With Imperion now live in some regions, the process for developing and sharing rules changes to Echoes of Astra is being adjusted.
A clearer record of rules changes
From now on, every change to the Comprehensive Rules will appear in patch notes placed near the page's foot, building a running history of what has been altered. Any planned rules change or addendum will be announced ahead of time, with the lead time varying according to how significant the change is.
Any card ban will be announced at least 30 days before it takes effect. Thorough testing and deliberate set design are meant to keep bans rare, but as the game continues to develop, such changes won't always be avoidable.
New Change of Control rules addendum
Starting yesterday, a new section near the bottom of the Comprehensive Rules covers Change of Control. It lays out what happens to a card — for instance, a unit taken by Nerezza, Umbrasco Scion — once it switches controllers, including the reset the card undergoes before changing hands. The key points of this addendum follow below.
Once a card is stolen, the player now controlling it treats it as their own, though every card must first be "Reset" before the transfer happens.
A stolen unit arrives in its new controller's staging area already exhausted. Any equipment attached to it is destroyed, and its temporary effects, damage, and counters are all cleared.
Should a stolen card leave the battlefield — whether from the staging zone or combat zone — it returns to the appropriate zone belonging to its owner.
The rules section itself contains further examples and detail. This addendum exists to keep card ownership unambiguous and to prevent confusion as cards change hands during play. Keeping a stolen card visible to its owner matters for tracking who actually owns what.
A new glossary entry defines what it means to "reset" a card — returning it to its base state. This reset step for stolen cards is meant to head off awkward interactions with future mechanics and card designs tied to control changes. Feedback on anything unclear in the new section is welcome, since questions help pinpoint where more examples are needed.
The official Judge Exam is live
The official Judge Exam can now be taken through AstraPlay. After signing in, find the Google Form linked in the sidebar.
Judge applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Scoring looks past the multiple-choice portion alone — how applicants reason through and explain the short-answer scenarios factors into approval as well.
Thanks go out for helping keep Echoes of Astra clear, fair, and enjoyable to play. Questions can be directed to the team on Discord at any time.