Julia said:

gggggmmmmmaaaaaaaiiiiiiiillllllll

Avi_dreader said:

Meeeeeeeeeee? Do you really think I'm so lame to ask you to use the new Hastur just because he needs normal clues for a seal?

I TOTALLY forgot about this ::innocent expression in her eyes::

So...

No way, eh? Dam(n)...

In the meantime... it seems like you're the only one I'm not receiveing e-mails from. Use the old address for now :-)

Julia said:

No one who's sealed as many Ancient Ones and drawn as many madness and corruption cards as you could possibly be innocent!

Check your spam folder. There might be a pony inside (lies, there is no pony).

Well, if I'm going to win scenario #3, it will have to come on the fifth attempt.....as it didn't happen on the fourth. The team was Mary, Jacqueline, Norman, Wendy and Zoey. It's been a few days now, so my recollection is a bit hazy.

Some highlights:

Jacqueline got the elephant gun among her starting items, and used it to blow away the witch on her second turn. Even with that powerful weapon, it wasn't an easy job. She used it maybe one other time, but then couldn't afford to re-load it any longer. It's a nice weapon, but expensive to maintain, plus if you don't finish a monster off on the first shot, that can be problematical if that's your only weapon.

Mary started out with an Astral Travel spell and used it to enter the Yuggoth gate at The Witch House on her first turn, and then closed that gate in a timely fashion soon thereafter. So those two initial issues were handled early on, and efficiently.

But that was more or less the end of the good news.

Zoey had a gate open on her at The Unvisited Isle during an encounter (after picking up her fifth clue), and upon returning from Another Dimension, needed three turns to close and seal it. She managed to kill one monster, but those were her only two accomplishments the entire game (which lasted 11 turns).

The primary culprit in this latest loss (along with poor dice rolling and bad fortune and the usual operator error) was a "Plans in Motion" rumor card which appeared right about the time martial law was declared in Innsmouth, which was especially poor timing. The ongoing effect is after the card enters play....roll a die, on a 1 or 2, add one uprising token to the Deep Ones Rising track. I believe that effect took hold three times, including the sixth DOR token which ended the game. Jacqueline had stopped the preceding mythos card which would have been a gate opening at The Witch House (and another witch manifesting), which seemed like a good idea at the time, but the rumor immediately followed it.

In the end, there wasn't time for investigators to reach Innsmouth and spend clues on the Feds Raid Innsmouth track to prevent the DOR track from filling up, due to a combination of unfortunate circumstances such as clue shortages, lack of cash and martial law in Innsmouth.. So it goes.

A Rat-Thing was finally spotted, skulking around the Uptown.

I'll try it a fifth time and see what happens, sometime in the next few days.

Schmiegel said:

A possible little suggestion: pass Astral Travel to Norman, so he can enter & exit Yuggoth with only one encounter there and use his ability to remove the Red Corruption gained after dealing with the Witch. But yours was also a nice catch, too :-)

And... yeah. Seems like a bad series of Mythos drawns.

Don't give up! You can beat it!

Julia said:

Also, sometimes I wonder if you overuse Jacqueline's ability. 2 clue tokens is a *very* high price to pay. Unless the card drawn adds doom tokens in a way that it wouldn't otherwise (costing you lots of time or clues, i.e. a gate burst), I would not use her ability. Basically, unless the mythos card drawn costs you more than 2 clues or the time needed to collect more than two clues, don't get rid of it. And always remember, if it's not one thing, it's another (i.e. I usually won't bump rumors unless they're absolutely awful and I don't think I can easily pass them).

Oh, and don't reload the Elephant gun. Riiipoffffff :') (The only way I'd remotely consider doing that is if I were desperately desperate for a weapon immediately, or absolutely swimming in money, $40 or more in the late game, otherwise I consider it flushing money down the toilet).

Avi_dreader said:

Credit Rating works fine ::grin::

But anyway. I generally reload it after use, but I use it only when necessary. And I'd go with a Blessed Mary on the Witch :-)

Julia said:

I would take it to the pawn shop if I was playing Kingsport :')

SCENARIO 19 - NO CLUES REMAINED

Innsmouth and Dunwich boards in play

Investigators: Mark, Ursula, Mary, Norman and Lola

Not a very long report this time. Not that the game was short: it was one of the longest games played in the last year. The (supposed to be) only big problem of the whole game was the Servants of the Outer Gods. Hence the idea of cleaning the Sky from its presence, asap. Thus, as soon as Norman entered the STL and was ambushed by a Nightgaunt, I thought it could have meant game over. He killed the Nightgaunt, entered the Sky, and thanks to 5 little clues he killed the Servant. Only to land at the Asylum ::laughter:: By that time, I had Ursula ready to return from Another Dimension and put the first seal on the board,

Then, the next Mythos hit. A +1 Terror able to bring the terror level to 3. 3 Blights in play, et voilà, Oliver Thomas was on the board. I couldn't believe my eyes. Now sealing a gate is worth NINE clues. Nine. Ursula had them, but the terror of 3 forced her in a Cursed status, and the gate she was returned from was a double gate with a -3 modifier. One cursed die for closing wasn't a good start.

