WAYBOUND / Nine-faction balance 1 / 19 October 2026
Nine factions.
Closer contests.
All 40 Array and Elderwake illustrations are integrated into gameplay. All nine full decks, eighteen Companions, paths and Ascensions remain playable. Human testing is still needed; illustration production is complete.
What changed: the Array’s Companions start with 2 Insight; Elderwake’s base Companions start with 1 and gain +1 while you control at least two Allies, then have 2 Insight on their adult paths. Basalt Hewer costs 2. Gale Courier costs 3, Borrowed Dawn 0, Rift Cantor 4, and Maskbearer 3. Every character is retained. All Companions still begin with 5 Guard.
Fresh confirmation results
Selected rules were frozen before 7,344 fresh-scenario confirmation games. The unchanged-card baseline used the same improved AI and the same 7,344 scenarios. Selection used 34,272 screening games across fourteen distinct candidates. Root-mean-square distance from 50%: 10.78 to 3.60 percentage points.
| Faction | Baseline | Updated |
|---|
| Hearthbound | 55.9% | 52.0% |
| Skyrunners | 47.3% | 47.2% |
| Veilborn | 54.9% | 45.1% |
| Ironmaw | 59.2% | 55.2% |
| Hourglass Covenant | 51.6% | 49.0% |
| Revelwild | 59.0% | 47.4% |
| Prismforge | 51.9% | 46.5% |
| Vigilant Array | 21.6% | 55.3% |
| Elderwake | 48.7% | 52.3% |
Win score = wins + half of draws. Faction and Companion rows exclude same-faction mirrors. Each faction has 1,536 cross-faction appearances; each Companion has 768. These are bot diagnostics, not measured human win rates or a guarantee that skill is the only influence.
36 deterministic rule groups and 8 actual-control UI groups passed. Every confirmation action checked card inventory and serialization. All 21 original faction-pair engine regressions pass with intentional cost overrides disabled for that comparison. The seven-faction game retains its existing rules. Browser layout was not verified.
First-player win score 49.7%; mean numbered round 5.91. Awakening preparations 34, resolved 18. Reaction plays 319. The practice AI still does not model all long-term preparation and bluffing well; human tests are essential.
Download summary, exact changes and source hashes · Full selected match results · Earlier exploratory report
Every Companion
| Companion | Faction | Win score |
|---|
| Brindle — Companion | Hearthbound | 52.4% |
| Korr — Companion | Hearthbound | 51.6% |
| Vey — Companion | Skyrunners | 47.1% |
| Nima — Companion | Skyrunners | 47.3% |
| Nyxara | Veilborn | 45.6% |
| Morrow | Veilborn | 44.5% |
| Rauk | Ironmaw | 53.3% |
| Skara | Ironmaw | 57.2% |
| Orryx, the Unfinished | Hourglass Covenant | 47.0% |
| Saela, Keeper of Tomorrows | Hourglass Covenant | 50.9% |
| Zazri, the Grand Misrule | Revelwild | 49.5% |
| Pippa, Lanternheart | Revelwild | 45.3% |
| Vitra, the Shaping Heart | Prismforge | 48.7% |
| Keldrax, Walking Citadel | Prismforge | 44.4% |
| Aegrix, Keeper of the Last Gate | Vigilant Array | 53.0% |
| Syntra, the Questioning Signal | Vigilant Array | 57.6% |
| Tharuun, the Buried Dawn | Elderwake | 52.7% |
| Nhalora, the Deep Remembering | Elderwake | 52.0% |
Hearthbound matchups
| Opponent | Games | Win score |
|---|
| Skyrunners | 192 | 54.2% |
| Veilborn | 192 | 59.4% |
| Ironmaw | 192 | 47.1% |
| Hourglass Covenant | 192 | 54.2% |
| Revelwild | 192 | 56.3% |
| Prismforge | 192 | 52.1% |
| Vigilant Array | 192 | 43.2% |
| Elderwake | 192 | 49.5% |
Skyrunners matchups
| Opponent | Games | Win score |
|---|
| Hearthbound | 192 | 45.8% |
| Veilborn | 192 | 60.4% |
| Ironmaw | 192 | 38.5% |
| Hourglass Covenant | 192 | 45.8% |
| Revelwild | 192 | 55.2% |
| Prismforge | 192 | 54.7% |
