(Copied from Boardgame Geek) (I have the exact same question)

I've read Zhar's attack several times, but I'm not sure if I understand it correctly.

Zhar's attack:
Each investigator is in turn wrapped in a tentacle, then crushed. If no player has the Zhar token, give the token to the first player. That player loses one hand for use in combat. If an investigator already the Zhar token, he is devoured.
The first player marker does not get passed until its current holder is devoured.

So would a 4 investigator final battle go like this?

Round One:
Investigators attack. 4 attacks.
Zhar attacks. No investigator has the Zhar token so it is given to the current first player.

Round Two:
Investigators attack. 4 attacks, but the first player can only use 1 hand.
Zhar attacks. First player is devoured.

Round Three:
Investigators attack. 3 attacks.
Zhar attacks. No investigator has the Zhar token so it is given to the current first player.

Round Four:
Investigators attack. 3 attacks, but the first player can only use 1 hand.
Zhar attacks. First player is devoured.

Round Five:
Investigators attack. 2 attacks.
Zhar attacks. No investigator has the Zhar token so it is given to the current first player.

Round Six:
Investigators attack. 2 attacks, but the first player can only use 1 hand.
Zhar attacks. First player is devoured.

Round 7:
Investigators attack. 1 attack.
Zhar attacks. No investigator has the Zhar token so it is given to the current first player.

Round 8:
Investigators attack. 1 attack, but the first player can only use 1 hand.
Zhar attacks. First player is devoured.

That's how we've played it the three times we've fought him, and the 10 or so different people that have played across those three games have all read his attack the same way.

Although I don't have the expansion, I've seen the sheet and that would be how I go with it too if I have it

I believe that the player loses the hand as soon as the Zhar token is given to them.

So, round 1 (investigators attack first): All players have all hands to attack.

Round2: P1 has 1 hand, P2-P4 have 2 hands.

Round3: P1 is devourered, P2-P4 have 2 hands.

Round4: P2 has 1 hand, P3-P4 have 2 hands.

Round5: P2 is devourered, P3-P4 have 2 hands.

Round 6: P3 has 1 hand, P4 has 2 hands.

Round7: P3 is devourered, P4 has 2 hands.

Round8: P4 has 1 hand.

---- End of Round 8, P4 is Devourered.

EDIT: Which, I guess is what you said, phrased differently, sorry.

So, does anyone else see this as an unwinable situation? If a player can only last 2 rounds, how can you beat Zhar unless you have enough firepower to beat the GOO before you run out of players? The fact that Zhar has to be beaten twice seems to make the whole situation obscene.

You need to get 22 hits per Investigator.

1 Investigator: 2 attacks to get 22 hits (11/attack)

2 Investigators: 6 attacks to get 44 hits (7.3/attack)

3 Investigators: 12 attacks to get 66 hits (5.5/attack)

4 Investigators: 20 attacks to get 88 hits (4.4/attack)

5 Investigators: 30 attacks to get 110 hits (3.6/attack)

6 Investigators: 42 attacks to get 132 hits (3.1/attack)

7 Investigators: 56 attacks to get 154 hits (2.8/attack)

8 Investigators: 70 attacks to get 176 hits (2.5/attack)

The rate needed gets a lot better with larger teams. Even then, with a -3 modifier, you still need to be rolling an average Combat of 10.5 on every investigator to get 2.5 successes.

On the other hand, we did once beat Yibb-Tstll with a 4 investigator team (and 2 clues left on the board, so a similar combat modifier), which requires the same number of doom tokens removing, and devours people about as fast and less predictably (so less opportunity to keep all the good weapons with the safer people), and eats all your clues beforehand.

Other things that might help: Pass Lily, Norman and Marie's personal stories to take around 5 doom tokens off the first form. Warding statue will get you another round of attacks. The Messenger ally - especially if on someone that Zhar attacks early - increases the number of attacks you get quite a bit. Tommy will let you get another 5 clues in, as long as they're not the last one to die, and also takes off a doom token.

Maybe Lily, Norman, Marie, Tommy, Patrice, Mandy, Joe and Harvey?

Plus, of course, the Epic Battle cards can help you (by giving you a turn where the AO doesn't attack), and then there's Basil Elton, William Bain, and whatever other gimmicks you can come up with...

I don't have Innsmouth yet, but this does sound like a nasty AO power. On the other hand, it's almost entirely predictable, which makes it easier to 'optimize' the group by trading items.