Akrham Horror LCG Invocation event

Until recently, I had quite a nice Arkham Horror LCG thing going on, with a few friends who would get together and play quite regularly. We were halfway through the Dunwich cycle when one of them moved five hours away, which was rude, and we haven't played since. However, my localish games shop, Chaos Cards in Folkestone, held an invocation style event today so I got together with my one remaining player and paid them a visit, partially to check out the shop as neither of us had ever been there, but also to see if we could con any other nerds into playing Labyrinths of Lunacy as the multiplayer epic with us.

Sadly, it ended up being the hottest day of the year, and we were the only ones who turned up to play Arkham. There were a few parents teaching their kids to play Magic, and a DnD group that looked so hot you would believe that they had actually been through a dungeon, and then there was us. At least we got some nice loot for our £3.

Invocation playmat featuring Eidolen's pet, and an alt art Daisy set.

We played Labyrinths anyway as you can play it in single group mode, although from what we saw it would be significantly more entertaining and more difficult with a full four groups. As it was we fair breezed through the scenario as much as you can breeze through any Arkham game, meaning the sense of impending failure and death loomed merely heavy. I played as Zoe, my friend Kate played as Daisy. The deck lists are included at the bottom of this post, but please bear in mind that we are only up to the Essex County Express in our Dunwich playthrough and therefore the cardpool is not up to date.

Very close to the end of the game. You can see that neither of us have many assets. This scenario is really good at narrowing your options, and chipping away at both your health and your sanity.

I say 'we' won, Kate (as Daisy) did all the heavy lifting due to the clue heavy nature of the scenario. Zoe did her bit in kicking some mi-go arse, but I had to discard the top three cards of my deck early on, and lost a .41 derringer, a machete, and a .45. I was only able to pull another machete and another derringer in the last two rounds and I instantly used them to annihilate Eidolen, but frankly even if I hadn't all I had to do was take a few lumps from him and keep him off Daisy while she pulled off the kill via scenario cards. We both really enjoyed it, however, and the puzzle solving element of the scenario was a welcome addition, and the resolution did the familiar Arkham trick of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I can see a lot of replay value in Labyrinths as a single group scenario even without bringing the multigroup element in. I really hope we get a chance to give it a crack at some point, though.

We still had a bit of time to kill, and as Chaos Cards has a fantastic library of games to play we decided on something a bit light hearted to bring us back up after the unremitting grimness of Arkham. We chose the epically silly meeple circus and Kate won again, despite her cheating in a blatant fashion in the second act.

A nice day out, cracking store, just a shame more Arkham players didn't turn out. You can't rely on them like you can wargamers!

My attempt at pleasing the crowds.

To be fair, hers was more impressive, and achieved with one hand over her eye. Somehow it improved her meeple stacking ability.

Daisy Walker deck

Treachery: 
Hypochondria

Neutral:
Guts x 2
Unexpected courage x 2
Emergency cache x 2

Mystic:
Scrying x 2
Hypnotic gaze x 2
Ward of protection x 2
Holy rosary
Clarity of mind

Seeker:
Mind over matter x 2
Barricade x 2
Dr Milan Christopher x 2
Encyclopedia x 2
Deduction (upgraded) x 2
Hyperawareness
Working a hunch
Seeking answers
I've got a plan!
Pathfinder
Medical texts

Total experience = 9

Daisy mulligans for Encyclopedia first, then protection cards, Has good wis with some dex, a few combat avoidance schemes, and a little bit of healing. Ultimately she wants to be investigating stuff, but this is is a much more rounded and utilitarian Daisy than I usually take (Who I normally run with 100% seeker and neutral cards in a 3 player game).

Zoey Samaras deck

Treachery: 
Across space and time

Neutral:
Emergency cache x 2
Manual dexterity x 2
Unexpected courage x 2
Elder sign amulet x 2
Knife

Rogue:
Leo De Luca x 2
.41 Derringer x 2
Contraband

Guardian:
.45 automatic x 2
Machete x 2
Bandolier x 2
Teamwork x 2
Dodge x 2
Vicious blow x 2
Stand together x 2
Taunt (upgraded)
First aid.

Total experience = 8

Zoe mulligans for Leo first, then weapons. She wants to fight, but has good dex and wild cards so will leave the thinking to Daisy. There might be too many weapons in the deck, and I've taken a Guardian without dynamite for the first time. It would have been nice to take the cheaper Leo, and a few more rogue cards, but as I can't, I've gone for the horror negation of the Elder sign amulet instead.