# Evergreen: Pines and Cacti ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2023 - **BGG Rating**: 7.9 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-4 (Best with: 2) - **Duration**: 45 min - **Weight**: 2.33 / 5 - **Designers**: Hjalmar Hach - **Artists**: Wenyi Geng - **Publishers**: Horrible Guild, HIT Games - **Categories**: Expansion for Base-game, Puzzle - **Mechanics**: Bias, End Game Bonuses, Open Drafting ## Verdict Perfect for those who have mastered the base game and want more strategic layers. The light and shadow system becomes much more dynamic!Fresh organic growth mechanicsFlexible independent modulesIncreases tactical depthVisually consistent componentsRequires removing base powersIncreases penalty for mistakesRECOMMENDED ## Description If you're already a fan of Evergreen, get ready to upgrade your garden! The Pines and Cacti expansion arrives to shake up (in a good way) the light and shadow dynamics of the original game. We aren't just talking about more cards, but entirely new ways to approach the board. This set brings two independent modules that introduce plants with very distinct behaviors, forcing you to adapt your positioning strategy. First, we have the Pines. These guys are curious: small pines have a strong urge to grow, and the trigger for this is actually the shadow. If they end the season in the dark, they spontaneously evolve into big pines. It's as if the shadow is the fuel for their evolution. Cacti, on the other hand, play by a completely different set of rules. They grow quickly, but they are demanding. If you leave a cactus in the shadow at the end of the season, it simply dies. In other words, with cacti, light is a matter of survival, while for the pines, the shadow is a golden opportunity. An important technical detail for those setting up the table: the base game works with a limit of six powers. Since each module in this expansion brings its own exclusive power, you'll need to remove one of the original powers for every module you add. This keeps the game balanced and prevents the session from becoming a rule-heavy mess. You can add just one of the modules or both, depending on how much complexity you want to add to your session. It's the perfect choice for those who felt the base game had become too predictable and want new tactical challenges to wrap their heads around while building their ecosystem. ## How to Play Game Objective Evergreen: Pines and Cacti is a set of two modular expansions for Evergreen. Players are tasked with forest planning, introducing new plant types—Pines and Cacti—that interact with light and shadow in unique ways to maximize their points. Setup To integrate an expansion into your game, follow these steps for each module you wish to add: Power Selection: Choose or randomly select the Power you want to replace. Browse the Biome deck and remove all cards featuring the corresponding icon in the lower right corner. These cards are not used in the game. Adding New Cards: Take the 7 cards showing the new Power you want to add and shuffle them into the Biome deck. Power Tokens: Place a Power token corresponding to the expansion module on each player’s board, placing it on top of the Power it replaces. After this setup, the game is played using the core game rules, incorporating the specific effects of Pines and Cacti. Game Flow The game follows the core game rules, with specific additions during the following phases: Draft Phase: When a Biome card with a Negative Fertility icon is left unchosen, it is placed in the Fertility Zone and added to the stack for that specific Biome. End of Season Procedure: Growth (Pines): Before the Collect Light step, all Small Pines that are in the shadow of something else must be replaced with Big Pine treeples. Note that only those in shadow before the Collect Light step grow; those overshadowed by a newly grown Big Pine during this step do not grow. Collect Light: Before calculating Light points, all Cacti that are in shadow must be removed from the Planet board. Actions and How to Play New Powers Small Pine Growth: Replace 1 Sprout treeple on your Planet board with 1 Small Pine treeple from the pool. Plant Cactus: Place 1 Cactus pawn from the pool into an empty space in the Biome shown on the card you picked this round. Unlike other Powers, this must be used specifically in the card's Biome. Plant Characteristics Small Pines: Height of 1; cast a 1-space shadow. Worth 1 point when hit by Light. Big Pines: Height of 2; cast a 2-space shadow. Worth 1 point when hit by Light. Cacti: Height of 0; cast no shadow. Worth 1 point when hit by Light. Fertility Mechanics Biome cards with the Plant Cactus Power include Negative Fertility icons. Each Negative Fertility icon counts as -1 towards the Fertility value of that Biome (which can reduce the value below 0). These icons also count toward the threshold of 5 icons during the Fertility Zone setup. End of Game and Scoring Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Note: The provided context mentions specific scoring criteria for the expansions: Light: Small Pines, Big Pines, and Cacti are each worth 1 point when hit by Light. Biggest Forest: You gain 1 point for each Pine (Small or Big) and 1 point for each Cactus that is part of your Biggest Forest. Fertility: You get points equal to the Fertility value of the Biome for each Big Pine in that Biome. Cacti do not score any points for Fertility. Tips for Winning Strategic Shadowing: Position Small Pines in the shadow of other plants to trigger their growth into Big Pines before the Collect Light step. Cactus Placement: Since Cacti have a height of 0 and cast no shadow, they are useful for filling spaces without blocking Light for other plants. Fertility Management: Be mindful of Negative Fertility icons in the Fertility Zone, as they can reduce the points you earn from Big Pines in those Biomes. ## FAQ ### Do I need the base game to play? Yes, this is an expansion. You need Evergreen to use these new modules. ### Can I use both modules at the same time? Absolutely! You can use just the Pines, just the Cacti, or both together. ### How does the power rule work? The game always uses 6 powers. If you add one module, remove one base power. If you add both, remove two. ### Are cacti hard to keep alive? Yes, they are risky! If they end up in the shadow at the end of the season, they die, so plan your light carefully. ### Does this make the game much more complex? It increases the depth, but doesn't change the core. If you already know the base game, you'll learn the new rules in minutes. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 20.07 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5327328&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/66556/evergreen-pines-and-cacti?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com