Lords of War: Orcs versus Dwarves

About this board game

Lords of War: Orcs versus Dwarves is a strategic fantasy card game for 2–8 players, with battles lasting around 30 minutes. Players command rival armies through tactical card play, positioning units to attack, defend, and control the flow of combat.

Each player builds their hand from a 36-card army deck, holding six units at a time. At the start of a turn, a player plays one card. Every unit has a unique formation of Attack Arrows along its edges and corners, showing which adjacent cards it attacks and how much damage it deals. Some units also feature Ranged Attack values.

Cards remain vulnerable according to their Defence value: when the attacking damage exceeds that value, the unit is defeated. After combat has been resolved, the active player can either draw a card to restore their hand to six or retreat a unit that did not engage in combat during the turn.

• Dwarves: a more defensive faction with Ranged cards and powerful Berserker units for picking off attackers.
• Orcs: an aggressive army that rewards bold attacks and even kamikaze-style tactical moves.
• Two complete armies: the game includes everything needed to play with the Orcs and Dwarves.
• Cross-compatible play: the armies can battle those from Elves versus Lizardmen and can be blended into Mercenary decks using the Ranking System.

Released in December 2012, Lords of War: Orcs versus Dwarves won the Best Strategic Card Game Award at UK Games Expo 2013, alongside Lords of War: Elves versus Lizardmen. Its compact rules and formation-driven combat create a battle where every placement can open an attack, expose a unit, or shape the next tactical decision.