Just got back from the corner card store to get my packs. Too early for a review. But here, from deckbuilder, is the spoiler for AP 6 Journey to Unknown Kadath. For urban, I added the distribution on the collector info line.

========== Agency ==========

Agency Bodyguard
----------------
Type : Character
Cost : 2
Skill : 2
Icons : C
Subtype : Government.
Game Text : Toughness +1. Disrupt: Exhaust Agency Bodyguard to cancel 1 wound dealt to a unique character.
Flavor text : "Don't worry. It's my job."
Illustrator : Henning Ludvigsen
Collector's Info : AJK F101 / 3x

•The White Ship, Smooth and Silent
----------------------------------
Type : Support
Cost : 2
Subtype : Dreamlands.
Game Text : Action: Exhaust The White Ship to choose a character you control that is committed to a story. Until the end of the phase, that character gains +2 skill and Fast. If you succeed at that story, search your deck for a Dreamlands support card, reveal it to your opponent, and add it to your hand. Then shuffle your deck.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : A.M. Sartor
Collector's Info : AJK F102 / 1x

========== Miskatonic University ==========

•Twila Katherine Price, Queen of Unknown-Kadath
-----------------------------------------------
Type : Character
Cost : 3
Skill : 4
Icons : AAI
Subtype : Dreamer.
Game Text : Response: After you succeed at a story at which Twila Katherine Price is committed, exhaust Twila Katherine Price to look at each opponent's hand, and choose 1 card to discard from those hands.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Diane Özdamar
Collector's Info : AJK F103 / 1x

Dreaming of the Past
--------------------
Type : Support
Cost : 1
Subtype : Attachment. Environment.
Game Text : Attach to a story card. Disrupt: If an opponent would claim his fifth success token on this story, place Dreaming of the Past on the bottom of your deck to prevent that success token from being claimed.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Paul Davey
Collector's Info : AJK F104 / 3x

========== Syndicate ==========

•Gregory Gry, Shadow of his Former Self
---------------------------------------
Type : Character
Cost : 2
Skill : 2
Icons : C
Subtype : Dreamer.
Game Text : Action: Exhaust Gregory Gry to shuffle the top 2 cards of any discard pile back into their owner's deck.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Rafal Hrynkiewicz
Collector's Info : AJK F105 / 1x

Raking the Pot
--------------
Type : Event
Cost : 2
Subtype :
Game Text : Response: After an opponent plays a character, that opponent must immediately drain another domain or return that character to his hand.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Carlo Bocchio
Collector's Info : AJK F106 / 3x

========== Cthulhu ==========

Mnomquah's Serpent
------------------
Type : Event
Cost : 2
Subtype : Spell.
Game Text : Play only if it is Night. Action: Attach Mnomquah's Serpent to a character. Count as a Curse attachment with the text: "Night. Attached character cannot commit to stories. Attached character's controller must randomly discard a card from his hand at the end of each of his turns."
Flavor text :
Illustrator : David Sourwine
Collector's Info : AJK F107 / 3x

•Mnomquah, The Moon God
----------------------- /
Type : Character
Cost : 5
Skill : 4
Icons : TTCC
Subtype : Ancient One.
Game Text : Villainous. Toughness +2. If it is Night, Mnomquah is unaffected by all story and conspiracy card effects. Response: After you succeed at a story card to which Mnomquah is committed, discard an opponent's success token from that story.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Rhonda Libbey
Collector's Info : AJK F108 / 1x

========== Hastur ==========

•Keeper of Dreams, Mind Breaker
-------------------------------
Type : Character
Cost : 3
Skill : 3
Icons : TTA
Subtype : Creature. Monster. Independent.
Game Text : Villainous. Action: Exhaust Keeper of Dreams to choose a character. That character loses Willpower until the end of the phase unless its controller discards 1 card at random from his hand.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Ryan Barger
Collector's Info : AJK F109 / 1x

Magah Bird
----------
Type : Character
Cost : 1
Skill : 1
Icons :
Subtype : Creature.
Game Text : Fast. Response: After Magah Bird enters play, seach your deck for a character named Magah Bird and put it into play.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Ian Kirkpatrick
Collector's Info : AJK F110 / 3x

