Look, we get it. You walked past the display cabinet, and you saw them. Those whimsical, slightly twisted, absolutely gorgeous 32mm boutique resin miniatures from Goblin King Games. You saw a goblin with a cannon three times his size, a knight wearing a hat wider than his shoulders, or a terrifying faerie creature made of sticks and malice.
You’re interested in Moonstone. But then you learned the hook: No dice.
That’s right. Moonstone is a game of bluffing, hand management, and high-stakes mind games driven by a unique card mechanic. It’s not about rolling 6s; it’s about looking your opponent in the eye and convincing them you’re playing a high guard when you’re actually about to swing for the fences.
It’s brilliant, it’s crunchy, and the models are a joy to paint. But with such distinct playstyles, where do you start? Which troupe matches your gaming personality?
At Extra Turn Games, we’ve been diving deep into the land of Tauber. Let’s break down the major players to help you decide where to pledge your allegiance.
The Commonwealth: The "Civilized" Toolbox
The Vibe: Imagine a Monty Python sketch directed by Guy Ritchie. The Commonwealth are knights, nobles, and soldiers who maintain a veneer of civilization while ruthlessly pursuing Moonstones. They are quirky, often arrogant, and deceptively lethal.
The Playstyle: If you love having an answer for everything, the Commonwealth is for you. They are the "toolbox" faction. They generally have good stats across the board, reliable armor, and abilities that reward tactical foresight.
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The Bluff Masters: Characters like Baron von Fancyhat (he leads The Barony troupe box alongside Eric the Squire and Flintlock) thrive on the bluffing mechanic, forcing opponents into bad combat duels.
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Synergy & Support: Units like Eric, the Enlightened or the Gnome-based Faculty troupe don't just fight; they manipulate the board state, buff your heavy hitters, and mess with your opponent’s card draws.
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The Anchors: When the bluffing fails, you have beefy bodyguards like the giant Loubard to soak up damage and protect your key pieces.
Choose them if: You like high-skill-ceiling armies where out-thinking (and out-lying) your opponent is the path to victory.
The Dominion: Chaos, Inc.
The Vibe: Goblins. So many Goblins. The Dominion is a wretched hive of scum and villainy, populated by creatures who believe that quantity has a quality all its own, and that accidentally blowing yourself up is a valid tactical choice. They are hilarious, expressive sculpts that ooze character.
The Playstyle: High risk, high reward, and absolute chaos. Dominion troupes often rely on swarming the board with cheap bodies (like the Grovelling Goblins) to grab objectives while wildly powerful "specialists" cause havoc.
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The Glass Cannons: Units like Boom Boom McBoom (he comes in the Mushrooms and Mayhem box) can delete almost anything on the board with ranged explosive damage, but if a stiff breeze hits them, they fall over.
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The Meat Shields: You need lots of bodies to hide behind. Big lugs like Gump (the Giant) exist solely to stand on an objective and be annoying to remove.
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Thematic Madness: Expansions like Mushrooms and Mayhem or the cultist-heavy The End is Nigh lean into unpredictable mechanics where flipping a card might win you the game or blow up half your own squad.
Choose them if: You don't take yourself too seriously, you love "push-your-luck" mechanics, and you think winning is boring if nothing exploded along the way.
The Leshavult: Folk-Horror Finesse
The Vibe: Forget tinkerbell. These are the fae of old folklore. Nature that bites back. The Leshavult are earthy, eerie, and sometimes terrifying. From nimble fauns to towering treefolk and nightmarish beasts, they are visually distinct from the "grittier" human factions.
The Playstyle: Movement, magic, and tricks. The Leshavult do not want a fair fight. They want to use superior speed to snatch Moonstones and disappear back into the woods before the enemy can swing their swords.
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Hit and Fade: Units like the Hunting Horns fauns are incredibly fast, excelling at activation control and repositioning.
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Magical Dominance: The Malachite Mystics are masters of debuffs and area denial, clogging up the board with magical interference.
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Terror Tactics: When you need raw killing power, you bring in a monster like the Wendigo, a fast-moving assassin designed to isolate and eliminate key enemy leaders.
Choose them if: You prefer finesse over brute force. You want to win by outmaneuvering your opponent and frustrating their plans with magical shenanigans.
The Shades: The Fourth Troupe
The Vibe: The Shades are Tauber's dead, and they have not moved on. Spirits, revenants, and the occasional frost giant who should know better. If the Leshavult are the woods at dusk, the Shades are the churchyard at 3am.
The Playstyle: Attrition and dread. Where the Leshavult want to be somewhere else by the time you swing, the Shades are perfectly happy to stand there and out-last you. Start with the Shady Bunch troupe box (Sen'ara, Morag and Marley), or grab them alongside a rival troupe in the two-player starter below.
Choose them if: You want the spookiest models on the shelf and you would rather grind an opponent down than race them.
So, Where Do I Start Buying?
Moonstone has one of the lowest barriers to entry in skirmish gaming. You only need about 5-7 models for a full game.
The Best Value: Two-Player Starters If you have a buddy looking to jump in with you, this is a no-brainer. You get two full troupes, all the cards, tokens, and widgets needed to play.
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Dusk Till Dawn: The classic setup. Commonwealth Humans vs. Dominion Goblins. Perfect for learning the core bluffing mechanics, and the only place you will find the exclusive Friar Flavius.
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Life & Death Struggle: The newer set. Leshavult Fauns vs. the undead Shades of Moonreach. A great pick for a more magical, supernatural vibe.
Going Solo: Pick the "Troupe Box" that looks the coolest to you. Honestly, the rule of cool is king here. Grab a box of The Barony, Mushrooms and Mayhem, or the Hunting Horns, pick up the Core Rulebook and an Acrylic Measuring Widget, and you are ready to start bluffing your way to victory in Tauber.
What faction is calling your name? Are you team Fancy Hat or team Goblin Chaos?
