Lumis: Der Pfad des Feuers
Lumis: Der Pfad des Feuers Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
A continuous path of fire stones is to be created. One team tries to connect the two red sides of the game board with each other, the other team the two yellow sides. The team that is first to complete a continuous connection between its two board sides wins. In the 2-player game, each player plays for himself.
Components
- 50 yellow fire stones
- 50 red fire stones
- 40 neutral tower stones
- 1 game board (with base lines, tower spaces and the obstacle space)
- 108 playing cards, consisting of 2 sets in the player colours yellow and red: 52 colour cards each (13 per colour) and 2 supply cards (with numbers on both sides)
Note: The team game for 4 players is explained first. The one change for the 2-player game is at the end of these rules.
Setup
- The game board is spread out in the middle of the table.
- The neutral tower stones are placed next to it.
- The two players of a team sit so that the teams take turns alternately (Team Yellow Player 1, Team Red Player 1, Team Yellow Player 2, Team Red Player 2).
- One team receives the yellow fire stones and the two yellow supply cards, the other team receives the red material. One player of each team lays the team's two supply cards face up in front of him: for Team Yellow the "1" and the "3" lie face up, and for Team Red the "4" and the "2".
- Each team has its own draw pile, from which both team players draw cards. Each team collects played cards on its own discard pile. Each player receives 5 cards in hand from his draw pile.
- Player 1 of the yellow team begins the game. After that, the players take their turns clockwise.
Course of Play
On your turn you must carry out exactly one of the following four actions:
- Draw cards
- Pass cards to your team partner
- Place a tower
- Close a connection between your own towers
Action 1: Draw cards
Each team has two supply cards. One card shows a "1" on one side and a "4" on the other. The other card shows a "2" on one side and a "3" on the other side.
The player chooses one of his team's two supply cards and draws as many cards as the number on the supply card indicates. Then he turns this supply card over to the other side. For example, if the player drew "2" cards, the side with the "3" is face up afterwards.
Important: At no time may a player hold more than 15 cards in hand. This hand limit means that a player who already has, for example, 13 cards in hand may not choose this action if his face-up supply cards are the "3" and the "4". When asked, you must tell your fellow players the number of cards in your hand.
Note: When the draw pile is used up, the cards of the discard pile are shuffled and form a new draw pile.
Action 2: Pass cards to your team partner
The player chooses one of his team's two supply cards and gives his team partner from his hand exactly as many cards as the number on the supply card indicates. Then he turns this supply card over to the other side. For example, if the player passed "1" card, the side with the "4" is face up afterwards. Important: The hand limit of 15 cards applies here as well.
Action 3: Place a tower
Towers are only placed on (A) the large hexagonal spaces (= tower spaces) or on (B) spaces of your own base line.
(A) Placing a tower on a tower space
To place a tower on a tower space, the player must play one or more cards from his hand. All these cards must have the same colour as the tower space itself. A tower can consist of one or more stones. The player must discard exactly as many cards in the colour of the tower space as there are tower stones in the tower. Then he puts a fire stone of his own colour on top of the tower to show that his team controls this tower.
Example: The green tower space is still empty. A player of the yellow team places a tower consisting of 1 tower stone on the space and must discard 1 green card for it.
Note: Tower stones are always placed on the spaces with the narrow side down, so that the colour of the space remains recognisable.
A player can build over a tower of the opposing team and thus take over control of this tower. To do so, he must raise the tower by at least one stone. He plays as many cards in the colour of the tower space as the tower is tall in total afterwards. Then he replaces the fire stone with one of his own and returns it to the opposing team.
Example: After a few rounds, a red player builds over the yellow team's tower of 1 tower stone. Since the tower now consists of 2 stones in total, the red player must discard 2 green cards. Then he exchanges the yellow fire stone for a red fire stone.
You cannot subsequently build over your own towers.
Tip: To avoid a tower being built over too easily, you can build it from 2 or 3 stones right away.
Important: As soon as towers are connected with each other by fire stones (see Action 4), these towers are safe. From then on they can no longer be built over.
(B) Placing a tower on a base line
To win the game, a team must close a continuous connection of fire stones from one side of its colour to the opposite side. To do so, the teams must also build towers on their base lines. To build a tower on a space of your own base line, a player may discard one card of any colour. The opposing team may not build over towers on the base lines. Therefore a tower there does not need to be higher than one tower stone.
Example: A red player places a tower of 1 on the red base line and puts a fire stone of his own on top.
Action 4: Close a connection between your own towers
The player may connect two towers that are controlled by his own team (each has a fire stone of his own colour on top) with each other. To do so, he places, all at once, as many fire stones of his team colour as needed on the board spaces that connect the two towers. For each space on which he places a fire stone, he must discard a card in hand of the corresponding colour.
Example: A red player connects 2 red towers with each other. To do so he must discard 2 light blue cards, 1 green card and 1 purple card.
Important: It is not allowed to begin a connection in one turn and only close it completely in a later turn.
Note: Placed fire stones remain on the board until the end of the game. They cannot be replaced by fire stones of the other colour.
Using existing connections: To close a connection, a player may also use his own fire stones already standing on the board (from earlier tower connections).
Example: Later, a player of Team Red connects the upper tower as well. To do so he does not connect directly to the red tower at the bottom right, but uses the existing connection and joins at the green space.
The Obstacle Space
The space in the middle of the game board is an obstacle for the players. Neither may a tower be built there, nor may a fire stone be placed on it.
End of the Game
The game ends immediately when a team has formed a continuous path between two of its own towers on its opposite base lines. This team has won.
Example: Team Red has connected the two towers on its base lines with each other by a path of its own towers and its own fire stones.
Further Rules
Silence is golden: The players of a team may not discuss their moves with each other. The game is especially appealing when you try to recognise your team partner's intentions without speaking, gesturing or secret signs. However, if both teams prefer to communicate openly, they should agree on this at the start of the game.
Not enough tower stones: Should it happen that there are no longer enough tower stones in the supply, this rule applies: From the towers that are part of an existing connection (and therefore may no longer be built over), all tower stones except one each are removed and put back into the supply. If that is still not sufficient, 1 tower stone is also put back into the supply from each tower that can still be built over and consists of at least 2 tower stones.
Not enough fire stones: Should it happen that there are no longer enough fire stones of one colour, the team of that colour has lost immediately.
Note: Both cases can only occur if the players proceed with too little planning and build the towers too high or build too many towers.
The Game for 2 Players
All the rules described apply. Only action option 2, "Pass cards to your team partner", is omitted.