Hello all,

I've been a long time player of the Arkham, but always at other people's houses. I just recently bought my own copy of the game to host my own sessions (along with the Dark Pharaoh expansion). I'd like to get one of the larger expansions with a new play area. If you could only have one, which one would it be (note: I'll likely get more at some point, but in the meantime...).

Thanks!

I think everyone here will universally agree that you need Dunwich next, especially since you want a big box expansion.. That's what I would recommend, and I'm sure the others will, too!

IMHO, here is the order of how "good" they are to get as your first big-box:

1. Dunwich
2. Kingsport
3. Innsmouth

You'll notice that this was the order of publication.

But I'm pretty sure that Dunwich is hard to find right now, so you may want to go with Kingsport.

My favorite by a landslide is Innsmouth, but I'm relatively new to AH. I'm one of those sad souls who doesn't even have Dunwich or Dark Pharaoh yet due to their rarity.

If it's at all relevant, I got Innsmouth before Kingsport and I am happy that way. It's obvious why Dunwich is the best one to start out with, but what makes Kingsport the better follow-up? I'd think that, especially if you plan on getting several small box expansions, Innsmouth would be the better one to get after Dunwich.

Hyoushitsu said:

Kingsport is a better followup because if you get it after Innsmouth it will feel *way* too anti-climactic ;'D

Avi_dreader said:

Perhaps. Innsmouth does take the shine off of Kingsport a bit. I still enjoy Kingsport though, even though I got Innsmouth first. I think they both also work well together, while Dunwich is a little more awkward when played with the other boards. But that's only in the case of multiple big boards. IMO, Innsmouth is also the most versatile when played with small box expansions.

Innsmouth is just awesome though. ^^

Well, it depends on what you're looking for in an expansion after Dunwich. Are things too easy/hard? Do you want more Investigators/AOs? What mechanics are more appealing to you? Is dilution a problem?

Those sorta things. I like Innsmouth because of its huge difficulty, and massive amounts of Investigators and AOs (and my friends like a nice selection of them, too). That's why, personally, I got it before Kingsport.

I got Innsmouth as my first Big Box expansion for the following reasons:

I already had the Dark Pharoh and Black Goat small expansions. Both of these expansions had additional items and mechanics, meaning that new items and mechanics were lower down my priority list.

Dunwich Horror is currently out of print and very difficult to get hold of.

I wanted new investigators and Ancient One's to fight - Innsmouth offers the most in this respect.

So when other players tell you, "It depends...", they really do mean it.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

I'll have to see what's available at the local game store.

Go with Dunwich Horror if you can find it. DH is probably the best of the big box expansions.

The_Big_Show said:

I wouldn't quite say that, but it is an excellent first big expansion. The components are extremely useful. As a matter of preference (after owning all the expansions), I'd say my favorite is definitely Innsmouth, but I wouldn't say it's the best, because it requires components from other expansions to run effectively (otherwise monsters are too weak, and the unique item deck is too small— Elder Sign hunting is too easy). Eight new Ancient Ones, 16 new Investigators, Personal Stories, and the most interesting expansion board are all very good things to have. (The monsters aren't that bad either).