Dune: La Guerra per Arrakis – La Guerra del Deserto
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- October 28, 2026
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The FroGames review
Your Sandrider is riding the worm toward the enemy harvester. Someone rolls the attack die. Someone rolls the defense die. Silence. Then someone screams, and everyone realizes that miniature is not going back in the box.
WHAT IT IS
The war on Arrakis never ends: now the Sandriders arrive
Desert War is the expansion for Dune: War for Arrakis by Marco Maggi and Francesco Nepitello, with miniatures by Paolo Parente. It adds new units for the Atreides and Harkonnen and brings the most extreme tactics of the spice war to the surface of the desert: Fremen riding sandworms, rocket launchers hidden in Fremen Camps, and suspensor troops braving the planet's dangers. Each faction receives asymmetric tools that change the rhythm of the conflict.
At the table, this means: more miniatures, more tactical options, and more moments where a unit arrives where it shouldn't and overturns a plan that seemed solid. The Fremen Sandriders summon and ride giant worms with legendary skill. The Harkonnen Escort Ornithopters transport legions and support them in battle. Suspensor Troopers explore and launch surprise attacks. Rocket Launchers emerge from camps to take down harvesters and ornithopters. This is no mini-expansion: it is an arsenal that redraws the control maps.
What they're saying abroad
"Desert War is an expansion that extends the base game with new units and strategies for the Atreides and Harkonnen factions, bringing new levels of tactical depth to the war on Arrakis."
— CMON Global Limited
The Sandriders summoning sandworms are the expansion's strongest visual icon. At the table, they become the piece everyone wants to move and no one wants to face. It's Dune at high voltage.
— FroGames
Dune: War for Arrakis – Desert War
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rulebook, international reviews, and game sessionsThe new weapons of war
Four units that redefine battle
Fremen Sandriders
Fremen experts who summon giant sandworms and ride them into battle. When a Sandrider moves, the map changes: they cross the desert like no other unit and bring destruction where others cannot reach. They are the expansion's iconic unit.
Fremen Rocket Launchers
Rocket launchers that emerge from Fremen Camps to strike enemy harvesters and ornithopters. These are long-range support units that force the opponent to protect economic resources and air transport. A missed target is a lost turn.
Suspensor Troopers
Suspensor troops that explore and attack by surprise, resisting the dangers of the desert better than anyone else. They move quickly, strike where least expected, and escape retaliation. They are the Atreides' tactical scalpel.
Escort Ornithopters
Escort ornithopters that transport legions and support them directly in combat. They are not just transports: they provide cover fire and change the outcome of ground clashes. The Harkonnen use them to arrive sooner and strike harder.
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of new units
Desert War integrates into the base game system. The new units follow the same phases but have special abilities that trigger at different moments.
Draw events as in the base game. Some cards activate or boost new units: Sandriders can summon worms, while Rocket Launchers receive shooting bonuses. Events shape the turn's tactical options.
Move your units, including the new ones. Sandriders summon and ride worms to traverse the desert. Suspensor Troopers move quickly. Escort Ornithopters transport legions. Each new unit has specific movement rules.
Resolve clashes in contested areas. The new units fight with iconic dice like the others, but have abilities that modify results or offer support. Escort Ornithopters help ground legions. Sandriders strike with the force of the worm.
Place new units or repair damaged ones. Rocket Launchers emerge from Fremen Camps. Suspensor Troopers become operational again. Each faction has an asymmetric reinforcement curve that includes the new troops.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table with Desert War
Not the rules. The experience.
Extended Setup
Deploy the new miniatures next to those from the base game. Someone sets up the Sandriders, someone else the Escort Ornithopters. The map looks the same but everyone knows it isn't: there are more pieces in play and more ways to overturn plans. Special abilities of the new units are reviewed.
First tactical moves
The first player moves the Suspensor Troopers into an exploration position. The other places Rocket Launchers near the Fremen Camp. No one has used the worms yet but everyone knows they are coming. The pace is slower: there are more options to evaluate, more threats to consider.
Worm summoning
Someone summons the first sandworm with a Sandrider. Everyone turns around. The worm moves across the map, crossing areas that seemed safe, and someone realizes their legion is in danger. The Sandrider rides the worm and attacks. The dice roll. Someone loses miniatures and restarts their plan.
