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Root
#34BGG8.1RATINGHOT #43
Updated Jul 27
2–4
PLAYERS
60–90
MINUTES
4
BEST WITH
3.8
HEAVY
DESIGNER CLARIFICATIONS4
Ruling a clearing means more than each individual playerdesigner
- CONTEXT
- The Law of Root says the ruler is the player with "the most total warriors and buildings" in a clearing; players were unsure whether "most" meant more than each opponent or more than all opponents combined.
- RULING
- "More than each individual player." The player with the most ruling pieces (warriors + buildings) in a clearing is its ruler. Example: Player A has 4, Player B has 5, Player C has 6 — Player C has the most ruling pieces and rules the clearing.
Losing buildings or tokens does not cost victory pointsdesigner
- RULING
- "You don't lose points for losing tokens or buildings. If you don't see a rule for a certain case, you can safely assume that indeed nothing happens."
AUTHOR: Caedar (Joshua Yearsley, Root developer)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(9 replies)DATE: 2018-08-01Refresh and Repair are independent item statesdesigner
- CONTEXT
- Players were unsure whether a damaged item is also exhausted, and whether repairing an item also refreshes it.
- RULING
- "Refresh — reverses exhaustion. Repair — reverses damage." Damage and exhaustion are two separate, independent states. A hammer repairs but does not refresh; a day in the forest both repairs and refreshes.
AUTHOR: Caedar (Joshua Yearsley, Root developer)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(49 replies)DATE: 2019-01-24In battle, the player dealing hits is the one who removes piecesdesigner
- CONTEXT
- The Infamy rule says "remove" while combat scoring says "remove or cause to be removed," raising doubt about whether the Vagabond ever technically removes pieces and so earns Infamy.
- RULING
- "'remove' and 'cause to be removed' should be equivalent." The player dealing the hits causes — and is credited with — each removal, so that player scores the points and triggers effects like Infamy, even though the defender chooses which of their own pieces are removed.
AUTHOR: Caedar (Joshua Yearsley, Root developer)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(16 replies)DATE: 2018-08-08
Q&A4
Where do removed pieces go?community high-engagement
- QUESTION
- When a piece (warrior, building, or token) is removed from the map, where does it go?
- ANSWER
- It returns to its owner's player board or supply unless a specific rule says otherwise (Law of Root 2.5.2). The notable base-game exception is the Marquise de Cat's Keep token, which is removed permanently. (A few expansion pieces are also removed permanently rather than returned.)
A dominance card discarded or spent for its suit is not discardedcommunity high-engagement
- QUESTION
- When you discard a dominance card or spend it for its suit, does it go to the discard pile like any other card?
- ANSWER
- No. Instead of being discarded, the dominance card is set aside near the map (Law of Root 2.1.3). Any player may later take ("purchase") it during their own Daylight by spending the required cards for 3 victory points.
You score 1 VP per enemy building or token removed, not per warrior killedcommunity high-engagement
- QUESTION
- Do factions score a victory point for each enemy piece they destroy in battle?
- ANSWER
- No. Every faction scores 1 VP for each enemy building or token (cardboard) it removes — not for removing warriors. (A Hostile Vagabond scores 2 VP per enemy building or token: the base 1 plus 1 more from Infamy.)
Fulfilling Move cards in the Eyrie's Decreecommunity high-engagement
- QUESTION
- How freely can the Eyrie satisfy multiple Move cards in its Decree — can several separate moves out of the same clearing each count?
- ANSWER
- Yes. Each separate move action can satisfy one matching Move card, and you may move freely — including moving the same warriors back and forth — to fulfill multiple cards. Each move must begin in a clearing matching the Decree card's suit (a bird card matches any suit), and you must rule either the move's origin or its destination clearing.
EDGE CASES1
The Vagabond turns Hostile only by removing a warriorcommunity high-engagement
- SITUATION
- As the Vagabond you remove a defenseless enemy building or token (with no enemy warriors present) belonging to a faction you are not yet Hostile with.
- RULING
- You do not become Hostile. The relationship marker moves to Hostile only when the Vagabond removes a warrior of a non-Hostile faction (Law of Root 9.2.9.III). Destroying only buildings or tokens still scores the victory point but leaves the relationship unchanged.
AUTHOR: ggedlinske (Gabe Gedlinske, OP, citing Law 9.2.9.III; confirmed by community consensus)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(23 replies)DATE: 2018-08-01
Last researched: 2026-06-30
CATEGORIES
Animals·Fantasy·Negotiation·Territory Building·Wargame
MECHANICS
Action PointsAction QueueAction RetrievalArea Majority / InfluenceArea MovementDice RollingHand ManagementMulti-Use CardsNegotiation
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An opponent's settlement blocks your road network — your road cannot be built through or past an occupied intersection.
◆ Catan — Roads & Building, p. 7
At the end of each round, the player with the most of the goal trait scores points equal to their amount; the player with the second most scores fewer.
◆ Wingspan — End of Round, p. 11
Null cards deal 0 damage regardless of base value or any bonuses applied.
◆ Gloomhaven — Attack Modifier Deck, p. 23
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