🔥 Ascension Guide

Ascension adds cumulative difficulty modifiers. Each level stacks on top of all previous ones.

A1-5: Getting Started
A6-10: The Grind
A11-15: Serious
A16-20: Extreme
A1

Elites are harder

Elite enemies deal more damage and have improved AI patterns.

💡 Strategy Tip

Prepare stronger decks before engaging elites. Prioritize damage cards early.

A2

Normal enemies are harder

Regular enemies deal more damage across all acts.

💡 Strategy Tip

Block cards become more important. Don't neglect defense.

A3

Elites gain additional abilities

Elite enemies gain new moves and improved patterns, making them significantly more dangerous.

💡 Strategy Tip

Learn the new elite patterns. Some elites become much more threatening.

A4

Bosses are harder

Boss enemies deal more damage and have improved patterns.

💡 Strategy Tip

Ensure your deck has a win condition before boss fights. Scaling is essential.

A5

Heal less at rest sites

Rest sites heal 75% of max HP instead of 100%.

💡 Strategy Tip

Consider upgrading instead of resting more often. Healing relics gain value.

A6

Ascender's Bane added to starting deck

Start with Ascender's Bane: an unplayable, Ethereal curse that cannot be removed. Clogs your draws permanently.

💡 Strategy Tip

Card draw and exhaust effects help mitigate the dead draw. Thin your deck.

A7

Bosses gain additional abilities

Bosses gain new moves and improved patterns, becoming significantly harder.

💡 Strategy Tip

Study new boss patterns. Some fights require completely different strategies.

A8

More monsters at ? nodes

Unknown (?) rooms have a higher chance of containing monster encounters instead of events.

💡 Strategy Tip

Plan paths more carefully. ? rooms are no longer safe. Prioritize known safe routes.

A9

Normal enemies are even harder

Another tier of damage increase for regular encounters.

💡 Strategy Tip

Act 1 hallway fights can now be genuinely dangerous. Don't take unnecessary risks.

A10

Rest site healing reduced further

Rest sites now only heal for a smaller amount, making sustain much harder.

💡 Strategy Tip

Feed, Self Repair, and Burning Blood become crucial. Avoid unnecessary damage.

A11

Boss HP increased by 10%

All bosses gain 10% more maximum HP, making fights longer.

💡 Strategy Tip

Scaling damage is more important than burst. Ensure your damage can keep up over longer fights.

A12

No healing after boss fights

You no longer heal after defeating a boss, entering the next act at your current HP.

💡 Strategy Tip

End boss fights at high HP. Plan rest sites before bosses or bring healing cards.

A13

Normal enemy HP increased

Regular enemies gain more maximum HP across all acts.

💡 Strategy Tip

AoE damage becomes more valuable. Fights last longer, so front-loaded damage matters.

A14

Boss HP increased further

Additional HP increase for all boss encounters.

💡 Strategy Tip

You need a real scaling plan. Infinite loops, Poison, or massive Strength are essential.

A15

Elite HP increased

Elite enemies gain more maximum HP.

💡 Strategy Tip

Be more selective about which elites to fight. Only engage when your deck is ready.

A16

Normal enemy HP increased further

Another HP increase for regular encounters.

💡 Strategy Tip

Even basic fights drain resources. Efficiency in every fight matters.

A17

Normal enemies deal more damage

Regular enemies' attack damage is increased.

💡 Strategy Tip

Block consistency is critical. Ensure you can block reliably every turn.

A18

Elite HP further increased, boss damage increased

Elites gain even more HP, and bosses deal increased damage.

💡 Strategy Tip

Deck quality over quantity. Remove cards aggressively. Every card must earn its slot.

A19

Boss damage increased further

Another damage increase for all boss encounters.

💡 Strategy Tip

Consider Intangible sources (Wraith Form, Apparitions) as near-essential.

A20

Bosses gain additional enhancements

The ultimate challenge. All previous modifiers stack. Bosses receive final enhancements to their stats and patterns.

💡 Strategy Tip

Master every aspect: pathing, card selection, potion usage, deck thinning. Every decision counts at A20.