent rolls a number of defense dice equal to the Defense Value on the defender’s Army Card.
   Height Advantage: If the base of one figure is on a higher level than the base of the other figure (no matter their actual size), the higher figure rolls one extra die.
3. For every skull you roll for your attacker, your opponent must roll at least one shield for their defender to block the skulls. IMPORTANT: For attack rolls, the attacker counts only skulls. For defense rolls, the defender counts only shields.

• • If you roll more skulls than the defender rolls shields, your attack is successful and the defender is destroyed!
  • The player who controls it removes it from the battlefield. IMPORTANT: In the Basic Game, it only takes one successful attack to destroy a figure. Be careful about rushing into battle!
  •  If you roll the same number of skulls or fewer than the defender rolls shields, your attack is unsuccessful. The attacking and defending figures stay where they are, and that attack is over.

After you attack with every figure that can attack, your turn is over.

Ending the Battle

Keep playing until one player achieves the Victory Objective of the chosen Scenario. That player wins the battle!

Playthrough

It was an era when TheFacebook had just launched, Athens was hosting the Olympics, and I was still a decade away from writing my first review. That year was 2004, and Milton Bradley introduced a game that captivated my friend Chris and me. In 2008, the game’s ownership shifted to Wizards of the Coast, but unfortunately, the original toyline was discontinued in November 2010, breaking many hearts, none greater than Chris’s.

I cheekily set up the game on the table before Chris walked in, not telling him what we were playing, and his excitement was palpable. It felt as though we were transported back in time, sitting at that vintage blue-gray Formica table in his new rental property, which we had just bought the weekend before at a garage sale especially for future game nights. The nostalgia was overwhelming, bringing back memories of our younger days when we first discovered the game and I still had hair.

With high hopes, Chris and I started playing Heroscape: Age of Annihilation – Battle for the Wellspring, hoping to relive our unhealthy love affair of yesteryear.

The game delivered everything we loved about the original and every single expansion—an engaging and tactical gameplay experience for two players. We built our battlegrounds using modular terrain pieces and led our unique armies into battle. I had honestly forgotten how unique each unit was, and though we were once experts at this game, this new iteration adds to the previous beauty, enhancing our knowledge and love for it. Strategy and positioning are crucial, making every match thrilling.

For many people, Heroscape was their very first skirmish game, and though many others have since hit the market, none have connected like Heroscape. It had such an easy and great road to entry; you just buy a box, and it has everything you need to play. And if you’re thinking you’re not a good painter or don’t want to paint the miniatures, Renegade Games Studios has you covered with their Premium Box that comes with a pre-painted set.

Both Chris & I was so excited to have our old friend come back on the market, but what we are more excited about is that the next generation of gamers get to fall in love with this game for the first time.

Art:

The artistry in Heroscape: Age of Annihilation is truly impressive. The miniatures are incredibly detailed, capturing the essence and personality of each character while maintaining a cohesive aesthetic that makes them feel part of the same world. Whether it’s the intricate armour, the expressive facial features, or the dynamic poses, these miniatures stand out on the table top & will only get look more impressive once I get around to painting them.

The modular terrain pieces are not only functional but also visually appealing and are a part of the game I love the simplicity and get brilliants of them. It allowing players to create stunning and immersive battlefields with vibrant colours and detailed designs bring the game’s world to life. Yet the versatility of the terrain pieces means you can customize any battlefield not just Heroscape: Age of Annihilation but can add layers of depth and excitement to your future RPG games.

Heroscape: Age of Annihilation offers not just a game, but a canvas for storytelling and imagination, making it an exceptional choice for any RPG enthusiast

Conclusion:

Heroscape: Age of Annihilation – Battle for the Wellspring calls to the hearts of both the seasoned and the new. Its storied past and the return of beloved elements, enhanced, take the game to greater heights. The miniatures and modular terrain, create a stunning battlefield, adding depth to every match, making each a unique adventure.

For those who remember the original’s joy, this new version rekindles that fire. For new players, it offers an inviting entry into tabletop gaming. Whether reliving old memories or forging new ones, Heroscape: Age of Annihilation proves the timeless power of strategic and immersive gameplay. Engage, and may your battles for the wellsprings be legendary and unforgettable.