Fire Tower
Fire Tower Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
In the Box
- 135 Fire Gems (orange, stored in printed cloth bag)
- Weathervane (double-sided). Choose preferred side and align with the directions shown on the board.
- 52 Action Cards: 14 Fire Cards, 16 Wind Cards, 12 Water Cards, 10 Firebreak Cards
- 24 Firebreak Tokens (purple)
- 2 Event Cards: Firestorm and Mutual Aid
- Shadow of the Wood. When your tower burns, become a Shadow.
- Flame Meeple. Use this to mark the wind direction.
- Wind Die (eight-sided)
- Champion of the Wood. Earn this card when you win a game.
- 3 Tower Ablaze Cards. Place on burned towers.
- 4 Bucket/Reckless Abandon Cards. Place one (bucket-side up) in front of each player.
- 1 Quad-fold Game Board
You are here! Protect this space. When an opponent places a fire gem on this square (back corner, orange border) your tower is burned immediately.
Fire Tower Area. This grid of nine colored squares makes up your Fire Tower Area. Firebreaks cannot be built here, and only Buckets can remove fire gems within this area.
Eternal Flame. The fire originates and expands from these four spaces. These spaces cannot be extinguished and firebreaks cannot be built on them.
Important Term
Orthogonally Adjacent: This means touching along one of the four sides (up, down, left, or right, but never diagonal). In the image, only the blue spaces are orthogonally adjacent to the fire gem shown in the center.
Set Up
- Place the board within easy reach of all players. Choose which fire tower is yours based on where you are sitting. In a two player game, choose the tower diagonally opposite your opponent.
- Separate the fire gems (orange) and firebreak tokens (purple) into two piles next to the board. Fire gems aren't meant to be limited. If you run out, substitute with anything on hand.
- Place the weathervane next to the board and align the directions on the weathervane (N, E, S, W) with the directions on the board.
- Place one Bucket/Reckless Abandon card in front of each player (bucket-side up). Remove any remaining Bucket cards from the game.
- Remove the two starred Event cards (Firestorm and Mutual Aid). Also remove the Shadow of the Wood and Champion of the Wood cards. To include Mutual Aid and/or Shadow of the Wood, see Shadow of the Wood. To include Champion of the Wood, see Champion of the Wood.
- Shuffle the Action cards and deal five cards to each player, face down. Players may look at their own cards but should not show them to other players. Cut the Firestorm back into the deck and place the deck face down next to the board to form the draw pile. (If you reach the end of the draw pile during the game, shuffle the discard pile to create the new draw pile.)
- Roll the die to determine the wind direction and starting player. Place the wooden flame on the corresponding direction on the weathervane. The wind is now blowing in this direction. Please note: For the rest of the game, the wind direction is changed by playing wind cards. Do not roll the die at the beginning of each turn. The player whose tower is closest to the starting wind direction takes the first turn. If the wind is blowing towards two players, the player with the wind direction to their left goes first (e.g. if the starting wind direction is west in a four player game, the player with the green tower starts).
Objective
The last tower standing wins the game! Burn opponents' fire towers by placing a fire gem on the back corner square (outlined in orange) on the roof of their tower. Each of your opponents' towers must be burned to win the game.
Add Shadow of the Wood (see Shadow of the Wood) to give burned towers a second chance at victory (for 3-4 players). Play with the Team Variant (see Team Variant) for a 2v2 mode (for 4 players).
Play
Players take their turns in clockwise order. Each player's turn consists of two steps that must be completed in order; spread the blaze in the direction of the wind and take action from your tower.
Step 1: The Wind Spreads the Blaze
Choose one empty space orthogonally adjacent to a fire gem or the Eternal Flame in the direction that the wind is blowing and place a fire gem on it.
In the example, preexisting fire gems on the board are gray. If the current wind direction is SOUTH, choose ONE of the spaces with a dotted circle to place a fire gem (extending the fire one space to the south). You must extend the fire onto one space at the beginning of every turn. Please note: You are not limited to the southern half of the board.
If you play a card to change the wind direction during your turn, the new wind direction will not take effect until the next turn.
Step 2: Take Action From Your Tower (choose one of the following)
Play one card from your hand and take its action (see Cards below). Place the card in the discard pile and draw a new card from the deck.
OR
Discard as many cards as you want from your hand and draw back up to your hand size. Buckets are not part of your hand.
Optional Additional Action: At any time during your turn, you may play your Bucket in addition to the rest of your turn (see Bucket and Reckless Abandon).
Burning a Tower
If you place a fire gem on the orange square on the roof of a player's tower, congratulations! You have burned their tower! Their fire spotter must flee and can no longer coordinate their efforts. They no longer have a hand of cards, but may add Shadow of the Wood and take revenge as a Shadow in an attempt to claim victory (see Shadow of the Wood).
