
It brings another layer of strategy to the game as you’re not only picking up cards you think will help, but trying to plan ahead (while playing) to how you might use them later. So even as you get better and better cards, knowing when they’ll show up in your hand is still up to chance. It’s still a deckbuilder, so you are using your hand to buy up cards from the middle, which are immediately shuffled up into your personal discard pile for later use. The game keeps it’s premise simple, and conveys that through the included rulebook. Even so, we were able to get through a few matches relatively easy and have a bunch of fun doing it. Neither of us have ever touched the franchise, nor know anything about the lore behind it. Thankfully, my older kids are big enough now to understand and join with me, so I grabbed my son to help me test out Eternal. I love card games but rarely have the time to play them…or anyone to play them with. Having from from some card games that damn near required a magnifying glass to read, this was nice to see as I opened the box up. The text and mechanics displayed on the cards are easy to read and follow along. Even better, the cards themselves aren’t overly complicated/packed with text that compresses or overshadows the art itself. The artwork on the cards is stellar, capturing that high-fantasy feel that harkens back to classic card games, while feeling distinctly itself.

Right off the bat, it’s a gorgeous looking game. Just use the deck that comes with it, lay out the board, and get to playing. This allows each player plenty of opportunity to feel like they can take their time and learn without holding up the whole experience and other players.Įverything you need to play the game are included in the box, so you don’t even have to worry about the many other expansions that are out there right now. This is only a two-player game (unlike the core game that can accommodate up to 4 players) which keeps things moving along at a brisk pace. I hate to say it’s a more simplified version of the game, but that’s essentially what Eternal boils down to. With all that, it might seem really difficult for someone new to jump into it all. These have vastly expanded on the game’s world and lore, while adding new options to keep things feel fresh. Though it launched back in 2011 (just a scant 10 years ago), Ascension has quickly proven itself to be among the best of the genre and has grown to encompass 12 expansions. With a deckbuilder, however, it’s happening right as you play so there’s no need to pre-strategize or worry if you’ve left out something necessary in your deck. If you build the deck wrong, you could be missing out on crucial things you’ll need to simply progress normally.
#Ascension board game version how to#
I mean, with Magic The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokemon, or just about any other Trading Card Game, you pretty much have to build out your deck already knowing the basics of the game and how to play. I love the overall idea of them, and by their very nature feel significantly more accessible than other card games out there. This allows you to turn your accrued forces against various creatures (though not each other as is the case in other games like this). As the turns keep coming, your personal deck and options, become more robust. Players start out with the same “hand” of cards and use their turns to acquire BETTER cards from a communal deck.

Game Basics Developer: Stoneblade Entertainment Players: 1 – 2 (and aged 10+) Release Date: Available Now Purchase : Rather than starting out with massive decks you build out ahead of time-planning for eventualities to beat out your opponent-you have to do it on the fly. If you’re not as familiar with the deckbuilding genre, it’s very similar to most other tabletop card games ( Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, etc) except in reverse.
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Thankfully, Ascension: Eternal is here to ease you into the franchise while being a lot of fun along the way. After getting some quality hands-on time with Ascension: Eternal, I’m sold on the new deckbuilding game that’s perfect for beginners.ĭeck building games can feel daunting to get into, especially one that’s been around for a decade already.
