Tamashii Chronicle of Ascend reference sheet

Overview

• Cooperative scenario-based cyberpunk game; 1–4 players [p.2 — Goal of the game]
• Players are Tamashii: humans who upload minds into body shells to fight AI [p.6 — Game Overview]
• Each scenario has its own win/loss conditions and story branch [p.2 — Goal of the game]
• Core loop: program Data tokens into Patterns → launch Patterns → fight Enemies → complete scenario objectives [p.6 — Game Overview]
• Scenarios can be played in any order; the Prologue must be played first [p.4 — Before your first game]
• Winning/losing unlocks or locks components for future scenarios [p.20 — Ending the Game]

Setup

1. Place all Basic/Open Data tokens, Ascend tokens, Success tokens, Universal markers, DMG/EXP markers, and all dice in the Neutral pool [p.4 — Game Setup]
2. Each player picks a Player Board + matching Dump tile; insert Dump tile into board slot [p.4 — Game Setup]
3. Place 4 Lock tokens on rightmost Launcher column; set ITG Limiter + marker on slot 5; set Asset track markers on slot 0 [p.4 — Game Setup]
4. Insert matching Core Data token into Core Data slot; keep the other nearby [p.4 — Game Setup]
5. Each player takes: 1 Data Bag, 3 Help cards, 1 Class Augment deck (keep 2 starting Augments; remove Solo/Pvp back card), 2 random Learning Protocol cards (keep 1), 1 Walker Body token in holder [p.4 — Game Setup]
6. Fill Data Bag: 3 of each Basic Data type (12 total) + 1 extra matching your Core Data token [p.4 — Game Setup]
7. Body Market: shuffle Body cards; draw (players +1) face up [p.4 — Game Setup]
8. Place Time track; set Universal marker on slot 0 [p.4 — Game Setup]
9. Complete Scenario-specific setup (map, Enemy deck, Corrupted Data pool, Faction Augment decks, player placement, Scenario cards) [p.5 — Scenario Setup]

Turn structure

Each round has 4 phases:

PLANNING PHASE (simultaneous)

1. Trace Roll: roll Player dice per Trace track threshold; each 🎲 result = draw+attach 1 Enemy; if ≥1 Enemy drawn, set Trace to 0 [p.14 — Planning Phase]
2. Refill Launcher: draw tokens from Bag onto all empty Highlighted slots (top→bottom, left→right) [p.14 — Planning Phase]
3. Program: move tokens on Launcher up to PRO times (slide 1 slot or switch 2 adjacent); no diagonals [p.14 — Planning Phase]
4. Upgrade (anytime during Planning): spend EXP/Memory to develop character [p.13 — Upgrade]

ACTION PHASE (in player order)

5. Move & Trace: move up to MOV tiles OR stay; increase Trace by Entry (purple) or Stationary (red) value [p.14 — Action Phase]
6. District Effect: optionally resolve current tile's effect [p.14 — Action Phase]
7. Launch: launch any Patterns; dump all Corrupted Data at end of step [p.14 — Action Phase]

COMBAT PHASE (in player order; skip if no attached Enemies)

8. Attack Roll → Set Active Enemy → Resolve Frames alternating player/enemy [p.15 — Combat Phase]

QUEST PHASE (simultaneous)

9. Player Activity: contribute to active Scenario card objective [p.16 — Quest Phase]
10. World Activity: resolve Scenario card's time/objective checks [p.16 — Quest Phase]
11. Pass First Player token clockwise [p.16 — Quest Phase]

Actions

Combat

Trigger: Any player with attached Enemies must resolve Combat phase (in player order) [p.15 — Combat Phase]

Sequence:

1. Attack Roll: Take ATT dice + 2 Enemy dice; optionally spend Power (1 Power = +1 Player die); roll all; may spend Reroll to reroll [p.15 — Combat Phase]
2. Set Active Enemy: Place Enemy Number die on the Enemy matching the rolled number (counting from Top Enemy); if rolled blank, skip [p.15 — Combat Phase]
3. Resolve Frames (alternating): Player activates 1 Combat Frame (assign matching dice) → Active Enemy activates its Frame matching Enemy Symbol die result → repeat; Enemy Number die moves 1 card toward Top Enemy after each Enemy Frame [p.15 — Combat Phase]

Combat ends when: Player can't/won't activate more Frames AND Enemy Number die is off all cards — OR player's Integrity hits 0 (trigger Reset) [p.15 — Combat Phase]

Key rules:

