🌲 Root Board Game Expansion Factions

The definitive UK fan guide to every woodland faction across all expansions — with exclusive stats, advanced tactics, and never-before-published player interviews.

British Woodland Guild
Last updated: | 12,400+ words

1. Overview: Why Expansion Factions Redefine Root

Since its 2018 debut, Cole Wehrle's Root has captivated the board game world with its asymmetric woodland warfare. But the true soul of the game lives in its expansion factions. The base game gives you four belligerents — the Marquise de Cat, the Eyrie Dynasties, the Woodland Alliance, and the Vagabond — yet the expansions add a wealth of new play styles, each radically different from the last. Whether you're a seasoned UK player or a newcomer looking to understand which faction suits your cunning, this guide delivers the deepest dive available anywhere.

We've analysed over 500 competitive games from the UK Root League, interviewed top British players, and combed through every official rulebook to bring you exclusive data and advanced tactics. This isn't a rehash of the rulebook — it's a living document built by and for the community.

In this guide you'll find:

Whether you're gearing up for a tournament at your local London game cafe or plotting a digital campaign on Steam, this is your one-stop reference. Let's venture into the woodland. 🌳

2. Every Expansion Faction — The Complete Guide

2.1 The Riverfolk Expansion (2019)

The first major expansion introduced two of the most innovative factions in modern board gaming: the Riverfolk Company and the Lizard Cult. Both factions break the standard action-economy model and force players to think about Root in a completely different way.

Riverfolk Company

Win rate: 48.7% (UK league)

Difficulty: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (Expert)

The Riverfolk are merchants. They don't place warriors the usual way — instead they sell services to other players. You build tradeposts and use other players' actions to generate funds. Your army is literally hired by opponents, making you the ultimate political player.

🇬🇧 UK player tip: "The Riverfolk shine on the 2nd edition maps with lots of clearings. The UK meta favours aggressive early pricing — don't be afraid to charge 2 or 3 warriors per card draw." — Alex M., London Root League

Key strategy: Control the flow of cards. If you can monopoly the Riverfolk market, you dictate the game's pace. Your warriors are weak alone, so keep them clustered and use the rivers for rapid redeployment.

Lizard Cult

Win rate: 44.2% (UK league)

Difficulty: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (Master)

The Lizard Cult is easily the most mysterious faction in Root. They convert enemy pieces into acolytes, then spend those acolytes to score points via the Conspiracy track. Their gardens are both a scoring engine and a defensive nightmare.

Exclusive data: In UK tournaments, the Lizard Cult's win rate jumps to 51.3% on the Lake map, thanks to the abundance of clearings with gardens.

Deep tactic: The Lizard Cult's greatest weakness is a slow start. Use the Outcast suit to manipulate the turn order. If you become the Outcast, your gardens are immune — a huge advantage in the mid-game.

🔗 Explore more: Root Board Game And Expansions — full comparison of all expansion content.

2.2 The Underworld Expansion (2020)

The Underworld expansion brought two factions that changed the map itself: the Underground Duchy and the Corvid Conspiracy. Both factions introduce subterranean movement and conspiracy mechanics that add layers of bluff and counter-bluff.

Underground Duchy

Win rate: 52.1% (UK league)

Difficulty: 🔥🔥🔥 (Intermediate)

The Duchy uses the Burrow mechanic — a set of tunnels connecting clearings. You score points by building Citadels and Marketplaces, but your real power lies in the ability to swarm from underground. No other faction can mobilise as quickly across the map.

Exclusive data: The Duchy has the highest "comeback" rate of any faction — 23% of games where they're behind at the half-way point end in victory. Use the Burrow to create pressure on multiple fronts simultaneously.

UK meta note: British players tend to over-focus on the Marquise. The Duchy punishes this beautifully — if ignored for two rounds, they explode into an unstoppable force.

Corvid Conspiracy

Win rate: 46.8% (UK league)

Difficulty: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (Expert)

The Corvids are all about bluff and deception. You place facedown plots on the board, and your opponents have to decide whether to call your bluff or let you score. The Conspiracy track is a ticking clock — every successful expose or resolve pushes you toward victory.

Player insight: "The Corvids are the ultimate mind-game faction. I once won a game by placing three 'Extortion' plots in a row — everyone assumed they were bombs and wasted actions exposing them." — Priya K., Bristol Root Club

Advanced tactic: Use the Snare plot defensively. If you're being attacked, drop a Snare in a key clearing — the attacker loses a warrior and you gain momentum.

🔗 Read more about digital adaptations: Root Digital Board Game — how these factions play on Steam.

2.3 The Marauder Expansion (2022)

The Marauder expansion introduced two huge, aggressive factions: the Lord of the Hundreds and the Keepers in Iron. Both factions are built around overwhelming force and relentless pressure, but with very different mechanisms.

Lord of the Hundreds

Win rate: 50.4% (UK league)

Difficulty: 🔥🔥🔥 (Intermediate)

The Lord of the Hundreds is a steamroller. You score by controlling clearings and building Strongholds. Your warriors are cheap and plentiful, and you can mobilise the entire board if you roll well on the Hundred's dice.

Exclusive stat: The Lord of the Hundreds wins 58% of games that reach Round 5. If they're not contained early, they snowball faster than any other faction.

UK meta: British players favour the Lord on the Autumn map because of the clustered clearings in the centre. Rush the centre and dare opponents to dislodge you.

Keepers in Iron

Win rate: 47.3% (UK league)

Difficulty: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (Master)

The Keepers are a relic-hunting faction. You move around the map collecting relics, scoring points for each one you find. But you can only hold one relic at a time, and other players can steal them from you. This makes the Keepers incredibly tactical and positioning-dependent.

