# Flash Point: Fire Rescue – Urban Structures ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2011 - **BGG Rating**: 7.6 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-6 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 45 min - **Weight**: 2.23 / 5 - **Designers**: Kevin Lanzing - **Artists**: (Uncredited) - **Publishers**: Indie Boards & Cards, Elznir Games, Heidelberger Spieleverlag, MINDOK - **Categories**: Expansion for Base-game - **Mechanics**: Action Points, Cooperative Game, Dice Rolling, Simulation ## Verdict Firefighters who love urban rescues will enjoy this expansion with more scenarios and a strategic engineer.More maps, more adrenalineEngineer adds tacticsIntense cooperationModerate learning curveDoes not replace base gameRECOMMENDED ## Description Flash Point: Fire Rescue – Urban Structures is the expansion that gives a boost to the classic firefighting rescue game. The idea is simple: you already know the basics – firefighting teams, burning buildings, prisoners in danger – and now you get two street scenario boards and an Engineer role card. The engineer adds a strategic twist: he can analyze the building’s structure and decide where to place ladders, block the fire, or save lives more efficiently. The Action Point system stays intact – each player has a limited number of actions per turn, which can be used for movement, fire suppression, or rescue. Dice rolls still determine the success of each action, keeping the element of risk and surprise. The simulation mechanic makes the game feel more realistic, as each decision can have dramatic consequences in the unfolding scene. The expansion is perfect for those who already enjoy the base game and want more challenges, varied scenarios, and an extra layer of strategy with the engineer. If you like cooperative games with tension and fast pace, Urban Structures will keep you on the edge of your seat. In terms of components, the expansion comes with two street scenario boards, an Engineer role card, and additional rules that allow for combat and rescue variants. The playtime remains around 45 minutes, with 2 to 6 players, maintaining the same difficulty curve as the base. The learning curve is moderate – those who have played the original will not struggle to grasp the new elements. The expansion does not change the core cooperative nature of the game, it simply expands the range of situations and increases tactical complexity. If you already own Flash Point: Fire Rescue and want to feel more urban adrenaline, Urban Structures is the right choice. If you don’t have the base game yet, you might want to start there, but the expansion works well as a complement for those who want more scenarios and a bit of engineering in play. ## How to Play Objective of the Game In Flash Point: Fire Rescue - Urban Structures, you and your fellow players take on the roles of firefighters battling blazes in challenging urban environments. This expansion introduces new game boards depicting city buildings, offering restricted access routes and the problem of coordinating firefighters between different apartments or floors. The core objective remains to rescue victims and/or hazardous materials, or clear all sources of fire, depending on the chosen scenario, before the building collapses or too many firefighters are knocked down. Preparation (Setup) General Setup This expansion requires the base game Flash Point: Fire Rescue to play. Choose one of the new double-sided game boards: Urban Townhouse or High-rise. Place the chosen game board. The Structural Engineer expert card is included and can be used. Special Setup for Urban Townhouse Board The vehicles can move from one side of the building to the other for 4 AP (they "go around the block"). Firefighters cannot move into the darkened areas of the game board. The walls to the neighboring house (marked with black lines in the picture) are treated like interior walls. They gain damage counters as normal, but even if they're destroyed, firefighters can't move through them. Special Setup for High-rise Board The ambulance is not used on this board. The fire engine is used as a turntable ladder, but also retains its other functions (water cannon, crew swap, transport). Initial explosion placement: The space for the first explosion is always in column 2 of the black 8-sided die; roll only the red 6-sided die to set the row. The space for the second explosion is always in column 7 of the black die; just roll the red die to set the row. The space for the third explosion is always in row 5 of the red die; roll only the black die to set the column. For Hero difficulty, the space for the fourth explosion is always in row 1 of the red die; roll only the black die to set the column. Hazmat, POI, and hotspots are never placed on elevator spaces; if you roll an elevator space for it, roll the dice again. Players place the firefighters either on any space outside the building or on an elevator space of their choice. When the game starts, both elevators are on the ground floor (elevator doors are closed, like all other doors). Smoke cannot be placed on elevator spaces. Roll again if the target space rolled is an elevator space. POI symbols(?) cannot be placed on elevator spaces. Roll again if the target space rolled is an elevator space. Scenario Specific Setup Catch the arsonist!: Initial Deployment: Place 6 Hazmat symbols. Hidden Dangers: Initial setup: Do not place any hazardous material symbols. The lone firefighting team: Initial Deployment: Randomly choose the expert cards. A hero as he should be: Initial Deployment: After identifying the source of the fire according to the Advanced Rules, place another three fire spots at random locations. In addition, all