Root: Riverfolk Hirelings Pack

Root: Riverfolk Hirelings Pack – Row Downstream with New Woodland Allies

Looking to shake up your next skirmish in the great woodland? The Root: Riverfolk Hirelings Pack brings fresh dynamics, unexpected allies, and high-stakes tension to every match—no matter how many players you have at the table. Perfect for veteran commanders and newcomers alike, this expansion lets you add new forces to the battlefield in creative and strategic ways.

Whether you're wandering dangerous woodland paths, launching a surprise revolt, or building an engine of war, the Riverfolk Hirelings Pack gives you the tactical flexibility to outmaneuver your opponents and shift the flow of the game in your favor.

Note: This is an expansion. A copy of the Root board game is required to play.

Come Row Downstream — Ally with New Woodland Forces

In Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right, the forest is full of would-be rulers, squabbling birds, revolutionary uprisings, and wandering rogues. But now, thanks to this Riverfolk Hirelings Pack, you can enlist new allies to help your cause—adding high-impact, small-faction units that bring fresh tactics, tension, and decision-making to every game.

Hirelings are modular mini-factions designed to enhance games at any player count. Whether you’re playing a quick duel or a six-player free-for-all, these new units create opportunities for dramatic plays, flexible strategies, and exciting new combos.

Best with Fewer Players – Great with More

The Riverfolk Hirelings Pack shines especially in low-player-count games by filling the forest with extra units, obstacles, and opportunities. Hirelings offer more than just support—they alter the tactical landscape, providing dynamic presence on the board and forcing players to consider new threats and allies.

In games with more players, hirelings flip to their advanced side, unlocking powerful special abilities that can be claimed, manipulated, and fought over. These advanced abilities encourage bold plays, hidden alliances, and unpredictable swings in power.

What’s Inside the Riverfolk Hirelings Pack?

This pack includes three unique hireling pairs, inspired by factions from the Root: Riverfolk Expansion and the base game, each with standard and advanced sides:

Flame Bearers & Rat Smugglers

• March into conflict with torch in hand or trade shady deals behind enemy lines.

• Ideal for pressuring territory and stirring up tension near key strongholds.

Street Band & Popular Band

• Lizard Cult loyalists perform songs of zeal—or organize crowds into spiritual movements.

• Distract, disrupt, or inspire other factions depending on how they're used.

Riverfolk Flotilla & Otter Divers

• Float across the map and control waterways, or dive deep for valuable relics.

• Perfect for controlling key passages and influencing hard-to-reach areas of the board.

Each pair includes custom meeples, double-sided hireling cards, and clear rules for integration with all Root content, including Riverfolk, Underworld, Clockwork, and Marauder Expansions.

Make the Woodland Wilder

With these hirelings in play, no part of the forest is safe or static. You'll face more dangerous woodland paths, clever new threats, and critical decisions about which hirelings to court—and when to betray them. Use them to fuel your ongoing construction, protect your holdings, or destabilize an enemy’s plans.

• Recruiting forces with hirelings can give you the edge to control more territory.

• Use their unique capabilities to score victory points or delay rivals.

• Act effectively by timing their deployment when the battlefield needs a shakeup.

• Tap into their abilities for your own gain, or steal them from opponents when the time is right.

Add Tactical Depth to Every Game

The Riverfolk Hirelings Pack enhances your experience with truly asymmetric design by introducing minor powers that all players can access or compete for. These hirelings interact with the existing factions—from the nefarious Marquise de Cat to the squabbling Eyrie dynasties—in fun and unexpected ways.

Whether you're trying to help the Woodland Alliance rise in secret, or hunting down wandering vagabonds, hirelings give you more tools to execute brilliant plays and respond to shifting alliances.

Why Add the Root: Riverfolk Hirelings Pack?

• Introduces new units and abilities that fit seamlessly into your Root board game collection

• Ideal for 2-3 player games where extra forces create drama and balance

• Scales to high player count games with advanced abilities and tactics

• Adds modular gameplay options without increasing the game's complexity

• Deepens the strategic landscape for both competitive and casual play

• Keeps every game fresh with more variable setup, tension, and momentum

Whether you’re returning to the vast wilderness once again or taking your first step into its dense woods, the Root: Riverfolk Hirelings Pack will expand your strategic options and keep every game session full of surprises.

From secret quests to public dominance, every new hireling is a chance to act effectively, gain more victory points, and tell new stories of ambition, alliance, and betrayal in the game of woodland might and right.

Set sail, dive deep, or spread your message—the forest awaits.