Faction Overview
| Ideology | Faith-backed capitalism. Economic neutrality. Profit through stability. |
|---|---|
| Capital | Ashveil Clearinghouse (Neutral Territory) |
| Population | ~5,000 members (Ledger Orthodox priests + Rational House bankers) |
| Doctrine | Everything has a price. The ledger balances. Always. |
| Playstyle | Economic warfare, mercenary summoning, credit manipulation, market control |
| Complete Deck | View Full Exchange Deck (v2.0 Equipment System) |
Origins: The Concordat of Year 73
The Exchange was forged not from conquest or faith, but from necessity. After the Sundering, the collapsed world economy descended into chaos...hyperinflation, competing currencies, and trade wars threatened to destroy what few civilizations remained. In Year 73, an unprecedented treaty united two unlikely allies: the Ledger Orthodox (a religious splinter sect) and the Rational House (secular banking consortium).
Their merger created the most powerful post-apocalyptic institution: a monopoly on currency issuance backed by both divine authority and ruthless efficiency. The Exchange deals with all factions...Church crusaders, Elven druids, Dwarven smiths, even undead necromancers. No morality, no allegiances. Only contracts.
The Dual Governance
The Ledger Orthodox (Religious Wing)
A splinter sect from the Church of Absolution, the Ledger Orthodox believe in "The Great Ledger"...a divine book recording every transaction, debt, and contract across all time. To them, breaking a contract is spiritual damnation. Every Credit spent is an entry in God's ledger, and at death, souls are judged by their balance.
- Beliefs: Debts are spiritual bonds. Interest is divine punishment for poor planning. Bankruptcy is spiritual failure.
- Role: Sanctify Soulstones (bless currency), enforce moral oversight, hunt contract breakers as religious duty
- Leader: Brother Balthus the Reckoner, High Priest, zealous enforcer, claims "Ledger Sight" (perfect memory of every transaction)
- Philosophy: "The ledger balances. Always."
The Rational House (Secular Wing)
Pre-Sundering bankers who survived through wealth and pragmatism. They view markets as amoral...profit is neither sin nor virtue, merely efficiency. Emotions cloud judgment; cold calculation always wins. To the Rational House, faith is useful fiction that keeps borrowers honest.
- Beliefs: Markets self-regulate. Monopoly creates stability. Survival of the financially fittest.
- Role: Manage operations, maintain financial infrastructure, control day-to-day business
- Leader: Director Ilyara Voss, CEO, master manipulator, ice-cold pragmatist with no moral compass
- Philosophy: "Everything has a price. Including loyalty."
Core Mechanic: Credit Economy & Mercenaries
The Exchange fights through economic warfare. Credit Tokens...generated from kills and attacks...fuel a powerful arsenal of hired mercenaries, market manipulation, and battlefield bribery.
Credit Generation:
- From Kills: War Profiteer passive generates 2-3 Credits per kill (full value)
- From Attacks: Many Exchange attack cards have "Gain 1 Credit" effects, but these are rate-limited to 1 Credit per 2 attacks. (v5.17: Nerfed from 1 Credit per attack to 1 Credit per 2 attacks due to 78% win rate)
- War Profiteer: Gain 2 Credits when ANY Casket dies nearby (3 if you killed it). Profit from chaos.
- Hire Mercenary: Spend 3 Credits to summon an 8 HP soldier who fights for you. Up to 2 active simultaneously.
- Economic Leverage: Target enemy must choose: take 4 damage OR skip their next turn. Economic ultimatum.
- Market Manipulation: Spend 2 Credits to increase all enemy card costs by +1 SP for 1 turn. Inflation warfare.
- Insurance Policy: Spend 3 Credits to negate all damage from one attack. Premium protection.
- Golden Parachute: Spend 5 Credits when low on cards (5 or fewer) to recover 8 cards, remove all Heat, and gain permanent +1 Defense. Executive bail-out.
Exchange pilots don't win through courage or honor...they win by controlling the battlefield economy. Generate Credits faster than enemies can spend them, summon disposable Mercenaries to overwhelm foes, and manipulate the market until victory is simply purchased.
10 Faction Cards (Players Choose 6)
War Profiteer
Effect: Passive: When any Casket (enemy, ally, or neutral) is destroyed within 6 hexes of you, gain 3 Credit tokens. Gain 5 Credits instead if you dealt the killing blow. Additionally, heal 1 HP per 3 damage you deal (33% lifesteal).
(Balance Update Oct 19: Increased from 2/3 Credits to 3/5 Credits, added lifesteal healing 1 HP per 3 damage)
"Every death is an opportunity. Every corpse a ledger entry."
