This is, perhaps, the best Savage Worlds add-on I have purchased. It follows the SW use of cards and makes for a more visual representation of dramatic tasks and quick encounters. Really cool for quick dungeons, scavenging (or finding) a ruin, or a data hacking run!

ASCENDANT is an excellent supers RPG. The rules are deep and innovative, yet play is streamlined and simple. The layout and art are very high quality as well. I especially appreciate the fully hyperlinked table of contents and the bold red, white and blue color scheme.

ASCENDANT is reminiscent to me of several older supers RPG's but with a much more rigorous application of math and playability. ASCENDANT uses exponential scales to compress game values and real-world measurements to usable numbers across many levels of play, such as when Superman and Batman (or Hulk and Hawkeye) might be in play at the same table. It also uses color bands to denote different degrees of success based on the percentage die roll and the comparison of competitors' abilities. These degrees of success are based on the exponential scale and the doubling (or halving) of ability each point of difference represents in the game's skills, attributes, and powers, with each color band also representing a doubling of effect. It all ties together beautifully and you can see the effort that was put into making a playable and elegant resolution system that allows competition across vastly disparate opponents while still honoring the premise of each +1 being twice as good.

Character creation is point based and has many options. You can make interesting and varied characters, even emulating existing ones from most comics. ASCENDANT powers are neither effect- nor descriptor-based, but instead are (comic book) physics-based. Fire powers will do what fire does and super strength will do what it does in comics. The rules for invention are satisfying as well—powerful, but balanced.

The rules for combat and encounter resolution are tight, with terms well-defined and consistent throughout. In keeping with its rules-as-physics, ASCENDANT's environmental hazards give useful and real-feeling results, such as when the heroes have to deal with fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, and other comic book events. An important part of play in many supers games is investigation and perception, and the rules are solid here, as well.

Gamemasters get a comprehensive section on building missions and campaigns as well as organizations for the players to encounter. There are also dials that the GM can set to tone-down (or up!) the expected lethality of their game, with suggested settings for many comic book eras. Included are useful write-ups of vehicles, NPC's, and other supers of varying power. Each NPC gets a clever two-word descriptor for their name, most of which are recognizable stand-ins for many supporting characters from books, movies, and other media.

ASCENDANT is obviously a labor of love and it shows in the quality of presentation and contents. Even if you are running a different supers RPG, I think the addition of this book to your collection is well worth it if just as an excellent reference source for measurements and bench-marks and how they relate.

The original Regime Diabolique for Savage Worlds had a flavorful and interesting magic system that set it apart from many SW offerings. The 2nd edition chops all that and goes with a generic SWADE system which is not even properly developed for the setting.

I am not interested in the setting or fighting schools, so I cannot comment on the rest of the SWADE and 2nd edition updates, but if they are anything like the magic system, they are probably a dissappointment as well, but YMV.