Firefly: The Game – Esmeralda
Firefly: The Game – Esmeralda Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Series IV Fireflies
The Series IV Firefly represents the current generation of Firefly ship design. Series IV ships have a larger cargo hold, better drive core, and a secured fuel exchange system. The Series IV Firefly sacrifices flexibility for optimization. Which ship is the right choice will depend on each captain's strategy and goals.
Series IV Fireflies have 6 Stash spaces for Fuel. You may only place Fuel Tokens in those 6 spaces, not Part Tokens.
Note: Because the Series IV is built on the same basic Firefly chassis, you can swap a Series IV ship's starting drive core for other drive cores available from Supply Planets.
Starting Ship Upgrades
Series IV Fireflies are pre-equipped with a set of Ship Upgrades. Starting Ship Upgrades have prices listed on their cards. During Game Set Up, if you select a ship with Starting Ship Upgrades, you must pay the costs listed on the Ship Upgrade Cards ($800 total for the Esmeralda).
Note: The Leader Corbin's "Chop Shop" ability only applies during Buy Actions; you must pay full price during Set Up.
Starting Ship Upgrades have Set Up Card backs. If these Ship Upgrades are discarded, they are removed from play, not put into a Supply Deck Discard Pile. The Coachworks Ship Expansions also come with new Supply Cards, which may be added to the Supply Decks.
New Ship Card
The Esmeralda is a new Series IV Firefly with a unique special rule and is equipped with two starting Ship Upgrades: "Caravan Pods" and "Full Mess Deck".
Caravan Pods
Caravan Pods have two extra Cargo Hold spaces that may only be used for Passengers or Fugitives. Caravan Pods also increase the ship's crew capacity. If this extra capacity is in use and you remove the Caravan Pods from your ship, you must also discard a Crew at the same time.
Caravan Pods Ship Upgrade card text: "May only hold Passengers/Fugitives." "+1 to Ship's Max Crew." Cost: $400.
Full Mess Deck
A well-equipped kitchen and dining area makes for a happier crew. With the Full Mess Deck, you can spend a Cargo or Contraband to remove Disgruntled from all your Crew. This is in addition to the Fly Action, not instead of a Fly Action.
Full Mess Deck Ship Upgrade card text: "During your Fly Action you may discard a Cargo or Contraband to remove Disgruntled from all your Crew." Cost: $400.
New Story & Set Up Cards
Set Up Cards
Set Up Cards detail alternate ways of starting the game: Starting Jobs, Assets, Nav Decks, etc. Each aspect of Set Up that differs from standard Set Up is marked with a Green title bar, as pictured below. Set Up Cards may be paired with any Story Card to add variety to your games.
The Blitz
When you want to play a faster game of Firefly: The Game, this is a great choice for Set Up. Players will start with a number of free Supply Cards equal to the number of players, getting any Story Card off to a quick start.
The Blitz Set Up card reads (Story Cards take precedence over Setup Cards):
1: Goal of the Game (Special): First, choose a Story Card.
2: Nav Setup (Special): Shuffle the Alliance Cruiser and Reaver Cutter Cards into the Nav Decks, regardless of player count.
3: Alliance & Reaver Ships (Standard)
3: Choose Ships & Leaders (Standard)
4: Strip Mining: Starting Cards (Special): Choose 1 Supply Deck to be Strip Mined. The player who won the roll for Choosing Ships & Leaders claims the Dinosaur. Reveal a number of cards from the top of the chosen Supply Deck equal to the number of players. Starting at the Dinosaur and proceeding to the left, players take turns claiming one revealed Supply Card, at no cost.
After all cards have been claimed, pass the Dinosaur to the left. Reveal another batch of cards and take turns claiming a card, again starting with the player who now has the Dinosaur. Repeat until all players have had the Dinosaur and the opportunity to pick a card first.
5: Starting Supplies (Standard)
6: Starting Jobs (Standard)
7: Priming the Pump: Double Dip (Special): Reveal the top 6 cards of each Supply deck. Place the revealed cards in their discard piles.
Down and Out
In this Story Card, all players are competing to work the same set of Jobs. Because you don't have to travel to Contacts to Deal with them and get Jobs, this is also a faster game. Combine this Story Card with "The Blitz" Set Up Card for a very fast game of Firefly: The Game.
Down and Out Story Card reads:
Once your reputation's been blemished, it's hard to get right with the right people. Compete with the other riffraff for what scraps your employers are willing to risk on the likes of you. Nothing to do but suck it up and try to prove yourself worthy.
The Set Up: Place one Job from each Contact face up on top of its deck. These face up Jobs form a shared hand of inactive Jobs that everyone may use. All Players start with a Warrant token.
Story Special Rules:
- In this game players do not have their own hand of Job Cards. Deal Actions may only be used to buy from or sell to Contacts.
- You may Work any face up Job on the Contact decks. When you start Working a Job, claim it and place the Job in your Active Job area, as normal. Replace that Job with another from the deck, so there is always one Job face up on each Contact Deck.
- There are no Contact Discard Piles. Any time you would normally discard a Job, remove it from the game instead.
Winning the Game: The first player to become Solid with 5 different Contacts wins the game.
Down and Out card footer: 2-3 Hours. Recommended for Experienced Players.