Hi! I just started playing Arkham Horror and I really enjoyed it. My group is still getting all the rules straight, you never learn a game in one or two tries. But we'd like to get some advice on the strategy and tactics of the game. For example, it seemed to us in our first few games that we didn't accumulate a lot of equipment to "buff" our characters up enough to handle the game as it went on. There were many times we were "frozen" because the monsters wandering about were just way too tough for us to handle.

So, if any one has any links or would just like to throw out some ideas that work for them, I'm more than ready to listen!

Thanks!

To get new equipment, I find I have a lot of luck with the following:

a) Go to the newspaper.

b) Hang around there until editor Jefferey Doyles gives me a job.

c) Chill for a little bit to let the cash build up. (Or go close gates, more likely)

d) Go to the Curiosity Shop and shop.

Bank loans never turn out well for me, so just skip that.

Becoming a police officer also helps. The earlier in the game you get this the better, because as opposed to the retainer card, you cant lose the income from being a cop.

We try to make sure every Investigator is equipped to handle monsters, whether by weapons, spells such as Mists of Ry'leh or Summon Shantak, or the Skill of Disguise. Ofthen this means trading most of your starting money to one Investigator and having him or her do the shopping, while also trading around starting equipment.

Also, everyone can't simply gather clue tokens will-nilly. Far better to have two Investigators with five Clue tokens who are therefore ready to seal, than four Investigators with three Clue tokens each.

I suppose the most important bit of advice I can give you is this: Players cannot afford to play this game as individuals. You need to take a page from the Borg's book and always work for the good of the collective. If that means, for example, letting another Investigator get a cache of Clue tokens or using your gate trophy to bless another player who is about to roll to close a gate, then so be it.

I am still pretty new myself only about 12 games under my belt. The best advice I can give you is to read the manual, read the manual again, then just to be safe read the manual a third time. Then post on here how your games went and take advantage of the years of Arkham Horror experience on these forums.

Oh and, seal the Witch House and the Woods early they are evil.

Thanks for the ideas/help guys! We will try those out.

We definitely caught unto the team up idea, but our team turned out to be the "Mystery Men"! B)

There was one gate left to close, but it was blocked by several tough monsters sitting right in front of it. So we decided to "charge!" everybody at them, hoping to get lucky and take them down with suicidal charges. We'd hoped by the time the 4th player tried, the way would be clear for him/her to go through--no such luck, they were unscathed and they sent us to the hospital or asylum. We rebounded and got lucky rolls against the ancient one who woke up a turn or two later to win. Still, some of those monsters are tough!

Graksnor said:

Most investigators start the game with a buck or two.. decide early which investigator who will get the role of clearing the streets, someone that can handle som sanity-loss is recomended. Then give that person the money you have from the start and send him/her to the shop, bying a set of weapons. That will hopefully keep the streets safe in the beginning making sure the rest of the players can wander about gaining whatever they need to improve as well.

Good point from Vaksythrakul about the Woods and Witch House. Independence Square and the Unvisited Isle are also very common locations for gates to open. Hibb's, the Historical Society, the Science Building and the ST Lodge are all quite rare. Once you know this, it's possible to make more strategic use of seals, and to know when you're likely to get a monster surge or another gate.

My attitude with monsters is that you should regard the Sanity damage from the Horror check as the 'entry fee' for getting into combat. Usually I don't even bother trying to pass the Horror check. Max out your Fight, ignore Will completely, and just don't get into combat with any monsters unless you can take the Sanity damage. It usually wastes less time to visit the Asylum voluntarily after a few fights than to get sent there because you've gone mad. Or rather, across the course of a whole game , you'll waste less time that way. Of course it does depend on what investigator you are, and whether 6-sanity investigators are available to deal with the really nasty Sanity tests.