| Vigilant Array | 192 | 33.3% |
| Elderwake | 192 | 43.8% |
Veilborn matchups
| Opponent | Games | Win score |
|---|
| Hearthbound | 192 | 40.6% |
| Skyrunners | 192 | 39.6% |
| Ironmaw | 192 | 49.0% |
| Hourglass Covenant | 192 | 44.3% |
| Revelwild | 192 | 51.0% |
| Prismforge | 192 | 46.9% |
| Vigilant Array | 192 | 44.8% |
| Elderwake | 192 | 44.3% |
Ironmaw matchups
| Opponent | Games | Win score |
|---|
| Hearthbound | 192 | 52.9% |
| Skyrunners | 192 | 61.5% |
| Veilborn | 192 | 51.0% |
| Hourglass Covenant | 192 | 49.5% |
| Revelwild | 192 | 55.2% |
| Prismforge | 192 | 59.4% |
| Vigilant Array | 192 | 50.5% |
| Elderwake | 192 | 62.0% |
Hourglass Covenant matchups
| Opponent | Games | Win score |
|---|
| Hearthbound | 192 | 45.8% |
| Skyrunners | 192 | 54.2% |
| Veilborn | 192 | 55.7% |
| Ironmaw | 192 | 50.5% |
| Revelwild | 192 | 47.9% |
| Prismforge | 192 | 56.3% |
| Vigilant Array | 192 | 43.8% |
| Elderwake | 192 | 37.5% |
Revelwild matchups
| Opponent | Games | Win score |
|---|
| Hearthbound | 192 | 43.8% |
| Skyrunners | 192 | 44.8% |
| Veilborn | 192 | 49.0% |
| Ironmaw | 192 | 44.8% |
| Hourglass Covenant | 192 | 52.1% |
| Prismforge | 192 | 51.6% |
| Vigilant Array | 192 | 45.8% |
| Elderwake | 192 | 47.4% |
Prismforge matchups
| Opponent | Games | Win score |
|---|
| Hearthbound | 192 | 47.9% |
| Skyrunners | 192 | 45.3% |
| Veilborn | 192 | 53.1% |
| Ironmaw | 192 | 40.6% |
| Hourglass Covenant | 192 | 43.8% |
| Revelwild | 192 | 48.4% |
| Vigilant Array | 192 | 45.3% |
| Elderwake | 192 | 47.9% |
Vigilant Array matchups
| Opponent | Games | Win score |
|---|
| Hearthbound | 192 | 56.8% |
| Skyrunners | 192 | 66.7% |
| Veilborn | 192 | 55.2% |
| Ironmaw | 192 | 49.5% |
| Hourglass Covenant | 192 | 56.3% |
| Revelwild | 192 | 54.2% |
| Prismforge | 192 | 54.7% |
| Elderwake | 192 | 49.0% |
Elderwake matchups
| Opponent | Games | Win score |
|---|
| Hearthbound | 192 | 50.5% |
| Skyrunners | 192 | 56.3% |
| Veilborn | 192 | 55.7% |
| Ironmaw | 192 | 38.0% |
| Hourglass Covenant | 192 | 62.5% |
| Revelwild | 192 | 52.6% |
| Prismforge | 192 | 52.1% |
| Vigilant Array | 192 | 51.0% |
Reserve and Reactions
Unused own-turn Charge remains available on the opponent turn, then expires before your next normal refill. The same-faction Array Companion grants Reserve; defeat during the opponent turn discards it, and recovery disables Reactions. Cards also have printed own-turn uses.
Choose the defender first. Then pause at a printed before-damage or after-action window. The defender may play one affordable Reaction or Pass. Passing early permits a later eligible response; playing one ends the reaction allowance for that declared action. No reactions to reactions. Costs are spent before resolution; required damage and defeats resolve before reward triggers.
Awakening and Elderwake growth
Pay the printed Awaken cost and exhaust a ready source in a standard Route. Only one friendly Awakening may be pending. Any movement, defeat, leaving play or recovery cancels it without refund. At your next start, ready/refill/draw, then choose its legal target and resolve before ordinary actions. The source may act afterward. No target means no effect.
Both Elderwake base Companions now gain their second Insight by maintaining at least two Allies. That bonus is base-form only; adult paths have 2 printed Insight, not 2 plus another Presence point. A trial allowing paid preparation after exploring was rejected and is not part of these rules. Ready defenders still prevent exploration.
Current new-faction cards
The following text and costs describe the playable revision. Every new card, adult path and Ascension has its own illustration.
