
2024 · Wargame
Burning Banners
Six kingdoms vie for control of a fractured fantasy world across scenarios that range from short two-kingdom skirmishes to a full 12-year, four-map war. Players command 1"-scale armies and heroes on large hex maps, maneuvering units, resolving combats, and contesting objectives. The game offers a quick-playing Basic Game and an Advanced Game that adds magic, hero characters, and monsters guarding treasures. Scenarios vary in scope and length, with 29 included setups that support two to six players and campaign play linking multiple battles over time.
- Players
- 2–6 best 2
- Playing time
- 60–180 min
- Age
- 14+
- Complexity
- 3.2 / 5
About the game
- Design
Photos from Ludoya tables
All photos in LudoyaWhere to buy it
Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.
On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 64
- Plays logged
- 72
- Players
- 2h 23m
- Average play
- 23
- In collections
- 11
- On wishlists
- 4
- Pre-ordered
7.5/10
from 8 Ludoya reviews
andycted7.0 An introductory hex and counter wargame which is however more reminiscent of 80s dice chuckers. Great artwork, good materials, but a rule book designed by a demented goblin. No, seriously, it's infuriating. The target is obviously more beer and pretzel, than wargames. It's a streamlined 2D warhammer fighting simulator, not a "strategic" wargame . But the deal-breaker for me was that it doesn't play very well at 4p because of downtime and it doesn't play at all at 5p+
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
Can I stack as many armies as I want in one hex and then move them all together later?
You can stack armies in a hex but stacking and switch rules limit how you reorganize and move them; switching stacks counts as movement and must follow the stacking restrictions and movement rules (see page 19).
If I raze a settlement or put a control marker on it, does it still give income?
Razed settlements do not produce income until the raze marker is removed, while control markers affect who receives income and can be placed or removed according to the settlement control rules (see pages 11–13).
How do rivers, major rivers and ships affect movement—can any army just cross them?
Rivers and major rivers modify or block movement depending on the crossing and terrain, and ships are required for normal sea/coastal movement and follow the Ship Movement rules; consult the river/sea movement rules and ship examples (pages 17–18 and 30).
When can I play Magic cards—do they need to be studied first or can I cast them in combat?
Magic cards are prepared via the Arcane Study Phase and have timing restrictions, but some Battle Magic can be played during combat in the Battle Magic sequence; see pages 33, 41–44 for when to study and the rules for casting during battles. (Arcane Study distribution and spending are on pages 43–44.)
What exactly happens when a kingdom collapses—are its armies removed or its control markers taken off the map?
A kingdom collapse follows the specific collapse procedure in the rules, which includes removing or adjusting markers and resolving special kingdom effects; consult the general collapse rules on page 16 and the special-case collapse rules for Shashka and the Eastern Empire on pages 26 and 29.
Do ambushes happen before normal combat and how do critical hits work?
Ambushes are resolved as part of the combat sequence and can affect forces before the main exchanges, and critical hits are applied according to the combat hit and critical rules during resolution; see pages 21–22 for the detailed combat sequence, ambush resolution and critical hit effects.
Similar games
Townsfolk Tussle2022
Ants2025
Silent Death: The Next Millennium Deluxe Edition1995
Blood Bowl: Third Season Edition2025
Kinfire Council2025
Andromeda's Edge: Deluxe Edition2024
Worldspanner Factions, Set 1: Heroes2024
Andromeda's Edge2024
Orléans: Big Box2024
Company of Heroes: 2nd Edition2025
Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon2024
Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread2025People who own it also own
New Cold War2025
The Russian Campaign1974
Normandy '442010
1815, Scum of the Earth: The Battle of Waterloo Card Game2022
878 Vikings: Invasions of England2017
Hammer of the Scots2002
Plantagenet: Cousins' War for England, 1459 - 14852023
Combat Commander: Pacific2008
Undaunted: Stalingrad2022
SpaceCorp: 2025-2300AD2018
Downfall of Empires2022
For the People1998Free, on web, Android and iOS
Play Burning Banners with Ludoya
- Keep it in your collectionTrack your copy and its expansions, lend it to friends, or put it on your wishlist and get told when the price drops.Add it to your collection
- Log every playScores, winners, timers and photos, then your stats: win rate, favourite player count, best score.Log a play
- Settle rules questionsAsk anything about the rules and get an answer from the rulebook, with the page to check it on.Ask the rules assistant
- Find people to play it withClubs, game nights and events near you that bring this game to the table.See events
Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.




