Crown of Ashes: When Necromancy Meets Euro-games

Renaud Fleusus
Oct 3
4 min read

Updated: Nov 5

I discovered Crown of Ashes during a particularly rainy game night when we were desperately searching for something to pull us out of our Sunday lethargy. That's when I pulled out this box with its neon pink cover (yes, neon pink for a necromancer game, go figure) muttering something like "let's see what this gives us!" Honestly, between the gothic theme and this striking cover, I was already curious. But it was only after placing my first workers on this board that I realized we had something genuinely clever in our hands.

Brutal awakening after a century of sleep

The story is classic fantasy but well-crafted: we play undead lords waking up after a century of sleep to fight over a crown. Well, in terms of narrative originality, we've seen better, but Richard Lawton (the creator) was smart enough not to get lost in convoluted storytelling. His real stroke of genius was layering this gothic theme onto perfectly oiled Euro-game mechanics.

Concretely, over four rounds of four turns each, we'll place our workers to collect resources with evocative names (bones, ash, blood, and sulfur - the basis of any good necromancer's breakfast), build structures, and recruit skeletal mercenaries to go to war. The principle is biblically simple, but the execution reveals devilishly well-thought-out subtleties.

The killer mechanic (literally)

What immediately won me over was the system's fluidity. Unlike Lords of Waterdeep and its fifty worker placement spots, everything here fits on a streamlined central board. Four main zones: resource collection, construction, mercenary recruitment, and of course the central Citadel that must be conquered to score maximum points.

The game's real innovation is its combat system. When I attack an opponent's zone, I place my mercenary cards face-up, then we each secretly play a combat card. And here's the pure genius: these cards don't just add strength to your attack, they also give different rewards depending on whether you win or lose the combat. I've experienced absolutely delicious moments where I deliberately lost a confrontation to get exactly the resources I needed. The expression of dismay on my opponent's face when he realized he'd just helped me will remain etched in my memory.

The art of building your little afterlife empire

The construction system deserves our attention. Each structure you build earns you specific resources and victory points. But the delicious dilemma is that you can stack structures on top of each other to multiply gains. Only problem is, it's expensive and becomes a prime target for opponents.

I spent an entire game building a beautiful three-story tower that earned me a fortune each round, thinking I was so smart. Obviously, my three companions ganged up to steal it from me on the last turn. That's also Crown of Ashes: a game where your finest constructions become your greatest weaknesses.

Combat with punch without the heaviness

The combat system brilliantly avoids the pitfall of territorial control games: sluggishness. Everything resolves in a few seconds, but with enough tactical depth that you never get bored. Combat cards only recycle once exhausted, adding a particularly savory hand management dimension.

A mechanic I particularly love: when multiple mercenaries of the same type attack together, they get bonuses (pair = +1, three of a kind = +2). This pushes you to plan your assaults and diversify your purchases. Simple but effective.

Beauty in simplicity

Visually, the game reconciles me with the idea that you can make something beautiful without falling into overproduction. The illustrations by Vadim Mishin and Rafael Nobre strike the right balance between dark and readable. The iconography never catches us off guard, and that famous neon pink cover that completely clashes with the theme ends up having its own aesthetic logic.

The player boards are even double-layered, a little luxury we didn't necessarily expect from an independent publisher's first game. Richard Lawton clearly went all out on production, and it shows.

The small shadows on the picture

Now, let's be honest, not everything is perfect in this little undead world. With two or three players, the game loses some of its flavor. Interactions are less tense, tacit alliances less present. The game includes an AI deck to compensate, but it never replaces human unpredictability.

Another point that slightly bothers me: after several games, I feel like certain strategies become a bit too obvious. The race to the central Citadel tends to become scripted, and the first rounds sometimes lack tension. It's not a deal-breaker, but it raises questions about long-term replayability.

The game offers optional asymmetric abilities to spice up games, but honestly, they should have been integrated from the base game. Without them, you sometimes feel like you're going in circles.

Solo mode: a pleasant surprise

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by the solo mode. The AI system is simple to manage and offers a real challenge. For once, you don't feel like you're playing against a predictable automaton. The pace remains good, even though you obviously lose all the psychological aspects of multiplayer.

Verdict: A more than convincing first attempt

Crown of Ashes reminded me why I love games that know how to stay in their lane. No unnecessary frills, no gimmick mechanics, just a solid system that works from first to last turn. It's a perfect transition game for players who want something more substantial than classic gateways without diving into 4-hour behemoths.

Richard Lawton and his team succeeded in their bet: creating an accessible Euro-game that fully embraces its gothic theme without falling into caricature. Sure, we're not looking at game of the year, but we have a very good first shot that makes you want to see what this team will be able to produce next.

If the idea of "Lords of Waterdeep meets Kemet" appeals to you, go for it. You'll have an excellent time, especially with four players around the table.

Rating : 7,5/10

Strengths: Fluid and well-integrated mechanics, clever combat system, polished production, accessible without being simplistic

Weaknesses: Limited replayability, less good with fewer than 4 players, strategies that can become scripted