The Jankyard

We review the final release in the Red Rains cycle, The End of Argaia (time set)

Treatment tries to catch the other two up on the goings on in the Ashes community, and then the three stooges share their thoughts on Ashes Ascendancy precons!

The Treatment sits down with the inimitable Nick Conley, lead designer/creator of Ashes Ascendancy, to discuss the end of the Red Rains cycle, the success of the Ascendancy Kickstarter, and the exciting future of Ashes Reborn. Nick's enthusiasm is contagious and we hope you enjoy this interview!

We take a look at the Flood of Moon Cove spoilers, the Red Rains Sympathy set

Chill talk about Illusion and the current (at the time) meta.Older episode from Aug 26, 2024

We attempt to deckbuild a solution to the fearsome Dimona dragon - part 2

We attempt to deckbuild a solution to the fearsome Dimona dragon - part 1

Casual discussion about the blitz format, some meta, and undervalued cards

After a long hiatus we're back to review the upcoming The Siege of Lordswall divine cards and have fun talking Ashes again

Are you new to our show and have no idea who we are? Are you a loyal jankster...and have no idea who we are? Well, this is it everybody. Our silver anniversary where you finally get to know a little bit about us, The Jankyard crew! What makes us tick, what games do we play, what ice cream do we like? How well does KC know Colby and Isaac? How does Ashes Reborn fit into our lives as dads? 0:00:00 Intro 0:03:15 Getting into Ashes 0:22:14 Other Games 0:35:00 Community and Friendship 1:05:30 Family 1:24:55 Rapid Fire 1:54:03 Close it Out Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyardRSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rssSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcPYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQPlaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.comAshes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

Happy New Year Ashes! After a solstice hiatus the boys are back to discuss more important topics, like whether Realm of the Absurd is broken, or people aren't playing enough Ash Spirit. KC is the Axis of evil, Schmen pushes his kids down a mountain, and Treatment stays grumpy like the Grinch! 0:00:00 Intro 0:12:35 Secret Santa 0:18:20 Swing and a Miss 0:38:43 Jank Your Way to Success (RotA) 0:47:20 Play Ash Spirit or Chain GV? 1:05:02 Rebalancing PB Stats 1:11:05 Neverset Adjustments 1:17:05 Is Fred the Problem or Solution? Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyard RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcP YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website:  www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server:  https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

Hot off the press! The Blight of Neverset player card previews recently finished and the Jankyard boys are here for it. Is it great design? Which cards perplex us? Has Schmen ever been so passionate calling a card trash tier? Find out where the boys rank the new stuff...we certainly talk a lot about some of them.0:00:00 Intro0:20:35 Neverset Coverage0:21:26 Gifted Rose0:35:01 Venom Strike0:45:33 Judgment 0:51:25 Willpower 0:53:24 Summon Bastion Badger0:58:45 Summon Shimmer Wing 1:05:00 Rose Gardner 1:09:45 Chimera Charmer 1:12:17 Farewell 1:16:25 Snake Bite 1:22:31 Dealer's Choice 1:31:01 Embrace 1:35:47 Arrogance 1:42:00 Which Win-Con Gets The Boost? Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyardRSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rssSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcPYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQPlaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.comAshes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

Why do we compete? Why do we keep going even when it's stressful? How can we overcome a loss in a healthy way? This week Schmendrix takes the mantle of psychiatrist and makes us reflect on our fears and frustrations, and how to overcome them.0:00:00 Intro0:02:32 The Meta Report0:13:21 Our Relationship With Competition0:27:42 Mindset0:36:09 Practice Problems 0:45:50 Developing a Healthy Mindset 1:07:34 Message to The Players Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyard RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcP YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

A little late on publishing, but the Jankyard boys are here to give their thoughts on the cards of The Frostwild Scourge. How much does killer hate the meta? What's Schmenny's favorite card? Who are the winners and losers? Find out with our bulletproof opinions! 0:00:00 Intro 0:02:01 The RRN Meta 0:23:00 Stud or Dud 0:23:40 Clashing Tempers 0:25:51 Ember Heart 0:28:10 Glaciate 0:33:36 Jungle Forager 0:39:11 Red Flower 0:43:52 Rejuvenate 0:48:00 Shattering Fist 0:48:26 Stamina Burst 0:51:55 Summon Adaptadon 0:56:01 Summon Frost Frog 1:01:03 Wallop 1:03:59 Will To Survive 1:07:07 Wolfpack Leader 1:07:14 Winners and Losers 1:19:13 Is Mill Still Viable? 1:23:30 Top Winners Outside Frostwild 1:30:07 What Are You Running Next? Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyard RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcP YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

