Essay:Set Primer - AoA

Introduction

As the game grows, new players are going to join the game after sets have already released. While the best way to get familiar with a set is to play it, not everyone is going to have that luxury. The more sets have been released, the harder it is going to get.

So here is the second essay on Age of Ascension (AoA for short), the second KeyForge set. I’ll be looking to familiarize you with the key cards, combos and deck archetypes in the set, so if you face those you will have some idea what to look out for.

This Essay is written at the beginning of Mass Mutation, there isn't really a metagame at the moment due to the lack of organized play in the wake of Covid-19, and the exploration of a new set. My views will likely reflect a metagame of the Worlds Collide era.

AoA is a bit of an odd beast, as the average deck is well below the power level of CotA, but it can also produce some truly powerful beasts at the top end of the spectrum. Still, as of the time of writing, no AoA deck has won an Archon vault tour yet, and the closest it has gotten is second place.

House function

Due to the odd nature of the power distribution of the set, it is hard to say which houses are powerful and which are weaker. Mars brings the infamous Martian Generosity Key Abduction combo (often abbreviated Genka) while logos brings truly outrageous cycling ability. Sanctum is probably the house with the lowest power level, while Brobnar can be overpowering with the right cards it is otherwise very weak.

Shadows - The two standout cards introduced in this set are Ronnie Wristclocks and Brend the Fanatic, both of which can be expected to be seen in competitive decks. Perplexing Sophistry Introduces some hand disruption into the house, and Murkens is a card very important to be aware of, as it might mess with your deck.

Dis- One of the most powerful cards in the set is Exhume, providing great utility along with an Aember pip. Banish Was not very good when the set was released, but with Exalt and Upgrades running rampant in both WC and MM, it can be quite powerful. Lastly, while mostly a gimmick, Tezmal can produce a full lockout if two of them are joined by Rocket Boots. It is also worth mentioning Gold Key Imp can produce game states where niether player can win before time runs out, if both players have an abundance of Aember, niether can afford to kill it if they don't have a key cheat.

Logos - In this set Logos takes deck cycling and archiving to new levels with Eyegor, Archimedes, Eureka!, Titan Librarian, Z.Y.X Researcher, Director of Z.Y.X and some others, but more importantly to take heed is the Binate Rupture Interdimentional Graft combo, (abbreviated BRIG). Never let a Professor Sutterkin live. Cutthroat Research, the only Aember control in Logos cannot take an opponent off check without key cost increases in play.

Untamed - In this set Untamed struggles to find it's identity with Aember burst being hard to come by and large creatures with +1 power counters don't provide sufficient utility. The three cards introduced in this set to be aware of is Duskwitch, Soldiers to Flowers and Dharna. Though Glimmer can produce a soft lock that is quite hard to disrupt if paired with Nature's Call

Sanctum - The original big armored bodies, protection of other creatures and aember capture, Sanctum’s power comes from developing a strong board more than flashy cards. With very few great cards in the common slot, powerful Sanctum lineups are more rare. Still, it boasts two extremely powerful cards in the Uncommon slot: possibly the best aember control card on it’s own Doorstep to Heaven and one of the best board clears in the game The Spirit’s Way.

Mars - Known for producing a high number of house lineups that don’t really work, when it does work, it can be spectacular. House Mars can’t really be analyzed through it’s Commons as the most powerful Mars lineups seem to rely on a few powerful cards to tie it all together. Battle Fleet and Key Abduction are the most well known for clean power, but a full analysis of the house is needed to see it’s entire potential.

Bornar - The house that wants to fight but does it poorly. Lacking abilities to survive combat such as Skirmish and Armor, Brobnar is looking to pick fights but quickly falls apart doing so. The best Brobnar lineups will look to employ ready and fight abilities to do the fighting while using other cards to control the board and actually reap with creatures at every opportunity. Cards like Punch, Gauntlet of Command and Anger provide aember and speed, while Coward’s End and Champion’s Challenge can clear the board. Brobnar also has some effective Aember control in Bumpsy, Grenade Snib and Screechbomb.

Key Cards

When reading an archon card it is best if you’re familiar with the entire card pool, or at least all the commons and uncommons, but that may not be feasible for people joining the game at a later date. I compiled a list of cards the categories that you are most likely to need play around. Sorted by Rarity and then potency

Creature Control

Kills, shuffles or returns to hand multiple creatures.
Gateway to Dis, Coward’s End, Lost in the Woods, Save the Pack | Three Fates, The Spirit’s Way, Bouncing Deathquark, Nature’s Call, Hysteria, Lights Out, Booby Trap | Key to Dis, Champion’s Challenge, Numquid the Fair, Neutron Shark, Dance of Doom.

Aember Control

Only the ones in large quantities, which are usually conditional.
Effervescent Principle | Doorstep to Heaven, Too Much to Protect, Interdimensional Graft, Burn the Stockpile, Drumble, Gatekeeper, Pandemonium, Unguarded Camp | Hypnotic Command, Shatter Storm, Routine Job (when it’s 3 or more), One Last Job.

Artifact Control

Nexus | EMP Blast, Poltergeist, Gorm of Omm, Whispering Reliquary, Grasping Vines, Snudge, Remote Access, Tentacus | Sneklifter, Neutron Shark, Barehanded, Customs Office, Crazy Killing Machine, Strange Gizmo.

Other Things

These don’t fall in the other categories, but you really need to know about before going into the game.
Control the Weak, Arise!, Key Charge, Ember Imp | Chota Hazri, Key Abduction, Scrambler Storm, Mimicry | Dysania, Restringuntus

Famous Decks

You can view a full list of Vault Tour winning decks, but I want to highlight a few of the most famous decks.

"Gasoline" Maximiliano, Dungeon Keeper

The first deck to be piloted to a double vault tour win by George Keagle. The first time it won a vault tour was before the Library Access Errata, that allowed the deck to “go infinite” by using Nepenthe Seed to get the Library Access back and replay it on the same turn. This would result in most if not all of the deck being in hand, and a Control the Weak to be played every single turn for the rest of the game. After the Errata, some people would argue the deck is even scarier, with George not leaning into the combo, he is able to set up powerful lockouts with the Control the Weak and Restringuntus.

Adm. Inslang, the Pink Fraud

The second deck to be piloted to a double vault tour win by Jakub “Dunkoro” Nosal, the deck is extremely fast and can make big plays in both Logos and Mars with Library Access or the double Battle Fleet Key Abduction.

Bahamut "Alp Larissa" Heifetz and Bombfoot, the Aeronaut of the Pike

Bahamut is the only power level 8 deck that has not won a single game in the finals, back when Vault Tour finals in the US were Adaptive. After Bombfoot won both first games, Nathan Westlake won the bid for it with 1 chain and won the match with it against Brooks L. Clark.