I'm guessing the expansion with the most added cards/tokens/etc. is my best bet for enjoyment?

Last week I would have said Dunwich. But I am having loads of fun (devourments) playing with just basegame and Innsmouth. I took out all other monsters but still have other gate and encounter cards and equipment. I might have a better chance if I had more Elder signs. Those are pretty sparse right now. I might take everything else out for my next game and check for sure.

I vote for King in Yellow, or Dunwich.

I lean towards Dunwich if you want a new board and all, KIY if you are on a budget and want some extra theme / fun

All of them. They each add quite a bit of interesting stuff to the game. For a fist expansion I would recommend the King in Yellow for a small box expansion and either Dunwich or Innsmouth for a big box. As you start mixing and matching expansions I recommend pulling pieces from different expansions rather than playing with everything at once though. For example Play with one of the small box expansions as a travelling exhibit, add in the personal stories from innsmouth, the injuries and madnesses from Dunwich and the epic battle cards from Kingsport. If you feel like running around more you could also add the rest of the materials from one of the big box expansions.

mageith said:

Ack, that's the best part about having all the expansions mixed in, no more 2+ Elder Signs pretty much every game. Heck, getting even 1 feels special, instead of "oh look, another Elder Sign". Since I'm not into trimming my decks by taking cards out, sparse Elder Signs is the next best thing.

If you play with only two Investigators, a small box expansion is probably the best idea for a first expansion. The extra board gets unmanageable with only two unless you're very lucky. King in Yellow or Curse of the Dark Pharoah are both good: I haven't yet tried Black Goat enough to comment.

If there's more than two Investigators, Dunwich. (Innsmouth is arguably better - but I think it's expected that you'll have at least some of the Dunwich components in play)

Dam said:

Yeah, it was kind of a joke. On the other hand, it would be nice to win a bit....

mageith said:

Play better ? I know luck/dice can be a big factor. Yesterday Darrell took on a Zombie, he was rolling 6 dice for his combat check, just barely managed to kill it with during his 3rd combat check (1 success with 18 dice ).

Dam said:

What a creative strategy. I'll try it now that you mention it. Before Innsmouth, my stats were OK, winning about 2/3rds of our games like everybody else. I usually play with other people, not all of whom are great sharers of the wealth.

Playing just Innsmouth makes the shabby coast town pretty busy. It's slow and expensive to move around there and it eats my clues. The Deeps Ones rise up every game and I always need to call in the Feds. I've been in three games so far and overwhelmed in 4 others. Patrice (twice) and/or Roland (twice) and/or Sailor Marsh and/or the lawyer (who never lost his retainer) were the stars in ones I won or should've have won. Nobody else has done much for me. I've gone through all the Innsmouth characters twice now so I'll see how the veterans from other expansions fare.

The problem is that Innsmouth doesn't include any new items, allies, other worlds, and only a few location and gate cards. Especially browsing the very small unique item deck for elder signs or the healing stone would be much too simple. As a first big box expansion, I'd recommend Dunwich, then Innsmouth with all the investigators, ancient ones, the story cards and the new board. However, if you get Dunwich first, make sure you remember which monsters were included, you may want to play Innsmouth w/o the Dunwich monsters once you own it, so that you draw a lot more aquatic monsters.

The only small box expansion I own is Dark Pharaoh, so I'm not much of a help here, but from what I heard King in Yellow is usually quoted as the best small expansion.

