This is your practical on ramp to Dragonfire. You will see what sits inside the Starter Set, how roles and color coverage actually work, which party templates win games without rules headaches, how to pace deck growth across a linked campaign, and how to tune difficulty so sessions stay tense but fair. If you are still comparing the full Catalyst portfolio, skim the brand overview and return here ready to deal cards and build a party that fits your table.
Each game flows through a steady rhythm. You set up the market and adventure, reveal encounters, assign threats, play cards to meet damage color checks, buy upgrades, and record progress. Threat assignment matters because it shapes who takes the hit and who can contribute the right colors. Buying is not just about power - it is about curve and coverage so the team can meet checks on time.
Damage colors are the backbone of the system. Martial hits hard and steady, Arcane spikes and manipulates, Deception controls pacing and redirects, Devotion keeps the group standing and cheats harsh math. Table order sets who soaks the first blows and who can react. Smart parties plan turn order, agree on who handles which tag, and build decks that can show the needed colors when the timer is tight.
The Starter Set gives you role cards, a curated market, a set of adventures and the progression pieces you need to carry results between sessions. You also get quick rules and save sheets. It is enough for multiple nights if you resist adding everything at once and instead learn how color checks, table order and buying decisions interact under pressure.
Protect the cards you handle most. Sleeves keep shuffle feel consistent, dividers make setup faster, and a pencil plus printed save sheets prevent lost progress. Use small trays for threat tokens and markers so the board state stays readable when the table gets crowded.
Pick expansions by purpose. If you want variety, add adventures that change encounter mix. If you want sharper tests, add sets that raise target numbers or tighten timers. If you want more story, add narrative packs that chain scenes with light consequences. Grow carefully so your group learns how to adapt rather than drowning in options.
Use this neutral snapshot to plan your early path. It lists what each box tends to add, who benefits, and when to layer the next box.
| Item | What it adds | Best for | When to add next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter Set | Roles, market, adventures, save tools | Learning the loop and coverage | After 3 to 5 plays when curve feels natural |
| Adventure pack | New encounter patterns | Groups craving variety | When you win consistently at current level |
| Character pack | Role twists and new synergies | Parties with clear preferences | After you know which roles you love |
| Difficulty pack | Tighter timers and higher checks | Challenge nights | Only after a stable win rate on normal |
Add only one variable at a time. If you change encounters and difficulty together, you will not know which lever made the night swingy or dull.
Martial brings consistent damage and clean clears. Arcane manipulates the board and spikes totals when the team prepares the stage. Deception controls threat flow, dodges ugly assignments and buys time. Devotion stabilizes with healing, shields and the occasional cheat that breaks a check. The sweet spot is having at least three colors ready every turn and a plan to cover the fourth when the deck runs dry.
Balanced core: Martial, Arcane, Deception, Devotion. Cover all colors, rotate threat, and buy broadly. The plan is simple: stabilize on turns 1 to 2, spike on 3 to 4, close on 5. Control heavy: Deception plus Devotion plus Arcane plus flex. Stall threats, pick buys that delay or tax, and use a measured spike to cross checks on schedule. Burst heavy: Arcane plus Martial plus flex plus flex. Save coin and explode through a tough check with coordinated hands, but accept that stabilization might lag without a healer. Resilience heavy: Devotion plus Martial plus flex plus flex. You will rarely wipe but you must practice timed pushes or you will die to attrition.
Set the puncher early if you need to clear a key tag before it strikes. Put control in the middle so it can pivot according to what the first move reveals. Place the healer where it can protect two neighbors without losing tempo. Focus lists on checks, not on raw damage totals, and decide a turn ahead who buys the card that fixes a recurring gap.
