# Tao Long: The Way of the Dragon – The Tiger and the Phoenix ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2017 - **BGG Rating**: 6.9 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 2) - **Duration**: 20 min - **Weight**: 3.00 / 5 - **Designers**: Dox Lucchin, Pedro Latro - **Artists**: Dox Lucchin - **Publishers**: ThunderGryph Games - **Categories**: Abstract Strategy, Expansion for Base-game - **Mechanics**: Grid Movement ## Verdict For those who enjoy Tao Long and want more abstract strategy, this expansion brings a fresh breath with the Tiger and Phoenix combo!New creatures with unique abilitiesPhoenix's entry/exit mechanicMore tactical options on the boardInteresting piece combinationRequires the base game Tao LongAdds a bit of complexityFOR GENRE FANS ## Description Check out this expansion to supercharge your Tao Long! The "Tiger and the Phoenix" swaps out the earth dragon for a brand-new combo: a powerful three-piece tiger and an agile one-piece phoenix. Imagine chess with dragons, but with more fury and strategy! The player controlling this dynamic duo starts with an advantage, as the phoenix doesn't enter the fray immediately. The tiger is similar to the earth dragon but only unleashes water, while the phoenix is a fire specialist, capable of repelling fiery attacks and even removing your opponent's fire stones. The phoenix has unique behavior: it only appears when your fire meter has at least one stone, positioning itself adjacent to the tiger. If the meter empties, it disappears from the board, but as soon as it starts filling again, it reappears, ready for action! And the coolest part: while the phoenix is in play, you have the freedom to move both the tiger and the phoenix, in any order you prefer. This adds an extra layer of tactics and unpredictability, changing the game's rhythm and demanding you think twice to dominate the board. Get ready for even more intense battles and surprising twists! ## How to Play Game Objective In Tao Long: The Way of the Dragon – The Tiger and the Phoenix, players are immersed in a legend where the sky dragon represents Yang, and the tiger and phoenix represent Yin. The main objective of the game is to defeat both the tiger and the phoenix or the sky dragon. Setup To set up the game, follow the steps below: Completely remove the earth dragon from the game. Replace the earth dragon with the tiger (ignoring the space for the last segment of the earth dragon). The tiger is composed of 3 pieces: 2 segments and 1 head. Leave the phoenix within reach of the player who will control the tiger. The phoenix is composed of 1 piece. Game Flow The game flow for the player controlling the tiger and the phoenix affects both creatures. Actions are performed in the following order: Move both creatures, in the order you prefer. Perform, if applicable, bite effects with both creatures, simultaneously. Perform, if applicable, absorb effects (only once) or expel effects (with the tiger, if Water, or the phoenix, if Fire). Perform, if applicable, extra Spirit phases (only once). It is not allowed to fulfill a Spirit phase in such a way that neither creature can perform the corresponding action in the Matter phase, unless there is no other possible option. In any situation, each creature that cannot perform an action completely ignores it and takes 1 damage. Actions and How to Play The player controlling the tiger and the phoenix performs actions that affect both creatures. Here are the details: The Tiger The tiger functions exactly like a dragon, except it has one less segment. The tiger only expels water. The Phoenix The phoenix functions exactly like a dragon, except for the following particularities: The phoenix enters play as soon as its player's fire marker has any stones. Its player then places the phoenix piece facing the direction of their choice in any space adjacent to the tiger or as close as possible, if no adjacent spaces are available. The phoenix leaves play as soon as its player's fire marker runs out. As long as the tiger is not defeated, the phoenix re-enters play whenever its player's fire marker has any stones again. When moving the phoenix, treat its single piece as the head of a dragon. As it has no segments, the phoenix passes through portals without needing to turn them to their occupied face. All damage dealt to the phoenix removes fire stones instead of water stones. The phoenix can only expel fire. The phoenix always leaves play when expelling fire, as this requires its player's fire marker to run out. Interactions between Tiger and Phoenix The tiger never deals damage to the phoenix and vice versa. If both the tiger and the phoenix are within range of a ranged attack, damage occurs for each, considering the respective highest values on the distance meter over each creature. Remember that, as every piece is an insurmountable obstacle for range, a creature is not hit if it is protected behind another. End of Game and Scoring The game ends when one of the following victory conditions is met: Players manage to defeat both the tiger and the phoenix. Players manage to defeat the sky dragon. Defeat criteria for the creatures: If the phoenix is out of play with the tiger defeated, the phoenix is defeated. If the tiger is defeated while the phoenix is still in play, its head must also be removed from the board and placed in the lost pieces zone (as well as its last segment). Tips for Winning When controlling the tiger and the phoenix, remember that you can move both creatures in the order you prefer, which can be crucial for tactical positioning and maximizing bite or expel effects. Consider the interaction between the tiger and the phoenix: the tiger expels water and the phoenix expels fire. Plan your actions to use these abilities complementarily, especially when dealing with the water and fire markers. The phoenix is more flexible in movement because it has no segments and passes through portals without turning them. Use this mobility to position it strategically, whether for attacks or to protect the tiger, remembering that one creature can protect the other from ranged attacks. ## FAQ ### Do I need the base game Tao Long to play with this expansion? Yes, absolutely! "The Tiger and the Phoenix" is an expansion and requires the base game Tao Long to be played. ### How many players does this expansion support? The expansion maintains the player count of the base game, which is for 2 to 4 players. ### Does the game's complexity increase significantly with this expansion? It adds a bit more complexity due to the new abilities and the Phoenix's dynamic, but nothing too daunting for those already familiar with Tao Long. ### How long does a game with the expansion take? The playtime remains similar to the base game, around 20 minutes per match. ### What are the main components of this expansion? The expansion includes a tiger made of 3 pieces and a 1-piece phoenix, along with components related to the new mechanics. ### Does this expansion significantly change the game's strategy? Yes, the introduction of the Tiger and the Phoenix, with their abilities and joint movement, offers new tactical and strategic approaches.