
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Ashes Reborn: The Children of Blackcloud
- 2–4 players
- 30–120 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2016

2015
Rules assistance for Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn is a board game released in 2015 for 2–4 players, 30–120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Isaac Vega and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Dice Rolling.
In Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn, a two-player expandable card game, players take on the roles of Phoenixborns, demi-gods and protectors of this world. These characters are the great saviors of their civilizations. Before they came into existence, the humans were plagued by monsters like chimeras that took away their lands and forced them to live in walled-off cities. When the Phoenixborns came, they fought off the chimeras and freed the lands for humans to take over once again. But the time of peace was short-lived. A prophecy arose that if one Phoenixborn was able to absorb enough Ashes of others, they would ascend into full gods and take mastery over this world. This, as well as humans' greed for land, fueled the War of Ashes. The great cities now fight among each other, each one of them with a Phoenixborn at its helm, and you will decide who will rise and who will fall to ashes. Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn, released in 2021, features the same Phoenixborn as in the original Ashes with the same cards, but some cards have been modified to balance them. (Publisher Plaid Hat Games estimates that about 30% of all cards across all expansions are being modified.) The rules have undergone a few changes as well, mostly to clarify powers. The Ashes Reborn 1.5 Upgrade Kit contains more than 350+ updated Ashes cards, along with an updated rulebook, allowing players to move from the original game to the new 1.5 rules.
Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn is 30–120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn has a complexity rating of 2.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Fighting. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn are: Isaac Vega. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.