Two Player Cooperative (Red Rains)

When playing Ashes: Red Rains cooperatively with two players, add in the following rules and adjustments.

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 take a shared turn, with a main and side action each, in any order.

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.)