Ascension: 10 Year Anniversary Edition Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Components
• Game Layout
• Setup
• Hero Cards
• Construct Cards
• Monster Cards
• Gameplay
  • Player Turn
• Playing Cards from Hand
• Acquiring Cards from the Center Row
• Defeating Monsters
• Gaining Honor Points
• Banishing Cards
• End of a Player's Turn
• End of the Game
• Glossary
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Solo Variant
• Credits

Introduction

Ascension is a competitive game in which each player tries to earn as many Honor Points as possible and to build an army able to defeat the Fallen One and the hordes of his Monsters. A player begins with a small group of untrained but faithful Apprentices and Militia, but over the course of the game will acquire strong Heroes and powerful Constructs that improve their chances of defeating evil and winning.

Ascension is a card game that uses the deck-building mechanism. Each player starts the game with the same starting deck, but during play will modify and expand it by acquiring stronger cards. On their turn a player uses cards that provide resources in order to acquire new Hero and Construct cards that strengthen their deck, and also to defeat Monsters and earn rewards. At the end of the game the player who has earned the most Honor Points from the cards they acquired and the Monsters they defeated is the winner!

Ten years of refining the system, millions of players and more than a dozen expansions mean that Ascension can be played in a great many ways. Ascension: 10 Year Anniversary Edition is an excellent starting point for getting to know the game. Every Ascension set is a standalone game with unique mechanisms that make the classic deck-building game feel completely new. More information about the world of Ascension can be found at stoneblade.com.

Components

• 100 Center Deck cards with a black border
• 41 "Always Available" cards with a silver border (20 Mystic cards, 20 Heavy Infantry cards and 1 Cultist card)
• 40 "starting" cards with a white border (4 starting decks, each containing 8 Apprentice cards and 2 Militia cards)
• 50 Honor tokens (25 large red tokens and 25 small clear tokens)
• 1 game board

Game Layout

The board holds the following areas:

• Center Deck — the face-down deck of black-bordered cards.
• Void — the pile beside the Center Deck.
• Center Row — the six face-up cards drawn from the Center Deck.
• Always Available cards — the separate face-up stacks of Mystic, Heavy Infantry and the Cultist.
• Honor Pool — the Honor tokens set aside for the game.

Each player also has, in front of them:

• their player deck,
• their starting hand (5 cards),
• the rest of their starting deck (the remaining 5 cards).

Setup

Ascension: 10 Year Anniversary Edition is a game for 1 to 4 players. Expansions for Ascension™ allow the number of players to be increased to 6. The rules of the multiplayer game are presented below. The rules of the 1-player game can be found on page 14.

Each player receives the same starting deck, containing 10 white-bordered cards: 8 Apprentice cards and 2 Militia cards. These cards are the seed of the player's deck. During the game each player will expand and modify their deck.

At the start of the game each player shuffles their deck, draws 5 cards into their hand and leaves the other 5 face down in their deck.

The silver-bordered cards (the Heavy Infantry cards, the Mystic cards and the 1 Cultist card) are sorted into separate face-up stacks and placed on the designated spaces on the board. These are the "Always Available" cards, which players may acquire or defeat on their turns by spending the required resources.

Shuffle all the black-bordered cards together to form the Center Deck and place it face down on its designated space on the board. Draw 6 cards from the top of the Center Deck and lay them face up on the appropriate spaces on the board. This is the Center Row. On their turns players may acquire or defeat the cards in it.

Prepare Honor tokens with a total value of 30 Honor Points per player and place them on the designated space on the board. This is the Honor Pool. Large red tokens are worth 5 Honor Points and small clear tokens are worth 1 Honor Point.

Randomly determine the first player. Starting with them, players take their turns in clockwise order.

Number of players	2	3	4
Total value of Honor tokens	60 Honor	90 Honor	120 Honor

Hero Cards

Heroes are the allies that players recruit to help them in the fight to save the kingdom of Vigil. Players may spend Runes to acquire new Heroes from the Center Row and in this way improve their decks.

