Hey all,

This is a question that's been on my mind. I've only ever beaten Ithaqua with a single investigator, I've beaten Pharoah with both a single and with a team of two or three (never four), and I just recently completed a little personal challenge of beating Yig with every Investigator in a row (but not in one sitting) without ever losing a single game.

I know one of the big draws of multiple investigators is that not everything is riding on one character, that if one person dies its no big deal. Plus, you get a variety of abilities to draw from. But I think the benefit of loading a single investigator up with trophies and items outweighs any potential negatives.

It also seems a bit more thematic, as Lovecraftian stories usually center on a single character going it alone as their world closes in around themselves. So, let me slightly reword the question in the topic line: Is there any campaign/ancient one that you can't solo?

Also, nothing to do with the question above, but I didn't want to start a new thread... does anyone know how exactly Jim Culver's ability works? It's never made sense to me!

I have solo'd every campaign and won with Jenny Barnes...except Dark Pharoah. I killed him but died during the Lurker phase due to lack of enough clues. Would love to know who you used for your winning solo run.

As for solo versus multiples, it has been said elsewhere in this forum that the game is actually a bit easier with 1 rather than a team. I myself found many of the early campaigns much tougher when using 4. Using Jenny I breezed thru all the campaigns thru Cthulhu pretty easily... Ithaqua was definitely a challenge tho.

I've defeated even Dark Pharaoh with Jenny, it is perfectly doable.

That's what I figured, just need to give it another go...was really close the last time

Jim Culver's ability allows you to focus a die without failing a task. Normally you can only focus if you failed to resolve any tasks. So, as an example, if you have two tasks, one with 3 terror and one with a single peril, if you roll 3 terror and a peril on a single roll, you can take care of the terror task and focus the peril for the 2nd. Vice versa works, too- if you roll a peril, a terror, and the rest are investigations or lore, you can solve the peril task and focus the terror for the next roll to try for the missing 2 terror.

I find Jim pretty useful.

I have solo'd every campaign and won with Jenny Barnes...except Dark Pharoah. I killed him but died during the Lurker phase due to lack of enough clues. Would love to know who you used for your winning solo run.

I used Marie. I'm currently working through ALLthe ancient ones with each character solo. Completed all of Yig and about 1/4 of Tsathougga. Obviously Rex and Leo's special abilities won't mean much :-p

I have solo'd every campaign and won with Jenny Barnes...except Dark Pharoah. I killed him but died during the Lurker phase due to lack of enough clues. Would love to know who you used for your winning solo run.

As for solo versus multiples, it has been said elsewhere in this forum that the game is actually a bit easier with 1 rather than a team. I myself found many of the early campaigns much tougher when using 4. Using Jenny I breezed thru all the campaigns thru Cthulhu pretty easily... Ithaqua was definitely a challenge tho.

Was using Wendy Adams. Just make sure you always have the Healer in your team. My other teammate was the one that ignores daily locked glyphs etc. And do everything you can to keep those 2 alive.

Ithaqua was alright, I was solo-ing with that gangster that changes terror into peril. played 4 games, won 2, lost 2.

back to OP's question, the only reason to not solo is when your effects can only be used once per day, eg. Psychologist, Doctor, Researcher. Even then I wouldnt recommend a full 4 player team.

When you solo, you are effectively exploiting the glitch in the system because that lone investigator gets to act FOUR times in one day (before midnight happens). As compared to the case where you have 4 investigators, each of them acts once and then midnight happens. Investigators should only have one turn each in a day, no matter how many they are in the team, then midnight happens.

On 7/27/2017 at 1:28 AM, ppsantos said:

When you solo, you are effectively exploiting the glitch in the system because that lone investigator gets to act FOUR times in one day (before midnight happens). As compared to the case where you have 4 investigators, each of them acts once and then midnight happens. Investigators should only have one turn each in a day, no matter how many they are in the team, then midnight happens.

I agree with this. Why exploit it to make the game super-easy to win? You don't want the challenge and satisfaction of winning with a full, random team? Only reason I can see to solo is to unlock the mystery investigator. Once I unlocked them, I never played solo again. I've played so many times that inevitably I've won with a 4-player team with every AO. Admittedly, I think I've only beaten Ithaqua 3 or 4 times this way (and I've probably played him 80 or more). Somehow I managed to beat the Pharaoh 4-player the 3rd time I played him. I think FFG updated him to be harder after they released it, as I don't win a lot with him now (maybe once every 8-10 games or so).

Whenever I play I do a random team, unless I'm playing several in a row and the randomizer is giving me a character I've already played. Despite the guy who adds +1 to an investigation roll being probably the most hated character, I've had some phenomenal games with him- I think I had him on the team once when I beat Ithy.

On 27.7.2017 at 8:28 AM, ppsantos said:

When you solo, you are effectively exploiting the glitch in the system because that lone investigator gets to act FOUR times in one day (before midnight happens). As compared to the case where you have 4 investigators, each of them acts once and then midnight happens. Investigators should only have one turn each in a day, no matter how many they are in the team, then midnight happens.

Sorry for necromancy. I was looking for tips how to not lose every game.

IMO it's good that lone investigator gets 4 turn before midnight. Team size cannot be balanced so that it works well always. After all, currently player always get four actions between midnights, difference is just that does he/she get them with one or four investigators. In that point on view current system is balanced. Act once per investigator between midnights would just turn the situation to opposite. Full team would have larger benefit that solo investigator currently has (4 times the actions, and benefits for all investigators). Maybe only really balanced way would be single action for single investigator each day, but that would just be silly.

There is also the beginner aspect. Game is currently really difficult for beginner players, in fact in my opinion too difficult (also, difficulty varies hugely between games). As solo investigator I win maybe every 10th game, against Yig.

So, if player want's a bit easier game, solo games are good. Those who have mastered the game can increase difficulty by playing with full team, and by selecting non-optimal investigators.

After all, it's FFG's benefit to make a game which can be played with satisfaction by larger group of people. What I'd like to have in this game is difficulty setting.