Stats:
No. of players: 1-4
Amount of time to play: 120-180 min
Age requirements: 13+
Set-up time: 10 min

Blue Sun is the second large expansion for Firefly the game. It adds some elements from the film Serenity and continues to flesh out the ‘verse.

Firefly Blue Sun Rules Description:

Blue Sun adds a new board to explore, some new contacts and deals, more places to buy stuff and (most importantly) makes the Reavers matter.

If you have not played Firefly the game, read my overview and review to understand the basic game play. This post is going to talk about the new things introduced by the Blue Sun Expansion.

The first new thing you notice is the additional board as it adds an additional 10 inches to this game’s footprint. This new board maps out Rim Space. There is also a deck of cards for travelling in Rim Space that is full of dangers and obstacles.

Speaking of danger the Reavers are much more dangerous with this expansion and there are now three of the ships. New cards replace the Reaver cards in the border space nav deck. Some of these new cards just reword the originals but allow for moving the Cutters in either Rim or Border space. Two force you to move a Cutter in a space adjacent to your ship. Also whenever a Cutter moves it leaves behind an alert token. If you enter a space with one or more alert tokens, you roll a die. If the result is less than or equal to the number of alert tokens there, get ready for a surprise visit from the Reavers.

Two new contacts are introduced, Harrow and Mr. Universe. Harrow is comparable to the other contacts and once you are solid with him you may buy cargo from him for $300. Mr. Universe adds difficulty and a better payoff to existing jobs. If you’re solid with him he increases your hand-size to five.

Three new scenarios cards are included as well as alternate ways to set up the game. The setup cards can be paired with any story card to add more variety to them.

Miranda is a new port to purchase some new shiny items. But getting there through Rim space can be dangerous given the proximity of the Reavers.

There are two new leaders, Murphy and Atherton. Murphy specializes in trading goods and Atherton gives you a head start on misbehavin’.

Quick Review of the Firefly Blue Sun Expansion:

Blue Sun doesn’t add a lot of new mechanics to the Firefly series. But it does add the threat of the Reavers. The new items and contacts are nice to have and Mr. Universe can add to the game’s challenge.

The components for this game are fine. The rules are easy to read and follow too. I have a couple minor quibbles. The new Border space nav cards are slightly brighter then the originals. Depending on your group this may not be a big deal. If you have someone who is going to stare down the nav deck before moving their ship, you could make players declare how far they intend to move before drawing. I also wish this expansion fit in the box for the base US game. Or even fit in its box a bit better. The chits and minis just fit into the space provided with little to no wiggle room.

My favorite addition is the new Reaver mechanics. The alert tokens combined with the new nav cards make them a real threat. They might just pop up next to you at any moment. And even once they go away they might make a surprise visit. I didn’t mention it above but there are also alert token for the Alliance ship. However they are only used with specific story cards.

As a big fan of the movie I am happy to see Mr. Universe too. He works pretty thematically and once you are solid with him he can really help you churn through jobs and make extra cash.

The new scenarios are cool especially The Great Recession. It limits the total number of jobs. Each contact only has one job per player and the game ends once four piles are empty.

One thing to note, this game is big. I mean really big. The expansion extends the board, and you need to account for all the piles of cards and space needed for players’ ships. So be sure to play on a large table.

The five new deals for the existing Contacts do involve traveling through Rim space. But if they aren’t drawn or the Story Card doesn’t require you to go there, you might be able to just ignore Rim space. Also be aware this expansion does not cater to solo players.

Blue Sun expands the ‘verse in Firefly the game and adds to its already strong theme. Fans of Serenity will be happy to see lots of things from the movie in this expansion. If you like this game you should pick this up. If you are deciding between Pirates & Bounty Hunters and this expansion, then it depends what you are looking for. If you want more player interaction get Pirates & Bounty Hunters. If you want more theme and danger, pick up Blue Sun.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 3 out of 6
Luck 5 out of 6
Player Interaction 4 out of 6
Replay Value 5 out of 6
Complexity 3 out of 6
Fun 4 out of 6
Overall 4 out of 6