Ascension Tactics: Miniatures Deckbuilding Game (2022) Board Game

Ascension Tactics: Miniatures Deckbuilding Game is a board game released in 2022 by Stone Blade Entertainment. It combines elements of deckbuilding and miniatures gameplay in a fantasy setting. The game is designed for 1 to 4 players, with a recommended player count of 2 for the best experience. With a runtime of 45 to 90 minutes and an age recommendation of 10 and up, Ascension Tactics offers a strategic and immersive gaming experience.

Game Components of Ascension Tactics: Miniatures Deckbuilding Game

334 Cards: Including champion cards, construct cards, and other deck-building elements.

65 Battlefield Tiles: Used to create the game board.

45 Champion Standees: Representing the champions and monsters, though not actual miniatures.

24 Treasure Tokens: Providing various effects in combat.

17 Game Tokens: Used for tracking game state.

40 Honor Tokens: Essential for scoring.

Honor Token Bag: For storing and drawing honor tokens.

Gameboard: With pre-printed scenario setups.

Scenario Book: Featuring 12 scenarios with varying objectives and formats.

How To Setup Ascension Tactics: Miniatures Deckbuilding Game

Setup involves creating the game board using the battlefield tiles, dealing out starting cards to each player, and setting up the central card market. Players also need to place their champion standees on the board according to the chosen scenario. The scenario book provides detailed instructions for each specific scenario, ensuring a varied and dynamic setup for each game.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Deck-Building: Players acquire cards from a central market to improve their deck.

Miniatures Skirmish: Champions are moved around the board, engaging in combat and controlling objectives.

Resource Management: Players manage runes to purchase cards and use abilities.

Combat: Deterministic combat system where attack values must exceed defense values, with treasure tokens adding variability.

Objective Control: Players aim to control points of interest, destroy enemy strongholds, or complete other scenario-specific objectives.

Campaign and Cooperative Modes: Includes solitaire and cooperative story-based campaigns with branching scenario pathways.

Player Experience

Ascension Tactics offers a unique blend of strategic deck-building and tactical skirmish gameplay. Players alternate turns playing cards to build their deck and move their champions on the board. The game supports multiple play formats, including player vs. player, cooperative, and solo campaigns. The scenario book provides a rich variety of gameplay experiences, from controlling points of interest to complex objectives like summoning powerful entities. Despite some predictability in combat, the game’s scenarios and treasure token mechanics add excitement and unpredictability.

Pros

Rich Scenario Variety: 12 scenarios with different player counts and formats.

Multiple Game Modes: Supports cooperative, solo, and player vs. player gameplay.

Dynamic Combat: Treasure tokens add a layer of unpredictability to combat.

Easy to Learn: Rules are consolidated into the cards, making it easy to teach and learn.

High Replayability: Hundreds of cards and multiple scenarios ensure endless replay options.

Cons

Misleading Name: The game uses cardboard standees instead of miniatures, which can be misleading.

Poor Box Design: The game box is overly large with wasted space and a poorly designed insert.

Instruction Clarity: Instructions can be confusing, especially for new players.

Predictable Combat: Combat mechanics are deterministic and somewhat predictable.

Personal Thoughts on Ascension Tactics: Miniatures Deckbuilding Game

Ascension Tactics is ideal for fans of deck-building games who are looking to add a tactical skirmish element to their gameplay experience. It is particularly suited for players who enjoy the classic Ascension game but want more interactive and dynamic gameplay. While it has some production shortcomings, such as the use of cardboard standees and a poorly designed box, the game’s rich scenario variety and multiple play modes make it a fulfilling and dense title. If you’re considering this game, it might be worth looking into the deluxe version for actual miniatures, but the standees do a satisfactory job in the retail version.

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