Forgeflame Board Game Explained

About Forgeflame, from BoardGameGeek:

In a distant land, a landslide reveals long-forgotten underground tunnels containing an invaluable treasure: deposits of Gold, Darkiron, and Draconite! Rumor has it that at the heart of these lost mines lies an even more precious secret: The Eternal Forge, a dwarven masterpiece capable of crafting legendary artifacts. Glory-seeking explorers and wealth-hungry plunderers are already flocking to the mine's entrance to get their hands on this bounty... but the task won't be easy, as Kobolds have taken up residence in these tunnels, sparking a frantic race among rival adventurer teams. In Forgeflame, you lead a team of 3 adventurers racing to explore mines, collect ores, and craft artifacts. At the start, players shuffle their adventurers' basic cards and take turns playing one card, using their character's unique abilities. After four cards each, they add an advanced card from their characters to create a more powerful deck and draw a new hand. As the game progresses, unexpected events unfold, and kobolds relentlessly harass the adventurers. Victory requires smart planning, teamwork, and clever tactics. The game ends when a player forges their fourth artifact, and points are tallied. -description from the designer