# Fire Tower: Rising Flames ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2021 - **BGG Rating**: 7.7 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-5 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 15-30 min - **Weight**: 2.67 / 5 - **Designers**: Gwen Ruelle, Samuel Bryant - **Artists**: Kevin Ruelle - **Publishers**: Runaway Parade Games LLC - **Categories**: Abstract Strategy, Expansion for Base-game - **Mechanics**: Grid Movement, Hand Management, Pattern Building ## Verdict The must-have-expansion for Fire Tower fans looking for more-intensity!Adds great-replayabilityExciting new-mechanicsCooler custom-meeplesRequires base-gameHigher-difficulty spikesRECOMMENDED ## Description If you thought the-chaos in Fire Tower was intense, get ready to turn up the heat! The Rising Flames expansion is here to crank up the tension and add a whole new layer of survival-driven strategy to your tabletop sessions. We're talking about rapid crown fires, unpredictable winds, and weather-driven-chaos that can turn a winning position into a disaster in a heartbeat. To combat this-growing threat, you'll get your hands on a powerful new deck and even a flock of legendary firehawks to defend your territory. But watch out—the Shadow of the Wood is evolving. Destroyed towers aren't just gone; they can now trigger unique-abilities that allow for sudden, game-changing-comebacks. Whether you are looking for a solo challenge with the new single-player mode or just want more-variants to keep your group on their toes, Rising Flames delivers. With custom meeples and fresh-mechanics, it's the ultimate way to keep the flames burning bright in your next game night! ## How to Play Objective of the Game In Fire Tower: Rising Flames, players act as fire tower lookouts attempting to defend their own Quadrant of the forest while using fire to burn their opponents' towers. The game is a battle of strategy where you must manage your resources and navigate environmental hazards. The game ends when a player's tower is burned, at which point they may continue playing as a Shadow, with the ultimate goal of burning all remaining active towers to secure victory. Setup To prepare the game, follow these steps: Shuffle the Action cards from the base game and the expansion together. Deal six Action cards to each player. Place the firehawks in a shared pile next to the board. Before rolling for the starting wind direction, each player must place one firehawk on an empty space within their Quadrant (excluding the Fire Tower Area or the Eternal Flame). Set the Shadow die and Shadow Power card aside for later use if a tower is burned. Ensure all other components like firebreaks, fire gems, and the Flame Centerpiece are ready for play. Game Flow The game proceeds in turns. On your turn, you generally perform the following: Placement: Place one fire gem in the direction of the current wind, orthogonally adjacent to a preexisting fire gem. Action: Play an Action card from your hand, discard and redraw, or use a Specialty card. Firehawks: If a fire gem is placed on a space occupied by a firehawk, that firehawk is activated. You may then move the gem to a new space orthogonally adjacent to a preexisting fire gem and remove the firehawk from the board. Shadows: If your tower is burned, you become a Shadow. On your turn, you roll the Shadow die and perform the action listed on the Shadow Power card instead of the standard turn sequence. Actions and How to Play Players use Action cards to manipulate the fire. Key actions include: Backburns: Replace a fire gem with a firebreak token. It cannot be placed orthogonally adjacent to existing firebreaks. Helitack: Extinguish a pattern of two orthogonally adjacent fire gems and one other fire gem. Rolling Firebrand: Move two orthogonally adjacent fire gems as a pair up to two spaces horizontally or vertically. Creeping Fires: Place three fire gems, each orthogonally adjacent to a preexisting fire gem, but not orthogonally adjacent to each other. Crown Fires: Place a pattern of up to two fire gems in a line. You may play two of these cards in one turn to place four gems, provided the patterns are orthogonally adjacent. Firehawks: These allow you to place two or three firehawks in your Quadrant. They do not block fire but can be used to move fire gems when activated. End of Game and Scoring The game ends when a player's tower is burned. If you are the only active tower remaining, you win immediately. If your tower is burned, you become a Shadow. Shadows win by burning all remaining active towers. In a three-player game, the Shadow must burn both remaining towers to win. In four or five-player games, Shadows work as a team to burn all active towers. If a player is the only active tower at the start of their turn, they claim victory. Tips for Winning Use Firehawks Strategically: Since firehawks move fire gems when activated, you can use them to redirect fire toward your opponents or away from your own tower, even during an opponent's turn. Manage Your Hand: With a hand size of six, prioritize playing cards that create firebreaks or move fire effectively. If your tower is burned, remember that as a Shadow, you gain a bonus roll on the Shadow die if you successfully burn an active tower. ## FAQ ### Can I play this without the base game? No way! This is an expansion, so you definitely need the original Fire Tower-to-play. ### Does it include a solo mode? Yes! It adds a-solo mode which is great for single-player-strategy sessions. ### Is the gameplay much more complex? It adds layers of complexity through weather and new abilities, but it stays true to the fast-paced-nature of the original. ### How long does a game take now? It stays pretty snappy, usually around 15-30 minutes per session. ### What are the main new-features? New-deck, firehawk-units, weather-effects, and custom-meeples! ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 33.93 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4081893&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/40835/fire-tower-rising-flames?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com