So, instead of derailing yet another thread, I thought I'd rather make a dedicated one for this topic. Sorry if this has been posted before, but the search function on this forum is rather bad, so it really wasn't very useful. So, which investigators are your favorites, and which are your least favorites?

My personal favorites are Diana, Hank, Silas and Ursula. Diana because she has a Silver Twilight membership, which is not something you see too often. Plus, I like that she's a "Redeemed Cultist". Hank because he is both a funny character and an awesome monster-whacker. With a unique ability called "Thick-skulled" and a personal story is called "Where's Pa?", he's a welcome comic relief. Silas because he's quite the unique investigator, although he really belongs in a game which includes the Innsmouth board. He's the man you want to be if you wish to join that party at Y'ha-nthlei. Ursula because she makes encounters even more fun. Also, there are tentacles in her portrait.

My least favorites are Monterey, Pete, Vincent and Rita. Monterey and Pete are just boring, while Vincent is just bad. I haven't had much use for Injury or Madness cards, so that should explain why I don't like Rita.

Let ze discussion commenze.

::laughter:: yeah, this pops up more or less on a regular basis, but it's always fun to chat about characters. Plus, with the passing of time, people can change their mind :-)

I'm with you on most of the points, but one: I really like Rita. She has an amazing speed, and a great Fight, plus she starts with money & a retainer and 2 clues, and this means she would probably dive into an OW by turn three.

I like some other strange guys. Skids, for instance. Or Trish. And Norman Withers (every time we play him, tons of jokes - a la Cheers, if some of you remembers the tv series - a la "Norm! Would you like to kill a monster?" / "I'd rather have a couple of beers, Diane"). His ability is very helpful to get rid of the most obnoxious monsters, plus his Find Gate is a blessing when you have to hurry up.

I never clicked with Luke, and I don't like Charlie nor George. But still, in the last 6 months I played Arkham with party chosen in a totally random way, and I've always find all characters good (apart from Vincent. Awful speed, useless ability, and such a hopeless face). Sometimes it's difficult to play them in the proper way, but in the end, all of them can give you satisfaction (even the poor Vincent, who was match-winner in my last Rhan-Tegoth + King in Yellow game with all the Miskatonic stuff in).

Julia said:

Yes, but if I almost never draw injuries or madnesses, she has a unique ability I'll almost never use. I think that's quite boring. But speaking of gate divers, are there any better gate divers than Akachi? In my last game against Quachil, Akachi did most of the game on her own. Of course, getting Ruby of R'lyeh and the Sneak skill at the beginning of the game really helped her moving past all the monsters in the streets, so that she could efficiently dive from one gate to the next. Plus, she also got Find Gate rather early. That was fun! =D

I like characters with odd abilities that change the way you play the game. Lily and Trish for instance. Also Darryl and Ursula really encourage exploration, which is good.

Vincent is awful. His ability has the potential to be useful (though not as good as Caroline or Leo) but he's too slow to save anyone other than himself.

No one likes the poor Vincent, haha.

I really like Silas Marsh, his background, stats, personal story…man, he is a freaking pirate! My favourite by far. Others I like includes Michael McGlenn, Amanda Sharpe because of her 'I can do almost everything' pack, and also Wilson Richards.

The ones I dislike more…Patrice Hathaway…she makes me want to break her card for making things so easy, same for Daisy. George Barnaby, Charlie Kane…not of my taste either.

I really like Wendy because she's different. Never get into a fight with her, sneak past each monster instead.

Joe Diamond is not the most fun investigator to play as, but I consider him good luck to have in my team. Why? Because he have won 8/9 games he's been playing in (and we never choose our investigators, always random, or random 2-3 and pick one).

My least favorite is Amanda. Boring stats, and she doesn't start with anything useful…

I have to admit, I like them all ~ yes, I know Vincent, Dexter, and a few others have their detractors, but they're all fun. Admittedly though, I do absolutely love Pete, Diana, Joe, and Leo.

Nidhögg said:

That's true. Amanda requires some money to be invested in Skills. But if you manage to have her having 3 or 4 skills, she becomes a monster, though

Nidhögg said:

Her personal story is one of the most interesting ones, though. If there are two gates open that lead to R'lyeh, Amanda has the Innsmouth Look, and is thus devoured and replaced by a Deep One. ^__^

I like everyone, but even I will admit I like some more than others. Some for being superior Investigators, others for just being different and fun.

SUPERIOR

Akachi – Master of all things Gate. Just needs a little extra Luck to survive offworld.

Carolyn – One of the best Spellcasters in the game. By endgame, one of the only Investigators with full Sanity. Exceptional Gate Suvivalist.

Daisy – BEST Spellcaster in the game, with easy access to the BEST Spells. One Storm of Spirits, and you’ll never even feel her weak Fight.

Mandy – ‘Nuff said.

Roland – After passing his ludicrously easy Personal Story, best Clue Generator in the game. Amanda-like Utility stats and Focus, but with bonus Will.

Rita – Without an active ability, Rita proves that exceptional stats are their own reward.

