We have officially entered spoiler season for the anticipated Grand Archive set, Mortal Ambition. The set will be released on October 11th, so make sure you check with your LGS and get your preorders in if it is not too late. I know I have mine ready to go. While we wait patiently for this exciting new set, Weebs of the Shore has given a few select content creators spoilers to reveal for the next few days. I’ll be collecting them here, and updating this post as we go.
You can always pick up Mortal Ambition on TCG Player, but I’d wait till after launch unless you don’t mind paying scalper prices. If you’re looking for unique sleeves or deck boxes to keep your cards safe, get them over at Gem Accessories. Use discount code churapereviews10 at checkout for 10% off your order.
After a bit of a rocky start, the Kryptik community rallied and has given their beloved game the second chance it deserves. If you’re out of the loop, there were plans to move Kryptik away from the TCG model and turn it into an LCG. The community spoke up, and after a leadership change, a name change, and a new printer, there were plans to revitalize the Kryptik TCG.
The first of these efforts has been an Ambassador Program to raise money for the next Kickstarter campaign. The campaign allows players to support the game they love and give by buying exclusive collector products and other interesting rewards. Full details below:
The $50,000 goal was met, and the program proved successful. This means that Ambassador Program boxes will be printed, and there will be money for the Kickstarter. Fans of the hobby are elated. It is not too late to support the game. The Ambassador Program has been extended, so make sure you backing before then.
It makes me happy to see the game continue to thrive, and I wish them the best. If you want to stay up to date on all the news, or play in official weekly online events, make sure you join the Kryptik Discord.
If you need sleeves or unique cases to keep your Kryptik cards safe, get them over at Gem Accessories. Use discount code churapereviews10 at checkout for 10% off your order.
Edge of Exile has released a brand new animation that helps introduce new players to the unique card game and gives valid explanations on why they should give it a try. If you want to pick up some Geneis product, get it over at Indie Pro Games. I am not affiliated with either of the companies, I just like the game and want to see it succeed.
If you need sleeves or a unique deck box to protect your new Genesis cards, get them over at Gem Accessories. Use discount code churapereviews10 at checkout for 10% off your order.
Impressions
I was sent a bit of Genesis: Battle of Champions product and was very impressed with the game. Make sure you check out my full review.
My biggest takeaway from the video is Edge of Exiles commitment to keep the game affordable by only releasing two sets a year. While this may seem like a little, Sorcery can get away with one. It is also nice to have the time to get used to a set. I get that for competitive players, the shift in the format every three months is a welcomed refreshment, but as a casual, I want more time to enjoy a set before I have to worry about buying a new one. I think their commitment to their players and the local game stores is admirable, and I hope they can see success.
If you enjoy miniature wargames and TCGs, Genesis combines the best of both worlds in a unique and exciting experience. What sets Genesis apart from other games is that the people behind its resurgence are former store owners passionate about the game. After Haunted Castle Games announced its sudden closure, fans rallied to keep the game they loved alive. I’ve opened the packs and see the passion in the game mechanics, the quality of the game pieces, and the amount of work already done to expand the game’s reach. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I am impressed with what has been accomplished so far.
If you haven’t played Genesis before, it doesn’t hurt to pick up a couple of starter decks and give it a try. I’ll be following the game closely and will be giving updates when I can, but make sure you follow the official Genesis: Battle of Champions YouTube page.
The Mortal Ambition stream was extremely juicy, and I am so excited for this set. It has fantastic flavor, beautiful art, and some new mechanics. If you missed the stream, I’ve collected all the spoilers in one convenient spot. Make sure you check out the full video for lore and the full details. Mortal Ambitions releases on October 11th, so make sure you have your set preorder. I know I have mine ready at my LGS. You can pick up Mortal Ambition on TCG Player if that isn’t an option, but I’d wait till after launch unless you don’t mind paying scalper prices.
