Ascension: Deckbuilding Game
Ascension: Deckbuilding Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
Each turn, you will play cards from your hand to gain Runes, Power, or other effects (like drawing cards). You can spend Runes to acquire new cards for your deck. Power is used to defeat Monsters, which earns you Honor and other rewards. The cards you have available and Monsters you can fight are constantly changing, so you always have different decisions to make!
Contents/Setup
- 1 Game Board
- 50 Beads:
- 25 Small 1 Honor clear tokens
- 25 Large 5 Honor red tokens
- 200 Cards:
- 4 Personal starting decks, each containing 8 Apprentice and 2 Militia cards
- 60 "Always Available" cards:
- 1 Cultist
- 30 Mystics
- 29 Heavy Infantry
- 100 Center Deck cards
Each player has a personal deck consisting of eight Apprentice and two Militia cards.
Each player shuffles his or her deck and draws five cards (leaving five cards in his or her deck).
Take the Heavy Infantry, Mystic, and Cultist cards and set them to the side in reach of all players. These cards represent characters in your kingdom and are always available to be acquired or defeated on your turn.
Shuffle all of the other cards face down to form the Center Deck.
From the Center Deck, flip six cards face up in a row between all players. This forms the Center Row.
Place the Center Deck on one side of the Center Row.
Reserve space on the other side of the Center Row for the Void. When a Monster in the Center Row is defeated or any other card is banished, it goes to the Void.
Place 30 Honor tokens on the table for each player. Large red Honor tokens are worth 5 points. Small clear Honor tokens are worth 1 point.
| Players | Honor |
|---|---|
| 2 Players | 60 Honor |
| 3 Players | 90 Honor |
| 4 Players | 120 Honor |
Randomly determine which player goes first.
Layout
The play area is arranged as follows:
- Mystic, Heavy Infantry, and Cultist — the three "Always Available" stacks, set to the side within reach of all players.
- Center Row — six face-up cards flipped from the Center Deck.
- Center Deck — placed on one side of the Center Row.
- Void (reserved) — space on the other side of the Center Row for defeated Monsters and banished cards.
- Honor Tokens — the pool of small clear (1 Honor) and large red (5 Honor) tokens.
- Personal Deck (10 cards: 8 Apprentice, 2 Militia) — after shuffling and drawing, this is the Starting Hand (5 cards) and the Personal Deck (remaining 5 cards).
Heroes
Anatomy of a Hero card (example: Arha Templar, an Enlightened Hero costing 4 Runes, worth 3 Honor, with the effect "Defeat a Monster that has 4 Power or less without paying its cost." and the flavor text "Sharpen the mind, and the sword will follow."):
- Name — the card's name.
- Cost — Number of Runes you must spend to acquire this card.
- Faction — There are 4 different factions in Ascension — Mechana, Void, Lifebound and Enlightened — each representing one of the worlds coming to your aid in battle.
- Effect — What the Hero does when you play it.
- Honor — How much Honor this card is worth. At the end of the game the player with the most total Honor from their cards and tokens wins the game.
- Flavor Text — Each faction has its own style of flavor text. Flavor text has no game effect.
- Expansion Symbol — The color of the symbol tells you how many copies of the card are in the deck.
- Gold = UNIQUE
- White = THREE COPIES
- Blue = TWO COPIES
- Red = FOUR COPIES
Heroes are the champions you acquire to aid you in your quest to save the realm of Vigil. You can play any number of Hero cards from your hand each turn. When you play a Hero from your hand, you gain the effect listed on the card. It stays in front of you until the end of the turn, and then it goes to your discard pile.
Constructs
Anatomy of a Construct card (example: Rocket Courier X-99, a Mechana Construct costing 4 Runes, worth 4 Honor, with the effect "Once per turn, when you acquire another Mechana Construct, you may put it directly into play."):
- Name — the card's name.
- Cost — Number of Runes you must spend to acquire this card.
- Faction — There are 4 different factions in Ascension — Mechana, Void, Lifebound and Enlightened — each representing one of the worlds coming to your aid in battle.
- Effect — What the Construct does each turn it is in play.
- Honor — How much Honor this card is worth. At the end of the game the player with the most total Honor from their cards and tokens wins the game.
- Flavor Text — Each faction has its own style of flavor text. Flavor text has no game effect.
- Expansion Symbol — The color of the symbol tells you how many copies of the card are in the deck.