A spicy topic of discussion leads us down a road of much grumbling and some hard realities. Ultimately that negativity generates a lot of brainstorming solutions to various issues in the game. 0:00:00 Intro 0:00:58 Schmen is Moving Up 0:05:30 Is PvE Killing PvP? 0:07:23 GenCon Interjection 0:18:36 Back on Topic 0:37:04 How Do We Increase Player Numbers? 0:56:08 Relating It All Back To The Topic 0:58:43 Solving the New Player Experience 1:12:42 Is The Meta Samey?1:30:14 Can PHG Do More? Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyard RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcP YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

The second part in an important series on building an inclusive community for Ashes. We're featuring a new guest, Discord community member shadowfire! This time we cover accessibility, what that means in the context of Ashes and games in general, and how shadow is able to play with his visual impairment. 0:00:00 Intro 0:02:50 Who is shadowfire? 0:06:50 How he plays Ashes? 0:11:50 How does Ashes compare to other games? 0:17:58 Ashteki, screen reading, webcam, and limitations 0:21:40 Does PB design/decision space make a difference? 0:27:20 Being a playtester 0:31:16 Representation and accessibility in game design 0:45:43 Challenge to PHG for future design Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyardRSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcP YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

The first part in an important (and ambitious?) series on building an inclusive community for Ashes. We're featuring a new guest, Discord community member Flora Snow, and returning guest, designer Nick Conley! Together they help us discuss what it means to make an inclusive game and community through representation. 0:00:00 Intro 0:01:42 Making the community inclusive 0:10:25 Representation through design (Hope) 0:19:20 Does Ashes and its community differ (and why) 0:23:32 The complexity of Brennen 0:29:50 World-building 0:36:20 What are the gaps and the potential? 0:45:41 Navigating a conflict as an ally 0:51:09 Aspirations Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyard RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcP YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

**Super special thanks to my pregnant wife Ali for managing to get this done between everything else!!** Every game of Ashes has to end, but does your deck have a game plan to end it? This time around the jank boys are covering inevitability. What does it mean, what are some examples, how to build it, and how to counter it. Oh, and we every problematic card with this one simple counter! 0:00:00 Damnit Schmenny! 0:00:19 Intro 0:01:35 What is Inevitability? 0:20:40 How do you build it? 0:26:31 Assessing what you face 0:32:16 How do you deal with it? 0:44:00 Is there a rock, paper, scisssors answer? 0:58:00 Break the seriousness, solve Ashes 1:12:55 The Jank Tank's back baby! Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyard RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcP YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

Mono decks haven't been this popular since the OG precons and we're covering all of them. What's each color's strength, where do they fit, and what do they need to make them great? Listen and find out why sometimes you only need one color; we solve them all. 0:00:00 Intro 0:03:13 Nature 0:19:48 Illusion 0:31:18 Charm 0:43:39 Ceremonial 0:51:10 Sympathy 1:00:26 Time & Divine Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyard RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcP YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

The boys are back in town! The three of us sat down together and discussed our top tricks and tips for becoming a better Ashes player. Like with all advice, it's easier said than done, but hopefully this will jog some ideas in your mind to help you along your Ashes journey. 0:01:15 - Current events in the Ashes world 0:05:00 - Blitz Tournament 0:18:09 - AIL Swiss Tournament 0:19:45 - "How to get good, newb" 1:23:50 - The recap - the top 14 tips 1:25:40 - Tip 15 (?) 1:27:50 - BONUS Tip 1:32:28 - Our new sign off Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyard RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcP YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

