Feeling like the siege of Runedar needs a little extra spice? The Mercenary Promo Cards, first handed out to anyone who bought the base game at Spiel 2021 in Essen and now still available through Conclave’s promotional actions in Brazil, add five new mercenary cards that slot right into the original deck, expanding your castle‑defence options and giving you more bold play‑calling.

Each new card brings a unique ability that can swing the tide in your favor. Some let you ignore all orc cards in your hand, freeing you from worrying about enemy attacks while you build your strategy. Others let you remove up to five rubble pieces from the tunnel, clearing critical paths and cutting down blockage threats. There’s also a card that lets you place all remaining resources onto an upgrade card, speeding up your defensive development. For the action lovers, there are long‑range attack cards that roll five dice and close‑range attack cards that also roll five dice, letting you pick the perfect moment to crush the invaders.

The core goal stays the same: protect Runedar’s castle from the orc hordes. The Open Drafting mechanic remains in play, now with more pieces to choose from, raising unpredictability and the need for adaptation. 1‑to‑4‑player games can try the expansion, though it shines best in 2‑to‑4‑player games where the interaction in card selection creates tension and strategy.

In terms of components, the expansion adds only five cards, so logistics stay pretty much the same: just shuffle the new cards into the deck and follow the draft rules. There’s no change to the playtime, which stays between 60 and 90 minutes, nor to the complexity, which remains moderate. If you love testing new tactics in a familiar setting, the Mercenary Promo Cards are a sure‑fire upgrade that brings fresh flavor without overcomplicating things.