- Gold = UNIQUE
- White = THREE COPIES
- Blue = TWO COPIES
- Red = FOUR COPIES
Constructs are the many weapons, magical items, and fantastical devices you may acquire to use in your battles. Unlike Heroes, when you play a Construct, it stays in play and continues to help you turn after turn. You can play any number of Construct cards from your hand each turn. You can use a Construct's effect only on your turn, including the turn you play it.
Monsters
Anatomy of a Monster card (example: Earth Tyrant, a Monster with 6 Power and the reward "Gain 5 Honor. Draw two cards."):
- Name — the card's name.
- Power — How much Power you must spend to defeat this Monster.
- Reward — What you get and/or penalties your opponents suffer when you defeat this Monster.
- Expansion Symbol — The color of the symbol tells you how many copies of the card are in the deck.
- Gold = UNIQUE
- White = THREE COPIES
- Blue = TWO COPIES
- Red = FOUR COPIES
Monsters are the minions of the Fallen One that are trying to break through and destroy your world of Vigil. Defeating Monsters gives you rewards, including Honor, which is the victory condition of Ascension. When you earn Honor for defeating a Monster, simply collect the appropriate number of Honor tokens and place them in front of you.
Gameplay
General Rules
At any time, if your personal deck is empty and you need to draw a card or reveal a card from the top of your deck, reshuffle the discard pile to replenish your deck. If the Center Deck runs out, reshuffle the Void to replenish it.
Hero cards played during your turn go into the discard pile at the end of your turn. (In other words, don't reshuffle Hero cards you've played this turn if you need to reshuffle your discard pile in the middle of your turn.)
Cards you acquire during your turn are placed in your discard pile.
Whenever a card leaves the Center Row, replace it immediately from the Center Deck. This happens before anything else occurs. Any time a player is making a decision, there should be six cards in the Center Row.
Many cards will have text that contradicts these rules. If card text ever contradicts the rules, follow the card text instead.
Turn Breakdown
- Play cards from your hand to gain Runes, Power, and Honor. Acquire Heroes and Constructs and put them in your discard pile for future turns. Defeat Monsters for rewards and Honor.
- Place played Hero cards in your discard pile after you are done acquiring and defeating cards.
- Draw five cards from your personal deck.
To play a Hero card from your hand, simply place the card face up in front of you, announce its effect, and follow the instructions on the card. Any Runes or Power gained remain available until the end of the turn unless spent. You do not have to pay any costs to play Heroes from your hand.
Example – Wolf Shaman says "Gain 1 Rune. Draw a card." When you play Wolf Shaman, you draw the card and gain the 1 Rune immediately, but you can wait until later in the turn to decide how to spend your Rune.
Constructs are played just like Heroes, except Constructs remain in play and can be used every turn. If a Construct has multiple abilities, each one may be used once per turn.
Example – Yggdrasil Staff says "Once per turn, gain 1 Power. Once per turn, you may spend 4 Runes to gain 3 Honor." You may choose to gain 1 Power at the beginning of your turn and may still spend 4 Runes to gain 3 Honor at any point later in your turn.
Acquiring Heroes and Constructs
You need Runes to acquire Heroes and Constructs. Runes come from Heroes played from your hand or from Constructs you have in play. You may acquire any number of cards as long as you have enough Runes. To find out how many Runes you get from a card, look in the text box of the card. If a card provides Runes, there will be a Rune symbol with a number.
Landtalker costs six Runes to acquire. You can get three Runes from playing it (its Lifebound Hero text box reads "Gain 3 Runes.").
You may acquire any Hero or Construct in the Center Row as well as Mystics and Heavy Infantry, which are Always Available. When you acquire a card, place it in your discard pile and replace the card in the Center Row.
Defeating Monsters
To defeat a Monster, a player must have enough Power (generated by cards with a Power icon in their text box — e.g., Heavy Infantry). A card's Power is found in its game text box. Cards that generate Power will have a Power Icon with a number.
The Defeat Cost of a Monster is listed in the upper-right corner of the card. This cost has a Power Icon behind it.
When you defeat a Monster, you gain a Reward. Most rewards include Honor, and how much Honor you gain is equal to the number indicated on the Honor symbol (a star). If the Monster has another effect as part of its reward, that effect occurs immediately after the card is replaced in the Center Row.
After defeating a Monster, place it in the Void and replace it in the Center Row. You may defeat any number of Monsters as long as you have enough Power.
Mephit requires 3 Power to defeat. Heavy Infantry generates 2 Power.
Ending Your Turn
After you are done playing cards from your hand, acquiring Heroes and Constructs, and defeating Monsters, place any remaining cards in your hand and any Heroes played during your turn into your discard pile. You lose all unspent Runes and Power.