other fire symbols can be used in this game. Save the building!: Initial Deployment: No casualties or hazmat, but 18 hotspots (24 if you want to play "hero"). The other sources of fire are not required. Flow of the Game High-rise Specific Flow Fire spread in the high-rise building. Replenish mission symbols in the skyscraper. If an elevator door is destroyed by an explosion, that elevator becomes unusable and cannot be used again until the end of the game. Place two fire symbols on this space; they are for reminders only and cannot be erased or otherwise removed. Firefighters who are in the entrance hall at the moment of the destruction are immediately placed on one of the two current parking spaces for the fire engine. Firefighters who were in the elevator when the door was open can exit the elevator normally into the building. Firefighters knocked down by fire are immediately placed in one of the two current fire engine parking spaces. Actions and How to Play Structural Engineer Expert Actions The Structural Engineer has 4 AP per turn and cannot extinguish smoke or fire. Clear: 1 AP. Return a hotspot from the space where the structural engineer is standing to the small yellow dots on the game board. This source of fire can come back into the game. Repair: 2 AP. Return a damage counter from a wall segment adjacent to the Statician's space to the supply. This damage counter can come back into play. In order to vacate or shore up, the structural engineer's space and all adjacent spaces must be clear of fire. High-rise Board Specific Actions Movement between entrance hall and exits: 2 AP. Firefighters can move from the entrance hall (elevator space with the door closed) to a vehicle parking space or vice versa with this special movement action. The vehicle does not necessarily have to be in this parking space. Open or close elevator door: 2 AP (this includes the time the elevator takes for the movement between floors required). Climbing a ladder: 2 AP; 4 AP when carrying a casualty or dangerous goods. To use the aerial ladder, the vehicle must be on the same side of the building as the firefighter. From the building you can only access the ladder through a destroyed section of wall. When a firefighter descends the ladder (outside the building), he arrives at one of the two vehicle spaces. It can also only climb up (into the building) from one of these spaces, and it always arrives on a space that is adjacent to a street space on the side of the building on which the vehicle is standing. Victim Rescue Victims are immediately considered rescued if they are carried down the ladder to the street or taken to the entrance hall (i.e. are on an elevator space with the door closed). There is no need to move them from the Entrance Hall to a parking space or to the vehicle. Scenario Specific Rules Hidden Dangers - False Alarm: If a victim symbol turns out to be a false alarm, place a hazardous material symbol on the field. If the hazardous material is detected while the fire is spreading, it will immediately explode. The lone firefighting team - No team exchange: No team exchange is possible during the entire game. Murphy's Law Strikes: The fire monitor (water cannon) is not available in this game. The Hotter Fire: If there is a fire on the target space for the fire spread, fire immediately takes place of the placed smoke. Save the building! - Cleared fires: Cleared fires do not come back into play. Friends in Need: If a firefighter is knocked down, he is placed flat in the field and behaves like a victim from now on. However, he does not die when his field is on fire. The player who controls this firefighter continues to participate in the game. However, he cannot perform any actions on his turn, only spreading fire and filling up the victim symbols until the firefighter has either been treated by the paramedic or has been carried to an ambulance parking lot (family game) or to the ambulance (advanced rule). The paramedic immediately restores the firefighter, but during treatment there must be no fire. End of Game and Scoring Win Conditions Catch the arsonist!: Players win when, in addition to rescuing at least 7 victims, they also carry at least 3 hazardous materials out of the building. Save the building!: Players win when all sources of fire have been cleared (special action of the structural engineer). Loss Conditions Save the building!: Players lose if the building collapses or if a firefighter is knocked down. Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Tips for Winning Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. ## FAQ ### How many players can play this expansion? The expansion works with 2 to 6 players, just like the base game. ### What is the approximate playtime? About 45 minutes, depending on the scenario and player experience. ### Do I need the base game to play Urban Structures? Yes, the expansion builds on Flash Point: Fire Rescue. ### Does the structural engineer change strategy a lot? It provides new tactical options, letting you analyze the building and optimize rescues. ### Does the expansion change the game’s difficulty? No, the difficulty stays in the same range, but it adds more tactical depth. ### What components are included in the expansion? Two street scenario boards, a Structural Engineer card, and additional rules. ### Is the expansion suitable for beginners? Yes, those who have played the base game find it easy, and new players can learn quickly. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 14.01 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6720756&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/414/flash-point-fire-rescue-urban-structures?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com