As a reward, take all of their Action cards and combine them with yours. Discard down to your new hand size. Each time a tower is burned, everyone's hand size will increase by one. For example, if this is the first burned tower of the game, select six cards and discard the rest. All other active players draw one Action card. Everyone will now play with six cards in their hand.
Each time a tower is burned, a partial Firestorm takes place (see Event Cards).
The wind cannot blow in a direction that does not affect any active (unburned) fire towers. For example, if the red and green tower are both burned, west is no longer an option for the wind direction. If a West card is played or the die reveals a west wind (including during Firestorms), roll the die for a new wind direction. You may still use the second or third option on a West card (see below) to roll for a new wind direction or place one fire gem to the west.
Game End
When only one player's fire tower remains unburned, the game ends and that player wins! If playing with the Shadow of the Wood (3-4 players), refer to Shadow of the Wood for alternate win conditions.
Cards
There are four different types of Action cards: wind, fire, water, and firebreak cards.
Wind Cards (gray) can be used in one of three ways. Choose one of the following actions:
- Change the wind to the direction indicated on the card.
- Roll the die for a new wind direction. The new direction must be different from the last wind direction, so continue to roll the die until you produce a new direction.
- Place a fire gem on one empty space orthogonally adjacent to a fire gem or the Eternal Flame in the wind direction indicated on the card. (Again, spaces are orthogonally adjacent if they are touching along one of the four sides, never diagonally.)
Fire Cards (orange) are used to spread fire. Place fire gems on the board in the pattern indicated on the card (you can place a partial pattern if there isn't appropriate space). At least one fire gem in the pattern must be orthogonally adjacent to a preexisting fire gem or the Eternal Flame. Fire cards DO NOT have to be played in the direction of the current wind.
Water Cards (blue) allow you to remove fire gems from the board in the pattern indicated on the card (the full pattern does not have to be removed). Water can pass over firebreaks. Water cards cannot remove fire gems from the Fire Tower Area (see Bucket and Reckless Abandon).
Firebreak Cards (purple) allow you to create defensive firebreaks on empty spaces on the board, except in your Fire Tower Area or on the Eternal Flame. Place firebreak tokens on the board in the pattern indicated on the card, horizontally or vertically. You must place all firebreak tokens included in the pattern. Firebreaks cannot be placed orthogonally adjacent to preexisting firebreaks (they can touch diagonally).
In the example, you CANNOT place firebreaks in any of the gray spaces, orthogonally adjacent to the Dozer Line in the center (purple).
Firebreaks prevent fire from landing on or jumping over the spaces they occupy. Firebreaks can only be removed using a De/Reforest. But if there are no firebreaks left in the supply and you play a firebreak card or Explosion, take from the firebreak tokens that are already on the board (you may take from your opponents' defenses). Do not take more than needed to place the pattern.
The Explosion and Burning Snag can bypass firebreak defenses:
Flare Up: In Figure A, a line of three fire gems is placed with a Flare Up (orange). At least one fire gem has to be placed orthogonally adjacent to a preexisting fire gem (gray). In Figure B, a firebreak token (purple) blocks a Flare Up placed the same way, since it cannot pass through or jump over the breaks.
Burning Snag: The Burning Snag is a falling tree that can be used to bypass firebreaks. In Figure C, a square of four gems is placed unobstructed with a Burning Snag (orange). In Figure D, firebreak tokens (purple) block two fire gems in the Burning Snag, but two gems can still be played. As always, at least one gem has to be placed orthogonally adjacent to a preexisting fire gem (gray).
Explosion: The Explosion replaces an existing fire gem with a firebreak token and surrounds that token with new fire gems (where possible). In Figure E, an Explosion (orange) is placed and the center gem is replaced by a firebreak (purple, black outline). In Figure F, firebreaks (purple) block four of the fire gems in the Explosion, but one fire gem can still be placed on the board (orange). Explosions are fire cards and do not have to follow firebreak placement rules, so the firebreak in the Explosion (black outline) is orthogonally adjacent to two firebreaks.
Here are some specific cards that need further explanation:
Explosion (fire card): Replace any existing fire gem on the board with a firebreak token and place fire gems on all of the eight spaces surrounding it that are empty. Explosions are the only way a firebreak token can be placed orthogonally adjacent to a preexisting firebreak. They can also result in a firebreak being placed inside the Fire Tower Area.
Ember (fire card): Move any one fire gem on the board to any empty space, orthogonally adjacent to a preexisting fire gem. Embers cannot remove a gem from a Fire Tower Area.