========== Yog-Sothoth ==========

Gug Sentinel
------------
Type : Character
Cost : 3
Skill : 3
Icons : CCA
Subtype : Gug. Monster.
Game Text : Toughness +1. Response: After Gug Sentinel is wounded, choose and exhaust 1 opponent's character.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Ryan Barger
Collector's Info : AJK F111 / 3x

•The Tower of Koth, Passage to the Underworld
---------------------------------------------
Type : Support
Cost : 2
Subtype : Dreamlands. Location.
Game Text : Response: After you succeed at a story, exhaust The Tower of Koth to choose and wound 1 Monster character.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Régis Moulun
Collector's Info : AJK F112 / 1x

========== Shub-Niggurath ==========

Dhole Ant-Lion
--------------
Type : Character
Cost : 4
Skill : 5
Icons : TCCC
Subtype : Monster.
Game Text : Toughness +5. Dhole Ant-Lion does not exhaust to commit to story cards if it has no wounds. Forced Response: At the end of each story phase, sacrifice 1 character you control or wound Dhole Ant-Lion.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Ryan Barger
Collector's Info : AJK F113 / 3x

Dark Contagion
--------------
Type : Support
Cost : 1
Subtype : Attachment. Curse.
Game Text : Attach to a character. Response: After a [shub-Niggurath] character you control is wounded, wound attached character.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : David Sourwine
Collector's Info : AJK F114 / 3x

========== Neutral ==========

Stealthy Zoog
-------------
- Zoog resource -
Type : Character
Cost : 2
Skill : 2
Icons : A
Subtype : Zoog. Creature.
Game Text : Response: After you drain a domain to which Stealthy Zoog is attached as a resource, unattach Stealthy Zoog from that domain and attach it to a story. (Counts as an Attachment Zoog support card with the text: "If attached story is won, its effect must resolve.")
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Felicia Cano
Collector's Info : AJK F115 / 1x

The Cats of Ulthar
------------------
Type : Character
Cost : 3
Skill : 2
Icons : CC
Subtype : Creature.
Game Text : Fast. Action: During the Story phase, pay 3 to put The Cats of Ulthar into play from your hand, committed to a story of your choice. Action: Pay 1 to destroy 1 Zoog card in play. Then, return The Cats of Ulthar to your hand.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Raya Golden
Collector's Info : AJK F116 / 1x

•Nyarlathotep, The Black Pharaoh
--------------------------------
Type : Character
Cost : 4
Skill : 4
Icons : TCAI
Subtype : Ancient One.
Game Text : Villainous. Toughness +2. During the resource phase, if an opponent wishes to attach a resource to a domain, the resource must be chosen at random from his hand. (Choose the domain first, then randomly determine the resource.)
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Diane Özdamar
Collector's Info : AJK F117 / 1x

The Light Side of the Moon
--------------------------
Type : Event
Cost : 3
Subtype :
Game Text : If it is Day, the cost to play The Light Side of the Moon is 0. Response: After an opponent wins a story card, each player chooses up to 3 characters he controls. Shuffle all characters not chosen back into their owner's decks.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Régis Moulun
Collector's Info : AJK F118 / 3x

The Dark Side of the Moon
-------------------------
Type : Event
Cost : 3
Subtype :
Game Text : If it is Night, the cost to play The Dark Side of the Moon is 0. Response: After an opponent wins a story card, each player chooses a character controlled by one of his opponents. Shuffle all chosen characters back into their owner's decks.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Régis Moulun
Collector's Info : AJK F119 / 3x

•Unknown Kadath, Home of the Other Gods
---------------------------------------
Type : Support
Cost : 2
Subtype : Dreamlands. Location.
Game Text : Action: Exhaust Unknown Kadath to choose an opponent. That opponent must choose a Day or Night card in your discard pile and return it to your hand.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Régis Moulun
Collector's Info : AJK F120 / 1x

In F104 "claim his fifth success token" reeks strongly of AGoT (it's the only game that matters, remember kids!). I wonder why not using the word "place".

Also the use of a ordinal number creates the need of a clarification with effects which place/claim multiple success tokens (F79 Stealing the Glory for example), as the placement/claim of multiple tokens happens simoultaneously, how is the fifth determined? Does the card fizzle, does the effect of the placing/claiming effect fail or is one of the tokens placed/claimed removed?

Not enough for a Zann'd, but close.

Ok.