If you’re looking for unique sleeves or deck boxes to keep your cards safe, get them over at Gem Accessories. Use discount code churapereviews10 at checkout for 10% off your order.
I’ll leave a table of contents so you can skip to whatever is relevant to you
New Cards
Story Art Cards
Ignite Fate
Ignite Fate Action – Mage Spell Deal 2 Damage to Each Champion Floating Memory
Cure the Flesh Action – Cleric Skill (Fast) Remove all temporary damage from target ally Draw a card into your memory
Heated Vengeance
Heated Vengeance Attack – Warrior Polearm As long as your champion has taken damage this turn, Heated Vengeance gets +3 attack (Class Bonus) On Attack: You may have Heated Vengeance deal 3 damage to your champion
Reprints!
In an effort to make Mortal Ambition a better onboarding product, we are getting some valuable reprints in this set with brand new art.
Making Unique Allies Great Again
Equestrian
Empower!
Kongming
Kongming will feature the new shifting current mechanic where cards gain a boon depending on the direction the wind is shifting. This looks like a very fun mechanic, but one that will potentially be difficult to master. I need it!
Shifting Current Boons
Some boons will be simple and strait forward
Advanced Current Booms
Some boons require the current to shift between certain diractions
Direction Matters
Terra!
Jin
Jin is a little more straight forward and a lot more beginner friendly. Jin will be introducing a new advanced class, and it is a good one!
Pole Arms
New Element: Exia
Main Deck
Material Deck
Erupting Rhapsody Ban Announcement
Erupting Rhapsody will be banned starting AMB release because it will just break the new enhance mechanics.
Beautiful Collector Rares
Ascent Events
Ascent Santa Clara has been announced for people in North Call itching for those sweet promos. There will also be a couple of exclusive shirts only available at Ascent Singapore. Make sure you get your tickets.
Mortal Ambition Launch Kit
Mortal Ambition Regional Rewards
Entry to any regionals for the Mortal Ambition season gets you a sweet binder, and top participants get some beautiful playmats
Store Champ Rewards
Revelfest Announcement!
Revelfest will take place October 4th to the 11th. This is an event where players earn double veterancy on Omnidex and enter for a chance to win a beautiful Tariff Ring art card. You only need to play once during this period. Playing multiple times won’t increase your chances.
Six months after a successful Kickstarter Campaign, Altered TCG is officially in stores and in the mail for anticipating fans. If you want to experience the game that pulled over $2 million in funding, check with your LGS for products and events. There is also an active Discord for players to stay updated on all the news, join an extremely welcoming community, and even find a game or two.
What is Altered TCG?
Altered TCG is a unique trading card game with interesting mechanics and no combat. Set off an adventure in a race against your friend. With help from members of your faction, be the first to travel across the beautiful and wonderous Asgartha peninsula. What secrets will you uncover? What memories will you make?
How to play
Altered TCG is one of the easier trading cards to learn, but also one that will take some time to master. Its mechanics are simple, yet engaging, making it the ideal card game for players looking for a good place to start in the space. The gameplay does offer enough engaging interactions to satisfy most veterans from more competitive games. If you want to learn how to play Altered, there is an official tutorial on Board Game Arena. Board Game Arena is also a great place to play the game without having to buy cards or print out your own. Maindeck has a great tutorial that you should check out as well.
Quick start guide
Having the rules handy is also a good idea. If you’re only trying out the game, I recommend starting with the quickstart guide. Players get a solid sense of the gameplay loop without being overwhelmed. It is always good to start small with any TCG and slowly dive into the more complex mechanics, especially if you lack the experience. I’ll leave a copy of the quickstart guide, but you can pick up the guide and a more comprehensive version of the rulebook on the official website.
