Chained List

Ashes Reborn does not currently have a Banned or Restricted list. Instead, it has the Chained List, which is a set of cards that are not allowed to be included in a player's First Five, and cannot be played in the first round even if they come into a player's hand, for example, by card drawing, deck searching by cards like Open Memories, or a card that gets the chained card from the discard pile. In subsequent rounds, they may be played as normal.

This list is intended for Organized Play events, typically tournaments or leagues. That said, it is common practice to use the chained list for all play, even casual games online. Rare exceptions for certain formats, such as pre-constructed only, may exist. Always confirm with your opponent before playing.

The Chained List

As of April 5th, 2023, the list includes:

• Explosive Growth
• Golden Veil (added January 25th, 2024)
• Hypnotize (added January 25th, 2024)
  
• Meteor
• Psychic Vampire
• River Skald
• Summon Shining Hydra
  

Reasoning

"There exist certain cards and card combinations that violate one or more of the core gameplay philosophies of Ashes when included in a player’s First Five."

Some of the cards on the list are part of specific combos that are overly oppressive, and some are against the core principle of First Five.

PHG has included reasoning with each update of the chained list. You can read here:

1. https://www.plaidhatgames.com/news/2021/06/02/ashes-june-update/
2. https://www.plaidhatgames.com/news/2022/05/16/ashcon2/
   
3. https://www.plaidhatgames.com/news/2022/10/03/new-organized-play-rules/
4. https://www.plaidhatgames.com/news/2023/04/05/ashes-card-changes-and-organized-play-update/
   
5. https://www.plaidhatgames.com/news/2024/01/25/ashes-organized-play-and-faq-update-v5/

Previous Cards

These cards were chained previously, but are no longer chained.

• Exhortation (removed January 25th, 2024)
• Massive Growth (removed January 25th, 2024)
• Summon Sleeping Widows (removed January 25th, 2024)
• Three-Eyed Owl (the conjuration; removed April 5th, 2023)

The reasoning to remove each card is included in the update links above.

Technicalities

While it is possible to follow the current Organized Play rules and construct a legal deck that, due to the Chained list, cannot actually have a First Five (example here), doing so will result in a disqualification for the event. Source: Nick Conley, upon being asked about the linked deck.