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About Radlands
Radlands is a two-player card battle by Daniel Piechnick, published by Roxley. Each player protects three camps chosen in a short draft, and the people you play stand in columns in front of those camps as shields. Water is the only currency, you get three each turn, and it pays for people, events and abilities. Every card also has a junk effect, so a card in hand is always useful for something. It is tense, aggressive and quick.
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Is Radlands Right for You?
Best for
Radlands is for two players who like direct combat card games but not collectible ones. Everything is in one box, the camp draft changes every game, and the column protection rule gives it a tactical board rather than a pile of cards. It suits players who enjoy aggressive back-and-forth and do not mind losing a camp early.
Maybe skip it if…
It is confrontational from the first turn, and a player who dislikes having their things destroyed will not enjoy it. It is also two players only, and the card text rewards players who already know the deck.
How to Play Radlands
Setup
Draft three camps each and place them in a row. Shuffle the shared deck, deal starting hands and put the Water Silo beside each player.
On Your Turn
- Resolve the first event in your event queue, then advance the rest.
- Replenish to three water.
- Spend water to play people and events or use abilities, junk cards for their free effects, and attack unprotected people or camps.
How to Win
Destroy all three of your opponent's camps.
💡 Strategy Tips
A camp is only safe while someone stands in front of it. Count your opponent's ways to hit an open column before you spend water elsewhere.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Leaving a column empty. An unprotected camp can be damaged by anything, and an early camp loss is hard to recover from.
- Spending every water on people. Events and abilities often do more, and a board full of people with no water to use them is wasted.
- Ignoring the junk effects. Every card has a free effect when junked, and throwing away a card for a timely water or injury is often right.
- Forgetting raiders bypass people. A raider attack damages a camp directly, so plan for it even behind a strong line.
Advanced Strategy
- Draft camps as a set. Camps with abilities that combine are worth more than three strong camps with no synergy.
- Use the Water Silo to bank water for big turns. A four-water turn can swing a game.
- Target your opponent's people with abilities first. Removing a key protector opens a column for your attackers.
- Time your events around your opponent's event queue. An event that resolves after theirs can undo their plan.
Variants & House Rules
The camp draft
Each player chooses their three camps from a random selection before the game. As a house rule, offering more or fewer camps changes how much control each player has over their start.
Fan-made solo variant
An unofficial solo mode circulates online for players who want to practise alone. It is not part of the published rules.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Radlands is a sharp, confrontational duel with a clean central idea: your people are a wall in front of what you must protect. The water economy and junk effects mean every card is useful, and the camp draft keeps it varied. It is one of the best two-player combat card games available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Radlands a deck-building game?
No. Both players draw from one shared deck; there is no building or buying of cards.
How long does a game take?
About twenty to forty minutes. Aggressive openings can end much faster.
Can more than two play?
No. It is designed only for two players and has no official variant for more.