I printed out some of the decks from the official print-n-play files available on the site when Altered TCG was first announced, and loved the experience. I think the gameplay is creative, the mechanics are good, and the art is beautiful. Its gameplay loop is sure to attract the fans of board games, and its simple mechanics make it the perfect beginner TCG. With the tremendous support it received during its Kickstarter campaign, I am convinced that there will be enough of a scene to keep it alive through a few more sets. Make sure you check with your LGS for a scene or product.
1 / 6
The only issue I can see Altered having is the QR codes. Altered TCG boasts about its “phygital” ecosystem where players can scan and keep track of their collection on the official app for both Android and IOS devices. The game will also release one-of-a-kind alters of existing cards each set for a bit of added FOMO. This online database is intended to be used to facilitate trading and the buying of singles, but we will have to wait for its execution to determine its effectiveness. At the moment, this feature gives off NFT vibes which is going to rub some folks the wrong way. The QR also creates an awkward aesthetic that I am not sure I like. I do like the idea of being able to easily keep track of my collection, and the idea of a player-driven market, but the one-of-a-kind cards might end up creating some unnecessary fomo. Here’s hoping the scalpers don’t make it impossible to buy products as they have done with other collectibles.
Regardless of how you feel about the “phygital” aspect of the game, the gameplay is fun and is worth at least trying once. If you don’t want to buy the product, there are official print-and-play files for all the starter decks and accessories. If you don’t have a printer, the Board Game Arena module provides a solid digital experience, and you can always find people to play with on the official Discord. When you do end up liking the game, make sure you pick up your Beyond The Gates product from your LGS.
There have been some big changes to this month’s ban and restricted list, and we even got a new Proxia card! Most of it has been expected. It seems like they are trying to rebalance the format so that we don’t get the same three decks in the top spots, we’ll have to see if it works. If you’re playing in any official event, make sure you are up to date. Check out the official announcement. If you need to pick up any Grand Archive singles, get them over at TCG Player using my affiliate link.
Proxia Vault Update
Arisanna gets her first update this season with Polaris, Twinkling Cauldron. but will it be enough to break it into the competitive scene? With potentially decent board wipe and Cosmic Bolt generation, will it be enough to break Arisanna into the competitive scene? I sure hope so. As a reminder, printed proxia cards are legal in official events, so make sure you go to take advantage of the official PnP feature to get your copy of Polaris, Twinkling Cauldron.
Arisanna Bonus: You may activate this card from your material deck. If you do, Polaris enters the field rested.
Whenever you sacrifice an Herb, put an age counter on Polaris.
Class Bonus, Banish Polaris: Deal X damage to all allies. Then generate up to X Cosmic Bolt cards and shuffle them into your deck. X is the amount of age counters that were on Polaris.
Ruling Notes:
To generate means to add cards from outside of the game. Those cards must be legitimate Grand Archive TCG cards, and cannot be represented by anything else. A player will fail to generate if they cannot find the cards to add to the game in a reasonable amount of time.
Generated cards are removed from each game zone (including the main deck) after each game, before side-boarding.
Tip: Using an altered card can help you differentiate between generated copies and copies that are in your decklist! Generated card alterations must still follow our guidelines that apply to any other Grand Archive TCG card if they would be used in a competitive event.
Thoughts: The biggest problem with Arisanna is that getting to her win condition is too slow to be competitive. By the time you get cooking, it is often too late. Being able to cast Polaris outside of the materialize step is a nice boost, but can she generate herbs fast enough to make a dent? MRC has some cool new herb generation like Cultivate and Nurture Crops, so there might be a chance. We’re going to have to wait and see.
Ban List
Corhazi Outlook has been banned, which is a huge hit to Wind Assasin decks where she is essentially an auto-include. Hopefully, this ban means we see less Tristan in the meta. If you’re planning to play in an official event, make sure you don’t have any of the following cards in your deck:
Catagory 2 Watch List
These cards are on the cusp of being banded. You can still use them in your decks, but there are plans of taking them out of the format at some point.
