Denizens: The Hero-War

From BoardGameGeek:

The Mythrohir slept as an unforeseen threat emerged from the forsaken desert mountains of Nul-Gar in the Third Act of the Age of the Living. Massive armies wearing the mark of Nul-Gador assembled at the shores of the Westerlore. The great kings of the Riverwide Alliance rose up to meet them. So, too, did the Denizens. The sky burned red at the first clash of armies, signaling to all this would be a bloody and hard-fought war. It would not be decided by the might of armies nor the cunning of generals. This would be a war of Heroes. In Denizens: The Hero-War, players take control of a faction: the disciplined and tyrannical Nul-Gador, and the gifted but disparate peoples of the Riverwide Alliance. Players compete over two active theaters at a time, claiming some for victory and others to build up their position. At the end of every conflict, cards will change hands, rotating to reveal their new allegiance as the other player recruits them. Players must choose their strategy wisely, but be ready to adapt as opportunities arise. Some may want to focus on winning theaters that allow them to recruit powerful cards for future battles. Others may want to rush the end game, thinning their deck by directing the war towards locations in which they have an advantage, and focusing on claiming points early to see if their lead will hold as their enemy's power grows. Denizens: The Hero-War is played using just 18 cards. It is, however, quite complex to master, so be sure to go into it ready for a challenge! The game's two factions play very differently, so it is recommended to choose a faction and play with it a few times before trying the other one. -description from the publisher