Stone Blade Entertainment and Playdek recently launched the latest update to their popular deckbuilding game Ascension. Named Rise of Vigil, the fourth full, standalone expansion of the game adds a whole new play mechanics which dramatically alters the temp of the game and creates a new and rich experience.
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Rise of Vigil introduces the Treasure and Energize mechanics. Treasure takes the form of Energy cards, which are essentially free cards that live underneath the cards in the center row and can be gained by either acquiring heroes and constructs or defeating the monsters. Treasure serves as the basis for the Energize mechanic, which allows certain cards in the expansion to 'kick' additional abilities if you happen to have the correct amount of energy in your new Energy pool.
The expansion appears very complicated at first. Suddenly, there is a new batch of numbers to wrap your head around in addition to the Rune and Power piles. Now there are numbers on top of several cards in the center row and you're not sure if Energy depletes itself like Runes or Power. Many a hand will be botched because you will mistakenly think that Energy goes away whenever you energize. It does not.
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Like all past Ascension expansions, with the exception of Return of the Fallen, the new cards integrate themselves splendidly into the established game and after a while, you wonder how you ever played without them. Past cards seem so quaint with their lack of Energize abilities.
There are 46 new faction and monster specific cards in Rise of Vigil, plus new art for the common cards and the new Energy Shards. Mechana gets 6 new Constructs for the end game dash. Void strengthens its hold on absolutely laying waste to monsters, such as with the new Iliya The Demonborn card, which grants you 4 Power plus 1 more for each Energy you've acquired this turn. Enlightened features the game's most expensive card, Oziah, Judge of Logos which costs 9 Rune, but can be acquired for nothing if you have 7 Energy or certain other cards.
The Lifebound faction, my personal favorite in any match, has lost the Unite ability that made it devastating in the past. Though I must say that it does feature my new favorite card, the Lifebound Muse, which when Energized for 2, lets you get any hero in the center row.
The 11 new Monsters come with their own variety of Energizes, too. In fact, they may be some of the very best monsters ever included in the game. The Herald of Doom is an insanely powerful monster that might cost a lot to kill, but the prize is worth it, especially if you Energized him. Playdek also added a new 2 Power creature, the Serpent Siren, so even if you haven't stocked Heavy Infantry cards, you can still get lucky and take out an all monster center row that occasionally pops up.
The artwork, which is much criticized in some circles. Eric Sabee once again handles artistic duties, giving the cards a sense of continuity. Several characters from prior sets, such as Oziah, are new and improved. Not always being the biggest fan of the style, the carefully crafted looks are part of the game's unique charm. Eventually you stop seeing the art and, if you're on an iPhone, you just see a mass of colors whose abilities you know by heart at this point.
The expansion can be played by itself or with any of the previously released expansions, promos and of course, the original game. The lack of Events and Fanatics seems a touch odd. They're helpful game-changers that can dramatically alter the course of the events of a match. Playing the old sets, such as Immortal Heroes or Storm of Souls alongside Rise of Vigil, one cannot help but notice their lack here.
The Treasure cards make the game interesting by busting players out of their routine strategies. One may be trying to finagle all the Mechana constructs into your field, but that Darkwalker has three treasures under it. In that situation, you go for it. The Treasures, all of which draw a card for you so you're never just stuck with them, are worth the hit to your overall Rune power. It simultaneously breaks the game and builds it anew.
Matches tend to last longer in Vigil. Very often, it would be round 11 or 12 and 50 Honor points would be left on the board. The computers and players have got treasure on the brain. A long match of Ascension is the best and has everything one needs, action, excitement, disappointment and the like. As such, games are also higher scoring. Both players can get to over 100 if they play their cards right.
Due to the new mechanics, Rise of Vigil is best played by itself. The older cards can add different twists by giving you more options, such as more Mechana constructs for you to Energize the Omnicron a bit, but this is a game that can best be enjoyed on its own. If you must play with an expansion, and why not, Immortal Heroes and the 2nd through 4th promo expansions work best. Playdek and Stone Blade mastered the formula and balance issues, and the emphasis on Unite in the Lifebound decks gives the Lifebound cards in Vigil a little more kick to them.
Needless to say, four player games using just the new expansion can get hairy very quickly. Especially if the Loamspeaker Druid's fate ability procs more than once.
Ascension is the finest card game available on the iOS. Every expansion is bought day one, no questions asked. It is wildly addictive and you will never play the same game twice. Rise of Vigil has a few issues, the lack of Events, some technical difficulties that glitched certain cards like the Spirit Merchant, but it is overall a fantastic addition to the digital game. Ascension keeps finding ways to improve itself. Just when you get bored with it, it comes roaring back with a whole new set of a cards and offers an entirely different way to play.
You can pick the game up on the App store. An Android version is scheduled for later this summer.
