The Battle of Red Cliffs: Allegiance Expansion
- 1–9 players
- 30 min
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,558
- BGG rating
- 5.9
The Battle of Red Cliffs
2009
Rules assistance for The Battle of Red Cliffs
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–9 players
- 30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for The Battle of Red Cliffs
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Battle of Red Cliffs is a board game released in 2009 for 1–9 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by E. R. Burgess and Ta-Te Wu and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Team-Based Game.
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About the game
The Battle of Red Cliffs is a revamped edition of Tien Zi Que, the Mahjong card game, for 1-9 players. Like Mahjong, each game plays over several rounds as players collect sets of cards. What makes TZQ/BRC unique is that when players collect sets, they save a card from each one to form a Master Set that is used for scoring at the end of the round (when one player has five score cards). Players want to make sure the cards they save will score well because if they don't score enough points to get to the next score level, they will fall back to the previous one. Players can also "Peng" to form a set at the beginning of any player's turn, use Command cards to gain a unique advantage, and play in teams of two or three to add to the fun. Reimplements Tien Zi Que
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Sunrise Tornado Game Studio
Questions and answers
The Battle of Red Cliffs supports 1–9 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for The Battle of Red Cliffs is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists The Battle of Red Cliffs for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The Battle of Red Cliffs has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
The Battle of Red Cliffs belongs to these categories: Card Game and Novel-based. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Team-Based Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of The Battle of Red Cliffs are: E. R. Burgess and Ta-Te Wu. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists The Battle of Red Cliffs as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.