Now, The White Ship is utterly useless in play but it is probably the most interesting take, mechanically speaking, on skills icon bosters in CoC. Both LCG and CCG. Reasonable price, can go off as soon as turn one, reusable, helps you toward firing off its "interesting" effect. Sadly its "interesting" effect fishes for Dreamlands Supports so it's completely useless. Probably, along with the Contract one of the closest near misses Nate provided to the game (Ehi, that's almost a compliment! I must be getting softer).

Hehe, over on BGG, Chris Long (2006 CoC World Champion) made a prediction on Nyarlathotep: "He's banned within a year."

I really like Dark Contagion and Nyarlathotep ! I guess Shub decks will be using Nyarly often and early.

Dam said:

i can see that happening but it sure looks fun to play!!!

I read the rant on BGG, and the idea is that having Nyarlathotep played against you is sure to result in a "Negative Play Experience". With that I must agree. No fun at all to lose control of what you are resourcing.

I like the four and five cost characters. Mnomquah is great. Dhole Ant-Lion is better.

Cost 1 Magah Bird, an automatic 3 fast skill on the board, is a prismatic-hued songbird that lives in and around Oriab, mostly in the resin groves on the slopes of Mt. Ngranek. Takes the sting out of Aspiring Artist.

White Ship looks good, and there are 14 Dreamlands support cards out there. To hand is never as exciting as into play or anything else.

Raking the Pot costs two against one character, gives the opponent options, but could be a great stopper.

Dark Contagion, at cost one, is a nice set-up. Imagine a couple, could be a knock down.

The Gug Sentinel guards the Tower of Koth. Somebody wound me! Five Gugs. Will the Yuggoth Contract have five Mi-Go?

Nyarly. Now I've got to do random by three. Annoying but not crippling. Will it even out. Or is everyone getting jammed. He can be targeted and will be. The pure Egyptian image is a bit too clean for all powerful nyarly. But his stats are good. There's a new nyarly in town and not evertone is happy about it. HDY is rolling over in his grave.

Two more for the Julias and Marshalls and Twilas and Gregorys and Erins of the world. Twila's cost 3 skill 4 Investigate is high, with a nice ability. Gry is washed out. Unless you're defending discard.

nyarly will just make the game more random. im gonna see how this all plays out but it seems the lcg wasnt just a start over but a way to completely change the game. resourcing was something that made this game unique and made you think about it. now its just another random aspect. why not just change the rule during the draw phase, draw one card and place it as a resource, then draw a second card for you hand. on top of that he will force you to play cards when you dont want to just so you dont risk losing them.

nyarly should be a card like tentacular spectacular, a card for a special tourney event.

Does the fact that he costs four and will probably not emerge until turn three, allow for a reasonable resource build to start. If you're rushing to get out a cost fiver, nyarly still makes it possible, just less likely. For two faction decks it's more complicated.

Dreaming of the Past, with its fifth success token stopped, is pretty cool. It's defense for MU, something it always needs. Fourth token or sixth token or two additional or whatever to win the story won't trigger it.

Which setting of multiple tokens earned is troublesome? If earning multiple tokens brings one over the five spot and Dreaming of the Past is in effect, is it just a minus one possibly leading to the same story win? I assume so.

Mnomquah, the Lord of the Black Lake, is first referenced in Lumley's short story "The Sorcerer's Book" (1984). Mnomquah is trapped inside the Dreamlands' moon, though how he became imprisoned there is not known. He appears as a vast reptile with a crown of snaking feelers and empty sockets in place of eyes. His mate is the repulsive Oorn. It is said that when the other Great Old Ones return to lay waste to the world, Mnomquah will be reunited with his bride. Until that time, Mnomquah rules over the Lake of Ubboth beneath the surface of the moon.

Dreamlands syndicate was visually cohesive. There were four cards named clover club, but no less than eight of the twelve cards take place at the Clover Club. It's a nice reference to the bouncer and torch singer of old.

And players hands are targeted at most every turn. Look at a hand, discard a random card or unique card from hand, shuffle your hand.

In all the AP back to Spawn of Madness, only two Characters appear after their support or event. The Cavern of Flame and Dream Parasite (maybe to highlight the dreamlands location) and Mnomquah's Serpent and Mnomquah, maybe to ramp up. Just wondering, like the numbering of the spoiled cards makes no sense to me.

Dreamlands thematically

Shantak, Voonith, Nightgaunt, Ghasts, where were you. Dhole tunnels, attacks and ant lions, but no Dholes. Iranon or Nodens or Polaris or Hypnos are not seen. Missed Locations abound, but many were captured - City of Gugs and Vale of Pnath the most evocative.

