Ruthenia runs on the eastern borders of Europe in the early Middle Ages. The era of the game begins roughly with VI and ends at the XI century. The invasion of the Huns ended. The Western Roman and Eastern Byzantine Empire return their power in the Mediterranean. Nomads hordes continue to go to Europe through the Wild Field (Bissenia or later Cumania) - the steppe around the Volga, Don and the Dnieper. The settlers of the Slavic tribes move south into the steppes from northern forests and swamps. Soon they inhabit eastern Europe and the Balkans. There are young states - Bulgarian Khanate, Khazars, and Kievan Rus. They will have to contend with each other, as well as with the ancient empire of the right to existence and domination in the region.

The game is a two level military strategy. On the top level you build some constructions and command your forces on the political map. On the bottom level the game offers an original card battle mechanics, simulating medieval line battles.

Goal of the game is to capture and keep the largest number of possessions. It becomes a challenge because of low loyalty of your population, raids of the Slavic tribes and nomads.

There are free factions in the game - the tribes of Slavs and nomads, which behavior is managed by dice rolling mechanic and faction event cards. Dice Rolling mechanic is used for cards activation, especially tactic cards during the battle, selection of movement area for free fractions, loyalty check and naval battles.

Card battle mechanics reduces the influence of randomness, allowing you to think about the qualitative composition of your armies and strategy of the battle. During the game you can hire regular troops from your own reserve or hire mercenaries, which supply must be paid each round.
The condition of defeat are small unbalanced armies. One of your tasks is to work on the composition of your armies during the game. Additional option are military event cards, which can be activated during the battle according to special conditions.

An additional influence to the political strategy can take place political action cards. Political and military action cards can be played from your hand, if your faction meets specified condition.

The game take place in rounds. Each round takes several phases of giving construction and movement orders, resolving battle conflicts, free factions behavior, economical, political and purchase actions.

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