Deck-building games are a relatively new way to play card games. Players start with a base deck of cards and acquire more cards throughout the game, making the deck more powerful and interesting. Ascension the deck-building game for two to four players offers a fantasy-themed quest for honor points by defeating monsters, hiring powerful heroes and gaining magical constructs.
Each player begins with the same deck of cards and draws five cards to form a hand. From this hand of cards, a player can purchase new heroes and magical constructs or defeat monsters displayed on a central row on the table. Defeated monsters go to a discard pile but grant honor points and special abilities. Hero and construct cards get added to a player’s deck and can be used on later turns to buy better cards and defeat more powerful monsters.
The fun behind Ascension is the building of a customized deck that can meet any threat and purchase any available card on the table. However, some cards are good for defeating monsters and some are good for acquiring heroes and constructs. There are many exciting decisions to make while constructing a deck of cards.
To win the game, a player needs to acquire a certain number of honor points. These points are gained in a variety of ways by defeating monsters, acquiring certain sets of cards and combining cards at the right time.
The cool thing about Ascension is the expandable nature of the game. There are seven expansions currently released, and they can be combined or played separately. For this review, I also took a look at Ascension: Dawn of Champions. It features all new cards and some exciting new twists.
In Ascension: Dawn of Champions players now have a powerful champion (think of a super version of a hero) on their side that allows them to break the rules and use amazing abilities. Champions are not part of a deck but always remain in play on a player’s side.
Champions also start play without any powers, but by performing certain actions, reputation is gained and the champion’s abilities become unlocked and ready to use. Players are still seeking honor points to win, but managing a champion adds variety and new powers that can alter the game.
Each Ascension game comes with solid components. Little red and white jewels are used to track honor points and the card quality is good, featuring a glossy finish and durable paper stock. The artwork in the game is unique, depicting an ethereal world with dreamlike shapes and strokes. It goes well with the fantasy theme.
Ascension is a decent game that offers players a fun experience, lasting about an hour, at the game table. The expandable nature of the game is a plus and keeps interest as new rules and cards are added into the mix. The rules are easy to learn and the play is not too complicated. However, this is not my favorite deck-building game on the market because I enjoy more complexity, but it does rank in the top tier. Find out more at ascensiongame.com.