Vigilant Array
VA003 / Ally / Wayfarer
Spark Surveyor
1 Charge · 1 / 2 / 1
Instinct - Relies on its printed stats.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
VA004 / Ally / Wayfarer
Latchguard
2 Charge · 1 / 4 / 0
When Latchguard defends a Challenge, prevent 1 damage that Challenge would deal to it.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
VA005 / Ally / Wayfarer
Voltstrider
2 Charge · 3 / 2 / 1
Instinct - Relies on its printed stats.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
VA006 / Ally / Wayfarer
Signal Wisp
2 Charge · 0 / 3 / 2
Instinct - Relies on its printed stats.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
VA007 / Ally / Wayfarer
Coilblade
3 Charge · 3 / 3 / 1
On your turn, Coilblade has +1 Force while you have at least 2 Charge remaining.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
VA008 / Ally / Trailmarked
Mirror Marshal
4 Charge · 3 / 5 / 1
The first time each opponent turn you play a Reaction, prevent the next 1 damage that turn to Mirror Marshal. Multiple Marshals do not share shields.
2 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
VA009 / Ally / Mythbound
Orison, Last Directive
5 Charge · 4 / 6 / 1
Once on your turn: pay 1 Charge to move another friendly character in Orison's Route to an adjacent standard Route. That character exhausts.
1 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
VA010 / Tactic / Wayfarer
Emergency Plating
1 Charge
On your turn: heal a friendly character by 3. Reaction: After the defender of an enemy Challenge is locked, before damage: prevent 2 damage that Challenge would deal to that defender. It must be your character.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
VA011 / Tactic / Wayfarer
Feedback Spike
1 Charge
On your turn: deal 2 damage to an exhausted enemy character in a standard Route. Reaction: After an enemy Challenge finishes dealing damage and resolving defeats: deal 2 damage to its surviving attacker. Legal even if your defender was defeated.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
VA012 / Tactic / Trailmarked
Intercept Protocol
2 Charge
On your turn: move a friendly character to an adjacent standard Route without changing its readiness. Respect Rooted. Reaction: After an enemy Challenge locks one of your characters as defender, before damage: move a ready friendly character from an adjacent standard Route into this Route as the new defender. Exhaust it; its exhaustion does not invalidate this interception. The original defender remains in place.
2 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
VA013 / Tactic / Trailmarked
Target Lock
2 Charge
On your turn: deal 3 damage to an enemy character in a standard Route. Reaction: After an enemy character completes movement into a standard Route and all movement consequences resolve: deal 2 damage to it if it remains in play in that Route.
2 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
VA014 / Tactic / Trailmarked
Containment Pulse
2 Charge
On your turn: exhaust a ready enemy character in a standard Route. Reaction: After an enemy character completes Explore: exhaust another ready enemy character in that same standard Route. The completed Explore keeps all Renown and Journey.
2 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
VA001 / Companion / Atlasbound
Aegrix, Keeper of the Last Gate
Starts in play · 1 / 5 / 2
First Reaction each opponent turn: heal Aegrix by 1 after resolution if it remains in play and is not recovering.
Outside the deck. Illustration complete.
VA002 / Companion / Atlasbound
Syntra, the Questioning Signal
Starts in play · 2 / 5 / 2
First Reaction each opponent turn with printed cost 2+: draw 1 after resolution if not recovering.
Outside the deck. Illustration complete.Paths and Ascensions
Bastion
1 / 7 / 2
The first Challenge each opponent turn against another friendly character in Aegrix's standard Route deals 1 less damage.
Individual adult illustration complete. Retain the base ability where applicable.
Reprisal
3 / 5 / 2
First enemy Challenge each opponent turn that damages Aegrix and leaves it alive: deal 1 damage to the surviving attacker after Challenge defeats.
Individual adult illustration complete. Retain the base ability where applicable.
Oracle
2 / 6 / 2
At own turn end with 2+ Charge remaining, privately order the top 2: one on top, the other on bottom.
Individual adult illustration complete. Retain the base ability where applicable.
Pursuit
3 / 5 / 2
On your turn, +1 Force while challenging an exhausted enemy character.
Individual adult illustration complete. Retain the base ability where applicable.
Aegrix Unbroken
+2 Force / +2 Guard from chosen path.
Once on your turn, pay 1 Charge to heal another friendly character in this Route by 2.
Individual Ascension illustration complete.
Syntra Unbound
+2 Force / +2 Guard from chosen path.
Syntra's base Reaction draw becomes 2 cards instead of 1.
