After playing a game with Dunwich, I realized I have to separate the decks back into Normal and Dunwich sets to fit back into the boxes. It is a TOTAL PAIN having to separate them back at the end of the games, but I do not see a way to fit them all into one box. How do you solve this problem?

Tossing the insert could be the key. I stored AH + DH in those two boxes with inserts still in. I stored AH + DH + DP + BGotW + KiY in those 2 boxes. When I added IH, so I tossed the IH insert and now store everything in the AH + IH boxes (former still has insert).

As to separating, never have, never will do it. The idea of separating each expansion sounds annoying enough, having to do it after each game, GTFO, not gonna happen.

Riiiight... if someone new wants to learn, you make him fight Dunwich Horror first up? Make it hard for him by having Gate Bursts? Add confusing items for his starting equipment?

Nah, I believe starters should only use Normal set.

I usually play long stretches with 1 or 2 expansions, and seperate when I have had enough, it works out ok, not too much work as I only pull out mythos cards.

Knuckles Eki said:

Who are these "new" you refer to? It's either me solo or with my friend.

If you're making a general point, then okay. Or if you're constantly teaching n00bs, separation might be needed. Of course, gate bursts are absolutely necessary pretty early on, bounce, bounce, bounce Mythos phases (unless you use IH) are just boring. Monster surges are just one step up from bounces, something, although minor happens, but it's not a "waste" as a bounce Mythos. And of course, BGotW Herald made monster surges less desirable .

Yes I generally find myself teaching players who don't even see the game before.

I'm glad I don't have to. I shudder to think of playing with just the base game, no gate bursts, no nothing.

Although, it would give me the chance to brainwash those n00bs the way I did with my friend. Upon introduction, I mentioned 2 ways of winning, 1 way to tie. Worked on him .

I really dont thnk you have to worry too much about overwhelming new players with all the extra AE and Investigator cards, most can cope with added items, encounters and so on. What you really need to remove are GOOs, mythos cards and monsters, and this doesnt take long. Especially when you split the work among players.

I keep all the big box expansion stuff mixed.

I do teach the game fairly regularly at game conventions. When teaching I still keep everything mixed. I usually will include at least one expansion board. If a mythos or encounter card is drawn that is not playable because of unused boards, the card is discarded and a new one is drawn. I also have them ignore gate bursts.

I keep everything in the original boxes with the inserts. All unique items, common items, and AH encouter cards go in one box. Another box has all the mythos cards, spell cards, skills, and allies. Another box has the DH and KH encounter cards, retainers, loans, bless, train pass, deputy items, etc.

Separating cards is for chumps!

When I teach, I usually just use the base game, but all the cards (and monsters, and gates, etc) are still intermixed. They really don't detract from the game (except the rare Exhibit item) if you don't use the other aspects of the expansions.

As for my storage, I've given up and use two boxes. 1 box holds nothing *but* cards, all in tuck boxes (I need to take a picture some day, it's pretty impressive), the other box holds everything else, and still has it's insert even (the card-box has no insert).

-shnar

No, I don't ever sort anything out. I use every element of every expansion.

Except when I'm showing new players the ropes. Then the only expansion stuff I use is: monsters, investigators (and their fixed items), injury/madness, epic battle, personal stories.

Separating sets is a pain. That's why I only do it with the occasional newbie game. I go ALL IN. And with my simple house rules, Dunwich, Innsmouth, and Next Act never suffer.

Keep the expansions coming, FFG

Everytime I get an expansion I put it in. I don't care about dillution or whatever, the game is a riot of a time and I've had nothing but more and more fun with each expansion that gets put in. Right now I have all the board expansions but none of the card ones.

As for new players...I guess I'm the kind of guy who likes to play his games on hard mode, anyhow they're new. They have NO idea so why put it in their brain that if you add these expansions its guna be stupid hard?

I've made this :

AH box for all the cards, DH box for all tokens & markers, KH box for board, rules & sheets.

And as many others, I play with all the stuff... except for mythos and portal cards from AH wich are useless IMO ^^ (and it keeps dunwich threat & "The Next Act Begins!" at top )

Scaresoul said:

Me too. I have also taught complete newbies with the FULL games (all boards, all expansions). With this setup, I go for minimal explanation (mostly just how their character works and the general flow of the game). I deal with all the 'fiddly' mechanics myself, and I teach them specific things when they actually occur. It's worked fine so far. It's co-operative, so the other players are never short of helpful advice.

Teaching newbies with any expansions has never worked. None of the people who tried to learn the game have come back for more. They found the game too complicated, and the extra theme of a visiting museum exhibit or portals opening in Dunwich just add to the confusion. I prefer to show them none, and then use one at a time so they get the full effect (kind of like ascending ranks of martial arts belts, only horrible).

Once the poor suckers have made their way through the base game and each of the 6 expansions, I'll explain to them that they've seen 7 of the easiest AOs out of 24, then set up a full-expansion game with a new random AO. Hilarilty consistently occurs.

1. Base game with Azathoth (I used to try Yig but he woke up way too soon to get a feel for the game)
2. Dark Pharaoh with Nyarlathotep (all monsters, which means all 10 masks! Gotta love it)
3. Hastur and King in Yellow (Jacqueline Fine is a barred character, because they need to face the music when a Next Act comes up)
4. Black Goat and Shub-Niggurath (here they may taste their first gate bursts)
5. Kingsport and Ithaqua (lots of OOHs! and AHHs! over the new board)
6. Dunwich and Yog-Sothoth (snicker)
7. Innsmouth and Cthulhu (you may not have friends left after this one. Literally. They will have been eaten)

My favorite part is how Yog and Cthulhu are last

Tibs said:

I'm might actually go back and play through sessions 2+,

I appreciate the theme of them!

I'm currently playing with AH+DH (plus all small box expansions and most mythos/OW/location cards from the other 2 big box expansions), the idea was to beat AH+DH a couple of more times before adding in KH and then IH. I'm using some anti-dilution rules so the Dunwich board is seeing some action and the King is Yellow has come close to frution a couple of times, but the Inv's have been stung a couple of times with Mythos/OW cards that require exhibit items (they seem pretty rare with all expansions in, I'd be interested to see if they are more common using DP+AH only, and we've had only 1 chance of getting corrupted in about 5 games so far, wasn't using black goat herald though, which looks to drastically increase chances of corruption.

I've often thought then when i get round to adding in heralds to increase difficulty further, i'd like to link them to certain AO's as you have in your list of 7

could heralds' Father Dagon and Mother Hydra be added to option 7 for a true master class in early Inv demise!!?

Tibs said:

Nice! How did you pick Ithaqua for Kingsport? Because he's the only base GOO left?

Yes, that's pretty much why I picked him. Eihort is another good choice though. After playing those seven, that leaves Yig as the only base-game AO that hasn't been seen.

I prefer Ithaqua because the mists of Kingsport complement Ithaqua's cold bite.