Root (2018 Leder Games First Edition, Kickstarter)

Root (2018 Leder Games First Edition, Kickstarter): Asymmetric Strategy in a Woodland WorldWhen Root arrived through Kickstarter in 2018, it did something that most board game designers would consider extremely ambitious: it built a fully asymmetric strategy game where every player sits down at the same table playing by fundamentally different rules, pursuing different goals, and using entirely different mechanisms -- and made it work. Designed by Cole Wehrle and published by Leder Games, Root became one of the most discussed and celebrated board games released in the latter half of the 2010s, earning a place in countless "best modern board games" lists and developing a dedicated collector community that values the original Kickstarter first edition above subsequent retail printings.### The Game: Asymmetry as Design PhilosophyRoot is a game of woodland conquest and cunning. Players take on the roles of different forest factions competing for dominance over the same territory. The woodland is represented by a single board, and the factions share the same deck of multi-use cards -- but what each faction does with those cards, how they score points, and what their core strategic goals are differ completely.The base game's four factions illustrate the design concept immediately:The Marquise de Cat operates as a traditional economic-military faction. She scores points by building structures (sawmills, workshops, and recruiters) across the forest and must expand her presence to maintain production. She has the largest army and the most straightforward play style, making her the recommended faction for newer players.The Eyrie Dynasties are a calculating bird faction that must follow a rigidly expanding decree -- a sequence of actions they commit to at the start of each turn and must complete or suffer a catastrophic rule crisis. The Eyrie score points by roosting (establishing presence in territories) and can generate enormous scoring potential but are vulnerable to disruption.The Woodland Alliance is a guerrilla insurgency of oppressed forest creatures. They score by spreading sympathy tokens across the board, represent a very different threat from the other factions, and can be devastating if ignored in the early game while seeming weak and passive.The Vagabond is a lone wandering character who completes quests, aids or harms other factions, and scores by fulfilling specific quest objectives and building relationships. The Vagabond plays almost like a different game entirely from the other factions.This structural asymmetry -- everyone playing differently, pursuing different win conditions, using the same board and cards for entirely different purposes -- was the central design achievement. Board game design had explored asymmetry before Root, but rarely with this degree of commitment or clarity of execution.### Cole Wehrle and the Design OriginsCole Wehrle is one of the most intellectually articulate designers working in modern board games. Root emerged from his interest in asymmetric war games and his desire to make the genre accessible to players who were not hardcore wargamers. He drew on historical games in the conflict simulation genre while stripping away the excessive rules complexity that kept those games limited to specialist audiences.Root was also directly influenced by Patrick Leder's earlier work at Leder Games, particularly the game Vast: The Crystal Caverns, which had explored similar asymmetric concepts. The collaboration between Wehrle's design sensibility and Leder Games' production quality created a game that managed to be mechanically sophisticated while remaining visually approachable.The art direction, handled by Kyle Ferrin, was critical to the game's reception. Ferrin's distinctive woodland animal illustrations -- the armored cats, the stately birds, the scrappy woodland alliance creatures -- gave Root a visual identity that was immediately recognizable and distinct from both the typical fantasy board game aesthetic and the dry visual language of wargames. The game looked like a children's storybook and played like a geopolitical simulation.### The Kickstarter First EditionThe Kickstarter campaign launched in 2018 and was funded rapidly, reflecting strong community interest in Leder Games after Vast's positive reception. The Kickstarter edition of Root included exclusive components, alternate miniatures, and production quality that exceeded what the retail first edition would include.Key differences and identifying features of the Kickstarter edition:Upgraded components: Kickstarter backers received upgraded components including different meeple materials or colors, exclusive art prints, and variant faction boards compared to the base retail release.Exclusive faction or content: Kickstarter campaigns for Leder Games products typically include unlocked stretch goals that add additional factions, scenario content, or variant materials not available in retail releases. The 2018 Root Kickstarter included content and components that were either Kickstarter-exclusive or later released separately as expansions.Packaging: Kickstarter copies ship in a distinctive presentation that differs from retail packaging, often including reinforced or premium box construction and different insert arrangements.Documentation: Authentic Kickstarter copies typically include backer fulfillment documentation, an order confirmation or packing slip reference, or other paper trail that distinguishes the original backer fulfillment from secondary market copies.### Value at a Glance| Version | Condition | Value Range ||---|---|---|| Kickstarter First Edition (complete) | Excellent/New | $80 - $150 || Kickstarter First Edition with exclusive extras | New in shrink | $150 - $300 || Retail First Edition (complete) | Excellent | $40 - $80 || Retail current printing | New in shrink | $45 - $70 || Deluxe Kickstarter versions (higher pledge tiers) | New | $200 - $500 |Root has been reprinted multiple times and remains actively available through retail channels, which moderates the premium on older copies compared to games that have gone entirely out of print. The Kickstarter collector premium is primarily about exclusivity, component quality, and the provenance of owning the original campaign edition rather than pure scarcity.