Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about Barnburners & Noblemen, the physical board game. Rules questions beyond this page: see How to Play or ask Banner, our rulebook bot, there. Anything else, contact us.
The game
What kind of game is Barnburners & Noblemen?
A tabletop skirmish wargame on a hex map. Each player drafts a small team of characters, places acrylic standees on the map of Enemier, and fights with custom attack and defense dice until one player is the last with characters standing. Diplomacy cards, hidden back-card specials and The Rock in the center of the map keep every game different.
How many players?
Two to four. Two players is a tight tactical duel; three and four add alliances that the rules refuse to enforce, so betrayal is always on the table.
What age is it for?
Ages 12 and up. The core rules are short, and the scenario teams in the rulebook are built for first games.
How long does a game take?
It depends on how many skill-level points you draft. The rulebook notes that the higher the total team skill level, the longer the game. A small two-card scenario game is quick; a full four-player draft is an evening.
Do I need to paint or assemble anything?
No. The characters are printed acrylic standees that slot into colored base hexes. Open the box and play.
Is there a solo mode?
Not in the rulebook. The game is designed for two to four players.
The products
What comes in the Master Set?
38 acrylic standees, 24 double-sided character cards (12 Barnburners, 12 Noblemen), a six-fold hex board, The Rock, 20 two-sided attack/defense dice, 4 six-sided and 4 eight-sided dice, 16 metal-cast coins with a bag, 28 Diplomacy cards, 40 acrylic base hexes, 10 wound markers and the rulebook. Full details on the Master Set page.
Do I need the expansions to play?
No. The Master Set is the complete game. The Merchant and Alchemist expansions each add a new faction of ten characters; the Storehouse Expansion adds six acrylic hexes that change how the map plays. All of them need the Master Set.
Which expansion should I get first?
If your table loves the economy and Diplomacy cards, Merchants. If it loves big swings, Alchemists. If every game is collapsing into a fight for The Rock, the Storehouse Expansion fixes exactly that for $15.
What is the difference between the standard dice and the Competitive Attack/Defence Dice?
Same odds, different feel. The standard dice are two-sided (sword or shield). The competitive dice are D6-style cubes with three sword and three shield faces, engraved and color-filled, for players who prefer a traditional roll.
Does the neoprene mat replace the board?
Yes. The 24 x 30 inch mat is the full board printed on neoprene, plus a printed spot for the coin bag and the Diplomacy deck.
Buying and shipping
Where can I buy it?
Right here on our website, and the Master Set is also on Amazon. Expansions and add-ons are website only. Ordering direct is cheaper, and email subscribers get 15% off.
Where do you ship from, and where to?
We ship from Huntington Beach, California. Checkout supports the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Switzerland and Mexico; rates are calculated at checkout. Shipping questions: contact us.
I backed the Kickstarter. Is my order the same thing sold here?
Yes. Kickstarter orders were fulfilled in December 2025, and the Master Set, expansions and add-ons here are the same production versions.
I own or work at a game store. Can I stock the game?
Please do. We offer big discounts on orders of six sets or more. Reach us through the contact page with the store name and location.
Rules help
Where is the rulebook?
The full rulebook PDF, the Merchant and Alchemist special indexes, the how-to-play video and a quick written overview are on the How to Play page.
A back-card special is unclear. What do we do?
Check the Specials Index in the back of the rulebook; it exists for exactly this. If it is still unclear, the rulebook's official answer is a coin flip, and we would love to hear about it so we can clarify the index.
Can we make our own drafting rules?
Yes. The rulebook lists scenario teams, two random-selection methods and a fantasy draft, and explicitly allows any method the whole table agrees on.