Ascension-Game-Master-Glossary (Overview)

A master glossary for the card game, Ascension. Includes mechanics from all expansions. As a new player, I felt it would be helpful to have a text-searchable master glossary, but I struggled to find such a resource, and was left sorting through multiple expansion rule books. I've made an attempt at creating a master glossary, to help myself learn the game, and to hopefully help others. Please let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions!

Notes

• Some of the definitions were taken as-is from official rule books (https://www.stoneblade.com/rules).
• Some mechanics are only applicable if particular game expansions are in play. Required expansions are noted in square-brackets.
• This glossary uses emojis to help label certain concepts. These emojis are not found in game.

Master Glossary

• Always Available (:black_joker: card)
  • A Hero or Monster which can be acquired or defeated from an Always Available pile. Each Always Available Hero and Monster has its own Always Available card pile.
• Always Available (:card_index: card pile)
  • A card pile from which Always Available cards may be drawn.
• Anchor (:old_key: keyword) [Skulls & Sails]
  • When you acquire or defeat a card with Anchor in the center row, if your ship is on the card's space, gain the Anchor effect.
• Banish (:runner: action)
  • When a card is banished, it is placed in the Void. 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.
• Card 🃏
  • A rectangular object with a name and other attributes. One of the base units of Ascension. Some cards are playable and may be added to a player's deck, and other cards have special purpose and exist outside of player decks.
• Card Pile 📇
  • An ordered collection of cards from which cards are drawn. Card Piles are typically shuffled, but some actions allow cards to be placed in a Card Pile in a particular position.
• Center Row Effect [Valley of the Ancients]
  • Cards in the center deck which feature a 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.
• Champion [Dawn of Champions]
  • Champions are leaders within the main factions in Ascension. Champions are randomly assigned at the beginning of the game, and dictate how a player gains Reputation and what rewards it gives him.
• Construct (:black_joker: card)
  • 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. Some effects allow placing a Construct directly into play, without having played it from hand.
• Cost
  • The cost in Runes to acquire a card from the center row. Indicated by a Rune icon in the upper right hand corner of a card.
• Crew (:gem: resource) [Skulls & Sails]
  • (Depicted by an anchor icon) Crew is your ship's resource. When your ship is on the space of a card that has cost equal to or less than it's Crew, you may spend Crew equal to the card's cost to acquire or defeat the card. Crew count cannot exceed 9.
• Crew Dial [Skulls & Sails]
  • The Crew Dial indicates the number of Crew a player has gathered. It will be visible on a player's Ship Token, above an anchor icon.
• Chronicle of the Godslayer (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • You must save the world of Vigil from Samael, the Fallen God.
  • This is the first version of the game, and introduces the base mechanics.
• Dark Card [War of Shadows]
  • Cards with a moon icon in the upper right hand corner. Gains a bonus if it is currently Night.
• Darkness Unleashed (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • Darkness has fallen over Vigil.
  • Dark Energy Shards (treasure)
  • Transform Cards
• Dawn of Champions (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • The Sun Rises On a New World...
  • Champions and Reputation
  • Rally
  • Multifaction Heroes and Constructs
  • Faction Monsters
• Day [War of Shadows]
  • A global game state which can affect Light cards. If there are more Light cards in the center row than there are Dark cards, then it is Day.
• Day (:old_key: keyword) [War of Shadows]
  • Gain the Day effect if it is currently Day.
• Deck
  • The entire collection of cards which are considered to be in possession by a player. Cards from a player's deck may be in Hand, in their Discard Pile, in their Draw Pile, or may be face up in front of the player while in use__ (such as with Construct cards).
• Defeat (:runner: action)
  • When a monster is defeated, its reward is gained by the player who defeated the monster. Monsters are typically defeated from the center row by paying their Power cost, however, other game/card effects can allow to defeat monsters by other means.
• Delirium (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • Endless possibilities await...
  • Insight
  • Dreamborn Cards
  • Recur
  • Fate - Auction
  • Delirium Die
• Delirium Die [Delirium]
  • The Delirium Die is a special die included in Ascension: Delirium. At any point during a player's turn, they may pay 5 Insight to roll the die and gain whatever is rolled on the die. The six possible rewards are:
    • You may banish a card in your hand or discard pile
    • Draw two cards
    • Gain 3 Runes
    • Gain 4 Power
    • Gain 5 Honor
    • Gain 6 Insight
• Deliverance (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • The world will never be the same.