Aerial clash
Escort Ornithopters escort an enemy legion toward a contested area. A Rocket Launcher emerges and fires. Defense dice roll. Silence. Then someone screams because the ornithopter was shot down and the legion is alone. The counterattack comes immediately and the map turns red. No one has original plans anymore: everyone is improvising.
Game end
Someone controls key areas. Someone counts victory points. The new units changed everything: impossible movements, surprise attacks, destroyed harvesters. Someone says that without the Sandriders they would have won. Someone else says that without the Rocket Launchers it would have ended three turns ago. Everyone agrees: there is no going back to the base game.
🐸Know this beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Know this beforehand
Three honest things
Requires the base game
It is not standalone. You must own Dune: War for Arrakis to play. New units integrate into the existing system and assume you already know the fundamental rules of movement, combat, and area control. If you have never played the base game, this expansion is not the starting point.
Increases complexity
Each new unit adds special rules and interactions to manage. Sandriders have summoning and riding mechanics. Rocket Launchers have lines of fire. Suspensor Troopers have special movement. The cognitive load grows: if you already struggle with the base game, wait before adding this expansion.
Dice remain dice
The new units offer more tactical choices but combats are still resolved with iconic dice rolls. A perfect plan can collapse with an unlucky roll. A Sandrider can summon the worm in the right place and then fail the attack. If the luck factor in wargames frustrates you, this expansion does not solve it.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat counts at the end▼
How it ends
Victory and defeat with new units
Victory conditions remain those of the base game. Desert War adds tools to reach them, not new goals.
Victory
- You control key areas of the map at the end of the game thanks to the new units that allowed you to move faster or strike harder
- You accumulate victory points by eliminating enemy units or capturing harvesters with Sandriders, Rocket Launchers, or other expansion troops
- You complete faction objectives by exploiting the new units' special abilities to dominate strategic zones or destroy specific targets
Defeat
- Your new units are eliminated before they can realize their tactical potential and you lose the field advantage
- You fail to protect your harvesters and ornithopters from enemy Rocket Launchers and your economy collapses
- The opponent summons worms with Sandriders and crosses the desert faster than you, capturing key areas before you can react
Desert War is the expansion that makes Dune: War for Arrakis the ultimate wargame on Arrakis. If you want sandworms at the table, this is where you'll find them.
💬FAQQuick answers before the cart▼
FAQ
FAQ about Dune: War for Arrakis – Desert War
Can I play Desert War without the base game?
No. Desert War is an expansion that requires Dune: War for Arrakis to function. The new units integrate into the existing game system and assume you already know the base rules for movement, combat, and area control. It is not a standalone product.
Are the new units balanced for all factions?
The expansion introduces specific units for Atreides and Harkonnen, maintaining faction asymmetry. Fremen Sandriders are tied to the Atreides. Escort Ornithopters to the Harkonnen. Each faction receives tools consistent with its tactical identity. The balance follows the philosophy of the base game: each faction has different strengths and weaknesses.
How much does it increase play time?
Desert War can add 15-30 minutes to a standard game, especially the first times you play with the new units. You have to learn special abilities, manage more tactical options, and resolve additional interactions. Once you know the rules, the time stabilizes, but it remains a 2+ hour game.
What mechanics does Dune: War for Arrakis – Desert War use?
Area control and area movement for tactical positioning. Dice rolling with iconic dice to resolve combats. Die icon resolution to interpret results. Event system that modifies field conditions. Asymmetric war simulation on Arrakis. Optional team-based game for team matches. The new units add layers to these mechanics without changing them.
Is it available in English?
Yes, this is the version published by Asmodee. Rules, cards, and materials are all in English. It still requires the base game Dune: War for Arrakis to be played.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who illustrated it, who publishes it — and what else they have done.
Dune: War for Arrakis – Desert War is the 2-4 player wargame expansion that brings Fremen Sandriders, sandworms, Rocket Launchers, and Escort Ornithopters to the table. Designed by Marco Maggi and Francesco Nepitello for Asmodee, it introduces new tactical units for the Atreides and Harkonnen factions. Iconic dice combat system, area control, and faction asymmetry. Duration 120 minutes, age 14+. Requires the base game to play. Available on FroGames.it.
Dune: La Guerra per Arrakis – La Guerra del Deserto
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