How to Play Flamme Rouge: Peloton

Objective of the Game

In Flamme Rouge: Peloton, players take on the role of cycling team managers competing in a high-stakes race. The goal is to strategically maneuver your riders—Sprinteurs and Rouleurs—to cross the finish line first. The winner is the player whose rider reaches the finish tile ahead of all others.

Preparation (Setup)

To set up the game:

• Place the Track Tiles to form the race stage (use pre-built stages or design your own).
• Each player receives:
  • Player Boards (1 per color).
  • Cyclist Models (2 per color).
  • Energy cards: Sprinteur and Rouleur decks (1 each per color).
• Shuffle Exhaustion cards and place them separately.
• Place riders in the yellow starting area, with Peloton or Muscle Teams (if using dummy teams) positioned first.

For the Breakaway Variant, use the designated Breakaway tile and follow bidding rules (see Flow of the Game).

Flow of the Game

The game progresses in rounds with these phases:

1. Bidding Phase (Breakaway Variant only): Players bid to send riders ahead using energy cards (highest total wins).
2. Movement Phase:
   • Players simultaneously select and reveal energy cards for their riders.
   • Move riders forward based on card values, respecting lane limits and slipstreaming rules.
   • Dummy Teams (if used) flip cards automatically and move accordingly.
3. End of Round: Recycle used cards and reshuffle decks. Riders who couldn’t move fully take Exhaustion cards.

Repeat until a rider crosses the finish line.

Actions and How to Play

Movement Rules

• Riders can pass through others but cannot end movement on occupied squares. If blocked, stop behind the last open lane.
• Cobblestones: No slipstreaming. Supply Zones: Minimum speed of 2; slipstreaming applies.

Special Tiles

• Breakaway Tile: Used in the variant; determines starting positions after bidding.
• Peloton Attack! Cards: Move dummy team riders 4 (front) and 2 (back) spaces.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends immediately when any rider’s front wheel crosses the finish line. The player whose rider finishes first wins. No points are counted—victory is determined solely by position.

Tips for Winning

• Use Supply Zones wisely: Your minimum speed is 2 here, so plan movements to avoid exhaustion.
• Breakaway bids: In 3-4 player games, focus on winning the highest total bid to gain a solo advantage.
• Blocking: Position riders to force opponents into exhaustion or suboptimal lanes.