Ascension: Valley of the Ancients
Ascension: Valley of the Ancients Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
New in Ascension: Valley of the Ancients
In Ascension: Valley of the Ancients, players compete with one another to maintain control over powerful Temple cards. There are three different Temples that players can control—the Temple of Life, the Temple of Death and the ultimate Temple of Immortality.
Temples
When the game starts, place all three Temples below the center row, out of any player's control. To gain control of the Temple of Life, a player must spend a Life Keystone and to gain control of the the Temple of Death, a player must spend a Death Keystone. You can only gain control of the Temple of Immortality by using the abilities of the Temple of Life or the Temple of Death. You may still maintain control of the Temple of Immortality even if you lose control of the other Temples.
When a player gains control of a Temple by paying its Keystone cost, that player puts the Temple in front of them. At the end of a game, if a player controls a Temple, that Temple's star value is added to their score. Players can steal Temples from each other, so be sure to make the most of your time controlling them!
Temple of Life (Temple, star value 5): Life Keystone: Gain control of the Temple of Immortality. Gain 2 Void. Life finds a way.
Temple of Immortality (Temple, star value 10): Once per turn, choose a faction. When you acquire a card of that faction, if the next card to enter the center row is also that faction, acquire it without paying its cost.
Temple of Death (Temple, star value 5): Death Keystone: Gain control of the Temple of Immortality. You may banish a card in your hand or discard pile. Death is eternal.
Cost — the Keystone used to gain control of a Temple.
Effect — what a Temple's card does while under a player's control.
Keystones
Keystones are a new resource in Ascension: Valley of the Ancients. Keystones work similarly to other resources, like runes and power, but are used to acquire and activate Temples. When a card gives a player a Keystone, the player can use the Keystone to gain control of the corresponding Temple. If a player already has a Temple, the player can use the appropriate Keystone to activate the ability of their Temple and gain control of the Temple of Immortality.
Death Keystone: When you gain a Death Keystone, you may spend it to take one of the following actions:
- Gain control of the Temple of Death. If another player already controls it, you may take it from them.
- If you already control the Temple of Death, gain control of the Temple of Immortality and you may banish a card from your hand or discard pile.
- If you already control the Temple of Death and the Temple of Immortality, you may banish a card from your hand or discard pile.
Life Keystone: When you gain a Life Keystone, you may spend it to take one of the following actions:
- Gain control of the Temple of Life. If another player already controls it, you may take it from them.
- If you already control the Temple of Life, gain control of the Temple of Immortality and gain 2 runes.
- If you already control the Temple of Death and the Temple of Immortality, gain 2 runes.
New Keywords
Echo Cards with Echo have additional effects that occur if the player has cards in their discard pile that share the same faction as the Echo card.
Serenity Cards with Serenity have additional effects that occur if the player has no cards in their discard pile.
Reminder: Cards acquired during your turn immediately go to your discard pile (potentially turning on Echo effects, or turning off Serenity effects), but cards played during the turn do not go to your discard pile until the end of the turn.
Center Row Effects
Some cards in the center deck feature a new black border with yellow lightning. Cards with this border have effects that are active while they are in the center row. The effects usually relate to a change in how a card is acquired, so make sure to read the card carefully when you see one in the center row.
Example: Tyranyx, the Pillager (Mechana Construct, cost 7) — You may spend power in addition to runes to acquire this. You may spend power in addition to runes to acquire Mechana Constructs.
Getting Started
In Ascension: Valley of the Ancients, players fight for control of three ancient Temples. Starting with a small group of loyal but untrained followers, you acquire mighty Heroes and powerful Constructs to aid you in your quest to defeat evil Monsters and achieve victory.
Each turn, you will play cards to gain resources. These resources will allow you to acquire new Heroes and Constructs for your deck and defeat Monsters to earn rewards. At the end of the game, the player with the most Honor from cards they have acquired and Monster rewards is the winner.
Contents
- 99 Center deck cards
- 4 Personal 10-card starting decks (8 Apprentice & 2 Militia)
- 41 Always available cards: 1 Cultist, 20 Mystic & 20 Heavy Infantry
- 3 Temple cards
- 1 Game board
- 25 Clear 1-Honor tokens
- 25 Red 5-Honor tokens
Setup
Ascension: Valley of the Ancients can be played with 2-4 players on its own and can support up to 6 players with additional expansions. Team and single-player variant rules can be found on page 14.
Each player has a white-bordered starting deck consisting of eight Apprentices and two Militias. Everyone shuffles their starting deck and draws five cards (leaving five cards in their deck).
Take the silver-bordered 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 black-bordered cards together 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, and reserve a space next to it for the void. When a Monster in the center row is defeated or any other card is banished, it goes to the void. (See "Game Layout" on Page 5).
