So I have a question regarding this whole LCG thing: the set seems to come with one of each card; however you're allowed three of each card in a deck, right? Doesn't that mean I need three sets to have a full, playable set of cards (to build any kind of deck I want)?

Welcome to the game!

The job of the Core set is to serve as a starting point for new players. For that job, it's better to have 1 copy each of three times as many cards, so that you can see more of the variety in the game than duplicating all the cards in triplicate but not showing much.

Actually, to really build *ANY* deck you want you'd also need a collection of the asylum packs. This is how they release expansions to the game. Instead of coming out with random boosters, they put out a monthly known-content pack of new cards. But, you only need to buy each pack once and then it works forever. They don't go out of cycle, and you can't get stuck with an unlucky draw and be missing card you need. Usually people collect them gradually over time. I started playing this spring and I've got the majority of them now, just 8 more to go and a 3rd Core set and I'll be fully up to date.

After the Core set, I would recommend Secrets of Arkham as your next step, then at some point pick up a 2nd Core and start getting a few asylum packs - probably starting with the Yuggoth Contract cycle.

It may seem a little daft from a starters point of view but i really do think getting 2 or 3 core sets is a good idea. The cards are some of the best and most useful. You will in time want multiples of many of the core cards.

Yuggoth contract and earlier cycles are good for beginners as they don't include Silver Twilight so you won't feel you're losing cards. Actually, Forgotten Lore cycle is also a good start.

If you want a new story deck, get The Shifting Sands, and until they're updated from 2x to 3x I'd avoid getting Secrets of Arkham or the Dreamlands cycle

Scrow said:

1) Yes. One of each card. Lots of variety.

2) Yes.

3) To have a full playset of cards in the core set, you would need 3 core sets.

However, I recommend just going with one core set and build some decks from that to see how the game plays and the general interactions of the cards during games to get an idea of each factions styles. If you like how it works and want to know more, then asylum packs are available to buy.

There is a lot to be said for playing games with only one of each card. The Highlander deck (there can be only one!) offers some tough choices in resourcing and makes for a thematic and tense game.

Decks that are more streamlined with 3 of each card are fun as well but for different reasons.

I really do recommend the cheaper option of exploration of this game before buying heavily into it and streamlining decks in a competitive fashion. There is more to this game than a competitive mindset.

Whats more, if you can convince 2 other friends to buy a core set and you all decide to buy asylum packs to expand your collection, it would cost each of you $5 for 1 set of each of the 20 cards in each asylum pack. (3 of each card per asylum pack, with the exception of the dreamlands cycle currently) Then you are all on the same playing field by having the same number of cards and you are doing so for a very reasonable cost.

It's a great and cheap way of promoting the game in the local areas and one which gets often overlooked in favor of the more competitive and expensive "Every Man For Himself" option.