Q3 Ancients Format Update
As promised back in June, Kingswood Games in partnership with the Ancients Committee (AC) is dedicated to providing a quarterly review and update on the Ancients format. This quarter we have a brief update following observation and discussion of the format.
Impending Expansion
With the release of Into the Accordlands on the horizon and the subsequent addition of over two hundred new cards to the Ancients format, the committee had quite a lot to talk about this quarter. The Ancients format has gone, from a size perspective at least, largely unchanged for over a decade now. The addition of these new cards, will be, without question, the largest shake up the format has ever seen. We did agree that, before Into the Accordlands is released and has had some time to settle, any changes this quarter would be premature. That being said, as Into the Accordlands has been fully spoiled at this point it’s easy for us to look to the future and discuss what we want to watch for.
Ancients Format Philosophy
With the creation of the Ancients Committee we also put forth a few guidelines to help steer the format.
Most of the cards throughout the game’s history should be available.
Most turns, particularly the first, should have a relatively similar number of orders taken by each player.
Most games should be battling back and forth with each player participating.
Interactions involving little or no die rolls should be monitored.
The format should be as much fun as possible for as many player types as possible.
These items help guide our discussions and structure our thoughts on the format, as well as provide a ruler against which we might find a card worthy of taking action against.
Hot Topics
The AC agreed this quarter that we want to keep an eye on a handful of interactions that fall under the fourth item above, interactions that pre-set die rolls. Two cards in particular, Light and Glyph of Fate, were brought up as two of the only cards in the format that allow you to make any roll from any character a critical success. These have enabled combos for years alongside cards like Vorpal Blade or Mixed Potion that ranged from fixing an otherwise random effect to outright winning the game without having to roll at all. Alongside Into the Accordlands’ many new Roll Order cards like the Epic cycle and Rapid Dash, fixed critical successes that can apply to any roll have a slew of new partners in crime. So while the auto-20’s aren’t a present day menace, the AC will be keeping an eye on how cards like Light and Glyph of Fate continue to affect the format.
The other major topic of discussion this quarter was that of potentially adjusting restrictions for certain cards on the Ancients’ Banned, Epic, or Reserved lists. Like in the previous quarter’s update where several cards were unrestricted, there are a number of cards that have had a restriction of some kind for almost two decades that may or may not hold up to the present day format. It has been refreshing to work with the Committee to get a good picture of where Ancients is at, listening and sharing varied opinions on individual cards and the format as a whole. We had a number of good conversations this quarter while examining cards already on the list, discussing the nuance between the ways similar cards are restricted, and otherwise affirming or tabling discussions of potential restrictions for down the road. Ultimately, there was a unanimous agreement that any actions taken before the release of Into the Accordlands would be premature, but looking toward the future is always wise.
Announcement Date: September 26, 2025
Ancients:
No changes.
Effective Date: September 26, 2025
Unchanged at this Time
No changes to the Ancients format will be made in Q3 2025. We look forward to the release of Into the Accordlands and the changes this will bring to the format, and we will check in with everyone again in Q4!