This matrix highlights common gaps and partners that cover them. Use it when arguing over the fourth seat or when a duo needs to punch above its weight.
| Role | Core strengths | Common gaps | Partners that cover it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martial | Reliable damage, simple turns | Weak on stall and redirects | Deception for control, Devotion for safety |
| Arcane | Spikes, manipulation, tricks | Can whiff without setup | Martial to clean up, Devotion for padding |
| Deception | Threat assignment, tempo | Lower raw numbers | Martial or Arcane for finishers |
| Devotion | Sustain, shields, forgiveness | Limited closing power | Martial to end fights, Deception to avoid spikes |
If no one wants Devotion, agree on a safety package across decks. Two small heals plus one shield effect spread across the party often replaces a dedicated healer in short adventures.
Buy for curve first, power second. Early buys should come down cheap and help pass checks next turn. Mid buys should consolidate a color or add a control line. Late buys should be finishers that stop timers. Hoarding for a perfect card is a trap if it causes two failed checks now. Agree as a group who buys which role fix so you do not end with four copies of a card that nobody wants to play on a slow turn.
Track growth cleanly. Record what changed and why so you can audit after a losing night. Avoid choice overload by keeping a short list of must have feats for each role and one or two vanity picks that players earn as trophies. Milestones should change the way the deck feels without turning it into a single line combo that dies when one card hides in the bottom third.
Set expectations that failure is part of the arc. Use a recovery session with a gentler adventure to right the ship. If a card underperforms three games in a row, cut it without sentiment. Momentum comes from steady wins and clear learning, not from grinding a wall until the table tilts.
This table gives a quick sense of what to value at each stage of a game or campaign.
| Stage | Market priorities | Curve risk | Fixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early | Cheap color fixes, simple control | Top heavy hands | Buy low cost cards that see play next turn |
| Mid | Consolidate core color, add utility | Overbuying niche tricks | One trick per deck, not per player |
| Late | Finishers, timers, team wide boosts | Dead draws and stranded coins | Cull weak starters, plan the spike turn |
When in doubt, buy the card that helps two different players clear checks in the next two rounds rather than the flashy card that needs a perfect setup.
Log results so you can see patterns. This simple grid works for paper notes or a shared sheet.
| Scenario | Outcome | Rewards | Notes for next time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro run | Win on timer 1 | Small coin, feat slot | Buy one more cheap control for Deception |
| City chase | Loss on check | None | Need shields before boss reveal |
| Vault heist | Win on spike | Upgrade token | Arcane saved the day - keep that slot |
After three sessions, review the notes and prune dead weight. A lean deck that always shows the right colors beats a bloated deck with highlight moments and early stalls.
Horde tags swarm the board and punish slow clears. Elite tags force high checks that need coordinated hands. Timers push the table to commit now rather than wait for perfect turns. Area effect tags punish clumps and reward spreads. Learn how your party handles each pattern and buy to shore up your worst matchup.
Duos can work if both decks carry small splashes for missing colors and if threat assignment uses redirects smartly. Consider a simple bot that only covers a single color check when both players cannot and otherwise stays inert. The goal is to keep honesty in color tests without adding bookkeeping that eats the night.
Turn knobs with intention. For teaching, widen timers and reduce nasty tags so patterns are obvious. For challenge nights, shorten timers, add a modest elite ratio and raise one check threshold. Always change one knob at a time and log how it felt so you can tune rather than guess next week.
Use these levers to match your table energy and skill. Start soft, ramp as you earn stable wins.
| Knob | Easier setting | Harder setting | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timer length | One extra round | One fewer round | Teaching or sprint sessions |
| Elite ratio | Fewer elites | More elites | Testing burst or control |
| Check threshold | Lower by 1 | Raise by 1 | Fine tuning after a clear win |
| Market curve | Extra cheap option | Remove one cheap slot | Curve practice or expert mode |
Do not stack every hard setting at once. One or two levers already change the feel of a night and give you clear feedback to discuss in the debrief.
Seat players so each role can see the market and the active threats. Keep discard piles tidy and visible. Lay the market in a straight line with space under each slot for future buys. Use a clear threat assignment step so nobody gets surprised by a hidden face down problem.