Smokejumper (water card): Choose an existing fire gem and remove any fire gems in the eight surrounding spaces. The fire gem in the center must remain on the board.
Bucket and Reckless Abandon
Your Bucket is the only card that allows you to remove fire gems from within your Fire Tower Area. Each player has one Bucket that can be played once during the game (Buckets are not part of your hand of Action cards). Play your Bucket as a free action in addition to the rest of your turn. Flip over your Bucket once it is used. The Bucket must remove at least one fire gem in the Fire Tower Area, but can extend beyond it.
If your Bucket is empty, you enter a state of Reckless Abandon. You now have a new ability. You can discard a set of three water cards (blue) or three firebreak cards (purple) to place two fire gems on the board. Place each gem in an empty space orthogonally adjacent to another fire gem. The two gems do not have to be placed together. Draw back up to your hand size. Reckless Abandon may be used once per turn and counts as the action phase of your turn. You cannot play a card in addition to using Reckless Abandon.
Event Cards
Event Cards (with a star in the bottom left) must be played immediately when drawn, regardless of turn order. Discard the card and draw back up to your hand size. Firestorm should be included in every game, but can be removed from the game for beginning players. Mutual Aid is optional. If multiple Event cards are drawn at once, resolve them in the order that they were drawn. Once one Event is completed, move on to the next Event.
Firestorm
A Firestorm is when a fire becomes so powerful that it creates its own wind system. Cut the Firestorm into the deck after each player has been dealt their five cards during setup. When the card is drawn, take the following actions:
- Roll the die for the Firestorm wind direction (it can match the current direction).
- Place a fire gem on every empty space orthogonally adjacent (touching along one of the four sides, but never diagonally) to every fire gem on the board and the Eternal Flame in the Firestorm wind direction.
In the example, the Firestorm is east. Fire gems (orange) are placed in every empty space directly east of the preexisting fire gems (gray). A firebreak (purple) blocks one gem.
- Roll again for a new wind direction (it can be the same as the Firestorm wind direction).
- Each player may discard as many cards as they choose from their hand and then draw back up to their hand size, starting with the player who drew the Firestorm.
- Resume normal play with the new wind direction (the Firestorm should not affect turn order).
When a player's tower is burned, they get immediate revenge with a partial Firestorm. Follow steps 1-3 each time a tower is burned, and resume normal play with the new wind direction.
Mutual Aid
Mutual Aid (optional) is shuffled into the deck after cards have been dealt and before cutting in the Firestorm. When you draw the card, immediately choose one of the following actions for every player to take:
- Place a fire gem orthogonally adjacent to an existing gem or the Eternal Flame. Fire gems added during Mutual Aid cannot be placed orthogonally adjacent to each other.
- Remove a fire gem from the board (you cannot remove a gem from your Fire Tower Area).
- Discard exactly three cards (no more and no less) and draw back up to your hand size.
Starting with you, every player will then take your chosen action in turn order. For example, if you choose Option 2 (remove a fire gem), every player must remove a fire gem. If any towers are burned, resolve after Mutual Aid concludes.
Shadow of the Wood
(recommended for 3-4 players)
The Shadow of the Wood is the vengeful spirit of burned towers. When your tower is burned, you become a Shadow. Your new objective is to win by burning all remaining active (unburned) towers. If playing with the Rising Flames expansion, do not use the Shadow of the Wood card from this game, as it is replaced by the Shadow die and Shadow Power card in the expansion.
On each turn as a Shadow, roll the wind die once and take the corresponding action on the Shadow of the Wood card. This replaces Steps 1 and 2 of your turn (you do not place a gem in the wind direction at the start of your turn and you don't have a hand of Action Cards). Rolling the die does not change the wind direction. If you burn a tower, you are rewarded with a bonus roll, allowing you to roll again after the first die roll is resolved.
In a three-player game, only the first tower burned can become a Shadow. The Shadow must burn both active towers during their turn to win.
In a four-player game, only the first two towers burned can become Shadows and they will work together as a team. To win, the Shadow(s) must either burn all of the active towers in one turn, OR a team of two Shadows must burn all active towers during their consecutive turns.
If a player is the only active tower at any time during their turn, they immediately win the game and you (a Shadow) do not get to take another turn. However, if they become the last active tower and it is not their turn, their tower must remain active until the start of their next turn to claim victory. If you burn their tower before their next turn begins, the Shadows win!
In the image, A and C are both Shadows, B and D are active towers. If B burns D, B immediately wins. If D burns B, D wins. If A burns B and then C burns D on their next turn, A and C (the Shadows) win. If A burns D but not B, B immediately wins at the start of their turn, before C has a chance to do anything.
