Alternate Formats

3-4 Player Game
Drafting
Two Player Cooperative (Red Rains)
Red Rains Campaign

3-4 Player Game

Ashes can also be played with three or four players. The rules are identical except that whenever player order matters, start with the Active Player and proceed clockwise. Also, whenever you need to pass something “to your opponent,” pass it clockwise. The Active Player is the player whose turn it is or, if it is not during the player turns phase, the player with the first player token.

When a Phoenixborn is destroyed, its controlling player discards all cards on their battlefield or spellboard. That player and their play area are no longer in the game. If any cards they own are in another player’s play area, those cards stay in play. The game ends when only one player has a Phoenixborn in play. They have won the game!

Drafting

Instead of playing with a pre-built deck or bringing a custom built deck to a game of Ashes, you and your friends may draft your decks. 2 - 4 players can participate in a draft using this master set. By adding additional Ashes sets more players can join in on a draft.
To participate in a draft, do the following steps in order:

Set-Up

Gather each Phoenixborn in your collection and place each into a separate pile along with 3 copies of its corresponding Phoenixborn unique card.
Gather 10 copies of each die type in your collection and place them in separate piles.
If drafting with 5 or more players you will either need to have a number of die types in your collection equal to the number of players drafting, or you will need to have more than 10 copies of each die type so that there are enough dice available so that each player drafting can draft a full 10 dice.
Gather 1 copy of each remaining card in your collection and shuffle them into one big draft deck.
Gather all of the conjuration and conjured alteration cards in your collection and put them to the side for later use.
Randomly determine a first player and give them the first player token.

Draft

Starting with the first player and continuing clockwise around the table, each player chooses 1 Phoenixborn along with its corresponding Phoenixborn unique cards. Then the first player passes the first player token to their left.
Deal each player 9 cards from the draft deck. Each player will choose 1 of the cards they were dealt and pass the other 8 cards to the player on their left. Each player will then choose 1 of the cards they were passed and pass the remaining 7 cards to the player on their left. Players will continue choosing and passing in this way until each player has chosen 9 cards.
Starting with the first player and continuing clockwise around the table, each player chooses 2 dice at a time, of any type, until all players have chosen 10 dice. Then the first player passes the first player token to their left.
Reveal a number of cards from the draft deck equal to the number of players drafting and place them face up. Starting with the first player, each player may take 1 of the face up cards, putting 1 of their cards face up in its place so it is available to be chosen by another player.
Each player collects 2 additional copies of each of the 9 cards they drafted.
Each player assembles their conjuration pile as follows:
Some effects or abilities can bring conjurations and conjured alteration spells into the game. Each conjuration or conjured alteration spell has a conjuration limit placed in the lower left corner of that card. Identify all such cards your deck is capable of producing and collect a number of copies of each card equal to the conjuration limit of that card.
Each player should now have 1 Phoenixborn, 10 dice, 30 cards and, if applicable, a conjuration pile—everything they need to play!
Players can now use their drafted deck in a game or tournament.

Two Player Cooperative (Red Rains)

Winning and Losing

The Chimera is a shared opponent of both players, and they win together if the Chimera is defeated. If either player’s Phoenixborn receives wound tokens equal to or greater than its life value, both players lose.

Setup

When choosing the Chimera difficulty, use the 2p side of the Chimera cards.

When setting up the Chimera’s starting battlefield, create two full battlefields, one facing each player.

When setting up the Chimera’s draw pile, place the fatigued card on the bottom of the Chimera’s draw pile with the 2-player side facing up. In a 2-player game the Chimera must empty its draw pile twice before it becomes fatigued.

Either player may start with the first player token.

Player Turns

Players are each allowed to play one reaction on each shared player turn and each Chimera turn.

Card effects may target cards on ANY battlefield, spellboard, etc. When attacking a unit, you may target a unit on either opposing battlefield.

Chimera Turns

The Chimera takes two consecutive turns, first taking a turn against the First Player or the player the first player token is pointing to, and then a turn against the other player. Treat each Chimera turn as if it were facing only one player; the Chimera ignores the other player’s battlefield as well as the battlefield that opposes that player.

When the Chimera declares attackers, only the opposing player may block or guard the attack with their units/Phoenixborn.

Recovery Phase

When Replenishing Aspects, add face down aspects to both of the Chimera’s battlefields until they have a number of aspect cards equal to the Chimera’s threat value (face up or face down).

Miscellaneous

When the first player token is passed to the Chimera, point it at the player who did not just have it. The Chimera will pass the first player token to that player at the end of the next round.

When resolving an effect that affects all/each/every of something in play (e.g. dealing damage to all units), it only affects your own battlefield and the opposing Chimera battlefield.

CALL OF THE PHOENIX 2-PLAYER VARIANT

In a two player game, players may choose to add an additional tragic element to their encounter. After defeating the Chimera (in a standalone game or all three games of a campaign), remove all Chimera components from the play area, and roll one rage die. If the result is a , players will continue playing, as if facing each other in a regular player-vs-player Ashes game. The Phoenix calls, and only one can remain!

(If the Chimera had the first player token, give it to the player it is pointing to. Then continue from the current game state. If you are in the player turns phase, end the current turn (does not count as passing) and the First Player takes the next turn.)

Red Rains Campaign

Tell the story of Argaia by choosing Phoenixborn to play through a three-encounter campaign against an increasingly difficult Chimera. Each player starts by choosing a preconstructed deck. You may customize it by (a) mixing and matching your Phoenixborn’s unique cards, (b) substituting up to three copies of Channel Magic instead of cards you do not wish to use, and (c) adjusting your dice pool however you wish. When playing a heroic campaign, you may also (d) substitute up to three copies of any one card from your collection. (Your deck can never violate the deck building rules.)

Players can choose to run either a standard or heroic difficulty campaign, using the corresponding difficulty cards when setting up the Chimera. For the first encounter, use the level 1 card of the matching difficulty (standard or heroic). If you are victorious, the next encounter will be level 2. If victorious again, level 3. Defeating a level 3 Chimera will result in a campaign victory!

After each encounter, you may further customize your deck by choosing one other preconstructed deck you own and selecting up to three copies each of three different cards from that deck to build with. You may not choose a new Phoenixborn. You may adjust your dice pool freely between encounters.

Players can check off each Phoenixborn on the back of the Chimera rulebook to chronicle their victories against the Chimera.