I always wondered why this was including in the game at all. It's always felt to me like a min-game and not nearly as fun as the main game as well.

I would have preferred it if the GOO combat text was instead given over to more game changing effects (another stirs in slumber effect or something else of that nature). I like the ancient one battle deck and I appreciate how it made the GOO's harder to fight, but it still seems like ultimately this is time spent on a mechanic that most people don't like. (A lot of people consider it a draw not a win after all).

Do other people feel that it is a worthwhile last ditch effort type mechanic? (obviously I dislike playing to win that way ) I would personally have been quite happy with the game ending if the GOO woke up for all the entities.

Rapier said:

I consider it a win, as long as a lot of effort wasn't put into gearing up. I kind of house rule that players should go for seals unless the doom track is 3/4ths full and it looks like victory is impossible by sealing at that point.

I do not enjoy final battle so much either. Therefore, I usually do not play them unless someone at the table wants to fight the GOO.

I think it's a legit win, but since it's supposed to be a last resort, the players should be penalized for preparing for final combat too early. I use Kevin Wilson's suggested rule that each investigator cannot spend more clues during a round of final combat than there are seals on the board.

I also play with a house rule for the Epic Battle deck that makes it harder with fewer seals.

When I'm playing alone, I consider the Final Battle to be a technical win, according to the manual (and for stats sheets), but on a personal level, it's at most a draw. From my experience with Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu RPG, no one sees an Ancient One without permanent horrible damage to their body and soul. (But hey, world's still here...so yay.) When I'm playing with others, a Final Battle is a complete win. That's how it's written in the manual, and I'm not taking that away from them.

On a mechanical level, I like combat and rolling dice, and I find most of the Ancient Ones' Attacks fun, especially when combined with the Epic Battle cards.

I don't gear up, per se, but I'm not against a few adjustments to strategies depending on my opponent. (Consider it "effective Investigator research".) For example, if I'm playing Yog, I'll try to get everyone offworld at least once for gate trophies just in case. I'm not above grabbing a Blessing or an Ally at the 11th hour if it's reeeeeally obvious I'm not going to prevent a Final Battle.

Because I tend to not plan for it, I end up going into them like MacGyver: "Sooo what have we got to play with?" Most of the time, this means a heated but futile melee that ends in blood and screams. But sometimes we "cross the streams", and it actually works out. Either way, I find that that's just as good a climax for any AH story.

I have never believed that the Investigators are "fighting and killing" an Ancient One; like the Ghostbusters, they are merely employing Bruckheimer-like stalling tactics so that the fifteen-minute window of dimensional convergence passes, and the Ancient One slips back into the void for a while. In other words, blow up half of Arkham until the Stars stop Being Right.

Nicely worded, jgt. On all counts.

jgt7771 said:

Ahh that reminded me of another conversation in another place where someone suggested you could kill Cthulhu with a giant drill.

Giant drill? That's ridiculous. All you really need is a medium-sized fishing boat, a power plant, or (as in that one episode of The Real Ghostbusters,) a proton pack, roller coaster, and lightning storm.

Now the medium sized fishing boat only tore him apart a little....he got better.

Rapier said:

I feel it to be a very worthwhile mechanic. I find the Final Battle with the Epic Battle cards to be quite enjoyable; it can lead to some thrilling triumphs and crushing defeats.

Obviously we always try to get six seals first, but if the Doom Track is at ten and we only have one seal, for example, we do tend to start preparing for the final fight if we have any chance of victory.