Draw five cards to replenish your hand. If you run out of cards in your deck and need to draw more, simply reshuffle your discard pile into your deck. When you end your turn, play passes clockwise around the table.
Game End
The game ends when a certain amount of Honor has been earned, depending on the number of players.
- Two Players = 60 Honor
- Three Players = 90 Honor
- Four Players = 120 Honor
Set this much Honor aside in Honor tokens before starting the game. When the final Honor token is earned, the game ends at the end of the current round (after the last player to start the game takes a turn). Thus, each player will play the same number of turns during the course of the game. Players can still gain Honor even when the set number of Honor tokens is gone. Use additional Honor tokens left over to track any Honor earned by players before the game ends.
Cards in each player's deck are also worth Honor, indicated by the number in the Honor symbol (a star) on the bottom, left-hand corner of the card. When the game is over, count the Honor from Heroes and Constructs (this includes your hand, deck, discard pile, and played Constructs), along with all Honor tokens acquired during the game. The player with the most total Honor is the winner!
If multiple players have the same number of Honor Points, the last player to start wins (i.e., the starting player loses all ties, the second player loses to third and fourth, etc.).
Gameplay Variants
Team Play
Number of Players: 4 (in teams of 2)
Rules:
- Set aside 30 Honor tokens per player.
- Teammates sit across from one other.
- Your teammate is not harmed by the rewards from any Monsters you defeat (e.g. if you defeat a Sea Tyrant, your teammate does not lose any Constructs).
- You may spend one additional Rune when you acquire a card to add that card to your teammate's deck instead of yours.
- At the end of the game, combine your Honor total with that of your teammate's to determine the winning team!
Solitaire
Number of Players: 1
Rules:
- Set aside 50 Honor tokens.
- Lay out the Center Row as normal, but whenever a card leaves the Center Row, the replacement card always enters on the left-hand side and the remaining cards slide over to the right.
- You take the first turn of the game. At the end of each of your turns, Samael is considered to acquire or defeat the two cards furthest to the right in the Center Row.
- All cards acquired by Samael are set aside and only used to determine its Honor total at the end of the game.
- Any Monsters defeated go to the Void, and Samael receives any Honor from their reward. All other effects are ignored.
- Continue playing this way until the last Honor token is gone, then compare your score to the total Honor earned by Samael. If you have more Honor, you win!
Glossary
Heroes: Heroes are the champions you can acquire to aid you in your quest to save the realm of Vigil. When you play a Hero from your hand, you gain the effect listed on the card, and then it goes to your discard pile at the end of your turn.
Constructs: Constructs are the many weapons, magical items, and fantastical devices you may acquire to use in your battles. After you play a Construct from your hand, you can gain an effect from it every turn it remains in play.
Monsters: Monsters are the minions of the Fallen One that are trying to break through and destroy your world. Defeating Monsters gives you rewards, including Honor that wins you the game.
Runes: Runes are one of the two main resources in the world of Ascension. Runes are used to acquire Heroes and Constructs so you can add them to your deck.
Power: Power is the second resource in Ascension. Power is used to defeat Monsters and earn rewards.
Honor: Honor is the key to victory in Ascension. Whoever earns the most Honor wins the game.
Banish: When a card is banished, it is placed in the Void pile. Defeated Monsters are also banished to the Void. Players cannot interact with anything in the Void unless they have cards that allow them to do so. Banishing weaker cards like Apprentices and Militia from your personal deck can increase your chances of drawing more powerful cards that you acquire during the game.
Always Available cards and starting deck cards do not go to the Void when banished. Starting deck cards are set aside outside the game and always available cards are put back in their appropriate Always Available zone when banished.
Destroy: Destroy means to put into the discard pile from play and generally refers to Constructs.
F.A.Q.
General Rules Questions
Q: When does a card in the center row get replaced? If I defeat Mephit, do I banish a card in the center row before or after a new card replaces the Mephit? A: Whenever a card leaves the center row, the first thing that happens is that it is replaced from the center deck. There should be six cards in the center row at all times. In this instance, if you defeat Mephit, you replace the Mephit from the center deck and then make your decision about what card to banish.
Q: What happens when I defeat the Cultist? Does he go to the Void? If not, can I defeat the Cultist more than once in a turn? A: The Cultist remains in the always available area for the entire game – he is never banished to the Void. You may defeat the Cultist as many times as you can afford. For example, if you have eight Power, you may defeat the Cultist four times. There are a whole lot of Cultists in the world!