Hire Mercenary
Effect: Summon 1 Mercenary unit (8 HP, 3 damage) in target hex. Fights for you until destroyed or mission ends. Maximum 2 Mercenaries active simultaneously.
"Loyalty is expensive. Disloyalty is fatal."
Economic Leverage
Effect: Target enemy must choose: Take 4 damage immediately OR skip their next turn.
"Pay now or pay later. Either way, you pay."
Market Manipulation
Effect: All enemies in area have +1 SP cost to all cards for 1 turn.
"We control the market. You merely survive it."
Hostile Takeover
Effect: Deal 6 damage, ignore 1 Defense. If this kills the target, gain 4 Credit tokens and recover 2 cards from discard pile.
"Their loss. Our gain."
Insurance Policy
Effect: Play when you would take damage. Negate all damage from this attack. Generates 1 Heat. Once per round.
"We insure everything. For a price."
Bribe
Effect: Target enemy has -2 to their next attack roll and -1 movement this turn. Spend 2 Credits to extend duration to 2 turns.
"Everyone has a price. Even honor."
Contract Enforcement
Effect: All friendly Mercenary units within range gain +2 damage and +2 Defense until end of round. Spend 1 Credit to extend duration to 2 rounds.
"We pay well. They fight better."
Auction Bid
Effect: Draw X cards (where X = Credits spent, maximum 5).
"Knowledge is power. Power is expensive."
Golden Parachute
Effect: Play when your deck reaches 5 cards or fewer. Immediately recover 8 cards from discard pile, remove all Heat, gain +1 Defense permanently this mission. Once per mission.
"Failure is for the poor."
Soul Drain (×7 in deck)
Effect: Deal 4 damage. Gain 1 Credit token.
(Balance Update Oct 19: Increased deck count from ×5 to ×7 for consistency)
"Your soul has value. We'll take it."
Compounding Interest (Passive)
Effect: Each consecutive attack against the same target deals +2 additional damage (stacks indefinitely until you switch targets).
(Balance Update Oct 19: Increased from +1 to +2 damage per turn)
"Debts accumulate. Interest compounds. You will pay."
Contract Breach
Effect: Deal 4d6 damage (14 average), ignore 2 Defense. If target dies, refund 2 SP.
(Balance Update Oct 19: Increased from 3d6 to 4d6 damage)
"Terms were clear. Penalties are final."
Primary Weapon: Executive's Arsenal
The Exchange doesn't pilot crude war machines...they command Caskets equipped with precision financial instruments (that also happen to be lethal). Their weapons embody their philosophy: wealth empowers strikes, and every kill liquidates assets.
Sample Cards (12 total in deck)
Ledger Strike (×3)
Cost: 2 SP | Range: Melee | Damage: 3
Deal 3 damage. If you have 3+ Credits, deal 4 damage instead (wealth empowers).
Coin Throw (×3)
Cost: 2 SP | Range: 4 hexes | Damage: 2
Deal 2 damage at range. Spend 1 Credit to deal 4 damage instead (premium ammunition).
Buyout Strike (×2)
Cost: 4 SP | Range: Melee | Damage: 6
Deal 6 damage. If this kills the target, immediately summon 1 Mercenary at no Credit cost (acquire their contracts).
Executive Order (×1)
Cost: 3 SP | Range: 6 hexes | Damage: 4
Deal 4 damage. Target has -2 SP next turn (economic pressure).
Support Units (Mercenary Contracts)
Unlike other factions, the Exchange doesn't field loyal soldiers...they hire disposable mercenaries. These units are expensive but effective, and can be sacrificed for profit when convenient.
Standard Mercenary (Summonable via Hire Mercenary)
HP: 8 | Movement: 4 | Defense: 1 | Damage: 3
Basic hired soldier. Fights competently, dies easily. Costs 3 Credits to summon. Can have 2 active simultaneously. Expendable and profitable.
Elite Mercenary (Premium Contract)
HP: 12 | Movement: 4 | Defense: 2 | Damage: 5
Veteran killers who demand higher pay. Costs 5 Credits. Can perform flanking maneuvers (+2 damage from rear). More expensive, more deadly.
Debt Collector (Ledger Orthodox Enforcer)
HP: 10 | Movement: 3 | Defense: 2 | Damage: 4
Religious zealots hunting contract breakers. Can "Audit" enemies (reveal hand, steal 1 card if target has Credits). Gains +2 damage when attacking targets who broke deals.