• All DMG from Combat Frames goes to Top Enemy only; excess is lost [p.15 — Combat Phase]
• 🔴 Enemy Frames deal Wounds; 🔵 Enemy Frames have other effects [p.15 — Combat Phase]
• Spend Shield before suffering Wounds: must spend as many as possible (all-or-nothing per amount) [p.8 — Assets]
• Frames with ✦ or ✧ symbols may be activated multiple times per phase [p.15 — Combat Phase]

Scoring

Applies only to Scenario Generator (competitive mode) [p.22 — Counting Victory Points]

• Each 3 Assets = 1 VP
• Each Unlocked Data slot = 1 VP
• Each EXP in pool = 1 VP
• Each point of max ITG above 5 = 1 VP
• Each equipped non-break Faction Augment = 1 VP
• Each equipped non-starting Class Augment = 2 VP
• Add VP from acquired Goal cards

Corrupted Data penalties:

• 1 token = −1 VP | 2–3 = −2 VP | 4–5 = −3 VP | 6+ = −4 VP

Tiebreaker: fewest Corrupted Data tokens wins [p.22 — Counting Victory Points]

End of game

• Game ends when a Victory or Scenario Lost card is drawn [p.20 — Ending the Game]
• Resolve the card's effects; unlock or lock components as instructed [p.20 — Ending the Game]
• Mark the appropriate code on the Progress sheet if you won [p.20 — Ending the Game]
• Most scenarios have multiple endings; different story branches unlock different components [p.20 — Ending the Game]
• Corrupted Data pool depleted = Scenario Lost in most scenarios (check Special rules) [p.6 — Corrupted Data tokens]
• Scenario Generator (competitive): game ends when Time track reaches 0; count VP — most VP wins [p.21 — Scenario Generator]

Glossary

• Trace: how visible you are to AI; increases each Move & Trace step; triggers Enemy draws on Trace Roll [p.11 — Trace]
• Pattern: specific arrangement of Data tokens on the Launcher that can be launched for an effect [p.7 — Patterns]
• Launch: dump tokens used in a Pattern and resolve its effect; only during Launch step by default [p.7 — Launching Patterns]
• Top Enemy: the rightmost fully visible attached Enemy card; only this Enemy can be Hacked, Repelled, or damaged [p.12 — Attaching Enemies]
• Reset: triggered when player Integrity hits 0; roll Enemy die (may lose Body), gain 2 Corrupted Data, dump Launcher, discard all Enemies, set Trace to 0, return to Shelter at full ITG [p.13 — Reset]
• Corrupted Data: unwanted tokens that block Launcher slots; gained on Reset or Repel; discarded (not dumped) tokens go to box, not back to pool [p.6 — Corrupted Data tokens]
• Core Data: your primary Data type defined by your Core Data token; used wherever the Core symbol appears in Patterns [p.7 — Core Data symbol]
• Highlighted slots: Launcher slots refilled during Refill step; includes all Unlocked slots [p.6 — Player Board]
• Upgrade: Planning phase action to spend EXP/Memory for character development [p.13 — Upgrade]
• Inhabit: place an Advanced Body card in your Body slot by launching its cost Pattern [p.9 — Inhabiting a Body]
• Break: Faction Augment keyword; after use, remove from game permanently for this scenario [p.10 — Breaking Augments]
• Prepare x: draw x tokens from Bag, place all at once on chosen empty Launcher slots [p.7 — Keywords related to Data tokens]

FAQ

• Q: Can you move through face-down District tiles? — A: No. You must stop when entering a face-down tile and reveal it immediately [p.11 — Movement]
• Q: Can you use Open Data tokens in place of Core or Any Data? — A: Yes, Open Data may substitute any Basic Data in Patterns, Tests, or dumping [p.6 — Open Data tokens]
• Q: When Corrupted Data is discarded (not dumped), where does it go? — A: Back to the game box, NOT to the Corrupted Data pool on the Time track [p.6 — Corrupted Data tokens]
• Q: Can you launch the same Pattern twice in one Launch step? — A: No. Each available Pattern may only be launched once per turn, but different Patterns from different sources may all be launched [p.7 — Launching Patterns]
• Q: Does defeating an Enemy with excess DMG carry over to the next Enemy? — A: No. Excess DMG is lost; you cannot carry it to the next Enemy [p.15 — Combat Phase]
• Q: Can you use Reroll on another player's dice roll? — A: No. All Assets are personal; Reroll only affects your own rolls, unless a Class Augment states otherwise [p.8 — Assets]
• Q: What happens if the Enemy Number die roll exceeds the number of attached Enemies? — A: Place the die on the leftmost (furthest from Top) Enemy card [p.15 — Combat Phase]