Here's my personal "recommended purchase order", in termos of quality and enjoyment:

1- The King in Yellow (very nice new items/spells/encounters, and a good boost to difficulty level if you need it)

2- Curse of the Dark Pharaoh (veeery very well-flavoured, but it tends to make the game easier, just be aware of that)

3- Kingsport Horror (Some Items/spells suck, but the rift mechanics, well, you either love'em or hate'em: I think they are awesome)

4) Dunwich Horror (too many overpowered monsters and overpowered items/spells, and I often happen to play entire games without seeing even just one gate opening in the Innsmouth board. Uh, and I NEVER saw the Innsmouth Horror monster awakening in 15+ games I played. So, this is a nice expansion but it could have been done better. A lot better, in my opinion)

5) Black Goat of the woods (it adds the most pointless items and spells ever. Encounters are interesting, but I don't like the corruption mechanics. Also, I don't happen to see Cult Encounters and Corruption Cards being used/drawn *that* much. I'd rank this expansion with an "I want my money back")

***Not listed: Innsmouth Horror.

I just got it yesterday and played just a couple of games.

I'm quite disappointed of it but I need more time to fully rank and review it honestly.

cim said:

Actually, I'd say that even if you only play with 2 Investigators, a box expansion is fine. The Arkham Horror Board on its own is easily dealt with by even 2 Investigators that know what they are doing.

@OP

I can'T really ad more than my own opinion, but if you are going for just one expansion, then I'd have to say don't get The Dark Pharaoh (makes the game easier) or Innsmouth (even though it's my favourite expansion so far, I feel it doesn't dilute the equipment decks, which is a good thing as Dam points out above). I also cannot recommend the Black Goat, due to the mechanics of that expansion, nor can I really recommend the King in Yellow (to get the most out of it you would have to play the KiY permanent exhibit all the time - which is a fun way to play, but not...well..permanently).

This leaves Dunwich Horror and Kingsport Horror. I'd be more leaning towards Kingsport Horror simply because it adds a good mix of Difficult things and a few powerful cards.

However:

If you plan on getting the other expansions anyway, go with Dunwich Horror. The Dunwich Horror expansion is the only expansion that suffers severely through dilution when adding further expansions to it. This way you can enjoy it to its fullest before adding more content later.

*edit*

So to be clear: If you aren't planning on getting more expansions, go with Kingsport. If you are planning on getting more, go with Dunwich.

Victimizer said:

I don't the DP adds very much difficulty but I don't see that it makes the game easier? Why do you say that?

Gott said:

Care to elaborate? KH has devouring monsters IIRC, as well as items for removing doomers (just as examples).

mageith said:

I recommend playing with the Dark Pharaoh herald (download at the Arkham Horror support page) if you think CotDP is too easy.

@mageith

Due to the incredible allies (all of which are available, as this was before the 11 max rule), great opportunities to gain more items (with just the Dark Pharaoh mythos and encounter cards one is likely to get those that dish out items of one sort or another, mostly unique items or exhibit items), no unique item dilution, good new spells. Overall, the positive gains, I think, far outweigh the negative gains (I mean difficulty).

The detriment and...whatever the positive cards were called, balance one another (and the detriment cards are fairly easy to get rid of in comparison to the incredible positive things). The barred from the neighbourhood cards don't really do much, and the dual color ancient one other world encounters are unlikely to appear.

I think that's why I think it makes the game easier, in a nutshell.

@Hell-res.-saur

Yeah, with the online herald you at least get a little bit more out of it, but the online herald can be used to great effect with any expansion, so I didn't include it.

Victimizer said:

I think it's HellRAZOR.

I never called him that before, not going to start now

Dam said:

Dam said:

Well, I'd say both KH and DH hafe their own flaws:

I'll try to be as clear as I can, but please remember that all below is just my own opinion:

1) DH adds Items and spells which I can't really stand to see (Fetch Stick, Alien Device, Most missions- which are almost impossible to pass). Also, many monsters (Hunting Horror, Wraith, Mummy, Rat Thing- and I'll not mention the Color Out of Space just because I wish I had it as a pet) are so nasty that unless you're lucky enough to be equipped better than Rambo in First Blood Part 3, you're just going to curse the game developers for creating such unbeatable opponents. Well, the Rat-thing is not *that* nasty, though I see very little thematic sense in discarding items- and if you don't even have one, you're just going to be beaten up like a carpet.