Notable Figures
Director Ilyara Voss (The Ice Queen of Commerce)
Age: 54 | Casket: "The Counting House" (mobile vault fortress)
Ilyara Voss embodies the Rational House: emotionless, calculating, and utterly amoral. Born into a pre-Sundering banking family, she bought her way through the apocalypse and rose to become CEO of the most powerful institution in the shattered world. She wears impeccable tailored armor with no religious symbols...secular to the bone. Her cold gray eyes see people as balance sheets, and she honors contracts to the letter while exploiting every loophole.
Unique Abilities: Market Crash (increase enemy SP costs for 2 turns), Hostile Takeover (steal enemy units), Golden Parachute (resurrect at full HP for 10 Credits)
"Everything has a price. Including me."
Brother Balthus the Reckoner (Divine Accountant)
Age: 67 | Casket: "The Ledger's Wrath" (armored cathedral)
High Priest of the Ledger Orthodox, Brother Balthus believes every transaction is recorded in a literal divine book. He claims "Ledger Sight"...the ability to recall any transaction ever made with perfect accuracy. Covered in ritual scars (one per contract enforced), he is merciless toward those who break deals. Paradoxically honorable, he always honors his own contracts even when disadvantageous, and hates Director Voss for her secular corruption of sacred economics.
Unique Abilities: Divine Audit (reveal enemy hand, steal Credits), Contract Enforcement (10 damage to contract breakers), Ledger's Blessing (recover cards when spending Credits)
"The ledger balances. Always."
Faction Relations
| Faction | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Church of Absolution | FRIENDLY | Ledger Orthodox is Church splinter sect. Shared theological history, strong trade. |
| Elven Verdant Covenant | NEUTRAL | Elves distrust economics but trade for resources. Pragmatic tolerance. |
| Dwarven Forge-Guilds | ALLIED | Dwarves respect Exchange monopoly. Strong trade partners. Mutual profit. |
| The Ossuarium | NEUTRAL | Exchange deals with undead. No moral judgment, pure business. |
| The Wyrd Conclave | DISTRUSTFUL | Fae bargains undermine Exchange contracts. Competing systems. |
| Nomad Collective | FRIENDLY | Nomads rely on Exchange for currency stability. Symbiotic relationship. |
| Vestige Bloodlines | FRIENDLY | Exchange deals with anyone who has coin. Neutrally amoral. |
| Emergent Syndicate | NEUTRAL | Exchange sees Syndicate as clients. No moral judgment on post-human evolution. |
| Crucible Packs | FRIENDLY | Crucible respects Exchange neutrality. Honor recognizes fair commerce. |
Recommended Builds
War Profiteer (Economic Engine)
- Faction Cards: War Profiteer, Hire Mercenary, Contract Enforcement, Auction Bid, Market Manipulation, Hostile Takeover
- Frame: Broker (5 SP per turn)
- Strategy: Generate Credits through kills, summon Mercenaries to farm more Credits, spend Credits for card advantage. Scale infinitely.
- Strengths: Infinite Credit scaling, Mercenary swarm, card advantage engine, self-sustaining economy
- Weaknesses: Slow early game (need kills), Mercenaries fragile, complex resource management
Mercenary Commander (Swarm Leader)
- Faction Cards: Hire Mercenary, Contract Enforcement, War Profiteer, Bribe, Economic Leverage, Insurance Policy
- Frame: Broker (5 SP per turn)
- Strategy: Summon maximum Mercenaries (2 active), buff with Contract Enforcement, control battlefield with Economic Leverage and Bribe. Insurance Policy for defense.
- Strengths: Action economy (Mercenaries act separately), high pressure, flexible tactics
- Weaknesses: Credit-hungry (3 Credits per Mercenary), fragile units, limited to 2 Mercenaries, weak solo
Insurance Broker (Defensive Profiteer)
- Faction Cards: War Profiteer, Insurance Policy, Golden Parachute, Auction Bid, Market Manipulation, Economic Leverage
- Frame: Broker (5 SP per turn)
- Strategy: Tank through Insurance Policy (negate damage for 3 Credits), profit from kills via War Profiteer. Golden Parachute resurrects at low HP. Control battlefield with Market Manipulation.
- Strengths: Extreme survivability, resurrection mechanic, Credit generation, control tools
- Weaknesses: Low damage output, Credit-hungry defenses, passive early game, weak to pressure when Credits depleted
Strategy Notes
Strengths: Infinite Credit scaling (War Profiteer profits from all kills), action economy (Mercenaries act independently), extreme control (Economic Leverage, Market Manipulation, Bribe), survivability (Insurance Policy, Golden Parachute), card advantage (Auction Bid).
Weaknesses: Credit-dependent (weak without economy), slow early game (need kills for Credits), fragile Mercenaries (8 HP dies fast), complex resource management (track Credits, Mercenaries, SP), no innate damage scaling (rely on Credits for damage).
