What Battle Dice Sets Does Cthulhu Wars Have?
Petersen Games sells four Battle Dice sets at $14.99 each: the original 16-dice tentacle skull set, plus faction-matched sets for the Black Goat, the Sleeper, and the Ancients. Each set drops into any Cthulhu Wars game — they're custom-engraved accessory dice, not separate games, and every set works with any of the Cthulhu Wars factions you're playing.
That last point trips people up. A faction-themed dice set doesn't lock you into using it only with that faction. It's a table-presence choice, not a rules requirement. If you already own the core box and want your dice to look as good as your miniatures, this is where to start.
What Comes in the Original Battle Dice Set?
Sixteen dice. One price. Zero surprises. The original Battle Dice set is 16 custom-engraved dice with a tentacle skull design, listed at $14.99 on the Battle Dice product page.
Petersen Games built this set for the first Kickstarter. If you don't already own faction-specific dice and just want a solid, good-looking upgrade from the plain dice in your base box, this is the practical first buy.
Which Dice Set Matches the Black Goat Faction?
The Battle Dice - Black Goat set is $14.99 and pairs with the Black Goat (Shub-Niggurath), one of the four core factions that ship inside the Cthulhu Wars O4 Edition base box. You don't buy the Black Goat separately since it's already part of the core game, alongside Great Cthulhu, the Crawling Chaos (Nyarlathotep), and the Yellow Sign (Hastur).
That makes this set an easy pickup for almost anyone with the base game, given that most players cycle through all four core factions during their first several games. If Shub-Niggurath is the faction you keep coming back to, matching dice make the table read cleaner during a four-player session where everyone's rolling at once.
Which Dice Set Matches the Sleeper Faction?
The Battle Dice - Sleeper set is $14.99 and matches the Sleeper, an expansion faction built around Tsathoggua, God of Entropy. The Sleeper is a distinct faction from Great Cthulhu and ships as its own separate purchase, not as part of the O4 Edition core box.
Worth being precise here, since it's an easy mix-up: Great Cthulhu is a core faction with his own spellbook and units, and the Sleeper is a completely different faction with its own expansion pack. If you've picked up the Sleeper expansion and it's become your regular pick, this dice set is the natural companion.
Which Dice Set Matches the Ancients Faction?
The Battle Dice - Ancients set runs $14.99 and pairs with the Ancients, one of the newer playable factions added to the Cthulhu Wars expansion lineup. Like the other faction sets, it's sold as a standalone accessory on the Cthulhu Wars expansions collection, not bundled with the faction expansion itself.
Collectors who track every new faction release tend to grab the matching dice set at the same time they add the faction expansion to their shelf. It keeps the whole faction "kit" visually consistent when it comes out for game night.
Do You Need Faction Dice to Play Cthulhu Wars?
No. None of the four Battle Dice sets change a single rule. They function as an ordinary six-sided dice pool, so any set works with any faction, and the base game plays fine with whatever dice shipped in your box.
What they add is presentation. Petersen Games leans hard into premium production and collectibility across the Cthulhu Wars line, and dice are one of the cheapest ways to extend that at the table. A $14.99 set won't change how a game plays, but it changes how a game night looks, and for a hobby built around striking miniatures and a "wow" moment when the box opens, that's not a small thing.
Which Battle Dice Set Should You Buy First?
Start with what you already own. If you've only got the O4 Edition core box, the Black Goat set (or whichever core faction you play most between Great Cthulhu, the Crawling Chaos, and the Yellow Sign) is the obvious first pickup. If you've added the Sleeper or Ancients expansions, match dice to whichever faction actually sees table time.
Building a full set of all four runs $59.96 at current pricing, which is a modest add-on next to the $249.00 core game or a $59.99 faction expansion. Collectors chasing every Cthulhu Wars faction release tend to buy the matching dice as they go rather than all at once, which keeps the cost spread out and tied to games you're actually playing. Check the Cthulhu Wars expansions collection for current stock on all four before you order, since accessory runs sell through faster than the core box.
How Do You Order Battle Dice from Petersen Games?
Order directly from the Cthulhu Wars expansions collection, where all four Battle Dice sets list alongside the faction expansions they match. In-stock orders process within 48 hours (two business days, Monday through Friday). US orders ship via USPS Ground Advantage, typically arriving in 2 to 5 business days after processing; Canadian orders ship via DHL Ground, typically 3 to 7 business days after processing. Exact shipping rates calculate at checkout based on destination and package weight.
BoardGameGeek's Cthulhu Wars page lists Glorantha: The Gods War under "Integrates With," which lines up with why the original Battle Dice set was designed for that game first. Sandy Petersen has talked about building out both lines side by side in a Dicebreaker interview on his design career, worth a read if you want the background on how the two miniature-heavy systems ended up sharing components.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Battle Dice a standalone game?
No. Battle Dice is a dice set, not a standalone game.
How many dice come in the original Battle Dice set?
The original Battle Dice set includes 16 custom-engraved dice with a tentacle skull design, priced at $14.99 on the Petersen Games store.
Is the Black Goat a core faction or an expansion in Cthulhu Wars?
The Black Goat (Shub-Niggurath) is one of the four core factions included in the Cthulhu Wars O4 Edition base box, alongside Great Cthulhu, the Crawling Chaos (Nyarlathotep), and the Yellow Sign (Hastur). It's not a separate expansion purchase.
Is the Sleeper the same faction as Great Cthulhu?
No. The Sleeper is Tsathoggua, God of Entropy, a separate expansion faction sold apart from the core box. It's a distinct faction from Great Cthulhu, who ships in the base O4 Edition.
Do faction-specific Battle Dice sets change the rules?
No. The faction Battle Dice sets are cosmetic and collectible upgrades. They function as a standard six-sided dice pool and don't add new rules, symbols, or mechanics beyond what your Cthulhu Wars rulebook already covers.
Ready to match your dice to your faction? Browse all four Battle Dice sets on the Cthulhu Wars expansions collection and add the one that fits the table you're actually running.
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