Place 30 Honor tokens in the Honor pool for each player. Randomly determine which player goes first and proceed clockwise from there.
| Number of Players | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Honor Tokens | 60 | 90 | 120 |
Game Layout
The play area consists of: the Personal Deck (10 cards: 8 Apprentice & 2 Militia), split into a Starting Hand (5 cards) and the remaining 5 cards of the deck; the Center Row of six face-up cards; the Center Deck and the Void beside it; the Always Available Cards (Mystic, Heavy Infantry & Cultist); the three Temples (Temple of Life, Temple of Immortality, Temple of Death); and the Honor Pool.
Hero Cards
Heroes are the allies you acquire to aid you in your quest to protect the realm of New Vigil. You can play any number of Hero cards from your hand each turn. When you play a Hero from your hand, gain the effect listed on the card. It stays in front of you until the end of your turn, and then it goes to your discard pile.
Anatomy of a Hero card (example: Resourceful Trader, a Mechana Hero costing 2 Runes, worth 1 Honor, with the effect "Draw a card. The next time you acquire a Construct this turn, gain a Death Keystone." and the flavor text "You need a keystone? I can get you a keystone."):
- Name — the card's name.
- Cost — Number of Runes you must spend to acquire this card.
- Faction — There are four different factions: Enlightened, Lifebound, Mechana and Void.
- Effect — What the card does when played or in play.
- Honor — How much Honor this card is worth.
- Flavor Text — Flavor text has no game effect.
- Rarity & Set Icon — Each dot represents a copy of the card in the center deck.
Construct Cards
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. However, they can also be destroyed by card effects (usually on Monster cards). When a Construct is destroyed, it is placed into your discard pile from play.
Anatomy of a Construct card (example: Pathfinder's Totem, a Lifebound Construct costing 1 Rune, worth 1 Honor, with the effect "Unite: Once per turn, gain a rune. (Gain this effect if you have played a Lifebound Hero this turn.)" and the flavor text "There is no place you can venture that the pathfinders have not already called home."):
- Name — the card's name.
- Cost — Number of Runes you must spend to acquire this card.
- Faction — There are four different factions: Enlightened, Lifebound, Mechana and Void.
- Effect — What the card does when played or in play.
- Honor — How much Honor this card is worth.
- Flavor Text — Flavor text has no game effect.
- Rarity & Set Icon — Each dot represents a copy of the card in the center deck.
Monster Cards
Monsters represent the forces of evil that are trying to destroy the world of New Vigil. Whenever you defeat a Monster, banish it to the void and you get its reward immediately.
Defeating Monsters gives you rewards, including Honor, which is the victory condition of Ascension: Valley of the Ancients. When you earn Honor for defeating a Monster, simply collect the appropriate number of Honor tokens from the Honor Pool and place them in front of you.
Anatomy of a Monster card (example: Hurras, Sea's Fury, a Monster costing 7 Power to defeat, with the reward "Gain 4 Honor. Gain a Life Keystone and a Death Keystone." and the flavor text "Hurricanes borrow their name from the beast, an ancient demigod that wanders the seas."):
- Name — the card's name.
- Cost — Amount of Power you must spend to defeat this card.
- Reward — What this monster does when defeated.
- Flavor Text — Flavor text has no game effect.
- Rarity & Set Icon — Each dot represents a copy of the card in the center deck.
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 your 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, the center row should be full.
Many cards will have text that contradicts these rules. If card text ever contradicts these rules, follow the card text instead.
Turn Breakdown
- Play cards from your hand to gain Runes, Power, Honor, or a Keystone (Death or Life). Acquire Heroes and Constructs, and put them in your discard pile for future turns. Defeat Monsters for rewards and Honor. Use Keystones to gain control of Temples or activate them.
- Place played Hero cards and unplayed cards in your hand in your discard pile at the end of your turn.
- 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 choices required by the card must be made at that time and any conditionals must be met for additional effects, though any Runes, Power, Death Keystones, or Life Keystones generated can be spent until the end of your turn. You do not have to pay any costs to play Heroes from your hand.
Example: Qadim Scout says, "Gain 2 Runes and 2 Power." When you play Qadim Scout, you gain the Runes and Power immediately, but you do not have to spend them immediately.
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.
Example: Deranged Dirge says, "Once per turn, gain 1 Power. You may destroy this to banish a card in your hand or discard pile." You may choose to gain 1 Power at the beginning of your turn, and still use the second ability later in the same 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 icon with a number.
Sirewood Elder costs 3 Runes to acquire. A card that reads "Gain 2 Runes. Unite: Draw a card." gives you 2 Runes when you play it.
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 with the top card of the center deck.
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). The amount of Power a card generates is found in its game text box represented by the 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. 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.
