Greetings once again, Ashes players! Today is the final preview for the next two Ashes Expansions! It’s been an exciting ride to see all of the new cards and strategies being added to the game. Thanks for checking out this preview series; let’s jump right into the last set of cards!

GATES THROWN OPEN

This heavy-hitting illusion ready spell asks a lot of its user, but the payoff is huge! Gates Thrown Open lets you place 4 exhausted dice onto it when it enters play, and allows you to spend the dice to pay for costs of cards from hand. The dice that are on this card are also not considered to be in your active pool, making them immune to enemy dice altering effects like the illusion dice power or Magic Syphon! A net gain of 2 dice is a massive economic boost, but doesn’t come without drawback; this ready spell is Bound, meaning it will permanently take up a ready spell slot, even when all the dice on it have been spent. Phoenixborn with extra large spellboards can consider using this huge dice advantage spell to avoid this drawback, and cast costly allies like Celestial Knight, or spells like Molten Gold, with ease!

SHADOW GUARD

Next up is a stealthy and deadly illusion ally: the Shadow Guard! The Hidden ability on this ally is a Between Realms effect, meaning the text box will be active even when it isn’t in play. The Hidden ability allows the Shadow Guard to enter play at a moment's notice by ignoring the main action cost when your opponent is on the offense. This is a perfect ability to compliment the Shadow Guard’s 3 attack and Unit Guard ability, as it allows you to make some very significant trades in battle! No longer can Hammer Knights swing in recklessly against illusion magic, lest they suddenly encounter a Shadow Guard to take them down in the process! This ally is a real game changer for preparing a First Five defense against aggressive unit strategies!

ANGELIC RESCUE AND ANGELS EMBRACE

Our final card to preview is a bit of a familiar effect with a few notable bonuses. Angelic Rescue, just like Golden Veil,  is a cancelling reaction spell for protecting a unit you control when your opponent targets it. The cost to cast Angelic Rescue is only 1 illusion power die, making it incredibly affordable to call in some divine protection for your units! Illusion magic users have mastered the art of collecting power dice in their active pool, so it will be very easy for them to have a wolf die at the ready to cast (or bluff) an Angelic Rescue against those looking to threaten your units. Additionally, this reaction spell can be boosted in its power for an additional divine class! Attaching an Angel’s Embrace provides further protection to the unit in question by granting it Magic Guard for the round! If that unit is an ally, you can also recall it to your hand during your turns to have it be ready to fight another day.

Thanks again for checking out this preview series! It has been a joy to share all the hard work that has come from the Ashes team. I hope you all look forward to the new options coming out in the Demons of Darmas and the Spirits of Memoria decks! Take care everyone, and I’ll see you all for the next ones. Until then, keep playing and enjoying everything Ashes has to offer!

Posted by Nick Conley Nick Conley is the lead playtester for Ashes and a dedicated fan.