Tommy – Great survival stats, decent starting items, cheap Deputy makes it much more valuable…plus one useful failsafe if you really need it.

FUN

Amanda – Fantastic Utility Player. Skills are rarely discarded, and she can have 3 by Turn 2. No outstanding stats, but no sucky ones either. Easily covers for any weaknesses in the rest of her team.

Bob – Great Streetsweeper stats: better than most “expected” Streetsweepers by having a bit more Sanity and an iron Will. Common Item farming is choice with expansion items in play.

Darrell – Great Stats, terrific ability for Encounter fans, starts with a Retainer. My favorite Investigator…until Innsmouth.

Finn – STUFF! So much stuff (at such low cost) to cover for his lower stats. Extremely mobile.

Lily, Trish – Delightful micromanagers.

Ursula – Sort of my new Darrel for more Encounters per game. Love playing her on expansion boards where the extra bonuses can really rack up.

Wilson – Extremely useful Utility Player if you can boost some of his “Gate” stats. Odd Jobs in Y’ha-nthlei? Priceless.

Zoey – I always seem to have full exciting games with her. Brilliant Utility Player.

And then there’s…them:

Charlie – As much as I dig his theme, he just plays so sub-par. Sounds fun on paper, but without special circumstances—Ally Encounters, Glaaki—his abilities are just unnecessary. No one likes a Slow Thug.

Darrell – WORST BLASTED PERSONAL STORY IN THE GAME!!! Houseruled to SIX Clues (like Carolyn), and I hate myself and FFG for forcing me to do so.

George – Same as Charlie: seems fun on paper, but he just never works out that way.

Vincent – His utility is all in the wrong places: the game attacks everything he lacks.

Joe Diamond and Silas are my favorites and the Innsmouth my favorite expansion. I have not played all investigators yet even though I have played for about 2 or 3 years so far. We don't always randon draw and if we do we draw 3 and pick 2 each because my wife and I always play with 2 investigators each.

Bob has cemented his place as my favorite Good character. He's rich, his PS is ludicrous, and a trip to the general store is all it takes to turn him into a 5-Speed, 6-Will walking arsenal, but he's also really versatile.

My favorite Unique character is probably still Jim. Granted, his Lore isn't high enough to make him a particularly good caster, or even necessarily one of your main closers, but he'll eventually have his moment of glory when there's a Wraith terrorizing the streets, or worse, a ghost blocking a gate, and then you're just a quick Stomp away from a delightful high-luck romp through a green Other encounter.

My least favorite is probably Michael or Mark. I can deal with 3-Sanity characters, but not when they have hardly any will (and 1 focus to boot!). I mean, Vincent, terrible as he is, at least has a purpose, but what are these guys even for? Rolling nine successes against a cultist?

subochre said:

Glass cannons, that's what they are. But although their starting items are great for whacking monsters, you don't necessarily have to give them the role as monster whacker. They can easily pass a fight check to close gates, and if you have an investigator better suited for monster whacking, you can always give the tommy gun or flamethrower to that investigator instead.

Yeah, Eiterorm scored a good point. Mark is a brilliant gate sealer. Plus, his ability of never being delayed is vital if you have to explore such ugly places like Yuggoth or The Abyss. As per Michael… it's a good character, I believe. Once you have him passing his PS, he recovers Sanity, and the strong body ablity is very good when you have though monsters: absorbing a stamina damage / failed check could allow you to roll several times more. I'm always happy when I pick up any of them, even if I have to adapt a little my gaming style to the characters :-)

subochre said:

Umm, no he doesn't ! Unless you count on looking for ways to get him devoured so you can replace him as a purpose.

You know I never understood where the massive Vincent hate came from. Oh for sure I understand why people don't like him but never why he is hated to the degree he recieves. A 3 max speed 5 max sneak character IS idotic however he also has 5 Lore which is actually really good for casting splells and sealing and while healing stamina isn't as good as healing sanity there's no denying his stamina will take damage and not having to go out of your way to the hospital to fix it is very nice.

In just the base game I really feel there was no excuse to hate him more than Sister Mary. Sister Mary starts completly strapped while Vincent starts less than ideal but will a good sealing stat and a pile of money. Also I really dislike Amanda's lackluster stats and fairly ignorable ability.

Moving on to Dunwich and Rita quickly was added to my list of least favorite investigators. As far as I was concerned her ability was pretty pathetic. "Oh but wait" people say. "Her stats and starting items are amazing". Oh really? well lets compare her for a second to Joe Diamond and Darrle. If you do you'll find she has extreamly similar stats and starting items to both these investigators. However their abilities utterly obliterate hers. Whenever I play Rita I simply feel like I'm playing a massively watered down Joe Diamond or Darrle and just feels like I might as well be l playing one of them since I would find it a very similar experience and more fun overall.

Kingsport really didn't add anyone I didn't like. All the characters I felt had their own place and own identity and enough utility to be useful.

