I'm sure you get a thread similar to this on a weekly basis, if not more often ... but who am I to buck a trend?

I'm brand spankin' new to the Call of Cthulhu LCG (and LCGs in general, though I do have CCG experience). I received the core set just last night, a belated birthday gift, which I was happy to unwrap as I've had my eye on it for some time. I'm a long time fan of Lovecraft, Arkham Horror and I totally dig the theme, the artwork and the game mechanics of the card game. I've avoided it to this point due to a potential lack of regular opponents and - more frightening - the potential for investment. When I get involved in a game that offers expansion opportunity, if I enjoy the game even a little bit you can bet my wallet will take a beating.

I also received a random Asylum Pack ("it was the only expansion they had!"), the 5th in the Summons of the Deep, 'The Thing from the Shore'. I have yet to play a match, but having watched the demo video and feeling I have a decent understanding of the turn sequence and some basic combos, I can already feel the itch to buy more (I'll be giving the base game a good play before I drop any cash, though). I realize the LCG format will save me a ton of coin compared to the tradition CCG random booster money sink, but I wonder: Which expansions should I be looking to pick up first? Is it a personal preference thing, or are some simply better than others?

I'm inclined to immediately snap up the Ancient Horrors pack and wait for the new Secrets of Arkham. Mountains of Madness, not sure how necessary that is, but I like the looks of it. The other "serial" expansions are nice, but they could be a real money pit as they don't feature the new card distribution method (won't stop my from buying at least one pack of each, at some point). Thoughts? Tips? Suggestions on which to purchase first, which to avoid? EDIT: Just realized that many of the early Asylum packs are slated for reprint. I suppose it would be best to wait on those.

Also, with regard to FFG LCGs in general, how does CoC stack up against A Game of Thrones and the Warhammer LCG? Is it merely a matter of thematic preference, or does one offer a far superior experience compared to the others?

Thanks in advance!

Pardon the back-to-back post, but I wonder:

Would I be doing myself a disservice purchasing the most recent Asylum packs first, such as the Yuggoth Contract, while waiting for the Secrets of Arkham release? I have a hard time justifying some of the earlier releases as many are slated for reprint, and the re-released packs will likely feature the new $15 format. Yuggoth and even the Dreamlands expansion, I don't see either being reprinted anytime soon, nor will they be available in the new distribution format. Not in the near future, at least.

Deek said:

Hello fellow Arkhamite (dude, stop following me around )! I only have the Ancient Horrors AP because it adds Ancient Ones (will probably add Secrets of Arkham once it comes out).

Dam said:

ude, stop following me around )! I only have the Ancient Horrors AP because it adds Ancient Ones (will probably add Secrets of Arkham once it comes out).

Thanks, Dam! [creepy] You are what I aspire to. [/creepy]

Do you know, by chance, why they are reprinting the early Asylum Packs? Misprints and clarifications? Or is the format somehow fundamentally different?

Probably because they've been sold out. At least I've been reading on people not being able to buy Ancient Horrors because of that.

Just wondering. If the reprints are meant to include a bunch of updated cards, etc. alongside the more favorable distribution model, I'd consider waiting for those. If they are simply replenishing stock with no intention of altering the contents of each pack, that's a different story.

I've only read about there being a reprint of Chaos in the Old World with a fix. Otherwise their reprints are just straight up reprints, no fixes (unless you count the War of the Ring Collector's Edition, though for around $400, you probably deserve some fixes ).

www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/483649/how-to-recognize-the-new-corrected-edition

I came SO close to pulling the trigger on the WotR Collector's Ed. Such a beautiful piece of work ...

Thanks for the input. According to the January announcement regarding the 60-card / $15 format, "cycles that have already completed production (such as the A Game of Thrones: Defenders of the North Cycle) will still contain the 40-card format." I wonder if reprints of previous releases will be altered to adhere to the new distribution model? I suppose I would have to contact someone at FFG for that information.

Deek said:

jhaelen said:

You are correct with regard to the potential announcement. I received this response FFG, just minutes ago:

Unfortunately I don't have an answer for you yet - I don't know that it has been determined yet.

Keep an eye on the website for more information as those products get reprinted. A significant change like that would be noted in the 'Gamer's newsletter', along with on the CoC page as a news item.

So it's not certain one way or the other, but it's definitely something they will announce should it ever come to pass.

Deek said:

I'm a nooblet too. Thanks for the discussion.