The game seemed to be a little jinxed. I had SIX characters Cursed. Even Mary was able to lose her Blessing because of an encoutner at the Science Building, where a mad professor made her believe Curses and Blessings do not exist (...). Mark collected a Curse immediately before returning from Lost Carcosa. He had an Exhibit allowing him to activate the special encounter of a location without being there, so the idea was sealing Carcosa and spending from the distance the trophy to have Ursula Blessed. needless to say, he had to spend something like 5 TURNS to seal Carcosa. Even when he wasn't Cursed any longer, 4 dice rolled, zero successes scored. Other funny things... the final Terror level was (theoretically) 13. It's the first game EVER I'm not able to control the terror level. I hade 9 Blights in play, none of them - fortunately - so scaring as Oliver Thomas, but nonetheless it was a tough one. At a certain point, I had the DOR at 4. Mary read a King in Yellow, generating 4 clues and reaching the 6 needed to clear the DOR. So she went to Innsmouth. Falcon Point as first stop. Ursula (suffering from Xenophobia) and Mark (with three Madnesses and one Injury) met at Hibb's, for a drink, and the Mythos sent both of them in an OW. The funny thing is that the gate was a double Abyss / R'lyeh gate. Even if Ursula had the 9 clues, she wouldn't have been able to close because of the -4 modifier. And Barnabas Marsh was guarding the gate. So, Norman went shopping (last chance for glory) and drew the Blue Watcher of the Pyramid. Just in time, because after Mary moved from Falcon Point to the First National Grocery, Innsmouth was invaded, and the DOR was at 4.

New round: Norman went to kill Barnabas. 4 dice to score 2 successes. Check. Lola stormed out from the South Church, grabbed the Blue Watcher from Norman and entered Hibb's, giving the item to Ursula, just returned from the OW. Ursula discarded the Blue Watcher to close the gate, and then 9 clues to win the sixth seal. Checkmate :-)

Some notes: the Scenario was good, even if it's really centered on the Servitor. Once the Servitor is out of the game, it becomes a more or less standard Hastur game. We have some blights arriving, but it's more or less like playing with the KiY Herald (9 Blights at Terror 9), It was... curious. The dynamics boosting the terror rising were brilliant. The only disappointment is for Hastur. probably playing with the revised Hastur would have been better (games are a lot quicker, but not necessarily that easier)

So, what's next?

And the statistics: 18 Mythos for 6 seals (equal to 54 clues...); Hastur was sealed away when his doom track was at 7

Julia said:

Niiiice ;') although the game sounded pretty intense. 9 blights. Eep! Speaking of the King in Yellow ;'D guess who's the special guest this time? Actually, if you were able to deal with the last scenario, the next one shouldn't be a problem. Unless you get really rumor bombed (which is possible). Anyway :') good luck.

...

THE END IS NEAR! EHEHEEHHEHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHA! Cough. I mean. Um. Yes ;'D

Avi_dreader said:

Can't wait to give it a try. Possibly, in a couple of hours! I really *love* rumors, it'll be a lovable challenge. But... still the Arbiter in play? Sob. Again, Madnesses a gogo

"After the terror level is at six, search for another rumor for each level the terror level is raised afterwards."

Question: when the terror reaches 9, shall I draw 3 rumors? 2 for the AO modified slumbering ability + 1 for this rule, or 2 are fine?

Anyway, thanks for the first free seal :-) First card Disturbing the dead, Ursula is in the pool. I guess she'll start at the Black Cave ::grinning::

Julia said:

If it reached 9 you'd draw 2.

Julia said:

Nice ;'D

Avi_dreader said:

The first free seal was the ONLY seal I was able to put on the board. More on that later.

Bug report for the Scenario:

Suggested banning: Purifying the town mission (get rid of all the Rumors in the deck) (possibly, I dropped this even via e-mail. Not so sure, I'm still a little ko because of the fever)

SCENARIO 20 - RUMORS HAVE IT

Innsmouth and Dunwich boards in play

Investigators: Mark, Ursula, Mary, Norman and Lola

This game was the most absurd of my entire Arkham life. Because of the Mythos deck. And the 1s rolled. But let's go with order. Same team of Scenario 19, all ready to rock this little new bastard whose name reminded me too much of Harley Quinn to be taken seriously. While setting up the game, the mood started to darken: three investigators rolled a 1 and gained a free Madness. Nothing impossible to handle, still, and Ursula decided to start at the Black Cave to enter the first gate. The starting equipment dealt some useful items to my party, but no weapons of any kind, ES or clue-generating items made their appearence.

The first turn was spent clue hunting on the main board. Then, Mythos phase: rolling a die for Disturbing the dead and... 1. Terror at 3, 2 more rumors into play: Good work undone and The Soutside Strangler Strikes. All clues demanding. In the next turn, Mark and Lola resolved the Good work undone, while Norman spent his clues to get rid of the Strangler. Very nice, very cool, very expensive. Next Mythos? Nightmare pool.

