After a deafening explosion during peace negotiations, the invasion of the Cynex, led by Celesta, begins. The previously less friendly factions must now work together to stop the invasion. In RONE Invasion, you can build towards victory either individually (in competitive mode) or together (in cooperative mode, where players collectively take on the titular invader). You can take building literally: players must not only assemble a deck (deckbuilding) but also customize dice by screwing resources into their dice and rolling them. Will you twist and build your way to victory?
Background
RONE Invasion is set against a post-apocalyptic backdrop. Most people have been wiped off the earth and, as is common in this setting, the survivors are not always friendly towards each other. Various factions have been waging bloody wars for years to fight over the limited available resources. After many deaths, the factions try to reach a peace agreement, until Cynex throws a wrench in the works. It starts with an explosion; an invasion follows.
In RONE Invasion, players can replay the wars between the factions in competitive mode or take on the Cynex together in a cooperative variant with two scenarios. If you have access to the (Kickstarter) expansions, there is also an extensive campaign in which you must face several unique game variants and challenges in different chapters. RONE Invasion is playable for 1 or 2 players, but with expansion sets, you can increase this number to up to 4 players.
Setup and gameplay
Depending on the chosen mode, the game is set up. Each player receives a set of starting cards to form a deck. Players get a player board to keep track of information and to store their deck and other game components (such as resources). Additionally, players receive a leader card and a starting technology with specific properties for the necessary asymmetry and game variation. By the way, be sure to read the revised rules, which make the game much clearer.
In the cooperative mode (which you can also play solo), you also set up a central game board with invasion cards. Depending on the chosen scenario or campaign, the game setup may vary.
RONE Invasion is essentially a deckbuilder. This means that you can add new cards to your deck during the game. Each player has their own unique deck from which they draw cards to use during the game. Players must recruit cards during the game and then train them. Cards in training are not yet part of the deck but can be once their training is complete. They are then placed on the discard pile. When a deck is empty, a player may shuffle it. Unique to RONE Invasion is that there is no limit to the number of cards a player may draw from their deck during their turn. Note: each time a player has to shuffle their deck, it is disadvantageous for that player and advantageous for the opponent(s). So try to be frugal with shuffling. Also see your deck as your lifeforce or combat readiness.
In addition to building decks, players also build dice. During a turn, players roll dice; the roll determines which resources players receive. These resources come in different colors and are used by players to play cards or pay for other actions. Players can only store a limited amount of resources for later use. By upgrading a die, a player may replace one of the screws on a die with another screw (in a different color). This way, you can influence your chances and possibly improve the outcome of a roll.
During a turn, players can draw and play cards, use resources, roll dice, activate card properties, and store a limited amount of resources. The structure of a round and a turn varies depending on the chosen game mode. The cooperative mode adds some extra steps, where players also perform the actions of the invasion. At the beginning of a turn, the actions of the invasion are performed, and the invasion adds cards to its game board. The different cards cause various effects and challenges. Then it is the players’ turn; in the cooperative mode, there are four additional actions available for players.
Conclusion
RONE Invasion is a unique deckbuilder that, in terms of twist, fits in the same category as Aeon’s End. Both games are unique deckbuilders that turn the now tried and true classic game mechanism on its head. In RONE Invasion, your deck is inexhaustible because you can keep drawing cards, but on the other hand, it is not infinite because you cannot keep shuffling indefinitely. Sometimes you have to weigh whether you want to play many cards at the expense of something else. Additionally, at first, the die, in which you can screw the faces yourself, seems like a gimmick, but it is a fun component to control and influence your resource production, alongside the strong twist on deckbuilding. And besides: how cool is it that you get to use a screwdriver during a board game?
