RogerBW's Blog

Flash Point is another game I don't get to the table often enough for my taste, so I gave it a solo play one evening. Lots of images (cc-by-sa).

This is the Laboratory board from Extreme Danger, with a Veteran setup. I messed up the second explosion placement, which probably made my life easier, and forgot the fourth Hazmat.

Firefighters are red Generalist, green CAFS, blue Hazmat and white Captain. I pick Hydraulic Platform rather than Deck Gun.

Yes, these are my custom fire/smoke markers (still available), as well as some Corgi vehicles.

Generalist deployed a ladder; CAFS went upstairs to work on the main fire. (Photos are from the end of each round, i.e. after one turn from each of the four virtual players.)

Hazmat started on the loose chemicals, while the Captain moved to cover the other part of the upper floor. I'm a big believer in "zone defence": each firefighter has a specific area in which their first priority is to extinguish fire and smoke, after which spare actions can go to hauling out victims.

Hazmat started on hauling out the first victim; CAFS finished off the upstairs fire.

With no masses of fire to suppress, CAFS headed out for a crew change.

Hazmat and Generalist worked on the lower floor, while the Captain got doors open and kept the upper level under control.

CAFS changed to Veteran; Hazmat headed upstairs for the third target.

First victim rescued! (Also all three hazmats disarmed.)

Revealing more victims. That jammed fireproof door is going to have to come down.

Hazmat removes the door.

General fire suppression, and the Captain reveals another victim.

Generalist heads out to the engine to get another ladder. Hazmat's job is done; he thinks about switching to Imaging, but there's not much point.

Generalist deploys second ladder; Veteran drags a victim towards it.

Second victim rescued!

More victims upstairs, while Generalist and Veteran keep the fire suppressed below.

Victim #3 rescued. Hazmat heads back in for the next one.

Keeping the fire down. Victims can look after themselves for a bit.

A false alarm in the stairwell.

Hazmat drags another victim out from upstairs.

Fourth rescue. We now have enough victims on the board to win.

Captain drags a victim to the top of the ladder, while the others are ignored so that firefighters can get into position. At this point we stop really caring about firefighting.

Fifth and sixth victims, after a 9-AP run by the Generalist (own 5, 4 saved, 1 bonus from Veteran) that included moving the ambulance.

And we've done it. Seven victims on the ambulance, an eighth (stumbled over by the Veteran on his way out) on the ground outside, and all the team out of the building too. (That isn't part of the win condition, but it'll do.)

Time for several well-earned beers with the ambulance crew.

OK, I did mess up some of the setup, but this game came out very much more easily than it does when I play with other people, and my first thought was "am I getting the rules wrong". But apparently not. I did get lucky with Advance Fire rolls; and it is of course much easier to coordinate four firefighters when their plans are all in one head.

Another win for zone defence. It would have been nice to have had the paramedic in play, but all four of the crew had significant amounts of firefighting to do in their own areas. Next time I might run it up to five virtual players just to use that role. If it keeps being easy, I'll try Heroic difficulty too…