Components
Phoenixborn Card
Your Phoenixborn is your most important card. Its battlefield and spellboard values dictate how many units and ready spells you can have in play at a time and its life value is how many wound tokens can be placed on it before you are out of the game. A Phoenixborn is not a unit.[1][2]
References
1. Ashes Reborn Rulebook v1.5, p3
2. Red Rains Rulebook p2
Unit Cards
Allies and conjurations are the two types of units that you will summon to your battlefield. Units on your battlefield are under your control.[1][2]
Ally (Unit)
Allies are a type of unit. Iron Worker is an ally [1] which will be played to your battlefield [2]. To play the Iron Worker, pay its costs [3], and then place the Iron Worker in an empty slot on your battlefield. The number of battlefield slots is determined by the battlefield value on your Phoenixborn.
- Attack value: how much damage a unit deals in battle.
- Life value: how many wound tokens it takes to destroy a unit.
- Recover value: how many wound tokens are removed from a unit during the recovery phase.
Conjuration (Unit)
Conjurations are a type of unit. Conjurations start in a conjuration pile, are brought into play by other card effects, and return to that conjuration pile when they leave play. Their attack, life and recover values work exactly the same as an ally’s.
References
1. Ashes Reborn Rulebook v1.5, p3
2. Red Rains Rulebook p2
Spell Cards
Action and reaction spells are discarded for one-time effects whereas ready and alteration spells have longer lasting effects. The spells in your play area are under your control.[1][2]
Action Spell
Action spells have a one-time effect. Seal is an action spell [1] which will be played to your discard pile [2]. To play Seal, pay its play cost [3], carry out its effect, and then discard it.
Alteration Spell
Alteration spells modify the units they are attached to. Root Armor is an alteration spell [1] which can be played (attached) to any unit in play [2] on either battlefield. To play Root Armor, pay its costs [3], and then target any unit in play and attach the spell by placing it underneath that unit. As long as Root Armor remains attached to the unit, its card text and value bonuses modify the unit. In this case, the unit gains the ability Armored 1 [4] and its life value is increased by 1 [5].
Conjured Alteration Spell
Conjured alteration spells are considered to be alteration spells, not conjurations, while in play. Conjured alteration spells start in a conjuration pile, are brought into play by other card effects, and return to that conjuration pile when they leave play.
Ready Spell
Ready spells usually do not have an immediate effect, but will remain in play to be activated later. Summon Silver Snake is a ready spell [1] which will be played to your spellboard [2]. To play Summon Silver Snake, pay its play cost [3], and then place Summon Silver Snake in an empty slot on your spellboard. The number of spellboard slots is determined by the spellboard value on your Phoenixborn.
If you already have 1 or more copies of the same ready spell on your spellboard, place the new one on top of the existing one(s)—it does not take up an extra slot.
On a subsequent turn you can activate Summon Silver Snake by paying its activation cost [4], taking a Silver Snake conjuration from your conjuration pile and placing it in an empty slot on your battlefield.
Focusing a Ready Spell
If you have placed 2 or 3 copies of a ready spell on top of each other, that spell is focused. Each copy of a ready spell is separate, can have its own exhaustion and status tokens, and can be activated separately, paying all activation costs each time.
Some ready spells have effects that say Focus 1 or Focus 2. A spell’s Focus 1 effect becomes active for all copies of that spell when it has been focused at least once (1 additional copy on your spellboard). A spell’s Focus 2 effect becomes active when the spell has been focused at least twice (2 additional copies on your spellboard).
Reaction Spell
Reaction spells can be played on any player’s turn, when its conditions are met. Reactions can only be played during a player’s turn, and each playercan only play one reaction per turn. Shadow Strike is a reaction spell [1] which will be played to your discard pile [2]. You have Shadow Strike in your hand when your opponent declares attackers. You respond by playing Shadow Strike, paying its play cost [3], carrying out its effects, and then discarding it.
Other Reactions
Some cards have reaction abilities or effects on them, indicated by a blue box. These cards may be played from your hand as reactions when their conditions are met. Using a reaction ability or effect counts toward your limit of 1 reaction per turn.
References
1. Ashes Reborn Rulebook v1.5, p4
2. Red Rains Rulebook p3
Chimera Cards
Chimera
The Chimera is a shared opponent of the players and can be standard or heroic difficulty. Within that difficulty they range from levels 1 to 3, which are played against consecutively in a campaign. Standard difficulty Chimera are a good place to start, especially if you are new to Ashes. Heroic difficulty Chimera will test the skills of even the most veteran players! The Chimera must receive wound tokens equal to or greater than its life value for you to win the game.
Aspect
Aspect cards represent different aspects of the Chimera that it will deploy to its battlefield throughout the course of its battle against you. Aspects are a type of unit and are considered to be all other types of unit (like ally or conjuration).
Note on Type:
While playing the game, aspects are considered to be allies, conjurations, and units, and the Chimera is considered to be a player, opponent, and its own Phoenixborn.
Behavior
Behavior cards, along with the behavior die, dictate the Chimera’s actions.
Ultimate
Ultimate cards list the effects that will resolve after the Chimera collects Red Rains tokens equal to its Ultimate value.
Fatigued
This card is placed under the Chimera’s draw pile during setup. When the Chimera empties its draw pile (or when it empties it twice in a 2 player game), it becomes fatigued. Follow the card’s instructions.
Dice
Dice are the magic that let you cast spells and summon units. You will encounter many ypes of dice in your battles; four types come in the master set.
Each die has three levels: power > class > basic. Higher level dice can be used to pay for lower level costs.
- A power symbol can be used as that die’s power, class or basic symbol.
- A class symbol can be used as that die’s class or basic symbol.
In addition, each die’s power symbol can be spent to activate a dice power effect.[1]
Red Rains
Behavior Die
The behavior die, along with the behavior cards, dictate the Chimera’s actions.
Rage Dice
The Chimera has 5 rage dice that power up over time to generate Red Rains tokens that will eventually trigger its Ultimate effect! Each rage die has 3 power sides and 3 basic sides.
References
1. Ashes Reborn Rulebook v1.5, p4
Tokens
Red Rains
In Ashes: Red Rains there is an additional token type called "Red Rains" which are used to trigger the Chimera's Ultimate effect.
References
1. Ashes Reborn Rulebook v1.5, p4
Chimera Board
