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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteDice Throne is a head-to-head dice-combination game: on your turn, you roll your hero’s dice up to three times to unlock abilities shown on that hero’s board, then use cards, combat points, and status effects to improve the result or disrupt an opponent. A normal turn runs through Upkeep, Income, Main Phase 1, Offensive Roll, any required targeting and defense, Main Phase 2, Discard, and end-of-turn cleanup.
This guide describes the rules in force on October 11, 2026. An official announcement dated October 5, 2026 schedules timing and deck-depletion changes for January 1, 2027; those changes are explained separately so you can tell which version your group is using.
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What you need to play
Each player chooses a hero with a hero board, that hero’s dice, a deck of cards, and a hero leaflet. The board shows the dice symbols and combinations that activate the hero’s abilities. The leaflet defines that hero’s tokens, ability text, and exceptions. Use the exact leaflet supplied with your hero: names, token behavior, and stack limits are not universal across the roster.
Players also need combat-point (CP) markers, health trackers, and the status tokens listed on each hero’s leaflet. A token is normally taken from the leaflet of the hero that owns the effect and placed on the receiving hero’s board. The token’s location matters: it records which hero inflicted it and who currently has it.
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The official Dice Throne Rulepop reference is the current rules authority and can be configured for expansions and variants. The publisher’s FAQ and downloads page lists Dice Throne Rulebook Version 2.4.3 (2025). An older rulebook PDF is useful for the broad framework, but use the current reference, the 2025 rulebook, and your hero leaflet when they differ: older rulebook PDF.
The basic game loop
Dice Throne asks you to turn uncertain dice into a specific ability. Your hero board is effectively a menu: each listed combination tells you which symbols, quantities, or sequences are needed. During your Offensive Roll Phase, you get up to three attempts to reach one of those combinations. You may keep useful dice and reroll the rest between attempts. When your final dice match an ability, resolve that ability as written on the board and leaflet.
Cards and CP give you control over that gamble. Depending on the card or ability, you can alter a die, upgrade an ability, prevent damage, gain resources, or create a one-time tactical swing. Do not assume that a card can be played at any time; its timing words and the current action window control when it is legal.
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Every hero has a different board and leaflet, so the dice symbols, ability names, costs, and status effects vary. The turn structure below is the shared framework; the selected hero’s board determines what happens inside the Offensive Roll Phase.
Dice Throne turn phases in order
The following sequence describes a standard turn. Multiplayer, team, and campaign modes can add or alter targeting and defense steps, so use the mode-specific entry in the dynamic official rules reference when your table is not playing a basic duel.
| Phase | What the active player does | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Upkeep | Resolve effects that specifically trigger at the start of a turn or during Upkeep. | Read persistent tokens, delayed effects, and hero text. |
| Income | Gain the turn’s listed resources, including CP and any hero-specific income. | The starting player skips their first Income Phase under the baseline framework. |
| Main Phase 1 | Play permitted Main Phase cards, buy or upgrade effects when allowed, and take other legal actions. | Resolve each action before taking the next one. |
| Offensive Roll | Roll up to three times, keeping or rerolling dice to activate one offensive ability. | Apply the current timing rules for die-modifying actions. |
| Targeting | Choose a legal target when the activated ability requires one. | Some modes or abilities select targets earlier, later, or automatically. |
| Defensive Roll | The defender rolls and resolves a defense ability when the attack allows one. | Use the defending hero’s board and leaflet, not the attacker’s. |
| Main Phase 2 | Take legal Main Phase actions after combat resolution. | Check whether damage, healing, or tokens changed what cards are playable. |
| Discard | Discard down or resolve any end-of-turn hand rule that applies. | Follow the current hand and deck instructions for your edition or mode. |
| End-of-turn cleanup | Resolve effects that expire or trigger at the end of the turn, then pass the turn. | Do not remove a persistent status effect unless its text tells you to. |
1. Upkeep
Upkeep is the first timing window. Resolve anything on a card, hero board, leaflet, or token that says it occurs during Upkeep or at the start of a turn. If several effects have to happen, apply the game’s current timing rules and finish one effect before beginning the next. A status token does not automatically activate merely because it is present; its own wording determines whether it triggers here, later, or only when spent.
2. Income
Income is where the turn’s routine resources arrive. The broad framework in the older rulebook says a player gains 1 CP at the start of Income, and that CP is capped at 15. It also says the starting player skips their first Income Phase. Treat these as baseline details and verify them against the FAQ-listed 2025 rulebook and the current Rulepop entry before applying an expansion or a future rules revision.
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Income is not the same as drawing every possible card or token. Gain only what the relevant rule, hero ability, or mode instructs you to gain. If an effect changes your CP maximum or grants an additional resource, follow that effect’s duration and restrictions.
3. Main Phase 1
Main Phase 1 is your first broad action window. Play cards whose timing permits a Main Phase play, spend CP on legal upgrades or purchases, and use hero abilities that explicitly function here. Cards may modify dice, improve an offensive ability, protect health, or create a setup for the roll. You can take multiple legal actions, but resolve each completely before starting another.