The Cultist is always available to defeat and is never banished to the void. There is no limit to how many times you can defeat the Cultist in one turn.
Crypt Lurker requires 4 Power to defeat. Heavy Infantry generates 2 Power.
Banishing Cards
Some cards allow you to banish cards in either the center row or your own deck. When a card tells you to banish from the center row, put the card into the void, then place the top card of the center deck into the center row. If a card instructs you to banish multiple cards from the center row, place all of those cards into the void, then put that many cards from the center deck into the center row.
When a card tells you to banish a card in your hand and/or your discard pile, you may put a card from that zone into the void. If a card allows you to banish a card in your hand, you may not banish a card that you've already played that turn, as that card is no longer in your hand. Banishing your weaker cards allows you to draw your more powerful cards more frequently, so make sure to banish your Apprentice and Militia cards whenever you get the opportunity.
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, Power, Death Keystones, and Life Keystones.
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, based on the number of players.
| Number of Players | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Honor Tokens | 60 | 90 | 120 |
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 on the bottom left 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), Honor tokens acquired during the game, and Temples you control when the game ends. 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.).
F.A.Q.
Q: What do I do with cards like Jubilant Monk, Grave Golem, Blind Seer, Excavation Sentry, and Silenced Prophet when there are no cards left in my deck? A: First shuffle your deck and then continue with the card's effect.
Q: If I defeat Hellfrost Imps and another Hellfrost Imps enters the center row in its place, can I defeat it using the first Hellfrost Imps' reward? A: Yes. All cards in the center row must be replaced before the effects from acquiring and defeating cards in the center row are gained.
Q: Can I copy the effect of Isla, Serene Prodigy with a card like Twofold Askara even though it is no longer in play? A: Yes. Isla, Serene Prodigy is still an effect that can be copied, as it is a Hero you have played that turn.
Q: Do the Heroes I play during my turn go to my discard pile when I play them? A: No. Heroes you play during your turn do not go to your discard pile until the end of the turn.
Q: What happens when I defeat Grave Golem and my opponent reveals Isla, Serene Prodigy. Do I get to shuffle his Isla, Serene Prodigy into my deck? A: No. Isla, Serene Prodigy will stay in the opponent's discard pile, but you still gain the rest of the effect.
Q: If I play a card with Echo and don't have a Void card in my discard pile, but did previously that turn, do I get the Echo effect? A: No. Echo only checks at the moment you play the card.
Glossary
Banish: When a card is banished, it is placed in the void pile. 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.
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.
Destroy: Destroy means to put into the discard pile from play and generally refers to Constructs.
Echo: Cards with Echo have additional effects that occur if the player has cards in their discard pile that share the same faction as the Echo card.
Empowered: Cards with the Empowered keyword allow the player acquiring them to banish a card that they have played that turn as part of their acquisition.
Event: Events represent global effects that change the power structure of the world, and change the rules of the game for all players for as long as they remain in play.
Heroes: Heroes are the allies you can acquire to aid you in your quest to save the realm of New 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.
Honor: Honor is the key to victory in Ascension. Whoever earns the most Honor wins the game.
Monsters: Monsters are the minions of Deofol that are trying to conquer New Vigil. Defeating Monsters gives you rewards, including Honor that wins you the game.
Ongoing: After a card with Ongoing is acquired or defeated, it remains in front of you and its effect is permanent unless banished.
Power: Power is one of the two main resources in the world of Ascension. Power is used to defeat Monsters and earn rewards.
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.
Serenity: Cards with Serenity have additional effects that occur if the player has no cards in their discard pile.
Trophy: Trophy is an additional reward on some Monsters. When you defeat a Monster with a Trophy effect, gain the Honor reward immediately and put it face-up in play in front of you. You may banish it for its effect immediately or save it for a future turn.
Unite: Cards with the Unite keyword have additional effects that occur if you play them in the same turn as other Heroes that share the same faction.
Gameplay Variants
Team Rules (4-6 Players in teams of 2)
- 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 kill a Tectonic Thrasher, your teammate does not have to destroy a Construct they control).
- 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 Rules (1 Player)
- 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, the Cult is considered to acquire or defeat the two cards furthest to the right in the center row.
- All cards acquired by the Cult are set aside and only used to determine its Honor total at the end of the game.
- Any Monsters defeated by the cult go to the void, and the Cult 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 the Cult. If you have more Honor, you win!
Credits
Ascension Game Engine Design Justin Gary
Ascension: Valley of the Ancients Lead Design Ben Lundquist
Design & Development Team Justin Gary, Gary Arant, Ben Lundquist, Jason Zila
Creative Direction & Graphic Design Ryan O'Connor
Additional Graphic Design Peter Wocken
Card Art Aaron Nakahara, Eric Sabee, Rod Mendez, Nguyễn Huy Thiện