By Blackmead · Published:
Four islands sound like four problems. Then the knarr leaves shore. Meet the crossings, boarders and sea beasts that stand between one island victory and the next.
The Hafgufa chapter starts at 1:43. This reel includes later boss encounters.
Congratulations. The boat has more enemies.
You dealt with the island. You reached the boat. You may even have persuaded yourself that the next few minutes would be restful. The shape moving beside the hull has another suggestion.
Ascent takes its saga across Crownfall, Graskarn, Thrymgard and Cindermaw. Between them are three sea crossings: the Grey Strait, the Whale Road and the Cinder Reach. The Voyage gives each crossing its own chart, fights against boarders and a sea beast waiting at the end.
Leaving shore changes the setting, and the deck you built comes with you. The cards and equipment that earned your passage still have work to do before you reach the next island.
Read the road before you leave it
An island map branches through fights, Champions, Hearths, Ravens and barrows on the way to its lord. Choosing a route means looking beyond the next attractive icon. Think about what the party can handle and where you can recover or improve the build.
Crownfall starts the journey, with Warrok and the Berserker Chieftain among its threats. Graskarn is the Vampyr Matriarch's hunting ground. Thrymgard brings glaciers, fjords and the Frost Giant or Frost Dragon. Cindermaw waits at the end with lava fields, Eldvik and the Mountain Dragon beneath the volcano.
Those places give the saga its shape. Your route, rewards and forge decisions determine what you carry into each new problem. Before choosing the ambitious road, take a look at the heroes who will have to walk it.
Keep an eye on the water
On the knarr, boarders make the deck a battlefield. Then comes the beast at the end of the crossing. The Grey Strait leads to the Skerry-Back. On the Whale Road, the Hafgufa rises alongside the ship. The Cinder Reach brings the Ashcoil.
The capture above shows a Cleric and Druid facing the Hafgufa, its head and tentacles crowding the edge of the deck. It is a useful reminder to read the fight in front of you: look at your cards, your available energy and the enemies' announced actions before committing.
In a party, everyone can play during the same turn. Call out the urgent problem, coordinate what you can and press Ready when your plays are finished. A sea beast is a good audience for a plan you actually shared.
Pack for more than the next shore
You carry a weapon and two spares. A full rack makes the next weapon a decision about what to leave behind. Repairs, improvements and runes at the forge sit alongside the work you do on your cards.
Think about how the build is holding up across encounters. Are you repeatedly wishing for a different answer? Is your equipment getting the attention it needs? The next reward or stop is a chance to act on what the last fight taught you.
You can also put the saga down and return later. It saves automatically, even mid-fight, and resumes at the start of the turn you left. Four islands and three crossings do not have to fit into one sitting.
The public Windows preview is ready when you are. Choose a hero, find your way off Crownfall and remember to look over the side of the boat.