Category 1 Watch List
These cards are safe to use, but Weebs of the Shore is keeping an eye on these for potential bans sometime down the line. It looks like the Silvie decks are on the block, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play Silivie.
UniVersus just announced its 2025 product roadmap, and there are a couple of IPs that stand out. I am excited for Ninja Turtles and Solo Leveling personally. The new Attack on Titan: Battle for Humanity just came out, and it’s a pretty cool-looking set if you’re a fan of the anime. You can pick up the product at your LGS or TCG player. Make sure you check out my review.
If you don’t like Attack on Titan, there is no shame in waiting for something you do like. UniVersus is a fun and unique TCG that deserves more attention. Attack on Titan is where I started because they sent me product. I like it so far, but I am sure it is fun at any set.
2025 Roadmap
Solo Leveling Challenger Series (January 10)
Critical Role: Heroes of Exandria (March 10)
Attack on Titan: Apocalypse (May 16)
Street Fighter 6 Challenger Series (July 2025)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (August 2025)
Guilty Gear – Strive- (November 2025)
And a few secrets along the way
Season 3 Regional Promos Announced
The season 3 regionals promos have also been announced. The top 50% of any Universus regionals event will receive copies of cool and exclusive Godzilla cards. I am almost tempted to starting my grind, but I don’t have the time or money to do so. I’d at least try to go for that Godzilla mat. Good luck to everyone who is. Make sure you check the official page to find events near you.
I was sent a couple of starter decks and a booster box of UniVersus‘ new Attack on Titan: Battle for Humanity set to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
UniVersus is a unique trading card game that has been around since 2006. The game uses art from a collection of different intellectual properties. Whether it is the My Hero Academia sets or something from Godzilla, there is bound to be something for every type of player. Grab your favorite champion and face off against your friends in what promises to be an epic battle of skill, strategy, and just a little bit of luck. Do you have what it takes to come out on top?
What Makes UniVersus Unique?
I am going to simplify things a bit because there are videos below that will show you the following in better detail.
UniVersus is like a fighting game. Players take turns setting up their combos to attack and defend, and turns in between to power them up. Attacks and defense cards have a direction (top, middle, low) for added complexity. A successful defense that matches the attack negates it, while an adjacent direction only halves it doesn’t.
UniVersus also eliminates the hand size issue because you are always drawing cards in this game. At the start of your turn, you can throw away up to two cards you don’t need and always draw up to your starting hand size. This varies based on the champion you choose. This means you never start your turns with only one card and zero options after an explosive turn, and you never have dead cards clogging up your hand. You still can run out of resources after an explosive turn, so make sure you use your cards wisely.
I particularly love the mana system. Each card in a player’s deck can be exchanged for a random amount of mana (3-5). This amount is printed on the bottom right. To cast an ability, players flip the top card of their deck. If the number on the card matches or beats the cost of the card, the player gets to cast their ability. If the number doesn’t match or beat, the ability fails and the player’s turn ends. Each additional action costs one more to cast than the action before. This means the more you do in a round, the more expensive actions get.
My favorite mechanic is the mana system. Each card in a player’s deck can be exchanged for a random amount of mana (3-5). This amount is printed on the bottom right of a card. To cast an ability, players flip the top card of their deck. If the number on the card matches or beats the cost of the card, the player gets to cast their ability. If the number doesn’t match or beat, the ability fails and the player’s turn ends. Each additional action costs one more to cast than the action before. This means the more you do in a round, the more expensive things get.
You can also use your mana to put foundations into your reserve. You can use foundations in your reserve to help pay for your actions or buff them. Finding the perfect balance between acting, defending, and building your
How to Play
There are several how to play videos you should watch before you start playing, but here are the two that were helpful when I started learning.
Quality
The card quality is fine. The cuts are clean, the colors are vibrant, and the layout is easy to understand. The cards do feel a bit on the lighter and thinner side, but this isn’t a deal breaker. The foiling is subtle, but it does make the cards pop. I did notice a track line on my full art, but it was the only one in the batch so I don’t think it is a huge concern.