C'me on, I can't believe this...

Everybody going there to spend Sanity (and gaining another two madnesses, one for Norman, the other one for Ursula, who had just sealed the Black Cave - the only seal I was able to put on the board during the whole game). A gate popped out at Devil Reef, leading to Lost Carcosa. Fortunately, I had another gate to lost Carcosa at the Woods, so, with some tag work, Norm opened the way for Lola to jump in. BUT. The monster appeared in Devil Reef jumped into a Vortex. +1 Terror. Next Mythos phase: another 1 for the Disturbing the dead rumor.

At that point the game seemed to be compltely jinxed (in a way much worse than yesterday's game): when I finall had the clues for sealing some gates, I had another 2 rumors entering play (because of the terror level at 6): The Tattered King and The Innsmouth Plague. 3 gates on the board: a Dreamlands moving gate in Dunwich, an Another Dimension moving gate at the Unvisited Island and a Lost Carcosa gate at the Woods. Ursula killed Barnabas Marsh and entered the Dreamlands gate, Mary autopassed (thx to a Skill) the Crawling one guarding the Another Dimension gate and entered there.

Next Mythos: Endlessly Breeding. And during the following turn? The Mythos card was Cursed relics.

Are eight rumors enough for making me lose a game? That's a good question. With only one correct answer. No.

All moving gates moved, so Ursula and Mary returned without being able to seal (despite their clues). But they managed to closed both gates. Only one gate open on the board, but Lola had the De Vermis Mysteriis. Two dice to roll, one success scored. Checkmate ;-)

Victory by closing gates on turn 8

Some funny notes: I had Mark with three Madnesses, and one of those was Amnesia. Lola had enough clues for a seal, and an Elder Sign, but also a Madness forcing her to discard Sanity whenever failing a skill check during encounters, plus another one forcing her to discard clues on a 1-1 basis every time she loses Sanity. But she had also the Golden trumpet, to help a little. Anyway technically she was able to put down 2 seals. Another one coul have been put down by Mary, and another one by Ursula, bringing the potential total of seals on the board to 5. But this would also have meant losing the game, because I didn't have gates open, and new gates will have made advance the doom track too much. Kinda funny.

And I was never able to pass the Disturbing the Dead starting rumor.

I'm gonna play this again, sooner or later :-)

Julia said:

Nine rumors :') wow. And nice way of dealing with it all. Reading your account of this, I'm starting to reconsider the utility of De Vermis. I never really thought about how useful it can be for a late game closing victory (I normally don't go for closing victories). But with that and Find Gate, it really shouldn't be too hard. ... And with that thought, I might have to ban it from the league :'/ what do you think? I mean, isn't this a killer combo? (I've only thought about it for a couple seconds so far, so this is not a rhetorical question).

Or perhaps only ban it from hard mode? ;'D

Avi_dreader said:

I think it's the second time during this League I'm able to win by closing thanks to it. Not so sure if it's really worth of banning, though: it's not *that* overpowered. First of all, you need to find it (only 1 copy in the whole deck, and certainly not the first choice if you have Elder Signs and King in Yellow to choose from) and you have to be good enough to have only 1 spare gate left. Other items are more overpowered for the kind of scenarios you usually write (teleporting items, mostly. If I had to ban something else, I'd ban the Mi-go brain case) and are more immediate. The De Vermis tome requires good strategy to be used effectively (and if somebody is good at strategy, well, let'd give him a little reward); most of the times, you would consider using it not for scoring a victory, but just for closing a gate with a nasty modifier or in a remote position of the board.

I'd leave it as it is. And from the hard mode, simply ban the victory by closing condition, and that's it.

Julia said:

Heh... Well... The main problem with Vermis is in large number of player games, it's not that hard to get a closing victory with 7 or 8 investigators, find gate, and that (in fact, I'd argue that it's really easy to muscle a win almost every time using this kind of tactic). The only reason it isn't an easy decision is that there's only one in the deck... Still, I feel like if it's exploited, it can really ruin a scenario (I don't feel that your victory was an exploit :') I would if it were scenario 23 or 24 though).

Avi_dreader said:

I guess banning the victory by closing for hard mode is the way to go :')

Avi_dreader said:

Yeah, but honestly... how many people play at the level you play? C'me on... no one here was able to win *any* of these Scenarios but the first one. And anyway... I think people will try to enjoy the Scenarios and not just "burn them to the ground" by exploiting this tactic (just had a curious vision of you violently shaking a kid's body while shouting "IT'S... A... PARTY... YOU MUST HAVE FUN" ::laughter:

(yeah, my sens of humour is getting worse and worse, the more the fever keeps on rising. Bloody hell, I just hate having the flu)

Avi_dreader said:

Seconded :-) And post the next Scenario, whenever you want. Only 4 to go. Just two to start staring in the face of Apocalypse. Hit me with your hardest strike, I'm not afraid of battle!