Ascension: Return of the Fallen (2011)

About this game

Ascension: Return of the Fallen is the newest set for the popular deck-building game Ascension: Deckbuilding Game. The 65-card Ascension: Return of the Fallen is playable as a 2 player stand-alone game, or can be combined with Ascension: Deckbuilding Game for an expanded game with up to six players. With its 65 all-new cards for the Center Deck, the Return of the Fallen provides players with the ability to face the God Samael in a final battle to determine the fate of Vigil. It also includes a new Fate mechanic that can change the game with a single flip of a card. Ascension: Deckbuilding Game revolves around a Center Deck containing Heroes, Constructs, and Monsters. Players take turns recruiting Heroes or Constructs for their decks or defeating Monsters to earn honor and ultimate victory. Ascension: Deckbuilding Game joins other deck-building games including Dominion, Thunderstone and Resident Evil and Fantasy Flights Living Card Games (Call of Cthuhlu, Warhammer Invasion and Game of Thrones) as a new category of games that continue to increase in popularity. These games combine complexity of combat-focused card game experience with the benefit of not having to chase powerful randomly distributed, blindly-packaged cards.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 1 to 2. It has a designed solo mode.
• Rules load. At 2.2/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 13 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.