  • Insight
  • Dreamborn Cards
  • New starting card - Dreamseeker
  • Pasythea
  • Phantasm
  • Dreambind Monsters
  • Transform Cards
• Destroy (:runner: action)
  • Destroy means to put into the discard pile from play and generally refers to Constructs.
• Discard (:runner: action)
  • Move an unplayed card in your hand to your discard pile.
• Discard Pile (:card_index: card pile)
  • A set of cards which have already been played by a player. When the draw pile is empty, and a draw is attempted, the discard pile is shuffled and moved to the draw pile.
• Dreambind (:old_key: keyword) [Dreamscape]
  • Monsters with the Dreambind keyword can be acquired when a player defeats them by paying the Insight cost listed after “Dreambind”. When a player Dreambinds a Monster, it goes to their discard pile. Dreambind Monsters give their Reward when played from hand.
• Draw (:runner: action)
  • Moving the top card of a player's draw pile to that player's hand.
• Draw Pile (:card_index: card pile)
  • When a player draws a card, it is taken from the top of their draw pile. At the beginning of the game, a player's deck makes up the entire draw pile. Throughout the game, cards from a player's deck will either be in the Draw Pile, the Discard Pile, or in Hand.
• Dream Card [Dreamscape]
  • A special card obtained from the Dream Deck. Dream Cards have golden borders.
• Dream Deck [Dreamscape]
  • A special deck from which Dreamscape cards are drawn.
• Dreamborn (:black_flag: faction) [Dreamscape]
  • Dreamborn cards can be identified by their gold Dreamborn card frame__ (see Stone Artificers card frame). When a Dreamborn card enters the center row, EACH player gains 1 Insight. Additionally, when a player acquires a Dreamborn card, ONLY THAT player gains 1 Insight.
• Dreamscape [Dreamscape]
  • A hidden set of cards players have access to during the game. Unlike center row cards, each player's Dreamscape cards are purchasable only by that player. These cards are purchasable during the game with Insight.
• Dreamscape (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • Endless possibilities await...
  • Dreamscape and Dream Deck
  • Insight
  • Dreamborn Cards
  • Vision Cards
• Dual Cost Card [War of Shadows]
  • A card which has both a Rune and a Power cost. These are either hero or construct cards.
• Echo (:old_key: keyword) [Valley of the Ancients]
  • 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.
• Effect
  • The actions/result performed/gained from playing a card or defeating a monster. Card effects are described on each card.
• Effect Orders (:gear: mechanics)
  • When an action in the game results in multiple effects happening simultaneously, this is the order in which effects should be resolved:
    1. Any cards that have left the center row are replaced by the top card of the center deck.
    2. Any effects from your cards take place.
    3. Monster rewards are collected.
    4. Dreamborn and Fate effects. If multiple Dreamborn and Fate effects occur at the same time (typically at the start of the game), they resolve in the order that they were flipped from the center deck.
• Empowered (:old_key: keyword) [Gift of the Elements]
  • 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.
• Energize (:old_key: keyword) [Rise of Vigil, Darkness Unleashed]
  • Cards with Energize have additional effects if you've gained enough Energy on the turn you use them. Multiple Energize cards can be activated with the same Energy, since Energy is not spent.
• Energy (:gem: resource) [Rise of Vigil, Darkness Unleashed]
  • (Depicted by a blue/electric square icon) Energy is a threshold resource used to activate additional effects on cards with Energize.
• Enlightened (:black_flag: faction)
  • Enlightened cards tend to provide card draw, and provide effects which help defeat and acquire cards in the center row (without paying Power or Runes).
• Event [Storm of Souls, Gift of the Elements]
  • 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.
• Event (:black_joker: card) [Storm of Souls, Gift of the Elements]
  • A special type of card which is in play when an Event is active. The Event card describes the event.
• Event Trophy (:old_key: keyword) [Storm of Souls]
  • Event cards will sometimes possess an Event Trophy. an Event Trophy is an action/effect which takes place when a player triggers the Event Trophy (typically by banishing a Fanatic).
• Expansion ➕
  • The game Ascension has multiple expansions. Expansions can be combined arbitrarily to create interesting game play scenarios.
