I just had a miserable game against Glaaki. In fact, downright abysmal.

Out of curiousity, when playing against Glaaki and DH expansion is being used, would you consider attacking a Shan to prevent it from entering a vortex?

It devoured one of my investigators on/around the sixth turn of the game, and in raising the terror level by two, removed two allies from the game and thus brought out two of glaakis servants.

The second investigator to try the same thing was also devoured. This was mostly due to atrocious luck. However, this investigator had an ally. Assuming that the ally is discarded when the investigator is devoured, this meant that the three remaining servants of glaaki immediately came into play and I entered final combat; whereupon I soiled my pants.

This leads to the original question?

Was I wrong to think it worthwhile to engage the Shan to prevent a mere 1-point terror rise, considering what resulted? Was there a better option?

Also, for anyone who plays with all three big box expansions, whats an ideal number of investigators for a single player game? It seems awfully hard to get anywhere in terms of progress on a sealing victory with only four players.

The question is, which vortex and how far along was it's track?

The vortex to the right of the main street area north of Bishop Bridge (can't remember the name exactly), but it's the one where both white and black arrows both point to a vortex. The dunwich terror track hadn't started to fill yet.

First, noting that a single terror-up from a vortex is much less harmful than the giant increase for being devoured, I'd have let the thing go.

Second, if you absolutely need the trophy for something (about to fight Shub, or buying an ally to cancel a rumor), then it's worth fighting it.

Finally, Shans are flying monsters, and as such will never enter vortexes!

OK I'm going to do a facepalm here because I didn't catch on to this earlier. The Shan is a flying creature so it wouldn't go into the vortex anyway, it would go to the sky.

Eddit: doh beat to the punch!

Tibs said:

Unless you give them a shove with that lever machine in the Science Building.

I thought the lever machine moved gates, the dark druid shoves monsters into the vortex....or does he just make them move.

cim said:

You mean this encounter:

"You discover a dusty machine in a lab that hasn't been used for several years. It appears to still be in working condition. If you wish, you may pull either the white or the black lever on the machine. If you do, all non-spawn, non-flying monsters in Arkham move in the direction of the arrow that is the same color as the lever you pulled. Monsters move normally in this fashion regardless of their actual movement type (i.e., all monsters are considered to be black-bordered for this purpose). "

The one that moves non-spawn, non-flyers .

Serves me right for not looking up the card text, I guess. (I can't recall a time that card has come up when it would actually be advantageous to use it)

Super-obscure question arising from that: if a Hastur Cultist is on the board, and someone has cast Denying the Ancient One, does the Cultist move or not?

Okay, what about using the "Implant Suggestion" spell (KH) on the Shan instead? That doesn't have the same restrictions.

cim said:

Depends on whether the location wording in IS means just location, or location and streets. Since all (?) locations have both black and white arrows away from them, I'd say probably street is included, so you could dump the Shan with IS.

Man do I feel dumb, thanks for pointing out the Shan flies.

Cantuse said:

For three big boxes, I think four investigators is enough for a sealing victory (although you could just remove the Kingsport board for solitaire).

Also, it's sometimes good to fight a Shan if the game is turning against you. Strip an investigator naked and throw it into its mouth and VOILA! Reincarnation.

cim said:

Yes, I was thinking of that. But since that's a very, very specific situation I thought I'd let it slide.

cim said:

Well, Hastur turns Cultists from normal monsters into flying monsters. Denying the Ancient One cancels the worshiper ability, so the Cultist would revert back to a normal Cultist. So, it would move as a normal monster.

Avi_dreader said:

But against Glaaki even that is questionable.

Veet said:

I know, but the thread topic didn't say "When... while fighting against Glaaki." Against Glaaki I'd say it's not only questionable, it's probably downright stupid ;')

Oh well, live and learn.

OK now I just want to know when the most stupid time ever to fight a Shan would be......or really any monster that would devour you.

Veet said:

Probably when Glaaki is 1 doom token away from awakening and the terror level is at 9. Also, you have no weapons or clues and this turn, another investigator is planning to lay the final seal with his Elder Sign.

Veet said:

This one's for you, Zebra.

Stupid is a somewhat subjective quantity. I assume you mean when it would be most disadvantageous to the game as a whole to lose to a Shan. But those are often heroic moments. What about those COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY moments when you do something that goes horribly horribly wrong in the worst possible way?

An excerpt from a session report a few months ago:

Zebra, a man who likes to be prepared, went to the General Store for a weapon, and cast Summon Monster for an early trophy (in order to get Blessings for Mary’s Personal Story). The intent, of course, was to absorb the Horror Check with Mary’s huge Sanity, and use Yog’s Fist to obliterate it. So what does he draw? A Shan. Zebra STARED at every card he had (twice!), but there was NO WAY to pass that Horror Check.

Wicked Sister Mary danced naked off into the Woods and was never heard from again. And Shub LAUGHED.

As did we all, Shub. As did we all.

Veet said:

When you attack it with a broken hand while holding all your other investigators equipment and money because they have bank loans :')