In Forges of Ravenshire, published by B.A. Games, we’re not just forging steel—we’re forging our legacy in a game that blends worker placement, dice manipulation, and contract fulfillment into a finely tuned experience. Set in the town of Ravenshire, a renowned blacksmith hub in the Kingdom of Brocdour, players compete to become the new Forgemaster following the mysterious disappearance of the previous one. Over four seasons of play, players strive to amass the most gold through their mastery of the forge and strategic leadership of the town’s guilds.
The journey is filled with the excitement of gathering resources, forging contracts, and strategically placing dice in a game that starts simple but quickly scales in complexity. Developed by David Stockton, with logistics handled by Ed Stockton, and designed by Sam Stockton, this family-crafted game brings to life the bustling world of fantasy blacksmithing.
Components and Setup: A Forge Master’s First Steps
Opening the box of Forges of Ravenshire feels like stepping into a well-organized blacksmith’s workshop. The game greets you with an impressive array of components, each crafted with attention to detail that would make any master smith proud. If you are a fan of ours, you will know what we want to see when opening a board game box, and Forges of Ravenshire makes it just perfect; if you need help understanding, we are talking about the organization of the components in the box.
The Components
The Main Board
A beautifully illustrated centerpiece representing the bustling town of Ravenshire. Like a master’s anvil, it is the foundation for all your forging endeavors. The board features six distinct districts, each with its own resource-gathering opportunities.
Player Boards
Four double-layered boards that feel as solid as a blacksmith’s workbench. Each board is divided into two sections: the Guild Workshop (where you’ll manage your guild members) and the Production Side (where the actual “forging” takes place). The recessed areas keep your resource cubes securely in place, just like tools in a well-organized forge. Each player board represents the player’s character, making it unique and adding a bit of character.
Dice (18 total)
These come in three distinct colors representing the different guilds:
- Green Harvester Guild dice
- Yellow Alchemist Guild dice
- Purple Merchant Guild dice
The dice feel weighty in your hand, like small ingots ready to be shaped to your will.
Resource Components
- 40 Gold Coins, 25 Bronze Coins and 25 Silver coins
- Cubes for tracking resources (13 per player)
- Various mystic tokens (Talisman, Dragon Scales, Mithril, and Embergem) that gleam like precious metals
- Guild member tokens that represent your growing network of artisans
Cards
- Contract cards in three tiers (Common, Exceptional, and Legendary)
- Assistant cards that add unique abilities
- Reference cards to help guide your forging journey
- Title cards
The Setup
When we first saw the box of the Forges of Ravenshire, we thought it would take ages to set up the board game, but surprisingly, the setup part was very simple and fast, and that’s what got us a point.
The setup process is as straightforward as heating up the forge
First, place the main board centrally, like positioning your anvil in a workshop, and start to fill the board with the needed components. Six districts come to life as you roll the vibrant guild dice—each die carrying the hopes of an Alchemist, Harvester, or Merchant—and place them on their respective district spaces.
The shimmering coins, mystical tokens like Embergems and Mithril, and stacks of contracts are placed around the board, waiting to be claimed, but we just placed the board games component boxes instead of spilling the components near the board game, and thats why component boxes are such an advantage. Finally, the Title Cards are revealed, offering players a glimpse of the glory they could achieve by mastering the forge.
Then give each player their personal forge (player board) along with:
- 5 starting resources (1 each of Wood, Ore, Charcoal, Steel, and Leather)
- 3 dice (one of each color)
- 4 Gold pieces
- 1 Action token
- 1 Common card
- Upgrade Tokens
- Assistant card (optional)
The tools of your trade come next – three dice representing your connections to the local guilds. These will be your means of gathering resources and forging alliances throughout the game. The Harvester’s green, the Alchemist’s yellow, and the Merchant’s purple dice feel like they hold the weight of possibility in your hands.
As any smith knows, you need contracts to make a living. Each player draws three Common Contract cards, studying them carefully before selecting one that will be their first commission. The remaining contracts are returned to the bottom of the deck, like opportunities waiting for another day.
By the end of it, your game board should look like the image shown below, ready to hammer out your strategy like a true Forgemaster preparing for the heat of the forge.
Gameplay Overview – Seasoned with Strategy
Forges of Ravenshire is divided into four rounds, each representing a season. Every season has three phases: Gathering, Production, and End-of-Season, which structure the game’s strategic flow.
In the Gathering Phase, players roll their three dice and place them in one of the six districts on the Main Board to collect resources or recruit guild members. Then, they retrieve another die from the board, activating its corresponding guild on their player board. This “place one, take one” mechanic adds layers to decision-making as players weigh the benefits of different dice values and colors based on their immediate needs and long-term strategies. It’s worth noting that the dice’s color matters only when running guilds; during placement or retrieval, any die can be used, allowing greater flexibility in resource gathering and strategy.
The Production Phase is where the magic of the forge comes alive. The dice collected are placed in various sections of the player board to run the forge, producing goods and completing contracts. As the game progresses, players unlock upgrades to enhance their production efficiency and increase their output.