Do not spend CP simply because you have it. Keep enough for a card or ability that matters after the roll, and check whether an effect is usable only before rolling, only after an ability is chosen, or only in response to damage. The timing line on the card is more specific than the general idea that “Main Phase” means anytime during your turn.
4. Offensive Roll Phase
This is the defining Dice Throne step. Roll all of your hero’s dice for the first attempt. You may then keep selected dice and reroll the remainder for a second attempt, and repeat once more for a maximum of three roll attempts. The dice you keep remain available for the next attempt unless an effect changes them.
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Cards and CP can change the odds. A die-modifying card might change a face, add a die, or allow another adjustment; an upgrade card may replace a lower ability with a stronger version. Such effects are legal only in their stated timing window. Under the rules that apply on October 11, 2026, consult the current timing entry when another player wants to respond during a roll.
5. Targeting
Some offensive abilities identify a target as part of their resolution. Choose a legal opponent, teammate, or other target only when the ability or mode calls for it. An area or multi-target ability may specify several targets; a self-only ability cannot be redirected to another hero. In a basic duel, targeting is usually straightforward, but team, multiplayer, and campaign modes can change who may be chosen and when. The official dynamic reference is the authority for those variants.
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6. Defensive Roll Phase
A defender receives a Defensive Roll Phase only when the incoming ability and the mode allow a defense. The defending player uses their own hero dice and board, rolls up to the number of attempts permitted by the current rules, and resolves the resulting defensive ability. Do not use the attacker’s offensive combination chart for defense.
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Defensive results can prevent damage, reflect it, inflict a status effect, or create another response, depending on the hero. Resolve the defense before applying damage that the defense prevents or changes. If the defense does not affect a portion of the attack, apply the remaining portion exactly as written.
7. Main Phase 2
After offensive and defensive abilities finish, the active player receives a second Main Phase. This is the normal opportunity to play additional Main Phase cards, spend CP, or use effects that require the post-combat window. A card that says “after you deal damage” may be legal here only if its timing allows it; a card restricted to Main Phase 1 cannot be saved for this step.
8. Discard and end-of-turn cleanup
Apply the current discard rule for your edition and mode, then resolve effects that expire or trigger at the end of the turn. Persistent status tokens remain unless an effect removes them. Pass play only after all end-of-turn instructions are complete.
How to read dice combinations and activate abilities
Start with the ability you want, then work backward to its combination. A sequence of symbols, a set of matching faces, or a quantity requirement is a checklist, not a suggestion. During each roll attempt, keep dice that satisfy the most restrictive part of the combination and reroll dice that can still improve the result.
- Identify a realistic ability. Look at the board before rolling and choose a result that fits your available dice and the game state.
- Roll all dice on attempt one. Mark promising faces mentally or with the board’s layout; do not resolve an ability yet.
- Keep and reroll. Set aside faces that are already useful and reroll the rest.
- Use attempt three deliberately. Decide whether a modest ability now is better than a low-probability high result after the final reroll.
- Modify only in a legal window. Check the card, CP cost, and timing text before changing a die.
- Resolve one activated ability completely. Apply its costs, damage, prevention, tokens, and choices in printed order.
A successful combination activates the corresponding ability; it does not automatically activate every lower ability that shares some of the same symbols. If a card or upgrade changes the board, use the changed text for that resolution and return to the normal board afterward if the effect is temporary.
Combat points and cards: controlling the gamble
CP is the game’s flexible currency. The baseline framework caps it at 15 and awards 1 CP at the start of Income, but hero abilities and cards can change how much you gain or spend. Track CP openly and pay the exact cost before resolving an effect unless the effect says the cost is paid later.
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Cards usually fall into three practical roles:
- Die control: change, reroll, or otherwise improve a face so a board combination is reachable.
- Ability improvement: upgrade an ability or add a stronger result to the same combination.
- Tactical response: prevent damage, alter a status effect, gain resources, or interrupt an opponent’s plan when the timing permits.
Read the timing line before the effect text. “During your Main Phase,” “during an Offensive Roll Phase,” “after damage,” and “when you would receive damage” are different windows. The player who is entitled to act must be allowed to finish the action and its resolution before another action begins, subject to the current timing rules.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Status effects explained
Status effects are hero-specific game objects represented by tokens named on the hero leaflet. When a hero gains or inflicts one, take the matching token from the owning hero’s leaflet and put it on the receiving hero’s board. The token’s color, name, or apparent benefit is not enough to determine its function; read the token text and the hero leaflet.
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A spendable status effect is discarded when used and grants the benefit written on it. Unless its text says otherwise, it may be spent during any phase of any player’s turn and resolves immediately. Once spent, it cannot be interrupted. Return or discard it to the appropriate space on its owner’s leaflet as instructed; do not leave a spent token on the receiving board.
