Allies is a new format of play for Genesis: Battle of Champions where you get to play with two champions instead of one.

This format of play adds a lot more depth and complexity to game play, so we do not recommend this for players who are just getting into the game. However, when you have a good grasp of how the game dynamics work and the strengths and weaknesses of your favourite champions, then feel free to try out Allies!

Rules Changes

For Allies, the rules change in three different ways:

  1. Picking your Champions

  2. Timeline Construction & Playing Cards

  3. Placing your champions in the arena

Picking your Champions

In Allies you pick two champions to build your timeline around instead of just one. However, there is a criteria you have to adhere to when picking allies to play with: both champions need to have at least one affiliation in common. Because of this champions from Ajna could not pair with champions from Sahas, nor could Vishud pair with Vadhis. But you can ally Ra’Ha and Feng together because they both have Bellum, or you can pair Rayne and Idiris together because they both have Chaos.

For this criteria, the world symbol does not count.

Timeline Construction & Playing Cards

The timeline itself is still made of 50 cards with a total chi of 250 points, however the main change is that you can put in cards that either of your champions can play.

Thus, if you’re allies are Ra’Ha and Feng then you can put Bellum, Axon, and Thymos cards into your timeline. Either champion can play the Bellum cards, but only Ra’Ha can play the Axon cards and only Feng can play the Thymos cards. This becomes a risk you need to consider because if you run a lot of Axon cards and your opponent kills Ra’Ha, then for the remainder of the game you cannot play any Axon cards.

Alternatively, you can play with both champion of the same city, ie. Malik and Idiris, and then when one champion is killed you can still play all cards from your timeline. However, you lose out on the opportunity to play with card combinations that you would normally not be able to play with.

Also, it is important to declare which champion is playing a given ability. The reason for that is even though the Timeline is shared, the aura between the two champions is not shared. Each champion has their own independent aura pool that they draw from when they need to spend aura. If a an energy cost is paid, the champion playing the ability reduces the cost according to their energy reduction stat.

Placing your champions in the arena

In a standard Genesis game, you place your champions opposing each other in the arena. However, since there are more champions at the beginning of the game, placement matters a bit more. You don’t want your Nubia to be sitting opposite of your opponent’s Malik because you know they are able to jump across the arena against you on the first round. Instead beginning of the game changes to this order:

  1. Determine starting team

  2. Starting team places one champion in any of the 5 spots closest to them

  3. Second team places one champion in any of the 5 spots closest to them

  4. Second team places their second champion in any of the remaining 4 spots closest to them

  5. Start team places their second champion in any of the remaining 4 spots closest to them

  6. Draw opening hands