Finally, in the End-of-Season Phase, titles are awarded for completing certain achievements, and players reset for the next season. The system flows seamlessly, yet each phase has its own strategic depth that keeps players engaged.
The Guild Mechanic – A Unique Twist
One of the standout mechanics in Forges of Ravenshire is the guild system, which enhances the worker-placement genre with a fresh interaction layer. Every time you retrieve a die, you run the guild associated with that die’s color, activating a sequence of abilities on your player board.
This starts simply with each guild providing one basic action, but as players recruit guild members and expand their guild workshop, these actions can compound into powerful combos. For instance, we placed a high-value green die in the Harvester Guild and, thanks to a well-timed upgrade, gained a windfall of resources that allowed us to complete a Legendary contract in the next production phase. The progression from a single action to a cascading series of guild effects is immensely satisfying, and it’s one of the game’s greatest strengths.
Production Phase – Forging for Glory
In the Production Phase, players take the dice they’ve gathered and place them on the production side of their player board. Here, dice values dictate production efficiency, from generating Charcoal in the Kiln to forging steel in the Foundry. Each die placement feels impactful, and choices made in earlier phases directly influence production outcomes.
We loved how each action became a mini puzzle, requiring careful planning to balance resource requirements with production limits. Like master smiths tempering their finest blades, completing contracts is the heart of this phase, with three tiers of contracts—Common, Exceptional, and Legendary—each offering escalating rewards. Adding a Finish to a contract, either a Mithril or Embergem finish, introduces additional strategic choices. For example, completing a Legendary contract with a Mithril finish grants an extra boost in Reputation, which is crucial for accessing higher-tier contracts. It’s a satisfying cycle of work and reward that truly captures the spirit of the blacksmithing theme.
This phase of the game reminded us much of Minecraft, to be specific, the Minecraft furnace, the way you melt things and exchange them is very similar to it, but the board game version is better.
Title Cards – A Competitive Edge
Another layer of competition comes from the Title Cards, which provide end-of-season bonuses for players who achieve specific goals, such as completing a set number of contracts or gathering a large amount of a particular resource. In one game, we raced against another player to earn the Embersmith title by adding Embergem finishes to as many contracts as possible. The secondary bonuses for subsequent seasons ensure that players remain competitive, even if they fall behind on an early title.
The title mechanic adds another layer of rivalry and urgency, as every player is eyeing the same prizes, pushing them to adapt their strategies in response to the competition.
Assistant Cards – Boosts and Variability
While not essential, the optional Assistant Cards are an excellent addition. They add asymmetrical abilities that give each player a slight edge in a particular area. For example, the Raven Broker Assistant allowed one player to manipulate dice with Talismans, flipping them to favorable values. This added a level of personalization and replayability, as each Assistant card offers a unique ability that can change the game’s flow. We found that Assistants introduced just the right amount of variability to keep each playthrough fresh.
Playthrough Experiences – A Day in the Forge
We had the pleasure of playing Forges of Ravenshire with several different groups, each bringing a unique approach to the game. In one playthrough, we aimed for a high-reputation strategy, focusing on securing contracts that would boost our status on the Reputation Track. Early on, we placed dice on the Smoky Valley to gather Charcoal. The rhythmic clang of hammer on anvil echoed through our minds as we worked to keep the Kiln running and produce high-quality goods.
By mid-game, our upgraded Kiln was churning out Charcoal and Embergems, allowing us to fulfill contracts with valuable finishes that boosted our income significantly. We took a different approach during a more competitive session, focusing on recruiting guild members to maximize the production phase. We strategically selected guild members who granted bonuses to resource generation and contract completion. In the Gathering Phase, each choice felt critical—should we pick up a die from the Sharprock Mountains to gain additional Ore and Mithril, or retrieve a Merchant Guild die to gain extra gold through our guild members? This playthrough highlighted the importance of adaptability and tactical flexibility as we adjusted our strategy based on the dice available on the board.
Final Thoughts – Is Forges of Ravenshire for You
After several playthroughs, Forges of Ravenshire has firmly established itself as a standout title in the medium-weight euro board game genre. The combination of dice manipulation, resource management, and contract fulfillment is executed precisely, offering enough complexity for experienced gamers while remaining accessible to newcomers. It’s a game that rewards careful planning but allows for tactical flexibility, as players can pivot strategies based on the dice and resources at hand.
Much like a master blacksmith’s well-worn tools, the guild mechanic is a breath of fresh air. It offers unique strategic layers without overburdening players with too many choices. Each turn, players are presented with meaningful decisions, from gathering resources to managing guild upgrades. The title cards, assistant cards, and dice-based actions are harmoniously balanced, creating a satisfying experience that keeps us coming back.
If you’re in the market for a Euro-style game with a compelling theme and rewarding mechanics, Forges of Ravenshire is well worth your attention. The gameplay loop is highly satisfying, with a rewarding blend of strategy and resource management. Whether you’re an experienced gamer or a newcomer, there’s plenty