• Faction 🏴
  • A hero, monster, or construct, may belong to a particular faction. Many cards provide bonuses related to particular card factions. Factions include Mechana, Lifebound, Enlightened, Void, and Dreamborn.
• Faction Monster (:zombie: monster) [Dawn of Champions]
  • A Monster which has a Faction, which can cause interaction with other effects such as Rally when the Monster is defeated.
• Fanatic (:zombie: monster) [Storm of Souls]
  • An Always Available Monster. The Fanatic is a Trophy Monster with a variable reward based on the current Event called an Event Trophy. You may have no more than one Fanatic Trophy at any time. If you defeat a Fanatic while you already have a Trophy from one, you gain the Honor reward but do not get another Trophy.
  • Fanatic is returned to the Always Available Zone when banished. It never goes to the Void.
• Fate (:old_key: keyword) [Delirium]
  • Fate effects take place when a card enters the center row.
• Fate Auction (:old_key: keyword) [Delirium]
  • When a card with Fate Auction enters the center row, players may bid Insight to gain the effect listed underneath the Fate text. Starting with the active player and moving clockwise, each player may bid Insight. To bid, a player must bid at least 1 Insight, must bid higher than the current bid and cannot bid more Insight than they have. If a player chooses not to bid or can't bid, that player is out. Players continue making bids until one person is left in the running. The player who wins the Auction musy pay Insight equal to their winning bid and copies the effect of the Auction card immediately.
• Flavor Text
  • Cards may have flavor text, written in italics toward the bottom of the card. Flavor text is related to lore only, and does not impact a card's effect.
• Gift of the Elements (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • The Elementals Have Awoken...
  • Empower
  • Infest Monsters
  • Transforming Events
• Hand
  • A collection of hards which have been drawn from a player's Draw Pile, constituting cards which a player may play on their turn. Five cards are drawn at the beginning of the game for each player, and at the end of each player's turn. Additional cards can be drawn or added to hand through various game mechanics.
• Hero 🦸‍♂️ (🃏 card)
  • 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 (:gem: resource)
  • (Depicted by a five-point star icon) Honor is the key to victory in Ascension. Whoever earns the most Honor wins the game. Honor can be obtained from the shared Honor pool (typically by defeating monsters, or by playing cards which cause Honor gain). Honor is gained from each card in a player's deck, and is tallied at the end of the game. Each card has an Honor amount depicted by a star icon and number in the bottom left hand corner of a card.
• Infest (:old_key: keyword) [Gift of the Elements]
  • When you defeat a Monster with Infest, you may choose a player and put that Monster into their discard pile instead of the void. When a Monster is drawn, it has no effect on its own, so this is a great way to mess up your opponent's draws. Be careful though, there are a few cards which allow players to benefit from having Monsters in their deck.
• Insight (:gem: resource) [Delirium, Deliverance, Dreamscape]
  • (Depicted by an orange currency-like icon) Insight is a unique resource used to activate card effects like Transform, Phantasm and Dreambind. Unlike other resources, you do not lose unspent Insight at the end of your turn.
• Immortal Heroes (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • With Soul Gems bolstering his powers, the former Gatekeeper, Kythis, seeks to bring the realm of Deofol under his sway.
  • Soul Gems
  • Ongoing Trophy
• Keystones (:gem: resource) [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, that 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 active the ability of their Temple and gain control of the Temple of Immortality.
  • Death Keystone
    • (Depicted by a brown skull icon) 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
    • (Depicted by a green tree icon) 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 Life and the Temple of Immortality, gain 2 runes.
• Keyword 🗝️
  • A singular word (or sometimes a phrase) which appears on a card which has a special definition/effect.
• Lifebound (:black_flag: faction)
  • Lifebound cards tends to provide Runes and Honor, and utilize Unite heavily.
• Light Card [War of Shadows]
  • Cards with a sun icon in the upper right hand corner. Gains a bonus if it is currently Day.
• Mechana (:black_flag: faction)
  • Construct-heavy. Constructs tend to have very high Honor value. Mechana heroes tend to gain bonuses related to constructs which are in play.
• Monster 🧟 (🃏 card)
  • Monsters are the terrors of the world. Defeating Monsters gives you rewards, including Honor that wins you the game.
