I've watched the excellent flash introduction and most of my questions have been answered, but just to make sure I understand everything correctly [don't want to play incorrectly, or worse, teach others the game incorrectly as well]

1. Is there a limit to how many characters you can have on your field at once?

2. I'm guessing you can buy up to 3 characters/enchantments/etc. Per turn, one per domain, correct?

3. I'd rather a more direct confrontation with both sides being able to play enchantments and characters in the Operations phase, but does it work well as it is? It seems to make sense, but some seem more powerful than others.

4. This is more of a comment, but I love how the resource system works. It's a bit like Duel Masters, in the choices you make determine what kinds of characters/enchantments you can bring.

5. Is there a hand limit? On the off chance you want to save your characters for use in resources or later plays?

6. The player who loses the phase in the story decides which character becomes insane, wounded, etc. Right?

7. Doesn't this mean the game can quickly become one-sided? With one side wounding and making a character insane for each story phase per turn, doesn't this mean the side that wins a few battles or so has a massive advantage?

8. Are there any cards that affect the opposing player directly? [Like their cards, characters, etc.]

9. Is there anywhere I can watch games being played, have been played previously?

10. Is now a good time to get into this LCG? It has been out for 2 years, has it not? Has it essentially died down, or does it have the longetivity as, say Magic or other popular TCGs?

1. No.

2. There are also cards with cost 0, so there's no real limit. Also, some cards allow you to get additional domains, or undrain them, etc.

3. I'm not sure I understand your question. Character and Support cards can (usually) only be played by the active player in his operations phase. But event cards can (usually) be played any time.

4. I don't know Duel Masters, so I cannot comment.

5. No.

6. Yes.

7. Well, the defending player doesn't have to commit characters to avoid losing them. Although this means the story is unopposed, this is often preferable.

8. Yes.

9. I know of at least one game video on YouTube, but there are probably more. I don't think they're useful to get an idea how the game works, though.

10. Yes. Since reprinted APs now include errata and three copies of every card and a new faction has been added to the game, it's imho an excellent time to get started!

Treilah2 said:

As a little side note, Eric Lang, who designed Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game later went on and did some set designs for Duel Masters. Those are only available in Japanese, though, as the English version of Duel Masters has been cancelled.

I liked that game though.

Treilah2 said:

If you loved Duel Masters (as I did) you'll love this game too. Was an easy choice to make the switch after Wizards/Hasbro foolishly decided to cut support for DM outside of Japan.

Welcome to CoC.

Thank you for your quick and thorough answers, everyone! And yes, I would have loved Duel Masters if it didn't die off before I got into it [i blame Yugioh]

I do have a few more questions though.

1. The domain markers [face down cards that serve as your domains] are those cards from your deck, or can they be anything?

2. The game works well for 2 players, of course, but theoretically the core could also work with 3 players, right? And since the combat isn't near as direct as other games, that wouldn't be such a problem would it? Give each player 2 random factions and divide up the neutral cards as evenly as possible.

3. In 3 player games, would you introduce a fourth story on the field as well, or stay with 3?

4. Should Order of the Silver Twilight be the next expansion I get, or Secrets of Arkham?

5. Seeing how quickly you can seeming burn through a deck, what would be a good sized deck on average?

6. Would this be the kind of game I introduce to hardcore M;tG players and get them to join me in playing it? These guys play almost every day and are pretty hardcore into it.

WELCOME, Treilah2 ~!

1. Domain markers can be anything.

2. The French on "Le Cenacle" website have a very good multi-player version. Somebody can link you to it, in English, I have forgotten where it is.

3. See above

4. Definitely get Secrets of Arkham next.

5. Most games resolve well within the limits of a minimum deck of 50 cards. I hate 'mill' decks and would never play one.

6. MTG players MIGHT like CoCLCG, but it is much more complicated tactically than MTG, so they might prefer to stay simple and not think very hard.

Chick

The minimum is 50 cards? The core set doesn't quite reach that for the 2 player game, does it? 20 cards for each of the 2 factions and the other 15 neutral cards divided amongst the players reaches 47 each. Is that a problem?

Not a problem if you are only playing friendly games.

I rediscovered the excellent three and four player rules worked out by the French players here, in English, free to download:

http://dosexplora.free.fr/telecharger/rules_multiplayers_cenacle.pdf

One thing I'm still confused by. During the struggles, how do the events work?

I keep reading about responces and forced responces. Do you save a domain to use during your opponent's turn to use them?

I'm sorry, you must have answered this hundreds of times before, but could you please elaborate?

Is it like chaining in Yugioh [from last used to first?]

Are effects done by characters instant? [i know they all are designated for a story at once] Or how are they chosen?

