20 October 2026 · PRISMFORGE-routes-1
Build the road.
Make them fight for it.
Opposing Constructs now block Explore. Your own Constructs never block you. Destroy or relocate the opposing Construct to open that Route; any remaining ready opposing characters still block exploration.
Construct rules
- All three Construct identities block opposing Explore, even while damaged. They have no readiness state.
- A ready character may Challenge a Construct directly at its Route, exhausting normally. Ready opposing characters do not intercept this explicit Construct attack.
- Only effects that explicitly target Constructs can damage, repair, return or relocate them. Character-only removal and Ally sweeps do not destroy infrastructure.
- One friendly Construct per standard Route remains the limit. They cannot enter the Netherway. Dismantling one grants no character-defeat rewards.
Resonance Spire: one total, shown before you commit
The first friendly Explore at a Spire each owner turn gains +1 Renown. The previous scoring hook awarded it, but the action label showed only Insight. The preview and award now share a single calculation. The board explicitly shows whether that Spire’s bonus is available or used.
Example: a Companion with 1 Insight explores beside a friendly unused Spire. The action says 2 Renown (+1 Resonance Spire); your tally rises by 2 and the Companion gains its normal one Journey mark. Later explorers at that Spire receive no bonus that owner turn. Save/resume does not refresh a spent bonus.
A 30-card deck with reliable infrastructure
| Card type | Previous | Current |
|---|
| Allies | 18 | 15 |
| Tactics | 9 | 9 |
| Constructs | 3 | 6 |
Two each of Resonance Spire, Relay Prism and Facet Bulwark. Refraction Mason, Lattice Vanguard and Core Tender each move from two copies to one. Every Ally and Tactic identity remains available; Construct costs, Guard, attack rules, and all character stats are retained.
Without a mulligan or search effects, the chance of at least one Construct in the opening five rises from 43.3% to 70.2%.
Existing matches: saved hands, decks, scores and board positions are kept. They use the new blocking/scoring rules and updated card text. Start a new full-deck match to receive the six-Construct recipe; existing saves keep their original card counts. Custom builds remain your selected 30 cards.
Matched bot diagnostics
1,024 matched scenarios per version; 3,072 games with the improved practice AI. Both Prismforge Companions face every other faction and Companion, both seats/starts, four policy combinations and two shuffle scenarios. The AI now avoids zero-damage Construct attacks and recognizes when clearing one opens exploration for ready Allies.
| Version | Prismforge win score | Mean numbered round | Reached round 12 |
|---|
| Prior rules / 3 Constructs | 48.1% | 5.93 | 4 / 1024 |
| Blocking / 3 Constructs | 59.4% | 6.46 | 18 / 1024 |
| Blocking / 6 Constructs (current) | 51.5% | 7.20 | 45 / 1024 |
Win score counts draws as half a win. These are exploratory bot comparisons used to choose this revision; they are not an independent confirmation or measured human win rates.
| Current Companion | Games | Win score |
|---|
| Vitra | 512 | 50.8% |
| Keldrax | 512 | 52.1% |
Current Prismforge matchups
| Opponent | Games | Prismforge win score |
|---|
| Hearthbound | 128 | 54.7% |
| Skyrunners | 128 | 56.3% |
| Veilborn | 128 | 60.9% |
| Ironmaw | 128 | 25.0% |
| Hourglass Covenant | 128 | 62.5% |
| Revelwild | 128 | 53.9% |
| Vigilant Array | 128 | 53.9% |
| Elderwake | 128 | 44.5% |
Verification and next playtests
18 deterministic engine groups, 11 seven-faction UI groups, 8 nine-faction UI groups and 15 persistence groups passed. The actual compiled interfaces were exercised in a minimal DOM; browser layout was not verified. All simulation actions checked inventory, Charge and JSON save/resume.
Human playtests should assess the longer games, whether direct Construct attacks remain clear, and whether any matchup is frustrating despite the near-50% overall average. Prior full-faction balance tables describe earlier rules. No physical print files were revised.
Download complete scenarios, changes and source hashes · Historical seven-faction results · Historical nine-faction results and new-faction cards