Anatomy of a Hero card (example: Ascetic of the Lidless Eye, an Enlightened Hero costing 5 Runes, worth 3 Honor, with the effect "Draw 2 cards." and the flavor text Dhartha said: "Devote yourself to the Eye and see everything the universe has to offer."):

• Name — the name of the card.
• Cost — shows how many Runes a player must spend to acquire the card.
• Faction — there are 4 factions in the game: Enlightened, Lifebound, Mechana and Void.
• Effect — describes what the card does when it is played or while it is in play.
• Honor — shows how many Honor Points the card is worth.
• Flavor text — has no effect on play.
• Number of cards and set symbol — the number next to the ● symbol indicates how many copies of the card are in the Center Deck.

On their turn a player may play any number of Hero cards from their hand. When a player plays a Hero card, they resolve the effect printed on that card. Played Hero cards remain in front of the player until the end of their turn. At the end of the turn the player puts them into their discard pile.

Construct Cards

Constructs are the weapons, magical objects and fantastic devices that players gather to use in the fight for Vigil. Players may spend Runes to acquire new Constructs from the Center Row and in this way improve their decks.

Anatomy of a Construct card (example: Muramasa, a Void Construct costing 7 Runes, worth 4 Honor, with the effect "Once per turn, gain 3 Power." and the flavor text The last of her swords bears her name.):

• Name — the name of the card.
• Cost — shows how many Runes a player must spend to acquire the card.
• Faction — there are 4 factions in the game: Enlightened, Lifebound, Mechana and Void.
• Effect — describes what the card does when it is played or while it is in play.
• Honor — shows how many Honor Points the card is worth.
• Flavor text — has no effect on play.
• Number of cards and set symbol — the number next to the ● symbol indicates how many copies of the card are in the Center Deck.

On their turn a player may play any number of Construct cards from their hand. After playing Construct cards, the player keeps them in front of themselves and uses their effects. At the end of the turn they are not put into the discard pile. These cards help the player on every following turn!

Some Monster card effects can, however, destroy Construct cards. When a Construct card is destroyed, the player immediately puts it into their discard pile.

Some cards refer to controlling Constructs. A player controls a Construct when it is in play, that is, when it is in front of the player. If a Construct is in the player's hand, deck or discard pile, the player does not control it.

Monster Cards

Monsters are the forces of evil that try to break through into the world of Vigil and destroy it. Players may spend Power to defeat Monsters from the Center Row, in this way sending them to the Void and earning rewards.

Anatomy of a Monster card (example: Earth Tyrant, a Monster costing 6 Power, with the reward "Reward. Gain 5 Honor. Draw 2 cards." and the flavor text In the caverns below hides limitless power, bathed in fire and death.):

• Name — the name of the card.
• Cost — shows how much Power a player must spend to defeat the card.
• Reward — describes what the Monster does when it is defeated.
• Card type — Monster.
• Flavor text — has no effect on play.
• Number of cards and set symbol — the number next to the ● symbol indicates how many copies of the card are in the Center Deck.

The reward for defeating a Monster may be Honor Points — the player who earns the most of them will win the game. When a player gains Honor Points for defeating a Monster, they take the appropriate number of Honor tokens from the Honor Pool and place them in front of themselves. Large red tokens are worth 5 Honor Points and small clear tokens are worth 1 Honor Point.

Gameplay

The text on some cards may contradict the rules described in this rulebook. In such a situation, the text on the card takes precedence.

Player Turn

On their turn a player may take the following actions, in any order and any number of times:

• Play cards to gain Runes, Power, Honor Points and other effects.
• Use a Construct they control to take advantage of its effect.
• Acquire a Hero or a Construct — the player pays the cost of the card and then places it in their discard pile.
• Defeat a Monster to gain Honor Points and other rewards.

Then the player performs the following steps to end their turn:

• Puts into their discard pile all played Hero cards and all cards remaining in their hand.
• Draws 5 cards from their deck — this is their hand for the next turn.

When a player's deck is empty and the player has to draw a card (or reveal a card from their deck), they shuffle their discard pile and form a new deck. Every time a player shuffles their cards, the cards they have acquired become part of their constantly changing deck.