• Multi-Unite (:old_key: keyword) [Realms Unraveled]
  • Cards with Multi-Unite have additional effects that occur if you play them in the same turn as other Heroes that share the same faction. You gain the bonus effects listed under the Multi-Unite ability for each other Hero you play or have played that shares a faction with the Hero with Multi-Unite.
• Multifaction (:black_joker: card) [Realms Unraveled, Dawn of Champions]
  • A multifaction card has two factions simultaneously. It will operate as both factions, interacting with effects related to either faction.
• Name
  • The name of a card. Indicated on the top of a card. Some cards interact with other cards with specific names.
• Night [War of Shadows]
  • A global game state which can affect Dark cards. If there are more Dark cards in the center row than there are Light cards, then it is Night.
• Night (:old_key: keyword) [War of Shadows]
  • Gain the Night effect if it is currently Night.
• Ongoing (:old_key: keyword) [Dreamscape, Immortal Heroes]
  • After a card with Ongoing is acquired or defeated, it remains in front of you and its effect is permanent unless banished.
• Pasythea (:superhero_man: hero) [Deliverance]
  • At the start of the game, place Pasythea on the board, at the top slot designated for her. Any player may pay Insight during their turn to acquire her straight to their hand.
  • Pasythea does not count as a card in the center row.
• Phantasm (:old_key: keyword) [Deliverance]
  • Heroes with Phantasm can be played during your turn directly from the center row if you pay the Phantasm cost. When you do, you gain the effect of the card as though it was played from your hand and then banish it to the Void.
• Portal (:black_joker: card) [Promo Pack 5]
  • A special card type which can appear in the center row. Acquiring a Portal causes cards to be drawn from the center deck until a Hero or Construct of greater value to the Portal is drawn (within 2 Runes). This card is then acquired by the player.
• Portal Deck (:card_index: card pile)
  • Another name for the Center Deck. The term Portal Deck appears in one section of the Storm of Souls rulebook, while this rulebook uses the term Center Deck elsewhere. The term Portal Deck is not seen elsewhere throughout the game/expansions. The term Portal also has another meaning (a card type).
• Power (:gem: resource)
  • (Depicted by a red circular icon containing a sword) Power is one of the two main resources in the world of Ascension. Power is used to defeat Monsters and earn rewards.
• Promo Pack 1 (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • Includes a Hero for each Faction, and two new Monsters!
• Promo Pack 2 (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • Includes new Heroes, a Construct and a Monster!
• Promo Pack 3 (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • Includes new Constructs, a Hero and a Monster!
• Promo Pack 4 (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • A digital exclusive which includes new Heroes, a Construct and a Monster!
• Promo Pack 5 (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • Adds Portals to the Center Deck, and includes Faction Cards which interact with Portals.
• Promo Pack 6 (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • Adds ten new cards to the Center Deck.
• Raid (:old_key: keyword) [Skulls & Sails]
  • When you Raid, take control of a Treasure another player controls. Unless otherwise stated, Raid effects can only be used to take Treasure when your Ship Dial is on the same space as the opposing player.
• Rally (:old_key: keyword) [Dawn of Champions]
  • Rally is an effect that only occurs when a card in the center row is replaced. When an effect tells you to Rally, it will indicate a characteristic, such as faction, that allows you to acquire or defeat the next card that enters the center row if it has the indicated characteristic.
• Rarity
  • (Depicted by a set of white circles on the bottom right hand corner of a card) Indicates how many copies of a card are present in the center deck. The number of white circles indicates the count.
• Realms Unraveled (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • Can Adayu be restored before there is nothing left to save?
  • Multifaction Cards
  • Transform Cards
  • Multi-Unite
• Recur (:old_key: keyword) [Delirium]
  • Cards with Recur have an option cost when played. If the Recur cost is played, the card gains its effect one additional time.
• Reputation (:gem: resource) [Dawn of Champions]
  • Reputation is gained through Reputation Powers on Champion Cards, and is used to unlock rewards and other card effects.
• Return of the Fallen (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • The Fallen has returned.
  • Does not introduce new mechanincs.
• Rise of Vigil (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • The power of the shards brought about the Rise of Vigil - will it now cause her fall?
