The students all attended the hasty funeral on the 15th, and bought an impressive wreath, though the latter was quite overshadowed by the tributes sent by wealthy Arkham citizens and by the municipality itself. It was almost a public affair, for the dean had surely been a public benefactor. After the entombment we were all somewhat depressed, and spent the afternoon at the bar of the Commercial House; where West, though shaken by the death of his chief opponent, chilled the rest of us with references to his notorious theories.

- H.P. Lovecraft, Herbert West: Reanimator

Reanimating the Deep Ones

Good news for those who are looking to complete their collection, but found it difficult to track down some of the older Asylum Packs. First is the announcement that the Forgotten Lore series will bring back The Mountains of Madness and Ancient Horrors Asylum Packs in the future.

Also, this week the reprints of chapter 3 and 4 of the Summons of the Deep cycle of Asylum packs have become available – for the first time in the new format, containing three of all twenty cards. Summons of the Deep follows the plight of Julia Brown, who dreams disturbing dreams of another life below the waves.

This series explores the struggles, with The Antediluvian Dreams focusing on the combat struggle, as well as containing Infernal Obsession (The Antediluvian Dreams , F51) – one of Hasturs’ more powerful control cards. Terror of the Tides is the “arcane struggle” set and includes three copies of an updated version of Descendant of Eibon (Terror of the Tides, F75) – a popular tournament staple, designed by 2007 Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game World Champion James Black.

Initializing the Initiations

But these packs are also joined by the third chapter of the Rituals of the Order cycle, Initiations of the Favored (which is also available now). And with it come some new pieces of the Silver Twilight puzzle. The organizational structure of the Hermetic Order of the Silver Twilight is reflected by their mechanics. Individual pieces seem to do random, incoherent things as the lower ranks of the order do things without being aware of the bigger picture.

The strength of this faction lies in it's synergies, weaving elaborate card combinations together. While a single card may do something seemingly detrimental, even self-destructive, it is all part of the larger goals for the faction. Take The Groundskeeper (Order of the Silver Twilight, F32,) who sacrifices long-term staying power for immediate gains, like bringing out a ritual like Ritual of the Construct (Order of the Silver Twilight, F41) as well as giving the means to give it success tokens.

Discarding cards this way can be quite costly. Well-connected initiates could call in Senator Nathaniel Rhodes (Order of the Silver Twilight, F17) for softening the blow, turning discard into card selection. When Initiations of the Favored was announced, Rituals of Power (Initiations of the Favored, F54) were revealed, which greatly multiplies the ability to pay the senator and flip through your cards, and find more and more pieces.

Great Machinations of The Order

Bringing a senator into the fold takes a lot of bribes and a bit of blackmail, though. Thanks to the Order, this will be taken care of. Wealthy Sponsor (Initiations of the Favored, F53) fits this plan like a glove. Not only does he bring Mr. Rhodes to the table more quickly, but he doubles as a discard outlet for the draw effect. Once they are united, you are playing a different game altogether, with a radically different approach to what your hand means to the game, and how you utilize your resources. No longer are you even bound by the infamous 'Three Action Soft Cap' which seemed so central to the game. The standard rules of the game no longer apply to you!

Rising through the ranks of the Order, and acquiring the power to bend reality to your will as you harness the power of the Void is, as might be expected, not without danger. Even if other forces work to upset the delicate balance you have created, all that drawing and discarding does a number on your deck. Before long, you will run out of cards – A danger that becomes even greater should Yog-Sothoth turn on you.

Oh ye of little faith, did you think the Order didn't anticipate this? Once you become Knighted and are allowed to enter the inner circle, you will be presented with a Satchel of the Void (Initiations of the Favored, F55) to artificially extend your lifespan. As you become more and more one with the Void, it becomes more and more powerful, as the chances increase you'll draw into the things you choose to return.

Show Your Allegiance to The Order

While Silver Twilight offers a unique play style, it's still possible to combine your efforts with those of other factions. Miskatonic University shares your hunger for forbidden knowledge and gives you raw draw power to supplement your combo's by giving you more pieces to work with. The more you draw, the more you can discard. Having a greater understanding of the Order might push you towards something more sinister though.

The fickle power of Yog-Sothoth can be yours if you please him. Forgotten Shoggoth (At the Mountains of Madness, F12) nullifies the degradation of your deck. Spells like Journey to the Other Side (Core Set, F115) further manipulates the order in which you draw your cards.

Still Hungry for More?

Last, but certainly not least: In the announcement Monday another interesting ally to Senator Rhodes was revealed in The Mage Known as Magus, backing up Ritual of the Construct with further character removal by keeping with the discard theme. Even though it is a neutral card, it is a natural fit in your unnatural order. This week there is certainly a lot to explore in the past, present and future.