There are some lively threads here that are focused on speculating about investigators in future releases. At this point, though, the card pool is so substantial that I can't see getting caught up with playing all the existing 'gators, as fast as we get new ones! Right now I'm getting ready for my first play with Diana, in a build designed for two-player on a team with William Yorick. So she's emphasizing cluevering with some adequate monster-handling. I'm psyched about it and interested for tips about how to play to her basic ability strengths.

Preston hasn't appealed to me much, but I just played Valentino in The Circle Undone prologue, so I got a taste of the resource-focused play style, and I have to admit it's fun. Still, he'll have to wait his turn behind my first tries with Lola (Seeker/Guardian/Mystic), Ursula (aimed at untranslated/unidentified asset upgrading), and Mateo.

What existing investigators are you most interested to try out?

I think I've played all the released ones, plus Norman (i.e. not Silas), except for Preston. My sentiments on him are exactly as yours -- Valentino was pretty darn fun, Preston probably is too. Some, I've only played in a scenario or two -- Mark, Wendy, Pete. I'm most excited to try Patrice from the new set. Pete and Wendy notwithstanding, I've really been leaning into the Survivors lately.

I've played every investigator released (including Norman and Silas). When a new cycle comes out I try out all the new investigators by running multiple parties through the campaign with staggered starts every two mythos packs (e.g. my last party didn't start the campaign until The Black Throne was released and then they ran though the entire campaign while the prior parties then caught up on just Clutches of Chaos and The Black Throne). So my problem is more the opposite: who are some the older investigators that I haven't played in a while. I recently noted that I hadn't played Rex in the past few years, so I just started a Return to Carcosa campaign with him and Agnes (also unplayed in way too long).

Preston was a LOT of fun to play. Taking both Intel Report and the upgraded Gravedigger's Shovel meant he was able to snag lots of clues for free in Before the Black Throne (or at least, what amounts to free for him). He and Diane were the only ones who managed to win that cycle out of the four teams I've run though the campaign so far. In a nice epic finish though:

I sadly don't get enough chance to play to have played every investigator. I haven't played Lola, or Finn, or Jim, or Mateo, or Minh, or Norman, or Marie, and I haven't had a chance to use Diana, or Joe, because there's always someone else calling dibs on them; we also have a gentlepersons' agreement not to use Rex (we haven't revisited it post-Taboo but even then no-one has the slightest interest in him).

Basically all of the Dream-Eaters investigators are also interesting - though I am not particularly enthused by Mandy Thompson.

Aside from the Dream-Eaters investigators, I've recently become very interested in Mystic after really enjoying using Sixth Sense (4) so I might try one of Jim or Mateo next and really go to town on token manipulation. But then there's Norman...and I want to give Silas Marsh a proper try out in the wake of Eucatastrophe...it's hard to choose. And that's saying nothing of how much I miss playing Carolyn...

I want to play Tommy and I want to play Harrigan, Mateo, Diamond, and Morgan. I haven't played nearly enough of the current investigators and I'm always excited to try a new one.

I’ve still got Norman, Finn, Silas, Rita, Zoey, Pete, Diana, Ursula, Leo, and Roland.

Looking forward to Finn. I miss rogue. But am likely going to nab Norman and Patrice next. No interest in Leo or Pete or Roland. Norman looks like a lot of fun as he is a bit resource efficient while having a fun deck composition.

Ive seen everyone played but Silas.

I haven't gotten around to playing as Zoey, Mark, Rex, Minh, Jenny, Sefina, Jim, Akachi, Diana, Ashcan Pete, Silas, or Lola.

So...quite a few. I've built decks for most of them and other players have played those decks, so that's probably why I haven't played them yet.

I'm most interested to try Sefina - she seems like she has a ton of silly combo shenanigans, which is what I tend to really enjoy about rogues. I'm also planning to play as four of the Dream Eaters investigators today, and I'll play as Mandy through Carcosa next week.

I play Arkham Horror practically every day with my partner. I've tried all of them multiple times with the exception of Preston and Rita. But that's because we've only recently gotten Circle Undone. So trying them all out one at a time. Currently using Marie (me) and Rita (my partner) in the Forgotton Age (maybe a little out of place. Jazz singer in the jungle?).

Give me another month and I'll have tried Preston and Rita too.

My husband and I play a lot too. Maybe twice a week. We have played most, but not all (obviously not the TDE gang)
Rouges We have played all except Finn (can’t get past that 1 Will) Surprisingly fun was Preston

Seekers We have played them all, and will play Mandy in Dream Eaters when more of it releases. Norman is my favorite, but not really a true seeker, so I would say I liked Ursula the most so far.
Mystics We have played all but Marie. Diana was my husbands favorite, but aside from Norman who really is a mystic, I still really like Agnes.
Guardians We have played all of them, Zoey is a pretty straightforward and classic monster hunter and in the right circumstances very satisfying to play. I am really looking forward to Tommy.
Survivor I came late to the survivor party, but they are becoming my favorite class. Partly because they really do all play differently. We’ve never played Calvin, or Silas, but have played all the others. Standouts are William, which was not a surprise and Rita who was. She was sooo much fun to play in the campaign she was in.