Individual Ascension illustration complete.Elderwake
EW003 / Ally / Wayfarer
Mossback Forager
1 Charge · 1 / 2 / 1
Instinct - Relies on its printed stats.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
EW004 / Ally / Wayfarer
Cragling
2 Charge · 3 / 3 / 0
Instinct - Relies on its printed stats.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
EW005 / Ally / Wayfarer
Tideglass Pilgrim
2 Charge · 1 / 3 / 2
Instinct - Relies on its printed stats.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
EW006 / Ally / Wayfarer
Basalt Hewer
2 Charge · 3 / 4 / 1
Awaken 1: deal 2 damage to an enemy character in this Route.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
EW007 / Ally / Wayfarer
Reef-Crowned Ogre
3 Charge · 2 / 5 / 1
Awaken 1: remove up to 4 damage from another friendly character in this Route.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
EW008 / Ally / Trailmarked
Hollowpeak Ancient
4 Charge · 4 / 6 / 0
Awaken 2: deal 2 damage to each other character in this Route, friendly and enemy. Resolve the damage simultaneously, then defeats.
2 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
EW009 / Ally / Mythbound
Oruun, the Walking Horizon
6 Charge · 6 / 8 / 1
Awaken 2: choose one - deal 4 damage to an enemy character in this Route; or Oruun gains +2 Insight until end of this turn. Choose the mode when preparing; damage target at resolution.
1 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
EW010 / Tactic / Wayfarer
Deep Nourishment
1 Charge
On your turn: remove up to 4 damage from a friendly character. It must have at least 1 damage.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
EW011 / Tactic / Wayfarer
Faultline Strike
2 Charge
On your turn: deal 3 damage to an exhausted enemy character in a standard Route.
3 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
EW012 / Tactic / Trailmarked
Shelter of Ages
1 Charge
On your turn: choose a friendly character with a pending Awakening. Prevent the next 2 damage to it before your next turn begins. This does not prevent movement or removal.
2 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
EW013 / Tactic / Trailmarked
Seismic Roar
3 Charge
On your turn: deal 2 damage to each character in a chosen standard Route, including yours. Damage is simultaneous; resolve defeats before another action.
2 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
EW014 / Tactic / Trailmarked
Rising Deep
1 Charge
On your turn: move a friendly character from its current standard Route to an adjacent standard Route. Exhaust it. If it is ready and has Awaken, you may instead prepare its printed Awakening for 1 less Charge, minimum 0, paying that cost in addition to this Tactic. No movement in that mode; exhaust normally.
2 copies in full deck. Illustration complete.
EW001 / Companion / Atlasbound
Tharuun, the Buried Dawn
Starts in play · 2 / 5 / 1
Awaken 2: deal 3 damage to an enemy character in this Route. Base form: +1 Insight while you control at least two Allies.
Outside the deck. Illustration complete.
EW002 / Companion / Atlasbound
Nhalora, the Deep Remembering
Starts in play · 1 / 5 / 1
Awaken 2: move another friendly character here to an adjacent standard Route without changing readiness. Base form: +1 Insight while you control at least two Allies.
Outside the deck. Illustration complete.Paths and Ascensions
Worldwarden
2 / 7 / 2
While preparing an Awakening, prevent the first 2 damage to Tharuun each opponent turn.
Individual adult illustration complete. Retain the base ability where applicable.
Riftbreaker
4 / 5 / 2
Tharuun's printed Awakening deals 4 damage instead of 3.
Individual adult illustration complete. Retain the base ability where applicable.
Tidekeeper
1 / 7 / 2
After own Awakening successfully moves a character, heal that character by 3.
Individual adult illustration complete. Retain the base ability where applicable.
Starcurrent
3 / 5 / 2
After own Awakening successfully moves a character, give it +1 Insight this turn.
Individual adult illustration complete. Retain the base ability where applicable.
Tharuun, Horizon Unsealed
+2 Force / +2 Guard from chosen path.
After own Awakening resolves with a legal target, heal Tharuun by 2 if it survives.
Individual Ascension illustration complete.
Nhalora, Sea of Lanterns
+2 Force / +2 Guard from chosen path.
After own Awakening successfully moves a character, Nhalora gains +1 Insight this turn.
Individual Ascension illustration complete.Remaining watchlist
Skara and Syntra remain above 55% in these bot scenarios; Morrow and Keldrax are slightly below 45%. Array versus Skyrunners scored 66.7% for Array. These are priority human-test pairings, not proof that all matchups or Companions are equal.
Next evidence
Use deck/start swaps with human players to assess the remaining Companion and matchup differences, first-player effects, rules clarity and actual match length. Publish stable physical card files only after that review. All forty illustration scenes are complete; individual creature animation is separate later work.