Killercactus is back! KC and The Treatment catchup on Phoenix League Pod 1, AshCon4 and their joint deck, before assessing and solving the new meta. 0:00:00 Welcome to Episode 13 of The Jankyard! 0:04:20 Phoenix League Pod Tournament 0:17:20 Errata and Meta Shake-Up 0:24:35 AshCon4 and Our Shared Deck 0:48:30 Lark Deck and The Rise of Mono 0:59:40 What is The Current Meta 1:06:38 Let's Solve It 1:22:30 Best Time for Ashes 1:26:48 Cooperative Building Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyard RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcP YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

Ever wondered about how Red Rains, the Ashes Reborn cooperative mode, came to be? Curious about how new cards and expansions are designed and tested? Join Schmendrix and The Treatment as they interview Nick Conley, designer and developer of Ashes Reborn and Red Rains: Corpse of Viros, with questions from the community! It was a great pleasure listening to the thoughts and stories from development. The future of Ashes is exciting! 0:00:00 Welcome to Episode 12 of the Jankyard! 0:01:20 Light Chat on Phoenix League Pod 1 Finals & Mono-Decks 0:09:20 Getting into the Questions 0:53:00 Rapid Fire 1:31:20 Until Next Time Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyard RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcP Plaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

Schmendrix and Treatment discuss thoughts after first week with new Corpse of Viros cards, turbo mill, and non-linear synergies with Phoenixborn. Then they finally cover the JankTank Vicky submissions in a game of Marry, Fork, Killercactus! 0:00:00 Welcome to Episode 11 of the Jankyard! 0:01:30 Waves Open Results and Upcoming Tournaments 0:07:45 Capturing Attention 0:08:40 New Card Thoughts 0:22:20 Does The Meta Change? 0:38:28 Making Mill Magic 0:55:23 Linear and Non-Linear Synergies 1:16:30 Reviewing JankTank Vicky Decks 1:19:55 Marry, Fork, Killercactus Anchor: https://anchor.fm/thejankyard RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/c723da94/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1SaNmMMJiAafwUvdMSOBcP Plaid Hat Games website: www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server: https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

The last Red Rains Corpse of Viros mono-deck cards have been revealed! We cover those, and decide which is the best before diving into what the floor and ceiling of a deck means, and what's most important.    And Vicky? We promise we'll get to Vicky...next time.   0:00:00 Welcome to Episode 10 of the Jankyard!  0:02:45 New Cards  0:44:07 Floors and Ceilings  1:34:03 Spinning the Wheel of Jank   YouTube channel Plaid Hat Games website Ashes Discord Server

New uniques for Brennen, Noah, Jessa, and Coal revealed! Listen to find out which ones excite us and where the meta might evolve. Then, using Tuxedo's list as a reference, we use our big brains to solve the Hope Creeper problem once and for all. And Vicky? Yeah, we forgot about her again.  0:00:00 Welcome to Episode 9 of the Jankyard! 0:02:17 Waves Open 0:13:05 New Uniques 0:37:20 Hope Creepers 1:08:57 Wrap-Up 1:11:04 Thank you to our editor! YouTube channel Plaid Hat Games website Ashes Discord Server

We're back at it in 2023, starting with a review of Secret Santa, Jankfest, the Waves Open, and Phoenix League.   Then we dive into some analysis on JK's unbeatable Brennen list and brainstorm the obvious counters nobody's built yet. 0:00:00 Welcome to Episode 8 of the Jankyard!   0:02:47 Secret Santa  0:18:05 Deluxe + Master sets  0:20:35 Ashes Wiki  0:26:47 Phoenix League, Waves' Open, and new player growth  0:36:50 JK's Brennen  1:16:50 Wrap-Up YouTube channel Plaid Hat Games website Ashes Discord Server

