The Story Campaign
"Six elements once held the world in balance. When the Aether spire shattered, that balance broke." The campaign is four chapters and 82 trials of duels, bosses and story scenes, with mythic cards, gems and story-only cards along the way. Light spoilers below, nothing past each chapter's opening.
How the campaign works
- Four chapters, 82 trials. 72 trials are required and 10 are optional side trials called Echoes of the Road.
- In order: required trials unlock one after another, and each chapter unlocks when you clear the previous chapter's required trials. Echoes open as soon as the trials they follow are cleared, and they never block your progress.
- Your own deck: every story battle uses your active deck against a set opponent. Story foes often start with extra Soul (up to +13) or extra cards in hand, and chapter bosses change tactics in phases as their Soul drops (two phases in Chapter 1, three after that).
- Scenes: between battles, the story plays out in illustrated scenes, some with reply choices.
- No weekly twist: story battles always use standard rules.
Stars and objectives
Every story battle has 3 stars, shown as a checklist before you start:
- Win the battle.
- Finish with N or more Soul. Win without taking too much damage.
- Win within N turns. This also needs the Soul star in the same win.
The targets get tighter as a chapter goes on. In Chapter 1 they start at 18 Soul within 8 turns and ease to 8 Soul within 14 turns for the later trials.
Story scenes give 1 star for each different reply you've ever picked, up to 3. Replay a scene and choose differently to earn the rest.
A trial's coins, gems, XP and any exclusive card are paid on your first clear only. Replaying for stars doesn't pay those again, but every story win still counts toward your Daily Trials quests and pays the normal battle reward. So clear the chapter first, then come back with a stronger deck to collect the stars.
The four chapters
| Chapter | Trials | Final boss | Chapter reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Aetherfall "The world remembers what the gods forgot." | 12 + 3 echoes | The Crown, First Echo | The Eclipsed Throne (Mythic, Shadow), 100 gems, 500 coins |
| 2. The Long Road East "The ones you beat did not stay beaten." | 18 + 1 echo | The Crown, Second Voice | Verdigris, the Plague-Mother (Mythic, Shadow), 120 gems, 650 coins. The trial "The Aviary Maestra" also gives Miss Birdwell (Mythic, Wind). |
| 3. The World-Ember "What the Crown could not hold, fire remembers." | 21 + 3 echoes | Vyrmaroth, the World-Ember | Vyrmaroth, the World-Ember (Mythic, Fire), 150 gems, 750 coins |
| 4. The Ninefold Dawn "There is always a fourth. This one does not shout." | 21 + 3 echoes | The Long Quiet | Asti, Who Keeps the Windowsill (Mythic, Light), 180 gems, 900 coins |
On top of the chapter reward, the trials along the way pay roughly 7,800 coins, 400 gems and 11,000 XP across the campaign, and the echoes add about 1,700 coins and 47 gems more. That makes the story one of the best sources of gems for a new player.
The four chapter mythics also appear in normal packs. The story just guarantees you a copy, and you won't get a duplicate if you already own one.
Chronicle cards (chapter mastery)
Earn every star on a chapter's required trials and you master the chapter, which earns that chapter's Chronicle card: a legendary that exists nowhere else. "Earned. It exists nowhere else: no pack, no forge, no draft."
| Chapter | Chronicle card | Element |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Aetherfall | The Lantern You Carried | Light |
| 2. The Long Road East | Every Mile You Walked | Wind |
| 3. The World-Ember | What the Ember Spared | Fire |
| 4. The Ninefold Dawn | Somewhere to Come Back To | Water |
Optional echoes don't count toward mastery; only the required trials do.
The Reliquary
The Reliquary is your story trophy case, with tabs for All, Mastery and Trophy skins. "Perfect a trial to take its card as a trophy, repainted with the foe who played it."