After looking over the multiple player rules you posted, 1v2 and 1v3 pretty much mean 3/4 player FFA, right? Just making sure.

Would Secrets be the only Expansion I need to get 3 player's decks fully made? I know I'll have to get Twilight eventually to play with 4 players, though [that's why I asked if I should get that first.]

The story phase is strict. Even still. Keep a domain open with enough resources on it. Your turn will come along during the story phase when you can play events and actions and pull all kinds of triggers. And it should be a good one right? For example, find out the right time in the story phase to commit Ravager From the Deep. Play a Shotgun Blast! Deep One Assault, Sacrificial Offerings, Short Fuse, or Binding, for exaples. This is when the balance swings. This is the best time to surprise. This is when timing really counts. This is when the tough guy thinks one thing, then wham! Or this is the end game win when the game's in the balance if played right.

Actions may be taken by both players at the top of the story phase (1), after the active player commits(2), after the defending player commits(3), but then ya gotta wait. Four struggles resolve, then responses to struggles and success results may resolve. (It's all in the book.) Then you can take that last action (4) before characters uncommit and it's all over.

I see. So it goes like

Story begins

Chance for events [player X]

Chance for events [player Y]

active player commits

chance of events [players X, Y]

Defending player commits

chance of events [players X,Y]

4 struggles resolve

chance of events [players X,Y]

skill check [who has the highest skill remaining gets a success token, and if the other player has 0 skill or lower, gets a bonus for uncontested]

chance of events [players X,Y]

Is that correct? I don't have the book yet [i should be getting my Core in the mail on Friday] so I'm trying to learn all this now.

Finally,

Would Secrets be the only Expansion I need to get 3 player's decks fully made? I know I'll have to get Twilight eventually to play with 4 players, though [that's why I asked if I should get that first.]

IIRC, no Action window between 4 struggles and skill check, skill check is part of the story resolution. Only after the stories have been resolved is there a chance for actions.

Players X and Y, within each window may go back and forth any number of times with actions. Player X may have nothing, but Player Y can keep playing actions, allowing between each for player X to say, "I still got nuthin," or perhaps something else. As long as you can pay for it. Or even better, maybe it's free.

Don't confuse the action window with events. Actions include tons of great stuff - Events, Actions on a Character or Support already in play (and sometimes even from hand), Responses, Forced Responses, Disrupts. Disrupts are trickier at first maybe.

Don't try to pull sh*t before ALL FOUR STRUGGLES RESOLVE IN ORDER.

This TIME OF NO ACTIONS is when you already may have earned the Investigate token and now possibly the skill check / success token, and finally possibly the unopposed token. Either that or somewhere in the middle someone won the story. Possibly, the defending player may have won the Investigate with enough tokens already on to take the story. Who knows.

THERE IS THEN A "RESPONSE WINDOW." to struggles and success.

After all of that "Actions may be taken."

Characters uncommit either exhausted or ready / refreshed. I see a new character that never uncommits, but anyway.

End of story, so to speak.

I think I understand how it works [and I'm glad it works that way.] How disputes/events can continue occuring until one player is unable to continue the chain? Are the events resolved one at a time, or does it go in a sequence? Say player A plays and event, and player B plays an event that counters it, which occurs? Do both?

I guess playing other TCGs and trying to relate my experiences with that to this game is holding me back a bit.

No chains in CoC. Player A does his action, it gets resolved fully. Then Player B has his chance to do an action, again resolved fully. Disrupts can throw a curveball into the works, but actions aren't chained (like in Warhammer: Invasion).

Actions fully resolve unless Disrupted. But you still pay for the disrupted action.

1. I see. Are there disruption cards in the core set?

2. How is the Silver Twilight faction? Do they play well enough to be taken seriously, or are they a passing novelty?

3. Do you think they'll be introducing new factions later, or will they stick with 4 each, now that they have parity?

4. Are mono-faction decks viable? Does it depend on the faction to see how well a deck of that type would do?

5. I enjoyed playing Control decks in other TCGs I've played [even some where I would never attack, but would shut my opponent down and slowly win the game literally and psychologically. Is there a faction that does this well?

6. Speaking of deck types, could there be a deck type similar to Burn types?

7. Would you recommend 2 Core sets, or Secrets of Arkham and a Core set?

I recommend three of every card.

What's that I hear. "Five-pack of Sledge Dogs for sale, cheap! Magah Birds half price. Get yer Black Border Cards here. Double off The Rip Off, 60% off the rare ritual repeaters. One slightly used Core set box, got all the guts except the cards."

And the new Expansion is perfect so far. Too new to be reviewed in depth. Looks popping with Willpower, once rare.

Where 15 of 106 agency characters with willpower was considered strong among humans, seven of 24 Lodge characters have it.