# Root: Riverfolk Hirelings Pack ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2022 - **BGG Rating**: 8.3 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 3) - **Duration**: 60-90 min - **Weight**: 3.33 / 5 - **Designers**: Cole Wehrle, Joshua Yearsley, Nick Brachmann, Patrick Leder - **Artists**: Kyle Ferrin - **Publishers**: Leder Games, 2Tomatoes Games, CMON Global Limited, CrowD Games, Fox in the Box, Matagot, MeepleBR, MS Edizioni, Portal Games, Spielworxx, Tower Tactic Games, YOKA Games - **Categories**: Animals, Expansion for Base-game, Fantasy, Wargame - **Mechanics**: Action Queue, Action Retrieval, Area Majority / Influence, Area Movement, Dice Rolling, Hand Management, Point to Point Movement, Race, Variable Player Powers, Variable Set-up ## Verdict A must-have for Root fans looking for deeper strategy and more chaos on the table.Deep new gameplay tacticsScales well for any player countIncreases map tensionPowerful and fun combosRequires mastery of the base gameAdds more table complexityHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description Ever felt like your faction in Root needs a little 'extra push' to dominate the forest? That's where the Riverfolk Hirelings Pack comes in! This isn't just a collection of cards, but a shot of new tactical dynamics that make the Woodland even more chaotic and interesting. The focus here is on the hirelings: allies you recruit to expand your capabilities and create strategies that were previously impossible. The pack introduces six new hirelings divided into thematic trios: the Riverfolk Flotilla and Otter Divers, the Warm Sun Prophets and Lizard Envoys, and the Highway Bandits and Bandit Gangs. The coolest part is how the expansion adapts to your table size. In games with fewer players, the hirelings fill the map's gaps, ramping up tension and creating conflict points where there was once silence. In fuller games, some hireling cards flip over to reveal powerful special abilities, allowing you to explore insane combos and elite tactics. Essentially, you gain more tools to manipulate the game, whether by moving pieces in unusual ways, influencing areas, or simply causing headaches for your opponents. It's the perfect expansion for those who have already mastered the base game and want to add layers of complexity without breaking Root's core asymmetry. If you love planning every move and want to see the forest burn with new variables, this pack is a must-have. ## How to Play Game Objective In Root, players assume the role of different factions in a struggle for power and rights in the Woodland. The objective is to dominate the forest through strategies of expansion, combat, and territory control. By adding the Hirelings pack, the dynamic of loyalty increases, as Hirelings provide services to leading factions but can change allegiance as the conflict progresses. Setup To set up the game with Hirelings, follow these steps: Gather and Position Pieces: Collect the 12 control markers and the control die next to the map. Position the 3 hireling markers (with values "4", "8", and "12") on the corresponding spaces of the map's score track. Choose Hirelings: Shuffle all hireling cards, reveal 3, and place the corresponding pieces in a supply. The remaining cards and pieces should be returned to the box. Demote Hirelings: Randomly flip the hireling cards to the Promoted or Demoted side (marked with an "R"), depending on the number of players: 2 Players: 3 Promoted. 3 Players: 2 Promoted and 1 Demoted. 4 Players: 1 Promoted and 2 Demoted. 5 or more Players: 3 Demoted. Promoted Hirelings have pieces for use in actions; Demoted Hirelings generally do not have pieces but provide abilities. Prepare Hirelings: Starting with the last player in turn order and proceeding counter-clockwise, each player prepares their hireling following the specific instructions on their card, if any. Game Flow The game follows the standard turn structure of Root, but with specific Hireling interactions. Hirelings start in the supply and do not belong to anyone initially. Receiving a Hireling: If you are the first player to reach 4, 8, or 12 points on the score track, you immediately take the corresponding hireling marker and place it below your last Evening step. This serves as a reminder to receive the hireling at the end of your turn. End of Turn (Hireling Actions): At the end of each turn, the player must perform the following steps: Take any hireling card from the supply. Roll for control: Roll the control die. If you have the highest number of points (or tie with the leader), count only the gold points; otherwise, count all points. Place the number of control markers from the supply on the card according to the die result. Flip the marker: Flip the hireling marker to remember what needs to be done next turn. Remove Markers: Remove one control marker from each hireling you control (except those you just took). If a hireling runs out of control markers, it must be immediately handed over to the next player. Actions and How to Play Hirelings have different types of interactions that the controlling player can use: Action When Acquired: Performed at the moment the player takes control of the hireling. Ability: Always active (some with specific conditions). Dawn Start Action: Performed at the start of the controlling player's Dawn. Once Per Day Action: Can be used only once during the Day. Important Usage Rules: Hireling Pieces: Are not yours. You cannot add hireling warriors to your own movements or battles. Rule: Hirelings you control count for ruling. Their pieces are treated as yours for this purpose. Enemies: Hirelings you do not control are considered enemy pieces. Faction Abilities: You cannot use your faction's abilities (like Field Hospital) to affect a hireling's pieces, except in specific cases of abilities that affect rules (like Woodland Lords). End of Game and Scoring The game ends when a player reaches the standard Root victory condition (consult the main rulebook for the exact end-game trigger). Scoring and Control: When gaining a hireling, the player must roll for control to determine how many control markers they receive. If a hireling loses its last control marker, it must be handed over to another player, who must immediately roll for control to reactivate it. When performing actions with hirelings, the player does not receive points when they remove enemy pieces (unless the hireling's card specifies a removal action that is not through battle). Tips for Winning Consult the manual for details on this section. ## FAQ ### Do I need the base game to use this? Absolutely! This is an expansion pack, so you'll need the original Root game to play. ### Does it work with any number of players? Yes! It's designed for 2 to 4 players, changing how hirelings function depending on the player count. ### Does the game become much harder? Complexity increases slightly because you have more options and combos, but for those who know the rules, it's just more fun. ### What's inside the box? You get six new types of hirelings (mercenaries) with their respective cards and board pieces. ### Is it worth it if I rarely play Root? If you're still learning the basics, it's better to wait. 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