Hero cards played during a turn are only put into the discard pile at the end of that turn. This means that if a player has to shuffle their discard pile during their turn, they do not shuffle in the cards they played on the current turn.

The flow of a player's cards is: player deck → player hand → playing and acquiring cards → player discard pile → back into the player deck.

If the Center Deck runs out, shuffle the Void and form a new deck. Neither the Void nor the new deck should contain any Apprentice, Militia, Mystic or Heavy Infantry cards. If any of these cards ended up there by mistake, remove them before shuffling.

Playing Cards from Hand

To play a Hero card from hand, place it face up in front of yourself, read its effect and resolve it. If the card requires a choice to be made, make it at that moment. Now also check the conditions of any additional effects. Runes and Power provided by cards remain until the end of the turn, and the player may spend them during that time. Played Hero cards remain in front of the player until the end of their turn. At the end of the turn the player puts them into their discard pile.

Construct cards are played in the same way as Hero cards, but they remain in play after the turn ends. A Construct's effects may be used when the card is played, and then may be used again on following turns.

When a player plays Spike Vixen from their hand, they gain 1 Rune and draw a card.

Acquiring Cards from the Center Row

A player may acquire a Hero or Construct card from the Center Row by spending as many Runes as the cost shown in the upper right corner of the card inside the Rune symbol.

On their turn a player may acquire any number of Hero or Construct cards, including the "Always Available" Mystic and Heavy Infantry cards, as long as they pay the cost (in Runes) of each card they acquire. An acquired card is placed in the player's discard pile. If the player acquired a card from the Center Row, the empty space is immediately refilled with the top card of the Center Deck (face up), so that there are always 6 cards available in the Center Row.

Acquiring Kor, the Ferromancer costs 3 Runes.

Defeating Monsters

A player may defeat a Monster from the Center Row by spending as much Power as the cost shown in the upper right corner of the card inside the Power symbol.

On their turn a player may defeat any number of Monsters, including the "Always Available" Cultist, as long as they pay the cost (in Power) of each card they defeat. The player puts the defeated Monster card into the Void and gains the reward shown. The empty space in the Center Row is immediately refilled with the top card of the Center Deck. The Cultist card is always available and is never put into the Void. In 1 turn a player may defeat the Cultist any number of times.

Defeating Earth Tyrant costs 6 Power.

Gaining Honor Points

When a player gains Honor Points for defeating a Monster, they take the appropriate number of Honor tokens from the Honor Pool and place them in front of themselves. Large red tokens are worth 5 Honor Points and small clear tokens are worth 1 Honor Point.

Defeating Monsters is not the only way to gain Honor Points during the game. Some Hero and Construct cards can provide them when they are played or when the player meets a stated condition. To determine how many Honor Points a card provides, check the number inside the Honor symbol in that card's text. (The number in the lower left corner of a card indicates how many Honor Points the card is worth at the end of the game. If a card provides Honor Points during the game, this is stated in its text.)

Banishing Cards

Some card effects allow cards to be banished, either from the Center Row or from among the cards in the player's hand or discard pile.

When a player is to banish a card from the Center Row, they choose 1 of the cards there and put it into the Void. They then immediately refill the empty space with the top card of the Center Deck, face up. Banishing a Monster from the Center Row in this way does not count as defeating it, so the player does not gain its reward.

When a player is to banish a card from their hand or from their discard pile, they choose a card as instructed and put it into the Void. If they choose an Apprentice or Militia card, they put it back in the box instead of into the Void. If they choose a Heavy Infantry or Mystic card, they put it back on the appropriate "Always Available" stack instead of into the Void.

Note! If a card allows a card to be banished from hand, a player cannot banish a card they have already played this turn, because that card is no longer in their hand.

Hint. Banishing weaker cards will let you draw stronger cards more often during the game. It is worth banishing Apprentice and Militia cards whenever the opportunity arises!

Shade of the Black Watch: "Gain 2 Power. You may banish 1 card from your hand or from your discard pile."