My only real issue with the cards is the text legibility. I can read most of the text boxes, but I have trouble with some of the wordier attack cards. The combination of that gradient orange and font makes things hard to read. It isn’t illegible, but it is an issue. This might be more on my dyslexia than an actual design issue though. Everything else is clean and clear.
I can see people having issues with the game’s art. Attack on Titan: Battle for Humanity uses colorized stills from the manga. Fans of the manga and anime will appreciate seeing important or iconic moments depicted in their card game, others will want original art. I was a bit disappointed when I opened my first pack, but that disappointment quickly faded as I started to fill the binder. The design works, the images are thematic, and they look cool on the table, but there are other existing IPs if Attack on Titan isn’t your thing.
Review
I enjoyed UniVersus, but it is not going to be for everyone. The biggest issue this game has is its complexity. The new player experience is a bit overwhelming. I had to watch a few tutorials a couple of times before I started to understand what to do. Luckily, there is an active Discord you should join if you have any questions or want a place to hang out and play the game.
Once I started playing and going through the phases, the game wasn’t so bad. Mastering the strategies to become a great UniVersus will take some time, but knowing enough to have fun with the game doesn’t. You just have to get through that initial hurdle.
If you’re looking for a place to start, the Clash decks are a nice product. The decks are a more streamlined version of the game without losing any of the spirit. At the moment, there are two clash decks for Attack on Titan: Battle for Humanity: Mikasa and Levi. It doesn’t matter which you choose. Both felt similar in power level and played the same, it just depends on which champion you like more. Keep in mind that this is a beginner product. You won’t be able to take this to locals and do well, but you will at least learn the fundamentals if enjoy the game.
As far as sets go, I don’t have a reference. As a new player, the set felt fine. I am a huge fan of the blitz mechanic and I like the art. Fans of the anime will enjoy the flavor, and there are some alt-art cards you’re definitely going to want to chase. As someone who never watched the anime or read the manga, I thought it was a valid starting point, but there are other IPs you can also buy into. I know people will have issues with the art choice, but they really do look cool in person.
As far as sets go, I don’t have a reference. As a new player, the set felt fine. I am a huge fan of the blitz mechanic and I like the art. Fans of the anime will enjoy the flavor, and there are some alt-art cards you’re definitely going to want to chase. As someone who never watched the anime or read the manga, I thought it was a valid starting point, but there are other IPs you can also buy into. I know people will have issues with the art choice, but they really do look cool in person. I enjoyed the cards enough to start watching the anime and enjoyed the game enough to look into a local scene.
If you’re looking for a new type of card game with fun and engaging mechanics and don’t mind playing with licensed IPs, UniVersus is a great place to start. The game is a little confusing at first, but it gets fun if you stick with it. There is an active Discord you should join if you have questions or need someone to play with.
Kryptik Studios LLC has announced the launch of its ambassador program to raise funds for its next set. For those out of the loop, there was a sudden announcement on the official Discord that the Kryptik TCG was moving to an LCG model. After a passionate outcry from its devoted community, a change of leadership, and a divorce from its old printer, the Kryptik TCG found its push. The TCG would continue, but not without challenges.
The poor quality of older sets has left many local game stores and players distrustful. The split from Speed Robo Games was a step in the right direction. Reviews for the final Speed Robo set are not good, and the samples I received look terrible. The foiling is ugly, the card stock is thin and cheap, and they came curled. We can only hope their new printer does better.
But the damage has been done. Many of the early adopting stores and players burned by early quality issues won’t return, and others will need a lot of convincing. It is going to be a difficult endeavor, especially since the TCG space is ruthlessly competitive, but there seems to be a supportive community working tirelessly with the devs to give the game the traction it deserves.
