In my opinion, the Metal Ascent is probably the best yo-yo for Intermediate players who are learning long, complex tricks and combos.
First experience out of the box, both yo-yos are extremely smooth. The responsiveness is perfect with Thick string (I tried with Sochi Fat, Kitty Fat). The anodization is great and the colors are stunning (I really like the baby blue ano color way, it looks even better in person). The packaging is very nice too. Xavier did an amazing job on the box design.
The Ascent is very very stable, the extreme H-shape makes it difficult for the yo-yo to lean and tilt when you learn tricks slowly or have to look away from the yo-yo to watch the video.
The spin time is phenomenon. The mono-metal Ascent on its own matches the spin time and stability of some of my Bi-metal yo-yos (Original Edge, Turning Point Positron, some other cheap Chinese Bi-metals).
The best part about this yo-yo, is that it strikes the perfect balance between playing light, while being powerful and stable. Most heavily rim weighted yo-yo or extreme stable yo-yos tend to be either very heavy or "boring". The Ascent's design, in my opinion, is stable enough for players who want to learn new tricks with it, while making sure to maintain being light and fun.
The Finger spin hub also is probably one of the best I have ever tried, besides the CheatCode. I can basically land Fingerspin consistently, no matter how bad my initial throw is, which is something I have never experienced from other yo-yos with Finger spin hub or dimples.
These officially become my daily throw and the best yo-yos that I have in my small collection.