End of a Player's Turn

When a player has finished playing cards from their hand, acquiring Heroes and Constructs and defeating Monsters, they put into their discard pile all the cards left in their hand and all the Heroes they played. They lose all unspent Runes and Power.

They then draw 5 cards — this is their hand for the next turn. If the player's deck is empty and the player has to draw more cards, they shuffle their discard pile and form a new deck from it.

When a player finishes their turn, the next player in clockwise order takes their turn.

End of the Game

When the last token is taken from the Honor Pool, players finish playing the current round, after which the game ends (once the last player in turn order has taken their turn). This means that over the course of the game all players will take the same number of turns. Players may still gain Honor Points even when there are no tokens left in the Honor Pool. In that case, use the additional Honor tokens set aside in the box at the start of the game.

Besides Honor tokens, acquired cards also provide Honor Points. The number inside the Honor symbol in the lower left corner of a card indicates how many Honor Points the card is worth at the end of the game.

At the end of the game each player totals the Honor Points from all of their acquired Hero and Construct cards (in hand, in their deck, in their discard pile and Constructs in play) and all of the Honor tokens they collected during the game. The player who has earned the most Honor Points wins the game!

In case of a tie, the tied player who took a turn most recently wins.

Glossary

Banish. When a card is banished, put it into the Void. Apprentice and Militia cards are put back into the box, and Mystic and Heavy Infantry cards onto the appropriate stacks, instead of into the Void.

Constructs. A Construct card played from hand stays in play; it is not put into the discard pile. While it is in play, the player may use its effect on each of their turns.

Control. A player controls a Construct when it is in play, that is, when it is in front of them, regardless of the turn on which they played it. A player does not control a Construct if they have it in hand, in their deck or in their discard pile.

Destroy. When a card is destroyed, the player puts it into their discard pile. This effect usually refers to Construct cards in play.

Enlightened. One of the 4 main factions. The cards of this faction are blue.

Heroes. When a player plays a Hero card from their hand, they immediately resolve that card's effect.

Honor. Honor Points determine the winner. At the end of the game each player totals the Honor Points from their Honor tokens and from all of the cards they acquired. The player with the most Honor Points wins the game.

Lifebound. One of the 4 main factions. The cards of this faction are green.

Mechana. One of the 4 main factions. The cards of this faction are brown.

Monsters. Players may defeat Monsters from the Center Row by spending Power. When a player defeats a Monster, they put the defeated Monster card into the Void and gain the reward shown on the card.

Power. Power is a resource that can be spent to defeat Monsters and in this way earn rewards.

Reward. When a player defeats a Monster, they gain the reward shown, usually in the form of Honor Points.

Runes. Runes are a resource that can be spent to acquire Hero and Construct cards.

Unite. An additional effect on some cards that is activated when a Hero card of the same faction is played.

Void (faction). One of the 4 main factions. The cards of this faction are purple.

Void (pile). The space on the board where banished cards are put. Defeated Monster cards from the Center Row are also put into the Void.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the order of steps after defeating a Monster from the Center Row?

When you defeat a Monster from the Center Row, first put that Monster's card into the Void. Then refill the empty space in the Center Row with the top card of the Center Deck. Finally, you gain the reward shown on the defeated Monster's card.

What happens when I defeat the Cultist? How many times can I defeat it?

The Cultist card stays in the "Always Available" area for the whole game. It is never put into the Void. On your turn you may defeat it any number of times, as long as you are able to pay the cost in Power. If, for example, you have gathered 8 Power on your turn, you may defeat the Cultist up to 4 times, gaining 1 Honor each time.

When I acquire a card, do I have to spend all my resources, or can I keep the surplus for later?

You may spend the Runes and Power you have gathered until the end of your turn. You may spend some of your resources to acquire or defeat a card and then, later in the same turn, spend the resources you have left. You only lose unspent resources at the end of the turn. If, for example, you played 2 Mystic cards from your hand, each providing 2 Runes, you may first acquire a Hero card costing 3 Runes and later another Hero card costing 1 Rune.