Lute of Oonai, Wine of Pnoth, the Strange High House in the Mist are also missed.

We did alright thematically with the likes of Gugs, Ghouls, Zoogs, Dreamers, the Captain and the White Ship, Randolph Carter, King Kuranes, the Silver Key, Princess Zura, Shuggob, Alligator Pickman, Basilisks, Moon Beasts, Mnomquah, Magah Birds, Cats of Ulthar, and Anyarlyng.

Who did you miss from the dreamlands.

johnny shoes said:

I am not sur if you are meaning from the standpoint of referencing the previous CCG or not, so if I am mistaken please forgive. Actually, there is an abundance for the beginning of the Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath present in this set.

The following are all closely related:

Cavern of Flame, Nasht, Kaman-thah, Guardian pillar, the seventy steps, the seven hundred steps.

Which, as you say, highlight the dreamlands location of the stairs of slumber and those who guard their entrance into the dreamlands. Odd how half of them are aligned to Hastur though.

...But the gods made no answer and shewed no relenting, nor did they give any favouring sign when he prayed to them in dream, and invoked them sacrificially through the bearded priests of Nasht and Kaman-Thah, whose cavern-temple with its pillar of flame lies not far from the gates of the waking world...

...In light slumber he descended the seventy steps to the cavern of flame and talked of this design to the bearded priests Nasht and Kaman-Thah. And the priests shook their pshent-bearing heads and vowed it would be the death of his soul...

...Of these things was Carter warned by the priests Nasht and Kaman-Thah in the cavern of flame, but still he resolved to find the gods on unknown Kadath in the cold waste, wherever that might be, and to win from them the sight and remembrance and shelter of the marvellous sunset city. He knew that his journey would be strange and long, and that the Great Ones would be against it; but being old in the land of dream he counted on many useful memories and devices to aid him. So asking a formal blessing of the priests and thinking shrewdly on his course, he boldly descended the seven hundred steps to the Gate of Deeper Slumber and set out through the Enchanted Wood...

Its nice to see that the theme was done in the CCG as well in the form of domain markers which were available in the eldritch premium edition. Card #'s M48, M49 and M50. Not pertinent to these asylum packs but an interesting aside.

As for who I wish would have been included in the dreamlands, I really wish more dreamlands locations and such were included. Mnar, Dylath-leen, Oriab, Celephais, Ilek-vad, etc.

There really should have been a story deck included for each cycle to help encourage more of the story telling feel and less of a light touch on certain topics from these realms. But I am somewhat biased as I am used to playing dreamlands in a antiquated way through Mythos, so take it for what it is worth. In FFG's defense though, this dreamlands cycle is much smaller by almost 2/3's of the Mythos dreamlands expansion.

With only 120 cards to deal with such a large area of background to cover, its hard to to it any real justice but I think it was good for a primary attempt. I do hope this gets visited again though as this theme needs to be more adequately covered.

johnny shoes said:

"Dhole Attack!" is for all intent and purposes a Dhole character. Yes, the card is an event, but that's to emulate the Dholes' invisibility and the ability to sneak up on things. It's also a shoutout to Arkham Editions' Cyclopean Dhole.

Shub-Niggurath
Cyclopean Dhole
-
Type : Character
Cost : 6
Skill : 3
Icons : TTCC
Subtype : Monster.
Game Text: Action: sacrifice Cyclopean Dhole to destroy all Location cards. Action: exhaust and pay 3 to choose and destroy a Location card.
Flavor text:
Illustrator: Roberto Marchesi
Collector's Info: Arkham Edition R183

Both are great cards. Old AE Dhole had the location smart bomb. The perfect disaster, Dhole Attack does the trick. It's hard to ingore the fact that he doesn't look like a character. But he is a great event. Reminds of the Mutts of Forgotten Cities.

Hellfury, I just meant that the eighteen asylum packs are 126 faction groupings, only two of which don't start with the character.

Again, referencing cycle dreamlands, I did omit the cavern of flame cards. They speak for themselves in their multitudinousness. The three domains of old are my favorite cards of the story still. Just to be difficult about it.

johnny shoes said:

Finally! a card for the Cats of Ulthar. That's what the deck needs most of all.

(And a few more ghouls.)