Start with a tutorial hand where the table narrates who provides which colors and why. Play the first encounter openly so everyone can ask questions without fear of slowing others. After the first check, let players act with light prompts. Keep the buy phase short by reminding everyone to favor curve and coverage early.
After the final check, ask two questions: which color was scarce and which card never pulled weight. Adjust buys and plan the next adventure based on those answers. If attention is fading, reset with a quick abstract duel while the GM or host logs rewards and shuffles decks for the next run.
Keep rules, save sheets and trackers as PDFs on a tablet. Bookmarks shorten lookup time and shared folders keep everyone on the same page. Print only what improves flow at your table: role quick refs, a small encounter icon guide, and a one page progression summary.
Use heavier paper for sheets that see constant handling. Name files with short prefixes like role, ref, market so you can find them mid game. Back up to a cloud folder and export a copy for guests so nobody falls behind. If you ever need a zero prep filler between campaign sessions, queue rules light pulp missions and keep game night alive even when time is short.
Use it when you want the widest catalog, predictable restock visibility and digital tie ins that place PDFs in your account library. Listings are usually clearer on what complements what, which helps new buyers avoid dead ends.
Choose a local shop when speed, pickup and easier returns matter more than breadth. You can often bundle sleeves, boxes and dice in one trip and ask for community nights to find new players.
Photograph packaging and any damaged components, keep labels and the invoice PDF, and write a short numbered summary when contacting support. Complete packets resolve most cases on the first reply. For granular checkout tips, taxes, and how to keep proof tidy, keep the complete buying and shipping guide open while you plan.
Compare options with this quick grid, then pick the path that fits your week.
| Route | Pros | Cons | Who benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official storefront | Widest catalog, digital tie ins, restock alerts | International shipping may take longer | Campaign groups and collectors |
| Local retailer | Faster, pickup, easy returns | Selection varies by store | Tables starting this week |
Bundle sensibly. One consolidated order is usually cheaper and cleaner to track than several micro orders that create different delivery windows.
An adventure pack that adds variety without cranking difficulty. It teaches the party to adapt and exposes gaps you can fix with targeted buys.
Four keeps roles distinct and color coverage honest. Two can work with splash packages and a safety bot that covers one color in emergencies.
Agree on who carries a cheap fix for the missing color and who saves for a mid curve card that shows reliably. Do not wait for a single high cost answer that rarely hits the table.
Mulligan if an opening hand cannot contribute to the first check. The goal is to avoid a slow start that snowballs into timer pressure.
Use labeled bags or boxes for each role deck, keep save sheets inside sleeves, and note which market cards were removed for the current campaign arc.
Change one knob at a time and log the feel. If you win with turns left, raise a threshold or add an elite. If you lose with no chance to recover, widen a timer or add one extra cheap market slot.
Yes if you run a fast onboarding. Give them a role with a short list of upgrades and let them borrow a safety card from the group pool for the first session.
Track upgrades on a sheet and keep decks unsleeved during progression steps only. Move cards deliberately and confirm each list aloud.
Ninety minutes for a teaching night, sixty to ninety for experienced groups depending on adventure and table talk.
Buying flashy cards that rot in hand, ignoring table order, and letting one role carry all the control. Fix these and your win rate climbs quickly.
When cards consistently sit dead or when your role identity no longer matches the encounters you face. Small trims every two games beat a full rebuild after a slump.
You now have a clear framework for Dragonfire - how to set the table, how to build a party with honest coverage, how to grow decks across a campaign, and how to tune challenge without burning out. If some nights your group wants minis on a table, trade notes with a minis tactics alternative.
For story heavy weeks, hop over to a cyberpunk RPG alternative. When attention is thin or you need a fast reset, lean on airship battles on compact tables for lane ideas or drop a short filler between scenes with rules light pulp missions.
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