Gimme Games: Ascension: The Deck Building Game

My recent forays into game design pulled up a rather interesting phenomenon that I had missed in my several year hiatus. Deck building games (DBGs). Starting with Dominion in 2008 and still going strong, DBGs take the traditional model of Collectible Card Games (CCGs) and flip it on it's head. DBGs don't start with players having their own individualized decks of playing cards, instead the point of the game is to build that deck, from a set (or several sets) of standardized cards. 

Ascension came on the scene back in 2010 and has had many expansions since then, and is still going strong. With the next expansion coming out June 2014 I see no heralds to its demise. After much deliberation, I picked up the Apprentice Edition at my local game store, the Kingston Gaming Nexus, and cracked it open as soon as I got home. Let me say, I was not disappointed in my purchase.

The Apprentice Edition is a two player starter set of the game, and came in around $13. It has everything you need for two players to begin the game. It includes 110 cards, 30 Honor tokens and the game mat/rules sheet. My first impression of the game was positive. I love the art, the cards feel sturdy and are easy to read. My main gripes were that the cards are very slick (leading to them sliding all over the place) and that the rules sheet is printed on the back of the game mat (meaning you can't reference it while playing).

The rules are clearly written with plenty of pictures to illustrate the points being made. Frankly, I think this is the easiest game to learn that I ave played in a very long time, thanks to the rules set up and simplicity. The mat printed on the reverse side is also very well done, if a bit busy. It has rules references across the board. One could probably figure out the majority of the game from the game mat alone. It tells you (facing each player) the purpose of the 'center row', what to do on and at the end of your turn, what each of the three main symbols stands for, which way up to place your deck and discards, as well as information about the honor pool, the void, always available cards and what cards to discard when.

The cards are split into three colour classes, White, Grey and Black. White cards are not worth Honor and form your starting deck. Grey cards are always available to acquire or 'banish'. Black cards are monsters, heroes and constructs available to be banished or acquired as they are turned over. 

As for the art, it is all beautifully done in a pencil art style. The cards show a nice unity of creation, especially since all the art work is done by one artist. The cards themselves are relatively unambiguous in their layout, though some starting players can confuse the cost to be paid with the benefit received. Other than that one small issue the cards are clear and easy to read with any confusing text being immediately explained. The flavour text is unobtrusive- perhaps too much so as it can be hard to notice on cards with longer effects.

The Honor tokens are split, with half being one point honor tokens and the other half five points. In this set they are printed cardboard chits, however in larger sets are actually plastic gems. I believe I prefer the chits myself, as they have the number worth printed on them, however the lure of pieces that look like shiny gems is undeniable.

As for game play, the game is played (like all DBGs) by building your deck larger, and attempting to capture the most honor. You acquire honor by buying Heroes and Constructs to put in your deck and banishing Monsters. These heroes, constructs and monsters come from the center row and the always available cards. You acquire Heroes by collecting Runes from your hand, and defeat Monsters by collecting Power. As cards are removed from the center row, new cards fill the gaps from the Portal deck, opening up new options. Each time your deck runs out of cards you shuffle your discarded cards and start a new deck, essentially folding in the new cards you have acquired with the old ones you have used. 

The game plays quickly with turns taking less than a minute, and the whole game lasting about thirty. It is quick to set up, especially thanks to the game mat and distinctly colour-coded cards. The longest individual part of the game is probably scoring, which requires only simple addition. The player with the most honor, from chits and deck wins! 

Two final notes: while it is possible that the bigger sets of Ascension go further in depth as to the story of the game, don't expect too much exposition from the Apprentice Edition. It does not adequately explain the storyline of the game or the setting. If you are looking for a game to tell a story with, this may not be the game for you.
The second thing is there is a free app of this game in the iOS store here, letting you try the first set of the game with no risk. All other sets of the game are available for purchase within the app itself.

All in all Ascension is a very fast-paced enjoyable fantasy card game that is easy to teach and easier to learn. If you're looking for a quick and cheap in to discover the world of deck building games, I think I've found your answer!