When there are no tokens left in the Honor Pool, can I still gain Honor Points?

Yes. When the Honor Pool runs out it means the game will end shortly, but you can still earn more Honor Points! When the last Honor token is taken, play out the current round — in other words, play until the last player in turn order has taken their turn. You may still gain Honor Points even when there are no tokens left in the Honor Pool. In that case, use the additional Honor tokens set aside in the box at the start of the game.

What happens when all of the Mystic and Heavy Infantry cards have been acquired? Can they still be acquired some other way?

No. The number of available Mystic and Heavy Infantry cards is limited. Once they run out they can no longer be acquired. If, however, a Mystic or Heavy Infantry card is banished, it is put back on the appropriate stack instead of into the Void. This means it will be available again.

What happens if a card leaves the Center Row and another effect has to be resolved at the same time?

Every time a card leaves the Center Row, immediately refill the empty space with the top card of the Center Deck. Whenever a player makes a decision, or an effect is resolved, the Center Row should be full.

Can I use "once per turn" effects on another player's turn?

No. You may use the effects of Constructs you control only on your own turn.

Do I have to use the "once per turn" effects of my Construct cards at the same moment their conditions are met?

No. If you meet the conditions stated on the Construct card, you may resolve its effect at any moment during your turn. If, for example, you control The All-Seeing Eye, you do not have to draw a card at the start of your turn.

Can I play an Apprentice card to gain a Rune and then banish that card using Void Initiate or Arbiter of the Precipice?

No. Hero cards played on the current turn are no longer in your hand. They stay face up in front of you until the end of the turn, after which you put them into your discard pile. If you want to banish a card from your hand, you cannot play it and resolve its effect.

What happens if my opponent defeats Sea Tyrant and I control only 1 Construct?

You may keep that Construct.

What happens to the cards gained as the reward for defeating Xeron, Duke of Lies? Do I keep them permanently? Do the opponents draw new cards?

The player who defeated Xeron takes 1 card at random from each opponent's hand and adds those cards to their own hand. From that moment until the end of the game they are that player's cards and may be played on their turns. The players whose cards were taken do not draw new cards.

Do you have questions about strategy and gameplay in Ascension™? Are you wondering what happens when you combine this set with other cards and expansions? You will find more information in the official Ascension™ FAQ at www.stoneblade.com/faq.

Solo Variant

The rules of the 1-player game are presented below.

• Place Honor tokens with a total value of 50 points in the Honor Pool.
• Lay out 6 cards in the Center Row and take your turns as in the multiplayer game.
• Every time a card leaves the Center Row, slide the remaining cards to the right and then refill the empty space on the left with a card from the Center Deck.
• After each of your turns, the opponent — the villain, Samael — takes a turn. Samael acquires or defeats the 2 cards of the Center Row that are furthest to the right.
• Set all cards acquired by Samael aside. At the end of the game you will include them when counting the Honor Points Samael earned.
• Put all Monsters defeated by Samael into the Void. Samael gains the rewards indicated in the form of Honor Points. Ignore all other rewards for defeating Monsters.
• Keep taking turns alternately with Samael until the last token is taken from the Honor Pool. At the end of the turn in which this happens, compare the number of Honor Points earned by you and by Samael. If you have earned more, you win!

Credits

Author of Ascension™: Justin Gary

Design and development: Brian Kibler, Gary Arant, Rob Dougherty, Ryan Sutherland, Jared Saramago, Jason Zila, John Fiorillo, Ryan O'Connor, Ian Estrin, Jeff Liu, Dave Baumgartner, Steve Terry, Will Garner, Darwin Kastle, Pete Baumgartner

Project managers: Gary Arant, Mataio Wilson, George Rockwell III

Creative director: George Rockwell III

Graphic design: Denver Miller III, Jessica Eyler

Card illustrations: Peter Klijn, Rod Mendez, Aaron Nakahara, Jakub Rebelka, Kristen Maslanka

Creative development: George Rockwell III, Justin Gary

PR: Bryan Hughes