### The Expansion UniverseOne of Root's most significant characteristics as a collectible game is its extensive and ongoing expansion support. Leder Games has released multiple expansion products:The Riverfolk Expansion added the Riverfolk Company and Lizard Cult factions, both with distinct mechanics.The Underworld Expansion added the Underground Duchy and Corvid Conspiracy factions along with a new board.The Marauder Expansion added the Lord of the Hundreds and the Keepers in Iron factions.The Exiles and Partisans Deck provided an alternative card deck with different card backs and altered card distributions, affecting the game's tactical layer.Root: The Clockwork Expansion added automated solo and cooperative play options, expanding the game's audience significantly.Root: The Landmark Pack and Root: The Hirelings Box provided further customization options.Each expansion was backed through separate or combined Kickstarter campaigns, meaning that a complete Kickstarter-origin collection of Root and all its expansions represents a substantial commitment and a collection that retail buyers cannot fully replicate due to Kickstarter-exclusive content across multiple campaigns.### Root on BoardGameGeek: The Community VerdictBoardGameGeek, the essential reference for board game ratings and community discussion, ranks Root among the most highly rated modern strategy games. The game has accumulated tens of thousands of ratings and extensive review discussion, with collectors and players consistently praising its asymmetric design, replayability, and component quality.The BGG ranking reflects a community that takes board game design seriously and evaluates games across many dimensions. Root's sustained high ranking -- it remains in the top 20 to 50 of all games rated on BGG, depending on year -- reflects genuine appreciation for the design rather than novelty hype.### Identifying the First Edition vs Later PrintingsFor collectors, distinguishing Kickstarter and first edition copies from later retail printings matters for both provenance and value.Box markings: First edition and Kickstarter copies may show specific print run identifiers on the box bottom or inside the lid. Look for language referencing the Kickstarter campaign, the year of production, or specific edition identifiers.Component differences: Kickstarter exclusive components, if included, should be visibly different from retail components. The Kickstarter root campaign included specific meeple upgrades and art content not available in the standard retail box.Insert quality: Early production copies often had specific insert configurations. Later printings may have revised inserts for better storage or component organization.Rulebook edition: Wehrle and Leder Games have revised Root's rulebook and FAQ documents across printings, clarifying edge cases and adjusting faction rules. An early printing will have earlier rulebook edition text. Check the rulebook's edition or print date notation.### The Production Quality QuestionOne of the persistent discussions in board game collecting concerns production quality and how it varies across print runs. Leder Games developed a reputation for high-quality production partly through the Kickstarter model: crowdfunding allows a company to produce at a specific scale rather than printing conservatively for retail distribution uncertainty. This tends to result in better component quality than a publisher stretched across a large uncertain retail print run might achieve.For Root specifically, the thick cardboard punchout quality, the weight and finish of the faction boards, the card stock, and the visual clarity of the rulebooks and player aids all received praise in early reviews. Later print runs have generally maintained this standard, but collectors who have handled multiple editions note subtle differences in card stock weight, meeple finish quality, and rulebook paper stock.These distinctions are minor for a player who simply wants to play the game. For a collector building a set specifically from the original Kickstarter edition, they matter as verification points. Handling both a KS edition and a current retail copy side-by-side will make the differences more apparent than any description can convey.### Playing Root TodayRoot benefits enormously from being played with players who engage with the strategic layer. The asymmetric design means that each faction has a learning curve unique to itself, and new players often fare better starting with the Marquise. Experienced players can balance the game's inherent power asymmetry through careful faction assignment.The game's competitive community has grown substantially, with organized play events at conventions and online tournaments using digital adaptations of the game (Direwolf Digital's licensed digital version of Root). Tournament play has sharpened understanding of faction balance and effective strategy across the player community.For new collectors, Root represents an excellent entry point into designer board game collecting precisely because it is still actively played and discussed, still in print (making it easy to acquire), and has a well-established collector community that values specific editions, expansions, and Kickstarter exclusives.### Acquiring a Kickstarter Root EditionFinding a Kickstarter edition Root today means shopping the secondary market. BoardGameGeek's marketplace, eBay, Facebook board game groups, and local game store bulletin boards are the primary channels.When evaluating a listing:Ask for photos of all components: A complete Kickstarter edition includes all base game components plus whatever Kickstarter-exclusive extras were included in the backer pledge level. Verify component counts against the Kickstarter campaign fulfillment page, which remains accessible online.Check for punch residue: Unplayed copies will have never-punched cardboard components. Punched but unplayed copies should show clean punches with no residue or tearing. Worn or damaged punch marks indicate heavy play use.Verify rulebook edition: The rulebook should match a first-edition print. Later errata and clarifications are available online but were not present in the original Kickstarter fulfillment rulebook.Seller reputation: Board game marketplace selling is well-developed, with established reputations in BGG's marketplace, where feedback systems document seller history. Buying from a seller with an established track record reduces risk significantly.Prices for complete Kickstarter copies have been relatively stable in the $80 to $150 range for standard pledge tiers, with premium for new-in-shrink copies or higher pledge tier versions with additional exclusive content.### The Legacy of RootRoot arrived at a moment when asymmetric design was becoming more recognized as a valid and exciting space for board game innovation, and it made the strongest case possible for that approach. Its success encouraged other designers and publishers to explore asymmetric design with greater ambition, contributing to a broader shift in what players expected from complex strategic games.The 2018 Kickstarter edition sits at the start of that influence. Owning it is owning the original statement of a design philosophy that reshaped expectations for what a board game could do.Browse all Collectible Toys and Games →

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