Keyforge is gaining ground and is taking the card game world by storm. It’s hard to believe that since the game’s release back in November, they have sold over six hundred thousand decks (as registered on the online app Master Vault). Now hot on the heels of Call of the Archons, Fantasy Flight Games has announced the next set for Keyforge. Prepare to enter the Age of Ascension, set to release the 2nd Quarter of 2019.
KeyForge: Mixing in the Old with the New
Age of Ascension is going to introduce 204 brand new cards to the Keyforge game, while including 166 cards introduced in Call of the Archons, forming a set of 370 cards. With each unique Keyforge deck generated with an algorithm, that means that each Age of Ascension deck will be built from these 370 cards, both old and new, creating countless more unique combinations of decks.
While it is great to see familiar faces, Fantasy Flight Games assures us that the algorithm is done in such a way that each deck is guaranteed to feature some of the new exciting cards introduced in the Age of Ascension. The prospect of combining familiar cards with fresh new ones will most assuredly result in some exciting new combinations!
In addition to the 166 old cards being included in the set, there will be the introduction of Legacy Cards. Legacy Cards are rarer instances (roughly approximate to the rarity of Mavericks) of cards from Call of the Archons that are not part of the Age of Ascension pool being included in your deck. And of course, Mavericks will be returning too, so look forward to a near infinite number of variations in your decks when Age of Ascension hits.
But does that make your Call of the Archons deck obsolete? No! Fantasy Flight Games assures us that the new Age of Ascension decks are meant to be balanced with Call of the Archons decks. Hopefully, due to the unique structure of Keyforge, the game is able to avoid the problems of power creep that invariably plague games like Magic the Gathering and Pokemon TCG.
KeyForge: Three New Keywords
As you can expect, new keyword mechanics will be introduced in Age of Ascension, expanding the depth of the game. Three keywords will be introduced in Age of Ascension: Alpha, Omega, and Deploy.
Alpha and Omega, focus on timing and are flip sides of one another. Cards with the Alpha keyword must be the first card you play on your turn, whereas cards with the Omega keyword must be the last card you play on your turn. This starts to really play around with the timing of your plays, and will be a exciting way to change up your strategies and how the flow of the game is played.
While Alpha and Omega are restricting gameplay elements, Deploy actually opens up new opportunities. Typically when a creature enters the battleline, they must enter from either of the Flanks. Now, creatures with Deploy will be allowed to enter at any point on the battleline, allowing it to either buff specific creatures you want or allow it to be buffed or protected by its neighbors depending on who you have on the battleline already.
A Sneak Peek At a Few of the New Cards in Keyforge: Age of Ascension
Age of Ascension will focus on the seven Houses introduced in Call of the Archons, as the seven Houses will gain new tools and allies that will help flesh them out.
Brobnar, for example, will be getting two new giants who are rather peaceful in comparison to their fight-happy bretheren. Culf the Quiet is a giant who just wants to relax and enjoy lounging on the fields. At an impressive 6 power he is nothing to sneeze at, but he is also the first Brobnar creature to have the elusive keyword. While he can pack a wallop, he doesn’t want to be found. Lollop the Titanic, on the other hand, is a monolithic titan the size of a mountain but doesn’t deal damage when he is attacked. With a massive power of 11, however, he can easily take any punishment thrown at him. It’s nice to see Brobnar with a softer side.
The brainy Logos on the other hand are still working on their wild experiments, though the results look promising! With Binate Rupture, each player gains Æmber equal to the Æmber currently in their pool. This can be an easy way to double your Æmber if you’re already ahead, and your opponent is struggling.
With Eureka you gain 2 Æmber and archive two cards at random from your hand. Some easy Æmber, but you should be careful since you might end up archiving cards you want to play later that turn. Also I am pretty wary of that goose. There is only so much time in the day for so many experiments, sadly, as both cards have Alpha, so you can only play one or the other on any given turn. Scientists sure like to make an early rise of it!
Mars, on the other hand, looks like they’re going stun-happy this time out. Zysysyx Shockworm and Æmber Conduction Unit are out to punish your opponent should they try to reap that precious, precious Æmber. I am definitely exciting to have these guys out in my decks, though I’m sure they’re going to make for pretty big targets. Mars doesn’t really get along with anyone, sadly.
Finally, I want to show off some of the hellish shenanigans Dis is up to. We get to see familiar effects with new dynamics with Streke and Unlocked Gateway. Streke echoes Call of the Archon’s Succubus, with its ability to reduce your opponent’s draw power. Streke is a little more nimble than old Succubus though, but with the caveat that it needs to be in the middle of your battleline in order to produce its effects. Unlocked Gateway echoes Gateway to Dis, forgoing the cost of 3 chains that Gateway had in exchange for having omega, making it the last card you are able to play on your turn.
Final Thoughts
I’m excited for a new set to be on the horizon. And surprised that it will be coming so soon. I think it is an indicator for the rising popularity of Keyforge. It is exciting to see the mechanics of a game develop from the ground up and I hope this is the start for an even fresher, deeper Keyforge. It appears pre-orders are live, so you can either pre-order on FFG’s website (here) or at your FLGS. Age of Ascension is set to release 2nd Quarter of 2019.
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