Also, DH has got some painfully annoying rumors: Riots & Nightmare Pool (the ones where you put 3 SAN/STA tokens per players on them and [...] ): you know, I really like challenges (Otherwise I wouldn't be playing this game and all of its expansions since 3 years now), but I think there's a big difference between a "challenge" and sheer frustration.

And about the new cards: I never saw anybody managing to get a Sheldon Gand membership in 15 games (well, I'm sure of 15, though I could probably say 25 and still don't lie). I never saw anybody setting the "special" cards on (you know, the "Velma's Favour, Darke's Belssing and such): I just wish they were developed and managed better. Then there are Injury and Madness cards, but I don't really like them. They're a good Idea, but the excessive difficulty to get rid of them sometimes (often?) makes the game frustrating (Especially when you have Speed 3 and break a leg).

The "Dunwich Horror" monster: it's a very "nice" monster... I just wish I ever saw it awakening. Please. Just once. We never got its track higher than 2 in all our games. Its marker is soooo dusty.

At least, DH's got some of my favourite GOOs (for both their role in Lovecraftian Mythos and the way they work in game), And I love using Shudde mell's Rubble Tokens as Rift tokens in KH.

2) KH: well, although I like it more than DH, I recognise its own faults: Rift mechanics being a bit messy (and the "put an Investigator on holiday in Kingsport and everything will be fine" problem), some AWFUL spells and items (even worse than DH, along with the painfully mispelled "Massa di Requiem per Shaggai "), and Aquatic Monsters being just a flavour thing than an actual threat. Also, some allies are a bit overpowered (like those in CotDP), though I don't think Allies have to be as balanced as Investigators should be. Oh, and I really dislike most of its GOOs- which I even refused to play since I got the game, except for Eihort (we even use to give names to each of the parasites we gain )

BUT items and spells in KH are not "overpowered": for example, although the Elephant Gun is more powerful than the Flamethrower in DH, it is flawed by the "Pay $2 to refresh" thing, which makes it quite a worthless item to me.

I'll list why I like KH:

-I love exploring locations. I'd say it's the main reason I like playing AH: exploring, uncovering lost treasures, and such.

-I love all the new investigators (except for Daisy and Lily- the first being as powerful as a GOO and the latter being as Lovecraftian as my English Cocker dog).

-I L-O-V-E the Tulzscha Herald and Elusive Monsters in general. They're the best invention ever after root beer (which I can't happen to find in my country, so I should start drinking herald juice, maybe?)

- I love the Epic Battle variant (while I'm not *very* fond of Injuries/Madness cards in DH, as mentioned above). Epic Cards tend to be a bit repetitive after a few times you use'em (you're always expecting, shall we say, "flyind debris" and "wave of madness")- but we cope with that by randomly reomoving one green and one red card before the battle).

Ties:

both DH and KH have devouring monsters (2 in DH (Nyarla's Mask and the Horror if you draw the "wrong" card) and 1 in KH (Moon Beast-maybe it is 2x, I'm not sure).

Powerful books: Gate-closing and Ally-summoning books in DH, vs. Spell-Choosing and Doom-removing ones in KH:

I'd say none is bad: removing doom tokens is not *that* unbalancing In my opinion: unexperienced and unplanning players will never get to win a game Even if you give them a 30 Doom GOO. And finding all 2 doom-removing books is quite a rare occurrance (though i trimmed the deck by permanently removing one anyway I told you I like challenges).

Anyway, none of those books is as powerful as the Necronomicon,which I would never, ever dare to blame for being a "game breaker".

Sorry for writing so much and please forgive any typing mistake:)

You asked

Cheers from sunny-as-hell Italy

Victimizer said:

I wonder why FFG decided the make the game easier? I guess I just saw most of the allies as different, adding more bonus to only to the special skill checks. I've never bought allies and nobody I do does, so wouldn't have noticed if COTP had a edge there. They might.