  • Treasure
  • Energize
  • Energy Shard (treasure)
• Rune (:gem: resource)
  • (Depicted by a silver triangle icon) 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 (:old_key: keyword) [Valley of the Ancients]
  • Cards with Serenity have additional effects that occur if the player has no cards in their discard pile.
• Set
  • Cards can belong to a card set. Each game expansion introduces a new card set.
• Ship Space [Skulls & Sails]
  • Spaces to place each player's Ship Token. Ship Spaces are considered to be adjacent to certain center row positions.
• Ship Token [Skulls & Sails]
  • A token which represents a player's ship. A player's Ship Token are placed/moved along the Ship Spaces.
• Skulls & Sails (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • The Age of Sail Has Come to New Vigil.
  • Ships & Movement
  • Crew Dial
  • Anchor
  • Thukal, The Kraken
  • Raiding
  • Treasure
• Solitaire (:arrows_counterclockwise: game variation)
  • A single-player game variation.
• Soul Gem (:black_joker: card) [Immortal Heroes]
  • Soul Gems represent the spirits of heroes who fought against Samael in the Great War who were trapped by Kythis when he took control of the Well of souls. Each Soul Gem shares the art and effect of Heroes from previous Ascenion sets, though they are not Hero card themselves.
  • Soul Gems are not shuffled into the center deck at the beginning of the game. Instead, they are shuffled together and set aside face down with the Always Available cards. When a card effect tells a player to gain a Soul Gem, that player may play that Soul Gem to gain its effect at any time during that turn. At the end of a player's turn, all Soul Gems he or she controls are banished.
• Storm of Souls (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • The storm looms. Who among you will stand before it?
  • Events
  • Trophy
  • Fanatic
  • Destroy
• Team Play (:arrows_counterclockwise: game variation)
  • A game variation featuring two teams of two players (four players total).
• Temple (:black_joker: card) [Valley of the Ancients]
  • 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 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 Honor 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!
• Thukal, The Kraken (:zombie: monster) [Skulls & Sails]
  • A special Monser that begins the game on the board in its designated space, The Deep. Thukal will take Treasure from ships in The Deep until he is defeated.
• Transform (:old_key: keyword) [Darkness Unleashed, Deliverance, Gift of the Elements, Realms Unraveled]
  • Cards with Transform abilities can permanently upgrade if you pay their Transform cost. If you have sleeves, you can use the double-sided Transform cards and simply flip the card over in its sleeve. If you don’t have card sleeves, you can grab the appropriate Transformed version of your card from among the silver bordered Transform cards outside the game.
• Transforming Event [Gift of the Elements]
  • Events which may be acquired. These Events include a cost in their effect that may be paid by any player during their turn, at which point the Event will leave play and transform into a powerful Hero for that player's deck.
• Treasure (:black_joker: card) [Darkness Unleashed, Rise of Vigil, Skulls & Sails]
  • Treasure is a card type that doesn't take up spots in the center row. When a Treasure card enters the center row, it remains in that spot and the next card from the center deck is flipped on top of it. Repeat this process until a non-Treasure card enters the center row. Whenever a player acquires or defeats a card in the center row, that player also acquires all Treasure cards underneath it.
• Trophy (:old_key: keyword) [Immortal Heroes, Storm of Souls]
  • 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 (:old_key: keyword)
  • 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. For instance, if a Lifebound Hero card has a Unite bonus, the player will receive the Unite bonus after playing the Hero, only if they had previously played another Lifebound Hero this turn.
• Valley of the Ancients (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • Unlock the Secrets of Alosya...
  • Temples
  • Keystones
  • Echo
  • Serenity
  • Center Row Effects
• Vision (:black_joker: card) [Dreamscape]
  • When a Vision is acquired from a player's Dreamscape, it isn't added to that player's deck. Instead, the card has an immediate effect on the game. Resolve the effect on the card, then banish it unless it has an ongoing effect. Visions with Ongoing effects stay face up in front of the player. That effect is considered to be in play for the rest of the game.
• The Void (:card_index: card pile)
  • A pile of cards which contains Monsters which have been defeated. Some cards have special Void interaction.
• Void (:black_flag: faction)
  • Void cards tend to provide Power, banish ability, and interaction with The Void.
• War of Shadows (:heavy_plus_sign: expansion)
  • War is Upon Us!
  • Light and Dark Cards
  • Dual Cost Cards