Three-starring certain boss and rival trials earns an alt art trophy skin: the card that foe played, repainted with them in it. There are 18, and you can equip or unequip each one.
| Trophy skin | Perfect this trial |
|---|---|
| King-Burner, The Bridgewatcher | The Bridgewatcher |
| Tidecalled Ranger, The Riverlung | The Riverlung Initiate |
| Graven King Orvath, The Earthmoot | The Earthmoot |
| Velmara, The Hollow Choir | The Hollow Choir |
| Veshk, Furnace-King, The Bridge, Sworn | The Bridgewatcher, Sworn |
| Sanctifier of Elar, The Lantern-Bearer | The Lantern-Bearer |
| Cassian, The Crown's Edge | The Crown's Edge |
| The Eclipsed Throne, Claimed | The Eclipsed Throne |
| Miss Birdwell, The Aviary Maestra | The Aviary Maestra |
| Vaerith, the Sealed Flame, The Third Fire | The Bridge He Became |
| Marshmaw Behemoth, The Crown's Blade | The Knight-Captain's Return |
| Iselle, the Deepsworn, The Deep Court | The Tide That Drowns |
| Maelstrom Sovereign, The Wind That Cuts | The Wind That Cuts |
| Thorne, the Pretender, The Second Voice | The Second Voice of the Crown |
| Thornscale Warbringer, The Stone Remembers | The Valley Walks Behind Her |
| Vyrmaroth, The World-Ember | Vyrmaroth, the World-Ember |
| Asti, The Ninefold Dawn | Asti's Measure |
| The Long Quiet, Every Window, One by One | The Long Quiet |
Story achievements
| Achievement | Goal | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Aetherbound | Complete Chapter 1 | 100 gems, 500 coins |
| Star milestones | 25, 100 and 300 stars | 500 coins + 30 gems; 250 gems + 200 Motes; 500 gems + 400 Motes and a title |
| Aetherfall, Flawless | Every star in Chapter 1 | 150 gems, 500 coins |
| The Long Road, Walked | Every star in Chapter 2 | 200 gems, 200 Motes |
| World-Ember, Undimmed | Every star in Chapter 3 | 250 gems, 250 Motes |
| Every Window Sat | Every star in Chapter 4 | 300 gems, 300 Motes |
| Perfect trials | 3-star 5, 12, 20 and 40 trials | 400 coins + 25 gems; 150 gems + 150 Motes; 300 gems + 300 Motes; 500 gems + 500 Motes |
| Echoes Unheard | Clear 3 echoes | 600 coins, 40 gems |
| Every Echo Answered | Clear every echo | 200 gems, 200 Motes |
Two more story achievements ask you to complete 5 and 10 chapters. Only four chapters exist so far, so those will have to wait for future chapters.
Finish every chapter and the game marks it: "THE CHRONICLE STANDS. Every road walked, to its end." From there you can replay any trial for mastery.
The road and its people (light spoilers)
1. Aetherfall
You walk the border road toward the Sundered Crown, through a gauntlet of trials. Along the way: Sergeant Bryne the Bridgewatcher, the water apprentice Lin, the Hermit who pours you tea at the Old Sanctuary, Stone-Mother Vael of the Earthmoot, Iyari the Stormwalker, Choirmaster Othrik, Saint Aleyn the Lantern-Bearer and Knight-Captain Veska. The rivals you beat "do not always stay beaten".
2. The Long Road East
"The First Echo is silenced," but the Crown's recruiters have remade the rivals on your back-trail. And an old man who has only ever poured you tea decides it's time to test you himself.
3. The World-Ember
Beyond the Crown lies a smouldering caldera where a god "who did not die clean" has burned ever since. Warden Castigan, Tidewright Erevos, Vesper the Conspirator and Vyrran of the Long Revolt all want something from the mountain. The mountain "fights you with yours".
4. The Ninefold Dawn
In the river city of Sootgate the market "runs a day behind itself", because a Tuesday was taken whole. Your allies are the small, armoured keepers of the Hearths: Asti, Peeks, Sonju, Emi the mender, Biscuit, Gus and the Lamplighter.
Every story character is also available as a free avatar, and you don't need to have met them first.
Story tips
- Stuck on a boss? Bosses get stronger in phases. Save removal for the new threats a phase brings, rather than spending it early.
- Read the opponent screen. It shows the foe's element, so you can pick a deck with an element advantage.
- Turn-limit stars: play a faster, lower-curve deck and put attackers in the Aggressive lane. Come back for these after your collection grows.
- Soul stars: a solid Defensive lane and a few healing cards make it much easier to finish above the target.
- Chapter 1 first: the gems from the story make it one of the best things to do in your first week. See Getting Started.