Now in Insomouth things got interesting. Sister Mary got a very well thought out personal story which really raised her utility up. Many of the other weak characters… did not. Vincent got a good reward from his PS but the cost of passing was way too much. Amanda should have gotten a PS to help her get skills. She did not. Rita's was also fairly lack luster. Even Mark Harigan who I felt desreved a will/sanity boost got a laughbly weak benefit for a incredibly steep passing requierment.

However Insomouth introduced the Investigator I have labled as The Worst Ivestigator in all of Arkham, George Barnaby. For the life of me I cannot figure out what you are supposed to do with him. Every other investigator has something useful that they do well whether its fighting monsters or jumping into gates. George has 3 speed 4 will 3 fight and 4 lore making him bad at moving, fighting monsters, casting spells and jumping into gates and once you remove those then what else is there really. If you are playing with Insomouth than he does gain some identity. There is a much larger chance of being arrested and being arrested in Insomouth is bad so that's 1 plus but again standing around not really doing anything else well does not a good character make.

Oh I don't really like Patrice, Mandy or Daisy but that's really because I feel they risk making the game too easy. Especially Patrice.

As for the charaqcters I like from each set, Bob Jenkins has always been my favorite base game. Willson Richards might have lack luster stats but his starting Items are simply amazing. I think everyone feels a sorta kinship with Rex Murphy from Kingsport cause who here isn't cursed? No favorites from Insomouth but there are a lot of people I really like from it.

allstar64 said:

It's his PS that kills him. Sure, you can use him to clean the streets and whatelse, but the idea that you can't use him to collect clues in the first turns because of the fail condition of his PS is really a big turn-off

So I just played a game with William. ****, he can be a versatile badass! He starts the game in South Church with three monster trophies. If he's lucky and gets a total of five toughness across the trophies, he can become blessed before the end of round one. If you're playing with personal stories, that also makes him pass his personal story and get one extra focus. His personal story has to be the quickest one. And if he's really lucky, he still has a monster trophy left after doing all this.

He can also spend monster trophies as clue tokens, and if the monsters are bad, he can return them to the box instead of returning them to the cup. Just give William enough equipment to defeat most monsters and he's ready to take care of a few gates. For William, monsters guarding gates can often be a bonus. One extra monster trophy = one extra clue token for that seal. He's not the most mobile investigator with a max speed of 3, but the Patrol Wagon fixes that. And with a max will of 6, he can pass most of the Horror checks, so that he doesn't have to sanity tank all the monsters. With a blessing and some weapons, he can afford not always having a high fight. So a monster whacker and a gate diver at the same time, and the one role benefits the other? I approve!

Julia said:

Yeah to be fair he was a favorite pre Insomouth. I don't think I've had a chance to play him since Insomouth was relesed due mostly to not having many chances after I moved.

eiterorm said:

Not to mention that his ability to clue-spend the monster trophies grants him a certain buffer of clues that a Clue Servant can't touch. William is really a good one :-) Not top-notch, but still, very versatile and fun to play with.

allstar64 said:

Agreed. Pre-Innsmouth he was someone I've always loved playing with :-)

Yeah i was really really excited when I first heard about the Persoanl Stories. Even before they were announce I had wanted them cause I saw them as a great chance to balance out some of the less powerful characters and pump some life into the characters as a whole.

After it was released I was completly disapointed. It seemed like the only old character who had been given any thought whatsoever was Sister Mary whose PS did do a great job of making playing her feel new. There were so many other characters who should have gotten boosts that were much better thought out like Amanda, Mark and Pete not to mention players whose missions were really not boosts at all Like Willson, Darrel or any investigator who has to pay 5 clue tokens.

This is going to sound Sacreligions but they really should have gotten community input on this one. Release a few Prototypes to the community and we would have instantly been given the feedback rather than waiting till after it was set in stone and now we have to live with it.

AllStar ~ I couldn't agree more…sometimes I wonder why they're reticent to get input from the very individuals who purchase the game, expansions, miniatures (okay, seriously, I'm not buying the miniatures). Personally, I find quite a few of the Personal Stories quite thematic, but some, like Darrell's make a good Investigator make horrible decisions…all for the case of the PS. He can't have 5 Clue Tokens…he is a Photographer, isn't he…trying to find clues…

allstar64 said:

You're not sacrilegous at all. Most great games have a huge playtesting work done by the community. Look at Dominion, for instance. Donald is certainly brilliant as game designer, but having hundreds of games played by the on-line community were vital to create a better game. Every forum on the FFG site has some people "taking care of it"; people whose passion and love for the game and knowledge of the cards, encounters, possibilities and stuff are so great they could be really helpful on some points. FFG then clearly can decide not to listen; but throwing in some prototypes and asking "play 10 games each, then post xyz on our server at this address with comments, and so on" could give them a lot of feedback before the game is out. So that we don't need errata, clarifications, FAQ, revised edition, new booklets of the rules (se ES, MoM. SoB for Descent and other apocalyptic nonsense that happened in the past) but we can have a sound game, able to satisfy everyone

The Professor said:

That's right, Joe, you don't buy minis. You produce directly the accessories you need for a better play

(and I'm pretty **** sure that Rob will be able to design - and paint - better minis than those produced by FFG)