Buttons & Bugs: Flames of Ashtar – How to Play and Win

Quick answer

To win Flames of Ashtar in Buttons & Bugs, prioritize movement and positioning early, then use your strongest attacks once the Ashtar enemies are grouped. Avoid spending your best cards on the first turn, and keep a retreat option open. This guide walks you through setup, turn order, and the exact steps to clear the scenario solo.

Flames of Ashtar is one of the tougher early scenarios in Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs, and it punishes players who rush in without a plan. The good news is that with the right sequence of actions, it becomes a manageable solo puzzle rather than a luck-driven brawl.

This guide gives you an ordered process for playing and winning Flames of Ashtar. Each step includes a checkpoint or a common mistake to avoid, so you can adjust on the fly. Whether you're new to Buttons & Bugs or returning for a cleaner run, these tips will help you finish the scenario with fewer wasted turns.

Understand the scenario before you start

Before you shuffle a single card, read the Flames of Ashtar scenario setup and special rules carefully. The scenario's difficulty comes from enemy placement and the pressure to split your attention. Knowing where enemies spawn and how they activate lets you plan your first two turns instead of reacting to them.

A common mistake is treating Flames of Ashtar like a standard kill-all scenario. It often requires you to manage positioning and timing rather than simply out-damage the enemies. Check the scenario's objective and any terrain or overlay rules that affect movement and line of sight.

• Checkpoint: You can state the scenario's win condition and the first enemy group you will face before you draw your first card.

Set up your character and starting hand

Choose a character that balances mobility and reliable damage. In Buttons & Bugs, characters with strong single-target attacks and at least one movement-boosting card tend to perform well in Flames of Ashtar. Build your starting hand around two or three core cards you can use every cycle, not just once.

Do not overload your deck with high-initiative cards that leave you acting last. You want flexibility to go early when you need to reposition or late when you want enemies to bunch up. A common mistake is bringing too many loss cards; in a solo scenario, losing cards early can leave you exhausted before the final room.

• Checkpoint: Your starting hand includes at least one movement card, one attack card, and one utility or defensive card.

Open with positioning, not damage

On turn one, focus on where you stand rather than how much damage you deal. Move to a tile that forces enemies to approach through a choke point or that keeps you out of range of the fastest enemy. This sets up your second turn for a big attack while reducing the number of enemies that can hit you back.

A common mistake is charging the nearest enemy immediately. That often leaves you surrounded and forces you to waste later turns retreating. Instead, use your first turn to bait enemies into a cluster, then punish them with an area-of-effect attack or a multi-target card.

• Checkpoint: After turn one, you are not adjacent to more than one enemy unless you chose to be.

Manage initiative and enemy activation

Initiative is your main tool for controlling the flow of Flames of Ashtar. Going early lets you strike before enemies act, while going late lets them move into your ideal attack pattern. Watch the enemy ability cards and adjust your initiative each round rather than defaulting to the same number.

A common mistake is ignoring the enemy's planned actions. If an enemy is going to move and attack, you may be better off retreating and letting it waste its turn. If it is going to shield or heal, you may want to focus a different target. Treat each round as a small puzzle.

• Checkpoint: You can explain why you chose your initiative number before revealing your card.

Use loss cards at the right moment

Loss cards are powerful but expensive in a solo scenario. Save them for the moment when they either remove a dangerous enemy or prevent a large amount of incoming damage. Using a loss card on turn two for a minor advantage often leads to exhaustion later.

A good rule is to hold your loss cards until the second half of the scenario, unless the first room has a high-priority target that will otherwise overwhelm you. If you do use one early, make sure it saves you at least two turns of actions or prevents a rest cycle.

• Checkpoint: You have at least one loss card remaining when you enter the final encounter.

Adapt when the scenario throws a twist

Flames of Ashtar can surprise you with new enemy spawns or environmental effects. When that happens, pause and reassess. Do not stick to your original plan if the board state has changed. Sometimes the best move is to fall back, heal, and let the enemies come to you.

A common mistake is trying to salvage a bad position by attacking when you should be repositioning. If you are low on health or cards, prioritize survival for one round. You can always counterattack once the enemy formation breaks.

• Checkpoint: You can name the biggest threat on the board and your plan to neutralize it before your next turn.

Step-by-step: How to play and win Flames of Ashtar

1. Read the scenario and set up the board: Place tiles, enemies, and tokens exactly as shown. Review any special rules for Flames of Ashtar before drawing cards. Checkpoint: You know the win condition and the first enemy group.
2. Build a balanced starting hand: Include at least one movement card, one attack card, and one utility or defensive card. Avoid too many loss cards early. Checkpoint: Your hand can handle both offense and repositioning.
3. Open with positioning, not damage: Move to a choke point or safe tile. Let enemies approach you rather than charging in. Checkpoint: You are not adjacent to more than one enemy after turn one.
4. Control initiative each round: Choose your initiative based on enemy actions. Go early to strike first or late to let enemies cluster. Checkpoint: You can justify your initiative choice before revealing your card.
5. Save loss cards for key moments: Hold loss cards until they remove a major threat or prevent significant damage. Use them in the second half of the scenario when possible. Checkpoint: You still have a loss card for the final encounter.
6. Adapt to twists and finish the fight: If new enemies spawn or the board changes, reassess. Prioritize survival for a round if needed, then counterattack. Checkpoint: You can name the biggest threat and your plan to neutralize it.

Useful Buttons & Bugs and Gloomhaven extras

• Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs 2024 Promo Scenario Pack: Contains 4 promotional Scenario Cards released by Cephalofair in 2024, including Scenario 2.5 - Narrow Escape, Scenario 5.5 - Arena Challenge, Scenario 12.5 - The Beast Tamer, and Scenario 20.5 - Another Tale. Requires Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs to play. If you enjoy Flames of Ashtar and want more solo-friendly scenarios, this pack adds four official scenarios that expand the game without changing the core rules.
• Gloomhaven ConQuests (2025): Four new Personal Quests released at GenCon 2025, designed for use with Gloomhaven and Frosthaven, including Conquer Your Demons, Your Friends are Concerned, Consequences of Combat, and A Dramatic Conclusion. Requires Gloomhaven or Frosthaven to play. These quests give you long-term goals if you are playing the larger Gloomhaven or Frosthaven campaigns alongside your Buttons & Bugs sessions.

Flames of Ashtar rewards patience and positioning more than raw damage. Follow these steps, keep an eye on your card economy, and you will clear the scenario with fewer retries. For more solo-friendly content, the Buttons & Bugs promo scenarios and Gloomhaven ConQuests add fresh challenges once you have mastered the core game.