I'm a big fan of the Cthulhu Mythos since many years now, and yesterday I bought the core set for the CoCLCG. I'm really looking forward to play it for the first time, but there's one rule which I don't really get and I hope you guys could help me out.

It's about the icon struggle, it confuses me. Do you only resolve one icon before passing the turn to the other player? Or do you resolve as many icons as possible (at the same story card) before passing the turn to the other player?

Once the active and non-active players have committed their characters to the stories and have passed in the last Action window, you move on to the icon struggles:

"This is done by following these five steps:

1. Terror Struggle
2. Combat Struggle
3. Arcane Struggle
4. Investigation Struggle
5. Determine Success

The Terror, Combat, Investigation, and Arcane struggles are also
called icon struggles. Note that the order of the icon struggles is
printed on the left side of each story card." (p. 9)

Then you just go through those in order, count up the icons for both sides, higher total wins (loser must follow the consequences), on a tie nothing happens (unless there is a Fast keyword on some of the characters).

Ok, but if you are unable to resolve one or more icon struggles, do you continue the struggle on your next turn? Because you still need 5 or more successes on a story card in order to win it, right?

i think youre a bit confused on "how" it happens,

ok, you have all committed to a story and done whatever else if anything you wanted to do (any actions..event/support cards)

you then in order of the icons on the story card both resolve them, one after the other all the way down, if some hasnt got that icon it doesnt matter its either passed or won or drawn.

when you have finished going down all the cards, and resolved any effects that happened, going insane/killed/or refreshed/and an extra icon by the last struggle icon, that round is over, resole any actions and remove the cards from the story,

repeat until won....

obviously starting from the other players turn all the way down refreshing/drawing etc etc ok?

Ah, now I think I got it, thanks a bunch!

no worries mate, enjoy the game

One more question, can you win a icon struggle (on the same story card) twice, and thus receive another success token? For an example, can you win the, lets say Terror struggle (or any other struggle) twice? Not on the same round of course but if you won the Terror struggle on your last round and didn't win the other struggles, is it then possible to win the Terror struggle (on the same story card) again or do you just skip that struggle this time?

ok, i think youre missing how the rules go, its not a problem we have all done that sometime or other.

you resolve each icon struggle once (usually) on each round characters are committed, so terror? whoever wins sends a character insane unless they all have a terror icon or willpower, combat destroy a character unless he has invulnerability, arcane winner can ready a character committed to the story (still stays at the story) investigation icon the winner can place a success token on the story,

now the only time you can add a token is now, add up the skill of your remaining characters, if it was your turn, and you have the most you may put a success token on the story.

thats the only time you place a success token, at the end of all the struggles, you add up the skill of your remaining characters after some have been taken off to go insane or killed, and if you are lucky enough to win a investigator struggle ok?

sorry forgot your original question included resolving 2 or more icon struggles, if you have a support card at the story with 1 or more big yellowish icons on the bottom, then you resolve that many more orf that struggle at that story, get that bit?

I think that it's starting to make more sense now.

So correct me if I'm wrong, you don't get success tokens for every single icon that is resolved, you get one for winning the Investigation struggle and one if you have higher Success value than your opponent (and one for winning unchallenged struggles). So the 3 icon struggles before reaching the Investigation struggle is just ment to "eliminate" commited cards?

thats it you got it, the icon struggles "weed" out some of the characters, so play strategically

The whole game just bacame even more interesting! Can't wait to play it! Thanks for your help and patience pal!

no problem, thats what the forums for, we all have to start somewhere eh

Have you seen the tutorial video on the minisite/support link?

It's very slick and informative! It might also still be on youtube.

Dracglad said:

Hi,

Sorry to be dense. But I have one more complication to clear up. MUST YOU succeed at one of each (Terror, Combat, Arcane and Investigation) of the struggles or can you substitute different icon struggle to fill the slot? Let's see if I can give you an example. Let's say I'm strong in investigation and arcane but totally lacking in terror and weak in combat.

The card "Inside Information" Choose a story and until the end of the phase that story loses a struggle icon of your choice. (Obviously, I pick Terror)

"Total Eclipse" Resolve an additional arcane struggle at all stories this phase. (I"m strong here and can expect to win both)

And finally, "Struggling Artist" Arcane struggles are resolved first at any story which the Struggling Artist is committed Disrupt: After you win an arcane struggle in which Struggling Artist participated choose a struggle at the story. Skip that Struggle at this story this turn. (And here I can jump the Arcane struggle up in front of the Combat struggle and if need be cancel the combat struggle altogether?)

So...I play "Inside Information" and eliminate the Terror struggle. "Strugling Artist" lets me resolve the Arcane Struggle first and "Total Eclipse" lets me resolve an additional arcane struggle.

So, conceivably, it possible to skip the Terror Struggle, resolve TWO Arcane Struggles (which presumably I've set up my deck to do) thereby filling the terror struggle square and dodge the bullet on any other icon struggle which I might be weak on?

And if I managed to win the tri-fecta and get "Open for Inspection" attached to the story I could resolve yet ANOTHER Arcane struggle and two additional Investigation Struggles....ok, so now I've filed my four slots and I'm ready for the skill test, right?

I hope I made that clear.

Basically you've got four "struggle" slots to fill. Can you fill them with any kind of success you can generate or MUST you have a TERROR, a COMBAT, an ARCANE and an INVESTIGATION specifically?

Thanks

skipn50 said:

Wow. Long question. I think you've got the cardplay in your example correct. But you don't have 4 "slots" to fill. A card like Open for Inspection adds an additional Arcane and 2 Investigation. Usually, Inspection with leave a story card with a total of 7 struggles to resolve.

The other struggles still play out unless cancelled by card effect. Technically, the other struggles occur even if none of the characters involved have that icon, such as both players using MU decks with no Terror icons, just nothing happens in the struggle.

Some cards also allow you to skip certain struggles altogether. These struggles would not be replaced with a different kind unless it was indicated on the card. So usually 4 struggles, but not necessarily.

You really should watch the tutorial. It is a great video introduction to the game.