- BGG rating
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The Brigade: Bernhardt Blaze
- 1–5 players
- 20–40 min
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,995
- BGG rating
- 6.7
The Brigade
2018
Rules assistance for The Brigade
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 20–40 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Brigade
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Brigade is a board game released in 2018 for 2–4 players, 20–40 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Alex Wynnter and Ben Hoban and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Area Majority / Influence, and Modular Board.
Expansions
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About the game
Welcome to Tinderbox! ...sorry about the weather... The city of Tinderbox has, rather predictably, caught fire. Although no-one has formally admitted responsibility, a large fire storm has appeared above the Pyromancers University and fireballs are raining down on the city. As such it’s a good time to be a firefighter, if being a hero is your thing. In The Brigade you control rival firehouses offering protection to the good citizens of Tinderbox. The aim of the game is to win the Loyalty of the people with acts of heroic fire fighting and earn the coveted position of Fire Chief. The Brigade is an action point system game that allows players several different actions. Players must put out fires in order to gain loyalty, the more loyalty they have the more likely they are to become the fire chief. Players can also upgrade their firehouse, the amount of crew they can hire and their water wagon to put out stronger fires. To win the loyalty of the people you must impress them enough that they will support you to become the Fire Chief, gaining the respect of 5 blocks of the same type, 5 blocks of different types will ensure your position. Alternatively, Earning respect from the highest and most prestigious people before one of the end game triggers will also get you that top spot.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Red Genie Games
Questions and answers
The Brigade supports 2–4 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 Brigade is 20–40 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 Brigade for ages 8 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 Brigade has a complexity rating of 1.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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 Brigade belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Territory Building, and Adventure. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Area Majority / Influence, and Modular Board. 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 Brigade are: Alex Wynnter and Ben Hoban. 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 Brigade 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.