Fantasy Flight Games has announced the next set of cards for KeyForge. Welcome to the Age Of Ascension as the Crucible opens up to new opportunities.

The new Age Of Ascension expansion to KeyForge will be entirely self-contained so you won't need to have picked up Call Of The Archons cards in order to get stuck into the game. 204 new cards join the pool alongside some favourites from the first set offering up a brand new set of combinations to pick from in this Unique Card Game.

One thing that Fantasy Flight Games was quick to say when they revealed the news last night (watch the video above for more information) is that everything from Call Of The Archons is entirely legal and will be forever (as forever as card games are). Call Of The Archons Decks are just as competitive as the new Age Of Ascension decks regardless of new mechanics being thrown into the mix.

Talking of new mechanics, there were a few that got mentioned. The first is Alpha/Omega. Alpha means that you MUST play this card as the first thing you do on a turn to gain its effect. Omega is the opposite and must be the last thing you do AND it will end your turn immediately when you do. So, you need to think up additional chains of events in order to trigger some of these interesting abilities.

Another new keyword for you to watch out for is Deploy. This means that instead of having to place a creature on either end of your line you can actually add them in wherever you like, usually to gain buffs and bonuses for being flanked by allies.

This changes up how people will array their creatures on the tabletop and brings some new tactical elements into the mix.

New Starter Set

A new Starter Set is also on the way which has seen some tweaks since Call Of The Archons.

The new set comes with two Unique decks rather than the training ones from the previous sets and also refined components with Power and Stun now being represented by tokens rather than cards which is much better. The Keys are also a little smaller making transporting them much easier. You also get two fun poster mats for you to use when you get started rather than having to deal with a bare table!

Some folks have already talked about 'power creep' in KeyForge and these decks being better than the original set. I disagree. KeyForge is unique (hah) in that every deck is its own self-contained entity and you're not having to build a deck to combat someone else's. Instead, if your engine works, you'll be fine. So, powerful decks from the first cycle will be just as effective in the new one.

This is one of the saving graces of KeyForge and means that you don't immediately have to go out and pick up Age Of Ascension decks in order to be competitive. I can't wait to delve in and get myself some of the new cards though with their interesting characters and wild artwork!

Sanctum for life (or Dis...I do love Dis)!