* we were discussing this in an unrelated "The Cacaphony" - Spoiler Thread - in General Discussion Sub-Forum, but I figured it would get more visibility and discussion in its own thread here - also more relevant being "Deck Construction" Sub-Forum. Anyways, here's the last post I'd made in it (msommi reference is in regards to a possible turn-sequence he (msommi) - described in the posting just a bit above my last one - reproduced here) - just for reference in case any are wondering.
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Actually, Msommi's example would need both lesser Domains with 2-Resources on each to work as he was saying, but other than that - it might be okay.
Here's the one way I can think this would have to play out for you to pull this off in any reliable way and make it useful / annoying to your opponent.
First, make sure you have 3-each of I-Scholar and Safe House (obviously) - since they are the combo elements. Also, use your Mulligan "re-draw" on opening turn, any time you do NOT have at least 1-each of I-Scholar // Safe House in the starting hand. Resource as appropriate (at least 1 Domain with a Syndicate and another with Miskatonic resources).
Try to win 1st Turn roll / coin flip / etc- this is luck, of course, but if you get the choice, opt to go first.
Your Turn 1: Resource once, giving you 1-Domain with 2, and use this to play I-Scholar. * note this whole strategy fails quickly to an enemy Destruction deck - like Cthulhu or Agency, since they can easily play a Sac-Offerings or Shotgun blast at the end of your turn - or as soon as you play I-Scholar, to kill him off and totally mess up your combo plans *
Your Turn-2: Assuming enemy doesn't mess with I-Scholar in any way in their turn, resource again, making 1-Domain with 3-resources, and use this to play Safe House (3-cost Syndicate card).
Now...technically you could "start" the combo here...by sacking I-Scholar...and paying 1-from Safe House to bring him back to your hand....but this does little for you, since even though you can keep playing I-Scholar using the "undrained" 3-cost domain from the inital sacrificing.....you will end up (if you do it to the fullest extent you can) - with all your Domains drained...all of your opponents Domains drained....and I-Scholar back in your hand. The reason this does not help you, is that the opponent gets to Refresh everything right away on their turn...and you are "tapped out" with no Domains able to be used for anything during their turn. So, generally, you will have to wait.
The one thing you could START to do to be "annoying" would be to wait until your opponent's Refresh Phase (happens at the very start of their turn, when they take off any Drain Tokens they may have on their Domains, and refresh any exhausted/insane characters)...and at the end of the Refresh Phase, but before they get to their Draw Phase (or later) - immediately announce you have an Action to play....and sack I-Scholar.... moving the Drain Token you had on your 3-cost Domain over to the opponents biggest Domain (likely a 2-cost one, if you got to go first and they resourced once on their Turn-1)....then pay-1 (using one of your 1-resource Domains that are still open) - to activate Safe House's ability and bring I-Scholar back into your hand.
This is pretty annoying for the opponent, since you have an open 3-Domain and another open 1-Domain (assuming you didn't play another Syndicate or Miska character with it on your turn // you should at LEAST have the 3-Domain from having just used the I-Scholar's ability, so that's at least something). More importantly, you've knocked out your opponent's "big Domain" right away. Even if they resourced to it....the Drain Token remains....meaning they get no benefit out of it. This is fairly disruptive, since they may have had a 3-cost character or card of their own they wanted to play right then, and now they can't. The most they can do is resource to another 1-resource Domain.....giving them 2 (Drained) - 2 (just resourced) - 1 (starting resource) - for their current Resource Allocation.
This also means they have less general resources to work with, limiting Rush decks to some extent.
Your Turn 3: Again, assuming I-Scholar has survived, and you have nothing else to spend your resources on (questionable - maybe you want to play Intimidate or Low Blow or something to remove a blocker to a story ?) .... you would resource again, to one of your 1-res. Domains, boosting it up to 2. Your resource situation would look like 3 - 2 - 1, then. With this you could now drain all your opponent's Domains (again) - and have some open ones for you left over .......the issue is "how does this help me in the opponent's turn though ?".
This is the part I'm left scratching my head at, though. What we need (to truly "Break" this Combo//Concept) is some card that allows you to play characters from your hand, as an Action - even if it makes them go to Discard or back into your hand at the end of the phase, etc. etc. Ideally, if we had such a card, we could wait till opponent Refreshes......then Sack the I-Scholar once....knocking out 1 enemy Domain....and paying 1 to bring him back to our hand. Then using the "play a character from hand, as an Action" - (imaginary card) - and put I-Scholar back into play..... then sack him again...etc. etc. - repeat till all 3 enemy Domains are drained.
That would duplicate the dreaded Ithaqua, "Drain Domain of Doom" deck that dominated the CCG in its final months, from what I heard.
Until we have such a card (and if one exists, can someone point me to it - maybe I'm just not thinking of something obious that could be used for this ?) ....the only way the "full Combo" can be duplicated is if you manage to get 2-3 I-Scholars into play at once.
With 2 you could wait till your opponent's turn, then Sac / Buy Back with Safe House - both of them - to knock out your opponents biggest and second-biggest Domains - leaving them only one to do anything with on their turn ...and if they do use it ...they have nothing left to oppose you on your next attacking turn.
With 3 you would utterly repeat the "Full Lock" of the Ithaqua decks....but, again, what are the chances you will be able to consistently get all 3 I-Scholars into your hands during each game you play, and get them into play, all without your opponent killing them off with any of his cards / events / effects ?
One thing I can think of that would increase your chances of getting the combo off earlier....would be to splice in Yog-Sothoth for the Doppelganger card. 3 of these, plus 3 I-Scholars, would effectively double your chances of getting the "Lock" to work sooner. However, it's important to note that when the card the Doppel copies leaves play, you have to return the Doppel to your hand...so if you played I-Scholar...then played Doppel, copying I-Scholar......then sacked I-Scholar..... the Doppel would come back to your hand before you could use "its" copied ability.
The only way to make this work would be to sack the Doppel *FIRST* - and then pay 1 with Safe House to bring him back to your hand. THEN sack the I-Scholar.....to drain another enemy domain // undrain one of your own.
Ultimately, though....you still (for the most part) need some card that allows you to play characters directly from your hand - so you can use the Lock in your opponents turn (more than once) - without needing to have 2-3 I-Scholars in play.
Sorry for the length, but I felt inspired and wanted to lay out some useful ideas or ways of making this function that I'd thought up. Comments or other cards I may not be thinking of are appreciated ! 