Early Game (Turns 1-3): Focus on securing first kills to generate initial Credits. Use primary weapon (Ledger Strike, Coin Throw) efficiently. Avoid spending Credits until you have 6+ banked. Position aggressively to profit from War Profiteer (gain 2-3 Credits per nearby death).
Mid Game (Turns 4-6): Summon Mercenaries (6 Credits = 2 Mercenaries for maximum pressure). Use Contract Enforcement before Mercenaries attack (+2 damage makes them lethal). Apply Economic Leverage to key targets (force skip turn or take damage). Market Manipulation when enemies are low on SP (force bad decisions).
Late Game (Turns 7+): Maintain 10+ Credit bank for Insurance Policy spam (negate lethal attacks). Golden Parachute if deck drops to 5 cards (resurrect with 8 cards). Auction Bid for card advantage (spend 5 Credits = draw 5 cards). Continue Mercenary pressure until victory purchased.
Schisms & Renegade Houses
The Exchange maintains ideological unity through profit motive, but internal rifts have emerged over HOW to maximize wealth. These Schisms enable mirror matches...Exchange vs Exchange, merchant vs extremist. Both sides pilot the same Caskets and use Credit economics, but their business ethics differ profoundly.
The Ledger Absolutists (Renegade House)
Ideology: ONLY Credits matter. No morality, no alliances...pure profit calculus.
Schism Event: The Dual-Market Scandal of Year 318 - Broker-Prime Vallis sold weapons to BOTH sides of a brutal civil war, maximizing profits while 10,000 civilians died in the crossfire. When confronted, he presented a 40-page profit analysis proving it was "optimal market behavior." The Rational House exiled him for "destabilizing markets long-term," but the Ledger Absolutists claim "markets always rebuild...profit NOW is the only truth."
Philosophy:
- Mainstream Exchange: "Profit sustainably. Stable markets generate long-term wealth."
- Ledger Absolutists: "Profit NOW at any cost. Markets rebuild themselves. Morality is lost profit."
Visual Distinction: Absolutist Caskets feature pure gold/silver livery with no moral symbols...only Credit counters, profit graphs, and ledger scrolls. They display wealth obsessively.
Tactical Differences:
- War Profiteer Spam: Generate Credits constantly, even in inefficient situations
- Zero Loyalty: Ignore allies unless paid in advance (flavor: treat teammates as customers)
- Maximum Exploitation: Use Economic Leverage on everyone, including allies
- Credit Hoarding: Bank 20+ Credits as "proof of superiority," spend only when necessary
Why They Fight the Exchange: Absolutists view mainstream Exchange as "cowards hiding behind fake sustainability." When they clash, it's economic ideology: "You pretend morality improves profits. We accept truth...wealth justifies everything."
Gameplay Note: Use standard Exchange deck, but roleplay extreme capitalism. Absolutists maximize Credits at ALL costs, ignore team play (flavor only), and treat warfare as pure profit opportunity.
The Debt Collectors (Rival House)
Ideology: Credits buy violence. If you owe, we collect...in blood.
Schism Event: The Black Ledger Purge of Year 362 - Enforcer Cadre "Black Ledger" began murdering debtors who couldn't pay, treating unpaid debts as capital crimes. They hunted down 300 bankrupts and executed them publicly. The Exchange banished them for "alienating 40% of customer base" (dead clients can't generate future revenue), but the Collectors claim "fear IS a form of payment...terror stabilizes markets."
Philosophy:
- Mainstream Exchange: "Enforce contracts diplomatically. Dead clients can't pay future debts."
- Debt Collectors: "Dead debtors send a message to survivors. Fear multiplies compliance. Violence IS profit."
Visual Distinction: Collector Caskets feature black armor with blood-red Credit symbols, literal body-count ledgers engraved on plating, and intimidation iconography. They look like executioners, not merchants.
Tactical Differences:
- Hyper-Aggressive Mercenaries: Spam Mercenary summons constantly, treating combat as "debt collection"
- Execute Wounded: Target low-HP enemies ruthlessly (collecting "debts owed")
- Contract Enforcement Abuse: Use Contract Enforcement as threat/punishment, not strategy
- Intimidation Economics: Roleplay as violent loan sharks rather than businesspeople
Why They Fight the Exchange: Collectors view mainstream Exchange as "weak negotiators who beg for payment." When they clash, it's enforcement philosophy: "You offer deals and discounts. We break kneecaps and take what's owed. The market respects violence."
Gameplay Note: Use standard Exchange deck, but roleplay violent debt collection. Collectors treat enemies as "debtors to punish" (flavor only), spam aggressive tactics, and embrace being terrifying enforcers.