The boys cover the new Red Rains spoilers, all the tournaments especially Shufflebus Worlds, refining a deck build, and the Jank Tank submissions for chants.   **This episode was recorded before the news of Shufflebus leaving the scene, and therefore the intro mentions this as episode 6. We decided to release the other episode first as it was time sensitive**  0:00:00 Welcome to Episode 7 of the Jankyard!   0:03:30 Red Rains card spoilers  0:27:11 Shufflebus Worlds 2022  0:54:55 Deck-building pt4: deck testing, refining, card # refining   1:20:28 The Jank Tank submissions:  1:22:25 Shadowfire https://ashes.live/decks/share/2f0a7fa5-2225-4d9a-93f1-fb1da7d00476/ 1:26:11 Redking https://ashes.live/decks/share/ff5391a0-87f3-4595-a8b1-ce3bb97fe330/ 1:35:51 killercactus https://ashes.live/decks/share/f408e944-1569-41a6-9d74-47da3e519d84/ 1:41:16 Treatment https://ashes.live/decks/share/0e3eef43-43d0-4f27-b8e0-11859ca7f1c9/ 1:49:14 Schmendrix https://ashes.live/decks/share/9a8d2cf7-b660-4cf7-a8b1-b0f16ec5f1cb/ 1:55:33 - Top Deck Picks 1:56:52 - Spinning the Wheel of Jank   YouTube channel Plaid Hat Games website Ashes Discord Server

A couple of special guests join us to discuss the end of The Shufflebus, what the future holds for the competitive scene of Ashes, and the greatest event of the year: Jankfest 2023!  Deckbuilder of the year finalists are announced by one of our guests and let's just say they are all incredibly deserving.   0:00:00 Welcome to Episode 6 of the Jankyard!   00:04:57 Coal-Off and Secret Santa  00:08:35 The End of The Shufflebus  01:26:50 Phoenix League  01:47:35 Jankfest - Deckbuilder of the Year Finalists YouTube channel Plaid Hat Games website Ashes Discord Server

Silver bullets, meta counters, and support cards oh my!  We discuss considerations for rounding out the remaining 20 cards of  your deck, design space for future Hope solutions, the announcement of  PvE, and of course The Jank Tank submissions for Blood Transfer. That  spicy wheel spins again!   The Jank Tank submissions:  Neil's Odette  Treatment's Rowan Schmendrix's Rowan Shadowfire's Leo Redking's Jessa YouTube channel Plaid Hat Games website Ashes Discord Server

The Jankyard Boys discuss the wrap-up of the Team Slam Jam and their (sometimes not so janky) decks.  Then everyone talks First Fives and how to get the most out of them before we get into the Empower Cannon deck submissions.  Empower's Focus Effect looks like it could be so good - how do you get that sweet value? We discuss while covering The Jank Tank submissions for last episode's challenge, the ""Empower Cannon"", and spin that spicy wheel again! The Jank Tank submissions: Schmendrix's Jericho     killercactus's Rimea Treatment's Koji waves' Harold Redking's Fiona  Shadowfire's Aradel CharlotteM's Namine YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website:  www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server:  https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

Welcome to the Jankyard!  We've got janky decks!   killercactus, TheTreatment and Schmendrix come together to discuss Ashes  Reborn news, hot discord topics, ShuffleBus Pod Qualifier, AshCon 3 and  deckbuilding!  See which of our decks we choose to invest our knowledge  in The Jank Tank, and find out what our deck-building challenge is for  next week from  The Wheel of Jank!!    The Jank Tank submissions:  The Treatment's Leo (pick of the week) Schmendrix' Rin killercactus' Jessa YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website:  www.plaidhatgames.com  Ashes Discord Server:  https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

In this episode of the Jankyard, we talk AshCon 3, Team Tourney, Dread  Wraiths, hating on Xander, an awesome Living Doll deck in the Jank Tank,  and pick a new deck-building challenge for next time, all while  learning the difficulties of podcasting!    The Jank Tank submissions:   shadowfire's Odette (pick of the week) Schmendrix' Xander YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website:  www.plaidhatgames.com  Ashes Discord Server:  https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/

Schmendrix and killercactus talk about finally getting wins in the team slam-jam tournament against some cool decks, and we dive into the first steps of deck-building. Are Drain Vitality and Sun Sister undervalued? We discuss while covering The Jank Tank submissions for last episode's challenge on "healing units", and spin that spicy wheel again! The Jank Tank submissions:  clu's Xander (pick of the week) waves' Koji shadowfire's Orrick killercactus' Orrick Schmendrix's Odette The Treatment's Koji YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfS25Bc6e0s3LRJj0X3QFFQ Plaid Hat Games website:  www.plaidhatgames.com Ashes Discord Server:  https://discord.com/channels/356912698451296276/