Ladies and gentlemen, i played "Harvey" my first game and i thought he was alright, me being a newb and all to this game but i drew " CTHULHU" as the AO and as you know he has a -6 at the end. well i adjusted poor ole harvey up to 3 on fight but after being wiped out and delayed, he just didn't have a chance. Is it 'POSH" to just bag him for an easier one till one gets into the gameand at least 2 investigators going. Who is the best AO to start out with. It simply can't be based on attack #'s.

The best AO's to start with, echoing the answer I got when I asked the question a few months back, are Azathoth and Nyarlathotep. My own experiences with the game have done nothing to change that opinion. I've often seen Nyarlathotep's name come up as the weakest AO, and Azathoth in particular has very little effect on the game as it progresses, and also has the longest doom track. Granted, you can't beat Azathoth in final combat, but I always try to seal the AO away rather than fight it anyways.

As for the mulligan thing, especially when teaching someone new I personally allow a certain level of redraws. For instance, I wouldn't start them out against Cthulhu with Harvey

I'd say it was entirely up to you. If you're not happy going up against Cthulhu with Harvey Walters, then don't - simple as that. :-)

Nobody's going to force you to play a game you don't want to (and should they try, well then kick them). It's your game, you play it how you like. Perosnally, my friends and I always refuse to have Soul Gem, Milk Of Shub-Niggurath or Time Bomb in our starting items. If we get them, we just put them to the bottom of the deck and re-draw. Legal? Not strictly, but nobody has the power to stop us. :-)

Stenun said:

Darn cheaters . Not only tossing poor items aside, but even more, putting them on the bottom, so they won't get in the way of ES-scrounging .

Dam said:

Actually most of the time we just make sure all our random possessions are things that can hurt the Ancient One or cancel its attack, then we run around the board getting as many Clue Tokens on Joe Diamond as possible (and sometimes we cheat and give him a few extra if we think he needs it) and then grab a few allies who can help, too. Then we sit in the Curiosite Shoppe waiting for the Ancient One to wake up. That's how we play all our games.

(I reckon Dam is wound up tight enough now, stand back I'm about to set him off ... ! :-) )

SgtWaka said:

Am I to understand that you were playing with only one investigator for the entire game? Do the rules even suggest that as a viable way to play the game? I'd say you should be using at least 2 or 3 investigators, even if you're playing solo.

As far as calling a Mulligan in concerned - sure why not? If you're the only one playing then you're the only one who needs to be convinced it's okay =)

SgtWaka said:

Push? Pish? Posh? Does not computer. However ;') there's no rule against cheating. Really, there isn't! Check the manual! ::Evil grin::

Um, but seriously, playing a one player game is pretty difficult if you don't know what you're doing. Once you have a better understanding of the game, you must pledge, using your soul as stakes, to uphold the Arkhamite principle of only mulliganing to make the game harder. I.e. "I drew Mandy, Joe, and Darrel? No, that can't be right. What I *meant* to draw was Vincent, Mary, and Dexter."

On a serious note (gasp!): Those were the strongest and weakest characters I could think of in the base game in case you're wondering why I picked them). Also, I've never heard posh used that way. Is this recent usage? Are you from the UK or thereabouts? Or are you an American assisting our secret vindictive mission of mutilation of English culture ;') in which case, I say, good job old chap wot wot, cheerio!

Stenun said:

You just stuck dynamite in his hole. I won't specify which, it's probably against TOS.

It's not against TOS. He stuck it in Dam's hole that has yet to be filled by Kingsport. It's a big, gaping emptiness.

Avi_dreader said:

FTFY .

In all fairness the rules say to pick an ancient one and investigators....not randomly so it's not cheating to just pick them.

Veet said:

Only if players agree. And even then it comes before the GOO is chosen, so those "selected after GOO was chosen" box checkers are cheaters .

Dam said:

Heh... Personally I'd think a team would be worse off with Amanda and Mary not Amanda and Dexter. Dexter starts with some cash and a shrivelling. Amanda starts off with student loans. Keep in mind, we're talking about a pre-Innsmouth Mary :')

At least there is the possibility (even if remote) of getting rid of Amanda in post-IH games. Of course, she'd probably get replaced by George Barnaby .

Avi_dreader said:

If there was, you'd need another rule saying that it was cheating to break the rule against cheating. And you'd need another rule saying that it was cheating to break the rule about it being cheating to break the rule against cheating...