Ascension Guide
All 10 Ascension levels explained — what changes and how to adapt
How Ascension Works
Ascension unlocks after beating Act 3. There are 10 levels, tracked per character. All modifiers are cumulative — Ascension 10 has ALL effects active at once.
A1: Swarming Elites
~60% more Elites spawn on the map. Fight them — relics are permanent power. But plan your HP carefully, more Elites means more damage taken.
A2: Weary Traveler
Healing is reduced to 80% effectiveness. Rest Sites and potions heal less. This makes taking unnecessary damage even more punishing.
A3: Poverty
Enemies and chests drop 25% less Gold. Fewer shop visits, fewer card removals. Prioritize which purchases matter most.
A4: Tight Belt
1 fewer potion slot. Potions are free power — losing a slot hurts. Use potions aggressively instead of hoarding them.
A5: Ascender's Bane
You start with an unplayable curse card. It dilutes your deck and hand. Remove it at the first shop — a dead card costs you turns every fight.
A6-7: Fewer Resources
A6 removes a Rest Site per Act (fewer heals/upgrades). A7 halves Rare and Upgraded card appearances. Draft more flexibly — you can't rely on finding specific Rares.
A8-9: Tougher Enemies
A8 gives all enemies more HP. A9 makes all enemies deal more damage. Together these make every fight significantly harder. Draft more defensively and keep decks tight.
A10: Double Boss
You fight TWO bosses at the end of Act 3, back to back. Your deck must handle two full HP bars without resting. This is the ultimate test — build for consistency over glass-cannon burst.
General High-Ascension Tips
Skip cards aggressively (15-20 card decks). Remove Strikes first. Fight Elites for relics. Use potions on Elites, not bosses. Upgrade key cards over healing. Don't force builds — adapt to what's offered.