Maybe you know the reference being made in the title of this article or maybe you don’t. Maybe I am really telling my age by the fact that I even made the reference. One thing we can all agree on though is this…a Noah’s Ark card has been way overdue; no maybes about it. Noah has been in the game since Patriarchs along with a small representation of his family with Noah’s Sons. Those cards, although fun if you pull them together in Booster Draft, have really seen no play since their release. The “Flood Theme” has seen a huge boost within the Cloud of Witnesses set with the new Noah and the addition of cards for Shem, Ham, and Japheth along with Noah’s Wife and a fun card that hinted that Noah’s Ark was coming, Pitch and Gopher Wood. Without further ado, let me introduce you to the 2016 National Promo card, Noah’s Ark.

This card started way back before I was a playtester. It was conceived by the sages of yesteryear but never printed. It seems strange, but perhaps it was always left on the cutting room floor or was being saved for a more appropriate time to be released. Whatever the reason it never saw the light of day. That all began to change when it was decided that we would host Nationals in Franklin, Ohio this summer. A lot of things have played into our going in the direction of Noah’s Ark not the least of which was that one of our host team members is on staff at the Creation Museum who is opening The Ark exhibit this summer just before Nationals. With that tie in and the fact that so many flood folks would make an appearance in Cloud of Witnesses, it just made so much sense.

Then I had an idea. Usually that is a scary thing. Since Nationals is going to be in Ohio, and is being sponsored by Three Lions Gaming, and Doug Gray (original owner of Three Lions Gaming and Redemption artist) is in Ohio; why not commission a piece of art just for the National promo? After a couple of e-mail exchanges and a phone call, Doug and I agreed that he would put together a piece of art just for Noah’s Ark in exchange for my first born (that is actually a joke, but my son Dylan will be born about a month before Nationals this year). Let me say that I was so stoked that he was willing to fit the piece into his busy ministry schedule. Not only that, but tentatively Doug is scheduled to make an appearance at Nationals this year to hang out, see new and old friends, and probably join in on some after-hours board gaming. Stay tuned about that being confirmed soon.

I brought the idea to Rob and then to my fellow playtesters. With their blessing we have pressed on to make Noah’s Ark a reality; rewriting the original ability and tweaking it a time or two. I hope you come to join us at Nationals 2016 this summer and get your very own copy of Noah’s Ark. Maybe you can even get it signed by Doug while he is there. Oh, one other thing I forgot to mention is the possibility that I will be having an exclusive play mat featuring the Noah’s Ark piece available in limited quantities at the National Tournament. We hope to see you this summer!

*One note about the art for Noah’s Ark; otherwise known as the ARKwork. Doug was thinking out of the box when he decided to depict the ark at night among the mountains as it crashed through the water. The mountain range might even look familiar to you as Doug took inspiration from the mighty Matterhorn for the peak just behind and to the right of the massive boat. Before you get up in arms that the Bible says that water covered the face of the earth (including mountains) the image is depicting the water levels after the Deluge was over and The Flood waters were receding.

To buy singles, sealed product, and other gaming supplies, please visit Three Lions Gaming!

By Travis

Travis Brown has been playing Redemption since 2000 but has been an avid gamer during most of his life. He has been an active playgroup leader and tournament host in Southwest Ohio and most recently, Houston, Texas. As the owner of Three Lions Gaming, Travis desired to expand the reach of Redemption into the gaming subculture. Travis and his wife, Sarah, have served full time in the Youth Ministry for nearly 20 years and are now serving with the Spring Creek Church of Christ in Tomball, Texas. In addition to all of this Travis and Sarah have two active and amazing sons, Ethan and Dylan who work together to keep them on their toes.