Persistent effects
A persistent effect stays in play until a card, ability, or other effect removes it. If it has a stack limit, no player may hold more tokens of that type than the limit currently allows. A rule or ability that raises the stack limit raises it only for the player who received the increase, and only for the rest of the game unless the effect states a shorter duration.
Unique effects and exceptions
Unique status effects can override the general rules. Their individual wording controls when they trigger, how they stack, and how they leave play. Never infer behavior from a similar token on another hero.
Removing a token
To remove an effect, return its token to the appropriate space on the hero leaflet that owns it. If another hero defeated the player who inflicted the token, the effect remains in play; defeat does not erase tokens already placed on someone else’s board.
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Companions are not status effects
Companion pieces may look like tokens, but they are a separate game element. Effects that alter, remove, or prevent status effects do not automatically affect companions.
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Action timing: who may respond?
Timing disputes usually come from treating every roll as an open reaction window. The rules distinguish the active player, the type of dice being rolled, and whether damage is about to be received. Use the official timing reference for the exact card or mode, and resolve one action before starting another.
The publisher announced a timing clarification on October 5, 2026. It takes effect on January 1, 2027, not on the date of the announcement. The update states: Active Player: Always gets the ‘first chance’ to perform Actions and modify dice.
Under the announced summary, the non-active player may act only when altering Offensive Ability dice, altering their defense dice, or when damage is about to be received. During other die rolls, players may take only actions that affect those dice. The announcement says the Golden Rules do not change; it clarifies when actions and die modifications are offered.
For a game played on October 11, 2026, use the then-current Rulepop entry and your 2025 rulebook rather than applying those future restrictions early. After January 1, 2027, recheck the full updated rules PDF and advanced-rules wording before relying on a summary of the announcement.
Deck depletion and the 2027 change
The same October 5 announcement changes what happens when a player runs out of cards. Beginning January 1, 2027, the discard pile will no longer be reshuffled to form a new deck. Until that effective date, follow the rulebook and official reference used by your group. After the change, manage your hand and discard pile as a finite resource: once the draw deck is exhausted, the updated rule determines what cards remain available.
A complete beginner turn example
Suppose you are the active player in a two-hero duel. During Upkeep, you resolve a token that says it triggers at the start of your turn. In Income, you gain the resources allowed by your rules version. In Main Phase 1, you play a legal setup card and pay its CP cost.
You then enter Offensive Roll. Your first roll shows two faces useful for a three-symbol ability. You keep those dice and reroll the others. The second attempt adds one required symbol, so you keep it and reroll the remaining die once more. On attempt three, you complete the combination. You activate the matching ability, choose the opponent as the target when the ability requires it, and resolve its damage and token instructions in order.
If the ability permits a defense, the opponent now enters Defensive Roll and uses their own hero board. They may prevent part of the damage or create a defensive status effect, depending on their result. You apply any remaining damage, then use Main Phase 2 for a legal post-combat card. Finally, you resolve discard and end-of-turn effects and pass play.
Common mistakes and fixes
- Rolling more than three times: count attempts, not individual die rerolls. Keeping dice and rerolling the rest still uses one attempt.
- Using the wrong leaflet: every hero’s tokens and exceptions are specific. Keep the leaflet beside the board.
- Removing a token because its inflictor was defeated: inflicted effects remain until their own removal condition occurs.
- Treating every token as a status effect: companions follow separate rules.
- Assuming a token’s color tells you what it does: read its wording and stack limit.
- Spending a persistent token as if it were spendable: check whether the token is discarded on use or remains until removed.
- Allowing reactions during every roll: identify the roll type and consult the current timing rule.
- Applying the 2027 update early: the timing and no-reshuffle rules begin January 1, 2027.
- Using a duel procedure in another mode: multiplayer, team, and campaign targeting and defense steps can differ; select the matching Rulepop settings.
Where to check an edge case
For a general ruling, start with Rulepop’s official Dice Throne reference, which can display expansion- and mode-specific material. For downloadable rules and the 2025 rulebook listing, use the official FAQ. For a token’s exact behavior, the hero leaflet takes priority over assumptions based on its name or appearance. For the announced January 1, 2027 changes, read the publisher’s October 5, 2026 rules update and then verify the full advanced rules after the effective date.
Quick reference for the table
- Resolve Upkeep effects.
- Take Income; apply your edition’s CP and starting-player rule.
- Use legal Main Phase 1 cards and abilities.
- Roll up to three times in Offensive Roll, keeping and rerolling dice to reach a board combination.
- Resolve targeting, then the defender’s roll when applicable.
- Apply damage, prevention, tokens, and follow-up effects in order.
- Use legal Main Phase 2 actions.
- Resolve discard and end-of-turn cleanup.
- Keep persistent tokens unless their removal condition occurs, and check the leaflet for every unique effect.
For the game itself and its expanding hero and mode roster, the publisher’s official site is Dice Throne.
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