If you (a Shadow) burn an active tower, the player with that tower discards their hand. All players with active towers increase their hand size by one and a partial Firestorm takes place as usual. Then, roll the wind die again for your bonus turn.
Here is further explanation for each of the die rolls:
- N: Place one fire gem orthogonally adjacent to any fire gem on the board.
- E: Roll the wind die three times. Each time you roll, you must place one fire gem orthogonally adjacent to a fire gem on the board in the direction indicated on the die. (Remember, this does not change the current wind direction.)
- S: Draw two cards. You may immediately play one of them. Discard both cards.
- W: Remove a firebreak token from the board or change the wind direction to a new direction of your choice.
Tower Ablaze
When a Tower is burned, remove the fire gems from that tower and lay the Tower Ablaze card on top of the tower, burning side up. The tower is now permanently burning, and you may spread fire from it. The other side of the card shows a forest. When setting up for a two or three player game, lay the cards on top of unmanned towers to enjoy a pristine forest during your game.
Champion of the Wood
(optional)
When you win a game of Fire Tower, gain the Champion of the Wood card. It grants you a bonus power in the next game. If you win a game while in possession of Champion of the Wood, flip it over to reveal the Grand Champion and an additional player power. If you lose a game, you must give the card to the new winner. If a team of Shadows wins the game, they both gain the title of Champion of the Wood and can use their new ability in their next game.
Team Variant
(an alternative option for 4 players)
Sit diagonally across from your partner and protect both of your towers from your opponents. A team wins by burning both of their opponents' towers. Set up and play are the same, except that if your tower is burned, you continue to play as before. Therefore, you do not give away your cards, no one's hand size increases, a partial Firestorm does not take place, and you do not become a Shadow. Continue taking normal turns. You can use your Bucket to defend your teammate's tower, even after your tower is burned, but you must use it on your turn.
Sample Play
The die reveals a north wind, so Player 1 starts and places a fire gem north of the Eternal Flame. She then plays a Flare Up and places three fire gems toward Players 3 and 4. She draws a card.
Player 2 places a fire gem north of the Eternal Flame. The north wind can be used against him, so he plays an East card to roll for a new wind direction. He rolls the die and it lands on west. He draws a new card.
Player 3 places a fire gem west of a fire gem on the board, close to Player 4. He then discards four of his cards and draws four new cards.
Player 4 places a fire gem to the west of Player 2's gem. She then plays a Scratch Line, and places two firebreak tokens on the board near her tower. She draws a new card.
Token placement from sample play shown above. Each number corresponds with the player (e.g. Player 1 is 1).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many fire gems do I place in the wind direction at the beginning of my turn? What if there is no place to place it? Only place one gem—you must place a single gem on one space in the current wind direction at the beginning of every turn. If there is no available space, skip this step of your turn.
Does the wind change every turn? No. After setup, the wind can only be changed using a wind card or during a Firestorm. So if the wind is north, players place a gem to the north each turn until a card changes the wind. Don't roll the wind die at the start of each turn.
Can I place firebreak tokens next to each other? No. You may not place firebreak tokens next to any firebreak tokens that are already on the board. They may touch diagonally, but not orthogonally. This makes it impossible to build an impenetrable barrier around your tower. Explosions are the one exception (see Cards). Explosions can also lead to a firebreak token being placed inside a Fire Tower Area.
What if we run out of firebreak tokens and I have to place one? If this happens, you must pull from the firebreak tokens that are already on the board. You may remove enough firebreak token(s) from the board to place the pattern on your card. This is a great way to remove some of your opponent's defenses. But remember! Do not do this unless there are not enough firebreaks left in the supply.
Do fire cards have to be placed in the direction of the wind? No. Fire cards are independent of the wind direction. They can be played in any direction.
Can I play my Bucket if it isn't my turn? No. Buckets can only be played during your turn. If the fire reaches your back corner before your turn, you will not have a chance to play your Bucket.
Is the Bucket the only way to remove fire gems from my Fire Tower Area? Yes.
Do Event cards get shuffled back into the deck once the draw deck is depleted? Yes. Because of this, they may come up more than once per game.
Can I place a Smokejumper on a firebreak token? No. The center gem of a Smokejumper must be a fire gem, not a firebreak token.
If you need help clarifying the rules, please contact us at [email protected].
Designed by Gwen Ruelle and Sam Bryant. Artwork by Kevin Ruelle. Rules edited by Mike Belsole.
A special thank you to Hillary Giacomelli, Mike Belsole, Grace Kendall, Justin Oslyn, Jeffrey Bryant, the Ruelle family, Roque Nonini, Hana Fruchtenicht, and our friends and family who supported us along the way.