The land of Talisman is heating up as a new and deadly threat emerges in The Firelands, a new expansion for Talisman Revised 4th Edition! The Ifrit have come to Talisman, intent on burning the land to ash and cinder. Your quest for the Crown of Command remains, but time itself is against you as the Ifrit’s inferno consumes more of the realm every day.

In today’s preview, we’ll take a closer look at some of the new dangers you might encounter on new Adventure Cards, as well as one of the new Alternative Ending Cards included in this expansion.

Across the Embers

As you journey through the realm of Talisman, new foes emerge to confront you. The Ifrit were enslaved by a mighty wizard to create the Crown of Command, but now they have escaped from their underground caverns to exact terrible vengeance: destroying the world the wizard created. The Ifrit are powerful in combat, but avoiding them might be even more dangerous, as we’ll see below.

Chief among the new Enemies you must face is the Ifrit Sultan. Because he possesses a Strength/Craft value, this Enemy can be engaged in battle or psychic combat, but no matter how you fight him, he remains one of the most powerful Enemies in The Firelands. But the Ifrit Sultan must be defeated sooner or later, because any character in the same Region as the Sultan must either place a fireland token in his space, or burn one of his cards at the beginning of each turn! Fireland tokens cause any character who ends his turn in that space to lose a life, whereas burning cards removes them from the game. If you don’t attack the Ifrit Sultan, you’ll have to watch as the land and your resources are devoured by the fire.

The Sultan isn’t the only Ifrit foe you face in The Firelands, however. Fireland tokens spread out from the Ifrit Sheikh whenever another Ifrit Enemy is drawn. If the Ifrit Sheikh is allowed to continue unchecked, the spaces around him will become fully ablaze, putting any nearby character at risk of losing life. The Ifrit Shapeshifter, on the other hand, only becomes more powerful as the land burns. Whenever an Enemy card is burnt, the Ifrit Shapeshifter adds one to his attack roll until he is defeated!

Restoring Rains

All is not lost in your journey to the Crown of Command, however. Aid can arrive from the most unexpected places, including Adventure Cards like the Djinn Sultan. The Djinn Sultan is powerful, and he offers you an array of options in your time of need. These options range from gaining gold or life, to killing an Enemy, to stealing an Object, Follower, or random Spell from another character. With so many opportunities for getting exactly what you need, a wise adventurer seeks out the Djinn Sultan wherever he can be found.

Some new Objects offer unusual abilities in addition to their power. The Inferno Spear, for example, adds two to your Strength during battle, but its power doesn’t stop there. Whenever you defeat another character in battle and choose to take a life, that character must also burn one of his Objects if you have the Inferno Spear! Other Objects, like Winter Oil, offer protection from the flames. Winter Oil fireproofs all your Objects for one turn, making them impervious to burn effects. Once it has been used, Winter Oil becomes available in the City by visiting the Alchemist, allowing any character to take advantage of its powers.

A Race Against Fire

Alternative Ending Cards offer a different way to experience Talisman. Rather than racing for the Crown of Command, players must complete other conditions to claim victory. In one variant, the Alternative Ending is revealed to all players, but in the hidden variant, the Alternative Ending is kept secret until one player reaches the Crown of Command!

One of the hidden Alternative Endings offered in The Firelands is Spreading Flames, which casts you and the other players into a race to keep ahead of the fire. When this Alternative Ending is revealed, all players teleport to a space in the Outer or Middle Regions, and you must place a fireland token on each space adjacent to you. At the start of every turn, a player must place a fireland token in his character’s space, before he moves. With every turn, the realm of Talisman grows progressively more dangerous as characters lose lives from fireland tokens. Ultimately, the last character left alive wins the game!

A Flicker, A Flare

The Firelands expansion will shake the land of Talisman, placing you in the center of danger. Can you escape the flames long enough to rise victorious? Pre-order The Firelands expansion at your local retailer today!