Great new direction for future asylum packs ! Apologies if this has been reported before and I just missed it.

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=1022

Incredible wealth of information!

Monthly packs will include 60 cards, consisting of 20 unique cards in triplicate copy, and will retail for $14.95.

After the Dreamlands Asylum Pack cycle, the next cycle will incorporate the new format.

The larger Special Expansion, Secrets of Arkham will still contain two copies of every included card.

Subsequent Special Expansions will likely include "three copies of each card/set, if the scope of the expansion allows it."

LCG core sets will continue to be sold in the current format, variety winning over triplicates.

I applaud FFGs sustainability approach that is better for the environment. The new format allows FFG to print 60 fewer cards and two fewer pieces of packaging than the equivalent three 40-card packs.

Yeah, finally... exactly what I proposed... mmmmh? what? I was not the only one to propose that solution?

Seriously, very good news, I'll go on buying the AP's in 2010 then...

Next potential "improvement": to increase the level of proofreading and playtesting of some cards (for instance the missing sentence on the Dream Dagger support card: "Attach to a character you control").

Great news and it's good to hear that the LCGs (especially this one) are profitable. I know CoC is the least popular of the LCGs but thankfully there's enough of us to keep it going.

It really is finally the perfect math. Three of twenty cards is player friendly. A play set went from $30 to $15. I have to remind myself it's still twenty cards released. But the Special Expansion is going to be an Asenath Waite Derby ***** slap of a set. I hope it has no re-releases and like 100 new cards. That would blow my mind.

The new Asylum Pack box will be fatter, like Arkham's original mysterious duplicate release of investigator and mythos decks. Maybe it'll include the same twelve Expedition Leaders.

This is an amazing decision!

Great!!

johnny shoes said:

I wouldn't mind if they simply reused art and names but made changes to the stats, though.

It's a pity, though, that there won't be a new core set box with two (or three) copies of each card.

tis indeed good news, and most welcome

It's a very good change. It'll help with the clutter in my collection - now I don't need 3 of everything anymore.

Well done, FFG! Well done.

The Deluxe Special Expansion, Secrets of Arkham is a mystery. "100 cards new to the LCG metagame (2 copies of each of 50 cards), featuring 6 unique cards for each faction and 8 neutral cards." Includes neutrals - Diseased Sewer Rats and Feint, CT Hydra, Mother of the Deep, SH Mi-Go Surgeon, ten new Story Cards including Secrets of Arkham.

I say leave the reprints to future less awkward cores. And make the Special Expansions the gold mine - a whole new never before been seen mini set all in one. Shall we say four Special Expansion releases per year...

The multiple occasions in core where illustrations varied from the original are very cool, but I'd not do as jhaelen says, and rehash and jumble old illustrations with new abilities. That's a sign of weakness, that the game can't afford to be fresh. Pay new artists. Always search for that perfect card.

Somehow, the new AP60 format implies other things are coming together. More time, thought, help, and money seem to now be infused. If so, I sure hope it bears out. The years of Asylum Packs still feel like life rafts. Perhaps land is near.

Yep, allow me to join the chorus of congratulations to FFG, this is a most welcome change.

Special Expansion: Secrets of Arkham is 100 cards (2 copies of 50 cards).

8 neutrals + (6 uniques X 7 factions = 42 faction cards) = 50 cards

I sure wonder if they really mean unique.

I thought I read there would be a new story deck in the big expansion as well.

sepayne7l said:

10 Story cards. And at least Hydra has the unique "pip" in front of its name:

www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp

The ten new story cards include one already spoiled. That brings us to 110 cards. Again, Mi-Go Surgeon is not unique and is in the expansion. So, for the second go round, who knows what the plan is.

This is marketing promo copy aimed at non-players as well as existing players.

"Uniques" must be another somewhat careless use of game-specific terminology.

Gotta figure something like that, Chick.

Remember when only ten new cards were inserted in the Arkham and Eldritch premiums with their On the Lams, Deep One Rising, seven pharaohs and voices on the phone. I hope we do better than that, no reprints please. Save them for core two.

So six "not necessarily unique" cards per seven factions and 8 neutral is easy math.

Two characters, two event, and two support per faction.

Neutral: two character, two event, two support, two conspiracy

(2+2+2+2) + [( 2+2+2) X 7] = 50

best news in ages... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

johnny shoes said:

I definitely wouldn't want the special editions to be released more often than once a year and I also wouldn't want them to include just new cards (yet). Providing a continuous stream of new cards is what the Asylum Packs are for.

Releasing special editions more frequently would be too expensive for my taste. That's something that would probably make me stop playing and buying the game.

Cost has been my no.1 reason for not buying and playing any CCG, so it would be a very bad move to put out too many cards in a too short timeframe for the LCG. If costs suddenly start to approximate a CCG game, it's no longer attractive for casual players and will thus lead to the LCG's death.

Good point the change in price from CCG to LCG and the philosophical change as well. Four Special Expansions per year does sound a little rich. The AP are indeed the primary releases and expansions. But LCG is just too lean. Re-releases or new cards will soon address that in a 50 card chunk. I think we can handle some of those per year in addition to the AP, which just halved in price. And again, one need not own all cards to enjoy the game.

@johnyshoes :

Well, even if I can understand your point, I seriously HOPE there's gonna be a lot of reprint in the Arkham Secret Pack :

- Some countries do not receive the first edition and there are a lot of players who don't even own cards they face while they play with older gamers. This is a serious matter in France, as Translation to French was made during the Eldritch Area. We did'nt own any Arkham Edition nor unspmeakable tales.

- There is a huge demand from the new players to have "basis characters". Most of the times, the Asylum brings new characters with a whole bunch of texts that needs to be explained before playing. The old-days characters where really simple ... and easy to play.

-Concerning what I understood from the existance of Core stuffs and Asylum packs, Secret of ARKHAM is more a core set than a pack : it has a box, 100 cards and contains no specific storyline, isn't it ?

You're right when you say no one needs to own every cards, but some faction, like CTHULHU, should desserve to have some big cards comming back in the meta. I'm sure we should enjoy the return of the priest, the lord or another deep one ...

Perhaps then the special expansion will be mostly reprints and just like a dozen new cards.

Prodigee raises a good point that other languages were not printed for the first block.

The expansion may not have a story line, or may, but it does have a story deck.

But again, my hope is another core for reprints, and 50 all new expansion cards.

Will FFG be reprinting the previous Asylum packs in this new format/distribution scheme? If not will they be discontinued all together?

Our guess is any packs reprinted would not change format.