They Mythos deck adds 3 2 doomer cards and as I purused them I didn't see any good ones (like remove monsters on locations). I think the Clothing Drive was the worst environment at the time.

The main difficulty increase is that the rare gates open more often. I always playing the visiting exhibit form and so that's significant.

The unique items are irritating to me because many have the writing so small.

Spells are a slight improvement though there are some less useful ones too. Astral Travel is great. Markings of Isis, Denying the ancient One and Revelation of Script are usually very good. Premonition I have used. I've never had Feeding of the Mind and Shroud of Shadow at the right time.

So I'd agree the allies are on the average better, the exhibit items are a wash maybe better, no dilution of unique items is a wash, Magic Spells are slight improvement. Emily hates the detriment cards and is always hiding them. The benefit cards are less benefit that the deteriment cards are detrimental, IMO. Barred is irritating and once in a while debilitating if you really have to get someplace.

So from a all expansion player seeing few Mythos cards probaby a slight improvement/easement.

Gott said:

Mummy I'll give you. Wraith is "just" Phys. Immune, -2 to combat, 3 toughness, nothing out of this world IMO. Rat Things are just hard to Evade, they die like a house of cards in a hurricane though. And who doesn't have items? Hunting Horror? Give me HH over Hound of Tindalos anyday. Mag. Resitance and mere 2 toughness, it keels over easily.

Gott said:

Mistrust and Cover Up are annoying?

Gott said:

They're a choice you can make. I love it that they are not easy to remove, otherwise taking one would be pretty pointless.

Gott said:

Both of DH's are very, very particular, while MBs go into the cup every game, no? Okay, odds of drawing one are fairly small. KH also has Shan (x2), Skinless One that devour. From non-devourers, Crawling One (x3) can be a nasty nut to crack.

Gott said:

If the text on Arkham Wiki is correct, Eltdown Shards are "just" discarded, meaning Ashcan could re-buy them again and again (sure, it's $5, but still). $5 to remove a doomer? Yes, please! Can I have a truck load?

Gott said:

I did .

Oh, mamma mia, I'm always forgetting the Ashcan loop bug.

Well, since nobody of us never wants to play Ashcan (Speed 3? Noooooo thanks- Unless your name is Carolyn, Jenny or Harvey), that's not a big problem to us

Even though the rules would allow it, we'd just put some home-ruled limit to that. I dunno, something like "any item discarded by Ashcan is returned to the box", or just "return Eltdown Shards to the box after use (like Elder signs).

In any case, you're right about that possibility.

I'll not keep discussing whether KH is better than DH or not: it's just a matter of tastes, and I'm sure you'll agree with me

As you could see in my ranking list, I still consider CotDP being more enjoyable than any other big bog expansion- and lots of people would indeed argue about my choice.

I guess I'll not change my opinion about DH until I see the **** IH monster waking up- it'll meet a nasty Blue Watcher of the Pyramid then

Gott said:

See, random 1 char, no choosing . I had Pete in my first IH game. GOO was Cthugha, who does Stamina damage for each movement point above 3 you spend. Pete was laughing at Cthugha and strolling along, not a care in the world.

Well, I like drawing random investigators, but we usually allow everybody to keep their own "black list": should you pick an investigator that you really dislike, you're allowed to draw again- up to three trimes.

You know, If I have to spend 4 hours playing some character that I'd be glad to see drowning in R'Lyeh depths, it's not going to be that fun.

Also, some friends play so rarely that I'll just be kind and let them choose pick any investigator they wish- just to let them have the fun they expect (well, I always remove Daisy from the game anyway- and now that I got Innsmouth too, I'll have to remove the **** Violinist too, I guess).

Gott said:

I prefer the challenge of playing unwanteds. Otherwise Vincent, Dexter, Amanda and Jim would never see the light of day. Also, my games (solo or with a friend running 2+2) tend to max out at 2.5h . Or you could always use the hated-investigator in a gung-ho manner, I'm sure he'd get devoured eventually .