Winds of War is an optional variant for Defenders of the Realm that adds a tracking board and 16 cards to the game. Anytime a Special Hero card is played for its special power, or an "All Is Quiet Darkness Spreads" card appears, it is placed on the tracking board. As soon as the third card is placed, then a Winds of War card is drawn and must be followed. In most cases a negative effect occurs unless the team decides to prevent it by following the demands of the prevention on the card.