I guess theres some that aren't purple, those ones.

There are a lot of characters I haven't played - it's probably quicker to list the ones I have played as instead - Roland, Leo, MurderBot (Zoey, multiple times), Ursula, and most recently Norman through the first 6 scenarios of Return to Carcosa (dual-wielding Folding Cameras is fun...).

I'm scheduled to use Mark when we run TCU, but I'm not sure who I'll try next - I tend to make my choice after the rest of the group, and fill any gaps we have.

The only ones I have played are Roland Banks, Agnes Baker, Zoey Samaras, Sefina Rousseau, Ursula Downs and Diana Stanley. Our group just never had the time to play anything more than once. Oh, and Finn for a Labyrinths event.

I have not yet played Marie and Norman. For both I am having trouble figuring out how I would want to structure their XP buys. Norman hurts my head a bit in that respect. Once I get a good plan I'll give them a shot, but there are so many investigators that I still want to circle back to now that the card pool has grown. I don't think I've played Jim since Dunwich for example. Jim has to be way better now.

1 hour ago, phillos said:

I have not yet played Marie and Norman. For both I am having trouble figuring out how I would want to structure their XP buys. Norman hurts my head a bit in that respect. Once I get a good plan I'll give them a shot, but there are so many investigators that I still want to circle back to now that the card pool has grown. I don't think I've played Jim since Dunwich for example. Jim has to be way better now.

I found Norman interesting to build - he doesn't really need to take Mystic cards to cover investigating, so you can kinda funnel his development into combat and/or support, depending on the XP you gain. I found the Folding Camera really handy for him (when it cropped up), just because if two locations can be cleared while he is at them, that's his two primary stats improved - at one stage, thanks to Four of Aces, Milan, and a brace of cameras, I had Norman wandering around 7/8 for Will and Intellect.

You may want to consider Rite of Seeking to support the clue-gathering, but not because of his intellect - outside of Deduction and maybe Fingerprint Kit, you're short on ways to gather multiple clues quickly. My group for Carcosa has a Daisy in it, who is good at grabbing a lot of clues in a single action, whereas I'm better steadily chewing through high-shroud locations or high-difficulty checks - as well as occasionally throwing out a Shrivelling or Storm of Spirits to assist the combat side of things.

If you're interested, here's where Norman is after we finished scenario 6 for Carcosa, but before the post-scenario upgrade phase.

6 hours ago, phillos said:

I have not yet played Marie and Norman. For both I am having trouble figuring out how I would want to structure their XP buys. Norman hurts my head a bit in that respect. Once I get a good plan I'll give them a shot, but there are so many investigators that I still want to circle back to now that the card pool has grown. I don't think I've played Jim since Dunwich for example. Jim has to be way better now.

Oh, don’t give up on poor Norman yet!! Give him a chance. He won’t let you down, I promise. He has that glorious 5 investigate and a solid 4 Will. Hawkeye folding camera made it through all of TCU, making him 5 and 6 when it came out early enough. And so many ways to increase even that. So put in your favorite seeker level 0 cards that give you extra clues or search abilities (and for sure add Knowledge is Power, because that will come in very handy as he advances) and start with 5 of those great 0 level Mystic protection spells, Holy Rosary and Mists to evade or Shriveling to fight. He ends up being pretty strong across the board, making him very flexible to use. With Holy Rosary and Hawkeye in play, he is a formidable seeker and a formidable mystic at 0 level. His ability basically gives you one extra card draw in the upkeep phase and costs one less to play from the top of your deck. He becomes pretty mighty in the end. As he advances, there are some good Neutral cards that you can spend experience on which may sometimes go overlooked and why not go crazy with level 5 mystic cards? Especially Sixth sense, when he could choose to investigate up to two locations away at either shroud. Or investigate normally and pick up extra clues with deduction. He has both options available to him. He loved Crystalline Elder Sign, with everything else available. He can fight and evade with the best upgraded spells. And then there is Knowledge is Power. Awesome in those pinch times when you don’t have an available spell slot, but a great spell in your hand or want to use Ward of Protection or another spell event twice. And that card isn’t available to most mystics. Have I given him a good enough pitch? Is he back in the running??😉 He may look old and unassuming, but he is mighty mighty!!

He does seem extremely powerful.

And super fun. He was constantly pulling Preston’s fanny out of the fire!