Hello everyone,

I've been playing Arkham Horror for about one year now; although I like it very much and so do my friends, I managed to play it only 8 times in multiplayer and 5-6 times solo, so I'm still rather new to it. Game mechanics are pretty solid and don't generate many doubts, but there's one issue about Gate closing that I couldn't solve by myself. I found no specific clarification in Rules or FAQ, perhaps I missed something, but I think it's better to stop searching and simply ask the people here.

In order to close a Gate to an Other World you have to:

1) Enter the gate and have your first Other World Encounter (1st turn)

2) move to the second half of the Other World and have a second encouter (2nd turn)

3) return to Arkham and close the gate during the Arkham Encounters Phase (3rd turn).

I'm not sure if you have an Encounter in step 3, provided you managed to close the Gate, or if you just stay in the location without moving/encountering anything. It looks like a waster Encounter phase to me, even though the closing/sealing of a gate is a really important achievement.

The answer ought to be clear to everybody here, can you lend me your knowledge?

Thanks in advance.

You close the gate during the Arkham encounter phase and that's it. Closing the gate IS your encounter! While everyone else is wandering through libraries, talking to strangers or spying on cultists, you're battling to repair a tear in the fabric of reality. It's a pretty big deal!

Deek said:

Ok, that's how I played so far.

A related question: when you're allowed to "return to Arkham" and you're already in the second part of an Other World, do you have any advantage or it's just being moved this Turn instead of the next as normal? Moreover, is it optional or do you have to return to Arkham? In many cases, I saw that returning to Arkham when you're in the second part of the Other World is a disadvantage.

In today's game one Investigator was in the City of the Great Race and returned to Arkham just to experience the earthquake caused by a Cthonian, that he could have avoided if he returned to Arkham by normal means, after the Mythos phase in which the Cthonian was activated.

In the same situation, do you have to Evade Monsters in the gate location, since you returned to Arkham the turn before? Do they still fall under the "Monsters Guarding Gates" sub-rule?

Thanks again

A related question: when you're allowed to "return to Arkham" and you're already in the second part of an Other World, do you have any advantage or it's just being moved this Turn instead of the next as normal? Moreover, is it optional or do you have to return to Arkham? In many cases, I saw that returning to Arkham when you're in the second part of the Other World is a disadvantage.

[There are no advantages I can think of, actually there is a potential disadvantage if a monster is there, because you can't choose to ignore it next turn since it won't be the turn you emerged from the gate. Returning to Arkham is mandatory unless it says you "may" return to Arkham or if it's part of a choice.]

In the same situation, do you have to Evade Monsters in the gate location, since you returned to Arkham the turn before? Do they still fall under the "Monsters Guarding Gates" sub-rule?

[i don't remember the text of the subrule, but if it's what I suspect it is, you have to fight or dodge it as I wrote above, since you emerged on a previous turn.]

[Also, a general rule, you never have location encounters on locations with gates. Ever. Gates replace the locations they are on. I'm not sure if you misunderstood that. And what Deek said earlier, attempting to close a gate happens instead of a normal Arkham Encounter.]

The only advantage that I can think of for returning on the second half of the other world is that it gives you a full turn in Arkham to allow people to attempt to bring you an elder sign, or a tome that allows you to get clues, or if you already had one, you then have a turn to use it instead of having to close the gate right away...

johnwatersfan said:

Pfft, you just know there'll be a monster surge that slaps something like a Star Vampire on your gate. At least it would, if The_Warlock has the kind of luck he seems to have in Talisman .

johnwatersfan said:

Heh... Two answers. Nice. I couldn't think of either ;') Still, I think in general cases it is agreed to be far more likely to be disadvantageous.

Kate could still see Hound of Tindalos, Hunting Horror or a Stalker (hey, Star Vampire again!) move to her in the Mythos Phase.