The ambassador program launched on August 22nd and has already raised $20,000, according to Kryptik Chris’ announcement on Discord.
The announcement reads:
@everyone After 36 hours, we have raised over $20,000! We are steadily climbing towards resurrection! There are still spots available at each tier, so no one has missed their shot yet! Let’s keep those numbers climbing and we’ll make it to top!
This is a very positive look for the game and it shows how devoted fans of the IP truly are. But what is in the program, and is it worth it?
The Ambassador Program
The ambassador program are direct to consumer products and services offered by Kryptik Studios in order to raise the money they need to bring their next set to Kickstarter. The tier break down is as follows:
The program is still live as of writing this. Make sure you head over to the official website if you plan on supporting.
Impressions
The ambassador program was revised after input from the Kryptik community. While it makes me happy that the game is listening to its players, it doesn’t feel worth it for someone trying to get into the game for the first time. It would be more cost-effective for new players to pick up older products from TCG Players. Unless you’re already a fan of the game and believe the game will succeed, none of the tiers seem worth it. Why would I spend money on promos that will be worthless if the game fails down the line? Like I’ve said before, the game is going to need to do more than launch these kinds of programs to build its player base. I’ll be rooting for them either way.
Weekly Tournaments
If you want to play Kryptik, there are official weekly tournaments running Sundays noon EST. You’ll need to own Tabletop Simulatorwith the official Kryptik TCG module and join the official Discord. The community is beginner friendly, so don’t worry if you don’t know how to play. These tournaments are a great way to enjoy the game with other fans and possibly earn some cool prizes. These events need more people, so make sure you join even if you’re just wanting to try out the game. Who knows? You might like it!
After a very successful Kickstarter campaign and a bit of community feedback, the people behind Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem have decided to relaunch a bigger and better campaign on October 1st. Mark your calendars. If you have backed the initial project, you should have gotten an email explaining the change. Original backers will also get 6 packs and a serialized Alt Art Flameskull card. If you’re looking for a new fantasy-themed TCG with creative gameplay, you’re going to want to check out Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem. Make sure you follow the Kickstarter to be notified when it goes live.
What is Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem
Paragon is a tactical TCG coming to Kickstarter on October first. Players face off against each other in a battle arena where they take control of a Paragon and their allies in an epic battle to the death. The game features creative movement, mana, and health mechanics making for interesting and creative interactions. if you want to play the game or help play test, make sure you join the official Discord server. It is pretty active and there are always people willing to play. Just make sure you have access to Tabletop Simulator and the official Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem module. Make sure you start with the Starter Deck Sample Modulefirst though to see where you stand.
There will be an official Paragon Monsters & Mayhem Draft on Staturday August 31st at 6PM PST. This is a great chance to get together with the community and try out the game. Prizes:
1st Place – 1 Golden Paragon Monsters & Mayhem Booster
2nd Place – 2 Paragon Monsters & Mayhem Boosters
3rd Place – 1 Paragon Monsters & Mayhem Booster
Gameplay
Rulebook
There isn’t an official rulebook yet, the game is still in production, but there is a quickstart guide available to get you started. The book is pinned on the official discord, but I’ll leave it below for your convenience.
The new kickstarter is launching with 251 unique cards and alt arts to pad it out to 560. There will also be box topers, case topers, and some extra goodies. I’ll leave the graphic below for the full details.
Conclusion
I am interested because the art looks cool. Check out the cards revealed so far! I love the deep fantasy vibes and the flavor of the cards. I need to see more, but I am impressed with the art I’ve seen so far. I am also impressed by the developers. They seem to be incredibly involved with the community, and obviously listening to their listening to suggestions. If you’re looking for a new fantasy TCG, you might be looking for Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem. There is always risk in backing a Kickstarter, so make sure you do your own due diligence.
The campaign launches on October 1st. Make sure you’re following the campaign to be alerted when it goes live. The game was already fully funded once, I have no doubt they can do it again.