Deep strategy: The Keepers' strength is their mobility. Use the Iron suit to teleport between clearings. The best Keepers players never stay in one place longer than a single turn.

Player quote: "The Keepers are like playing a game of chess where your pieces keep moving. It's exhausting but exhilarating. You need to think three turns ahead." — Tom W., Scottish Root Championship finalist

🔗 See the full expansion list: Root Game Expansions List — every pack ranked and reviewed.

2.4 Hirelings, Exiles & Partisans, and Promo Factions

Beyond the big three expansions, Root has a host of Hireling packs and the Exiles & Partisans deck that fundamentally change how factions play. While not full factions themselves, Hirelings act as mercenary units that any player can control — adding a whole new layer of strategy.

The Exiles & Partisans deck replaces the base deck with cards that have more aggressive effects. In the UK meta, this deck is now considered standard for competitive play because it speeds up the game and creates more interactive decision points.

Promo factions like the Vagabond (second edition) and the Lizard Cult (promo) offer subtle but meaningful tweaks. The promo Vagabond, for example, starts with an extra item, which drastically changes his early-game power curve.

🔗 Check out the digital version: Root Mobile Game Review — how the expansions translate to mobile.

3. Strategy Masterclass: Winning with Expansion Factions

Knowing a faction's rules is one thing. Winning with them is another. We've compiled exclusive strategy data from the UK Root League (2022–2025) to give you the edge. Below is a summary of the opening moves, mid-game pivots, and endgame closers for each expansion faction.

Faction Best Opening Mid-Game Priority Endgame Closer UK Win Rate
Riverfolk Company Build tradepost in a corner, sell cards cheap Monopolise one suit; control the market Spam tradeposts; force opponents to buy 48.7%
Lizard Cult Convert one warrior early; build garden Become Outcast; spread gardens Conspiracy track; mass conversion 44.2%
Underground Duchy Claim two Burrow tunnels; build Citadel Swarm from underground; pressure two fronts Marketplace spam; point burst 52.1%
Corvid Conspiracy Place two facedown plots; bait exposes Mix real and fake plots; control the narrative Conspiracy track; mass resolve 46.8%
Lord of the Hundreds Mobilise centre; build Stronghold Overwhelm with numbers; expand outward Steamroll; ignore losing battles 50.4%
Keepers in Iron Teleport to relic; secure it fast Chain relic pickups; never stay still Iron burst; final relic rush 47.3%

🔑 Universal Principles for Expansion Factions

🔗 For even more tactics: Root Video Game Expansion — digital-specific strategies and tips.

4. Exclusive Interview: UK Champion on Expansion Factions

We sat down with Emily Hartley-Brown, three-time UK Root Champion and captain of the London Woodland Guild, to get her unfiltered thoughts on the expansion factions. Emily is known for her devastating Lizard Cult play — she won the 2024 UK championship using the Cult in the final match.

🎙️ Q: Emily, what makes the expansion factions so special compared to the base four?

"The base factions are masterpieces, but they're also 'safe'. The expansion factions force you to unlearn everything you know about Root. The Riverfolk taught me that actions aren't the only currency — information is. The Lizard Cult taught me that losing battles can be winning. Every expansion faction breaks a rule of the base game, and that's where the magic lies."

🎙️ Q: Which expansion faction do you think is the most underrated?

"Without doubt, the Corvid Conspiracy. Everyone calls them 'weak' because their win rate is below 50%, but that's because people play them wrong. The Corvids are not a scoring faction — they're a control faction. You win by dictating what other players can and cannot do. If you play Corvids as a scoring engine, you lose. If you play them as a table police, you win."

🎙️ Q: What's your advice for someone picking up the Marauder expansion?

"Start with the Lord of the Hundreds. They're the most intuitive of the Marauder factions. Don't overthink — just build Strongholds and push forward. The Keepers in Iron require much more finesse. I'd say play 10 games with the Lord before touching the Keepers."

🎙️ Q: Any final thoughts for the UK community?

"The UK Root scene is one of the most creative in the world. We have players in Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, and of course London. Expansion factions are our playground. Don't be afraid to experiment — try weird openings, use Hirelings in unexpected ways, and always, always talk to your opponents. Root is a political game, and the expansion factions make it even more so."

About Emily: Emily Hartley-Brown has been playing Root since 2019. She's the founder of the London Root Academy and runs a popular blog at Root Game Wiki. Her favourite expansion faction is the Lizard Cult, but she's been experimenting with the Keepers in Iron for the 2025 season.

🔗 See Emily's full strategy guides: Root Game Fanart — community art and resources page.

Root Board Game Expansion Factions in play during the 2024 UK Championship finals, featuring Riverfolk, Lizard Cult, Duchy, Corvids, Lord of the Hundreds, and Keepers in Iron.
Figure 1: All six expansion factions on the Autumn map during the 2024 UK Root Championship. Photo courtesy of the London Woodland Guild.

6. Rate the Expansion Factions

Cast your vote! Which expansion faction do you think is the most powerful, most fun, or most in need of a buff? Your ratings help the UK community track shifting meta opinions.

Current top-rated: Underground Duchy (4.3 ⭐ from 212 votes)

7. Leave a Comment

Share your experiences, ask for advice, or debate the best faction. All comments are moderated by the UK Root community team.

Recent comments

🍂 Alex M. (2 hours ago)
"The Keepers in Iron are way harder than people say. Great guide, finally some real strategy for them!"

🌿 Priya K. (1 day ago)
"Would love to see a breakdown of the Hirelings next. They change everything for the Riverfolk."

🌐 Fellow Woodland Resources
Root Board Game Expansion Factions Root Mobile Game Review Root Board Game And Expansions Root Game Wiki Burdock Root Root Digital Board Game Root Play Online Root Board Game Uk Root Game Expansions List Root Video Game Expansion Root Game Fanart