Q: What happens when all of the Honor tokens are gone? Can I earn more Honor? A: The Honor tokens running out signals that the game is going to end, but you can still earn more Honor from the reserve. The game ends at the end of the series of turns when the final Honor token is taken from the pool. That means that the player who took the last turn in the first series of turns always gets the last turn of the game. For example, if Player 1 went first, Player 2 went second, and Player 3 went third, and Player 2 takes the last honor token from the pool on his turn, Player 3 will get another turn, but Player 1 will not.
Q: How does Tablet of Time's Dawn work? Do I get another turn if I banish it from the center row? What happens if I use it on the last turn of the game? A: Tablet of Time's Dawn gives a player another turn if they banish it while they have it in play. You don't have to banish it the turn you play it – you can keep it in play until you decide to use it, but you can only use it during your own turn. If you have the final turn of the game and you banish the Tablet, you still get an additional turn. Any time a card's effect seems to contradict the rules of the game, follow the instructions on the card instead.
Q: Can I use a Mystic with Druids of the Stone Circle to acquire a Hero that costs five runes? What about Arha Templar and power? A: Cards like Druids of the Stone Circle and Arha Templar can only be used to acquire or defeat Heroes or Monsters with the listed costs. They cannot be used together with other cards for additional effect.
Q: What happens if I run out of Heavy Infantry or Mystic cards? Can we buy more somehow? A: There is a limited supply of Heavy Infantry and Mystics. Once they run out, no player can acquire more of them.
Q: Can I use an Apprentice to gain a Rune and then banish it with a Void Initiate? A: No, cards you play remain face up in front of you until the end of your turn and only then go to your discard pile. If you want to banish a card from your hand, you won't be able to get the effect from it first.
Q: Do Constructs I have in play count toward my Honor total at the end of the game? A: All cards you have acquired over the course of a game, except those that have been banished or otherwise left your deck, count toward your honor total. This includes cards in your hand and deck and Constructs in play.
Q: What happens to the cards a player takes with Xeron, Duke of Lies? Does that player keep them permanently? Do the other players get to draw a new card to replace the card that got taken? A: When a player defeated Xeron, he takes a card at random from each opponent's hand and adds it to his own hand. The player can use those cards that turn, and they remain in his deck for the rest of the game. The other players do not get to replace their lost card.
Timing
When multiple things are supposed to happen "immediately", in what order do they happen?
Effects resolve in the following order:
- The Center Row card is acquired and goes to your discard pile, or defeated and put in the Void.
- Replace cards in the Center Row until there are six cards in the Center Row from the Center Deck moving outward.
- Get Monster rewards.
- Resolve anything that triggered off of defeating or acquiring the card/cards in the Center Row. (e.g. Voidthirster)
Banishing
If I banish a card from my hand, may I still use it to gain its effect?
No. You get a card's effect when you play that card. Once you play it, it's no longer in your hand.
Where do Always Available and starting deck cards go when they're banished from my deck?
Always Available cards (Mystic, Heavy Infantry, Cultist) go back to the Always Available Zone when they are banished. When you banish cards from your starting deck, remove those cards from the game. They don't get shuffled into the Void.
Credits
Lead Game Design: Justin Gary
Lead Game Development: John Fiorillo
Additional Game Design / Development: Brian Kibler, Rob Dougherty, Ryan O'Connor, Ian Estrin, Dave Baumgartner, Steve Terry, Will Garner, Darwin Kastle, Pete Baumgartner, Jake Woods
Playtesting: Stan! Brown, Hyrum Savage, Ed Fear, Brian Schneider, Cate Gary, Emily Zaehring, Ben Stoll, Mike Rosenberg, Danny Mandel, Rada Rudyak, Niko White, John Orthoefer, Kaile Dutton, Jon Gary, George Gary, Steve Gary
Website and Marketing: Ryan O'Connor
Graphic Design Lead: Geordie Tait
Additional Graphic Design: Ryan O'Connor, Kaile Dutton
Card Art: Eric Sabee
Creative Director: Geordie Tait
IP Development Lead: Justin Gary
IP Development Team: Geordie Tait, Eric Sabee, Greg Wilson
Flavor Text: Geordie Tait, Greg Wilson
Project Management Lead: Rob Dougherty
Project Management Support: Ian Estrin
Secretary of Keeping It Real: John Fiorillo
Minister of Propaganda: Brian Kibler
Rulebook: Justin Gary, John Fiorillo, Brian Kibler, Emily Zaehring
Editing: Cate Gary
Special Thanks: To family and friends for all of their support and kindness. None of this would be possible without you.