Agnes, Expert Homeowner: Ghouls vs. Aspirin (Achievements)

And now, the final achievement on my journey to fully complete Return to the Night of the Zealot: Arkham Expertise. A straightforward enough task: win the campaign on Expert difficulty. But "straightforward" doesn't mean "simple." For this, I'm relying on Agnes Baker and adapting the Expert difficulty deckbuilding guide at https://arkhamdb.com/decklist/view/4321/agnes-deckbuilding-guide-expert-3.0. I've made a few tweaks:

• I want Flashlights, so I'm using two Fire Axes as hand weapons instead of Baseball Bats. I've also cut both copies of Fight or Flight to make room for the Flashlights.

• From my experience running Akachi Onyele, I don't expect to have much leeway to play Delve Too Deep. As an alternative experience-booster, I'm cutting them and instead taking two copies of Arcane Research. To mitigate the starting trauma, I'm replacing the Delves with two copies of Thermos. Healing tends to be action-inefficient, but when it can heal two horror in one action (thanks to trauma from the Research), I'm willing to run it.

• I want to lean doubly-hard into Agnes's convert-horror-into-damage ability, and I also want more resources given the Thermoses' high cost, so I'm going to take both Forbidden Knowledge as well as Painkillers. I pondered a while what to cut to make room and eventually settled on removing both copies of Unexpected Courage.

Can Agnes achieve the first task of getting out of her own house alive? Let's find out!

SESSION REPORT - EXPERT DIFFICULTY

SCENARIO I - RETURN TO THE GATHERING

• Opening Hand: Thermos, Forbidden Knowledge, Lucky!, Shrivelling, Fearless
• Kept: Thermos, Forbidden Knowledge, Shrivelling
• Replacements: Lucky!, Heirloom of Hyperborea

A weapon, resources, and healing. The one thing I don't have is an investigative tool. Think I'm going to heavily lean on the extra draw available in the Study until I've covered that need as well.

R1 (0D, 2H, 5$, 0C): 0/3 doom

• Encounter: None
• Play Shrivelling [-3$]
• Use Study: Draw Paranoia [-2$], Thermos, Guts
• Draw Ward of Protection [+1$]

Well, there's something to be said for getting past one of your Weakness cards early. I also have enough and icons in hand now to reasonably tackle the Study clue.

R2 (0D, 2H, 1$, 0C): 1/3 doom

• Encounter: Rotting Remains, 5 vs. 3 (-2): pass
• Investigate, commit Heirloom of Hyperborea and Ward of Protection, 4 vs. 3 (-2), play Lucky! [-1$], pass [+1C]
• Use Study: Draw Rite of Seeking, Flashlight, Fire Axe
• Draw Shrivelling [+1$]

With both Rite of Seeking and Flashlight, I should be OK for investigating. I'll start with the Flashlight and save the Rite in case I encounter a two-clue location.

R3 (0D, 2H, 1$, 1C): 2/3 doom

• Encounter: Ancient Evils [+1 doom]
• Agenda advances to 1b: discard Shrivelling, advances to 2a
• Play Forbidden Knowledge
• Move to Guest Hall
• Move to Bedroom
• Draw Guts [+1$]

R4 (0D, 2H, 2$, 1C): 1/7 doom

• Encounter: Grave-Eater spawns and engages
• Use Shrivelling [-1X]: Fight Grave-Eater, commit Thermos, 6 vs. 2 (-2): pass [+2D, defeated]
• Play Flashlight [-2$]
• Use Flashlight [-1S]: Investigate, 2 vs. 0 ( is +2): pass [+1C]
• Draw Uncage the Soul [+1$]

I freely committed the Thermos as I already had two in hand, and didn't expect to play more than one. Having -4 as the "sweet spot," given Expert difficulty, requires some real commitment!

R5 (0D, 2H, 1$, 2C): 2/7 doom

• Encounter: Frozen in Fear
• Play Uncage the Soul: Play Rite of Seeking [-1$]
• Move to Guest Hall
• Test Frozen in Fear, 5 vs. 3 (-8): fail
• Draw Holy Rosary [+1$]

R6 (0D, 2H, 1$, 2C): 3/7 doom

• Encounter: Chill from Below, 5 vs. 3 (-3): discard Guts
• Move to Bathroom
• Use Flashlight [-1S]: Investigate, 2 vs. 0 (-2): pass [+1C]
• Test Frozen in Fear, 5 vs. 3 ( is +2): pass [discarded]
• Draw Rite of Seeking [+1$]

Finally ready to get to Act 2, but it's taken Agnes quite a bit longer than most other investigators. So far the run is reminding me of William Yorick's more than any other. Hopefully I'll be able to make up for lost time shortly.

R7 (0D, 2H, 2$, 3C): 4/7 doom

• Encounter: Corpse-Hungry Ghoul spawns in Bedroom
• Play Holy Rosary [-2$]
• Move to Guest Hall
• Advance Act to 1b [-3C]: locations enter play (Hallway, Parlor, Attic, Cellar), move to Hallway, 6 vs. 4 ( is +2): pass
• Move to Cellar [Ghoul Pits enter play]
• Corpse-Hungry Ghoul moves to Guest Hall
• Draw Lucky! [+1$]

I was hoping for the "original" version of the Cellar. Dealing with the Ghoul Pits will take longer. