Hey all, im a very new player, my base set being delivered yesterday and playing my first game this morning (which i lost, but REALLY enjoyed!)

so i was wondering what you guys consider essential purchases to get the best out fo this game, i have funds ready for my next purchase but im sure to go for a big box expansion or a handful of asylum packs

also is it worth getting card sleeves? i was thinking i would because these are an investment for me and i have bought them as much fro their aesthetic appeal as their playability. Also in the future i will be building a wooden case for them to be stored in

cheers guys

I don't have good answers for your first question - I bought every asylum pack and quite frankly don't remember which cards came from which sets.

On the second, I use card sleeves every time I build a deck. I don't want to damage my cards, and I like the handling of the sleeved cards better.

MrGorianDray said:

Personally, I'd start with the Secrets of Arkham big box expansion. I would not suggest getting the Order of the Silver Twilight expansion, at least not yet since, without the cards from the later asylum packs, they're quite limited in ability.

As for Asylum packs, I'd skip the entirety of the Dreamlands cycle until they get it reprinted in the 3-copies- of-each-card format. As for which asylum packs to get, honestly, it's more of a judgement call on your part. There is no wrong cycle to choose from. Personally, I prefer either the Yuggoth Contract Cycle or Ancient Relics Cycle.

If you prefer, you could also use this website to determine which Asylum Packs you'd prefer to get since they show you the cards in each pack.

http://www.cardgamedb.com/index.php/CoC/CoCCards.html

I hope that helps.

thanks alot guys, i think ill go for the secrets of arkham first because it seems like alot of cards for the money!

You should be aware that Secrets of Arkham (and Order of the Silver Twilight) come with 2 copies of each card. Some people (like me) bought two boxes of each to ensure they have a play set.

TheProfessor said:

Actually, the Order of the Silver Twilight boxed set comes with x3 copies of each card so there's no need to buy more than one of those.

If you want x3 copies of the cards from the Secrets of Arkham deluxe expansion, you might ask around here if someone is willing to split a box with you.

i agree that you should use card sleeves. not only to protect them, but to make shuffling much easier. i do a side shuffle and being able to slide sleeved cards easily past one another is well worth the price of admission in my book.

as for asylum pack purchases, there are many threads here and on BGG about this. but i'll suggest the summons from the deep and yuggoth cycles.

I forgot to add:

I strongly recommend sleeving your cards as well. These aren't standard playing cards - they cost a lot more and are far less durable. Without decent sleeves you'll start to notice wear and tear after only a few plays. Plus, I find FFG's Cthulhu Art sleeves add a nice touch of the Mythos ambiance to the table, though I'm a sucker for visuals.

Yeah, I forgot to add as well:

Get some sleeves for sure. I use sleeves on the decks I intend to use, and any cards I'm not using, I put in a collectable card binder I got from my local game store. It holds a ton of card sleeves and isn't close to being completely full just yet.

I also recommend the Fantasy Flight Art Sleeves as well, but any card sleeves that fit will do.

i just use normal ultrapro sleeves like you'd buy for something like Magic cards...

ive just ordered some card sleeves as ive already bent one of the corners of a card by accident, also ordered the Cacophony Asylum pack

also started plans for making wooden suitcase/box for storage

I sleeve all my cards, regardless of whether they are in a playing deck or not, I like the idea of making decks and not having to desleeve cards

that'd be nice, but i have a LOT of cards now and space is at a premium. and at 5 bucks for a pack of 50-100 good clear sleeves, i'd burn through money i'd rather dedicate to further asylum pack acquisition.

I must be alone here, but I hate sleeving my cards. It makes them hard to store, hard to shuffle, and greatly increases the price of the game.

I have a set of sleeves that I bought because the Gencon tournament last year required sleeved decks and because I had a couple of black-bordered cards due to my small collection at the time. Otherwise, I don't bother with them.