The formidable, crimson cliffs tower over the
How it Plays
The Battle of Red Cliffs is a set-collection card game that
can be played individually or in teams.
It is an adaptation of the designer’s earlier creation Tien Zi Que,
described itself as a variant of the ancient and traditional Chinese tile-game,
Mahjong. For our predominantly Western
audience, think Rummy.
The goal in Red Cliffs is to make sets of three – either
three of a kind or a sequence of three in numerical order. Each turn, you draw a card and take two
actions. However, the only actions
available are to meld a set or discard a card.
After taking two actions, you draw back to a hand size of six cards to
end your turn.
Sets are comprised of three of a kind or a sequence,
regardless of color. “0’s” are wild
cards used to complete numbered melds.
There are also special Tien Zi Que cards, considered “super wild,” which
can complete numbered melds or may also be matched with Beauties, a sort of
special face card.
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| Tien Zi Que "super wild" card to complete a run. |
The twist in Red Cliffs, however, is that after completing a
meld, you keep one card from that trio and place it aside to create a Master
Set, which is how you will eventually score points. A Beauty set aside in this manner also grants
a one-time, rules breaking ability. The other
two cards are discarded and no longer of any consequence to your hand. There are two discard piles and you can
usually choose which pile to put them in, and in what order. However, any discarded wild cards must be
trashed.
The distinction between the trash and discard piles is
important for what is called the Peng action.
This is where a player may take one of the top cards from either discard
pile to make a set. To take advantage of
Peng, you must be able to immediately meld the card that you take with a pair
from your hand. Only one player may Peng,
and then only at the beginning of a turn.
The active player receives first choice and then the option proceedes clockwise
in initiative around the table until one player chooses to Peng or everyone
passes up the opportunity.
 |
| Trash (left) and discard (two right) piles. |
The first player to complete five melds triggers the end of
a round, after which everyone calculates points based on their Master Set. Scoring sets at the end of a round differs
from melding them during play. There are
no wild cards – 0’s simply count as a number and/or as their colored suit. Tien Zi Que’s are now considered a fifth and
separate colored suit – black. Finally,
scores are not based on just triplets, but anywhere between 2-5 (or possibly
more) combinations of all the cards in your Master Set. The possible melds that earn points include a
pair or more of the same kind (numbers or Beauties); three or more of the same
suit color; 4 or 5 cards all of different suits; and straights of 4 or more
cards. Melds with more cards earn
progressively more points.
Player scores are tracked on a separate board in a rather
unique way. Points are divided by
various levels, so that 1-2 points are level one, 3-5 points are level two, 6-9
points are level three, and so on. At
the start of a new round, score markers are reset to the beginning of the level
that they currently occupy. So for
example, if you have 9 points after scoring at the end of a round, you move
your marker backwards to the “level three” designation to begin the next. The net result is that when tabulating your
score at the end of the new round, your first count begins on ‘6’ and you must
earn five points to advance to level four, rather than only needing one point
as if you had been able to stay on 9.
That said, when one player or team reaches a designated threshold –
which varies based on number of players – the game ends.
Epic Clash, or Pea-Shooter Skirmish?
Sun Tzu once said, “All war is based on deception.” The
Battle of Red Cliffs was a famous and pivotal naval engagement during China ’s
Romance of the Three Kingdoms period.
The card game called The Battle of Red Cliffs, however, has no battle
and no cliffs. However, some of the
cards are red. Also, you’re playing with
a deck – and boats have decks.
Alas, that’s about the extent of thematic connection between history and
game. Whoever picked the name and
designed the box art is certainly a student of Sun Tzu, deceiving the purchaser
into thinking he was buying something more than just a flat-out variation of
Rummy.
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| The Master Set is what it's all about. |
The lack of theme is a let-down. It’s not that Red Cliffs needs to be any sort
of meaningful simulation. However, with
a little creative effort, the game could have included interesting cards with
text, art, and abilities loosely based on the period’s history to mix-up
play. The oversight is more
disappointing considering what limited artwork is included on the Beauties and
Tien Zi Que cards is fantastic.
Unfortunately, there were plenty of possibilities left on the
table. Especially when considering that
even the loosest of thematic coats can really enhance traditional-style card
games (see Condottiere).
 |
| They're Beauties, indeed! Note the special action when adding one to your Master Set. |
So as a pure Rummy variant, how does The Battle of Red Cliffs fare? The design is a nice twist on the traditional game. I’m less clear on how it compares with its inspiration, Mahjong. I know the goal in that tile-laying classic is to collect four different sets. The immediately unique mechanic in Red Cliffs is the Master Set., which requires some re-thinking. Unlike Mahjong or Rummy, melding sets is not the end-all-be-all, but instead becomes a means unto the end. You create sets in which you can pull one card to score with others later. And since scoring combinations are slightly different than rules for melding sets, it’s not always a straight-forward exercise. The non-use of wild cards in scoring is especially noticeable and probably one of the more confusing elements for new players.
The scoreboard is also atypical, which adds some depth and
character. The higher up the track, the more
point separation you need to effectively distance yourself from others. Gaining the lead doesn’t always translate to
the next round as long as one or more players achieve the same level as
you. It’s really not a catch-up mechanic
for anyone way behind, but it can serve as a restrictor plate for a runaway
leader. It also adds an interesting
dynamic to team play as now the weaker partner in a given round can either
provide just enough to boost the team to the next level, or fall just short
enough to miss it.
 |
| The unique, tiered scoreboard. |
Random events and/or abilities provide another distinctive
twist. The four different Beauty cards
allow a special action when adding one to your Master Set. There are also a couple of stand alone Event
Cards which inject more switches. A
couple of expansions offer further possibilities and are recommended.
All of these keep the game fresh and add some variety to the standard
“draw, discard, collect, meld” routine.
That’s not to underestimate the value of that recognizable
Rummy-style mechanic. Set collection is
common, popular, and easy to understand.
Despite its twists and additions, Red Cliffs remains generally
accessible largely because of its familiar feel. The use of two “actions” per turn gives you
the feel of more, without adding to downtime.
It is still well-paced and moves quickly.
It also scales well to any player compliment, with the caveat that more players equal longer session times. There are some nice, non-traditional partnership variations with multiple teams possible and the ability for 3-player groups. That said, there’s not as much tactical play between partners, as opposed to a trick-taking game, leaving individual play a more desired recommendation. Even the solo version looks legitimate, though admittedly mileage will vary.
 |
| A couple of events for just a little seasoning... |
It also scales well to any player compliment, with the caveat that more players equal longer session times. There are some nice, non-traditional partnership variations with multiple teams possible and the ability for 3-player groups. That said, there’s not as much tactical play between partners, as opposed to a trick-taking game, leaving individual play a more desired recommendation. Even the solo version looks legitimate, though admittedly mileage will vary.
Besides the thematic non
sequitur (which many in the hobby can take or leave), the lack of depth is
the only main concern with Red Cliffs.
There is not a lot of planning and strategy. While trying to construct a killer Master Set
worth lots of points is fun and challenging, it’s so dependent upon luck of the
draw that you can get frustrated in failure and lack a true sense of
accomplishment in success. The pace,
play, and familiarity make this a casual, social game. That’s where it really shines and that’s
where it may divide hobby gamers.
 |
| Reset to Rank Level at the start of a new round. |
The Battle of Red Cliffs is a well-paced card game that should
appeal to fans of Rummy and set-collection.
The name, on the other hand, has absolutely
nothing to do with game play. It
doesn’t have cards or mechanics that allude to soldiers, war, battles, rivers,
ships, or red cliffs. It’d be simpler to
just change the name. So if you’re
looking for a hint of Chinese history, even if just thinly veiled, you’ll need
to look elsewhere. If you’re looking for
a fast, simple card game that scales extremely well to a variety of player
compliments, then this twist on Mahjong/Rummy should catch your eye.
Pros:
Simple to learn
Moves fast, sessions are reasonable lengths
Scales well
Offers 3-player teams
Good for casual/social play
Cons:
Scoring wild cards is not intuitive
Non-existent theme leads to misleading name
Not tremendous depth
Just another twist on Rummy
iSlaytheDragon would
like to thank Sunrise Tornado Game Studio and Game
Salute for providing a review copy of The Battle
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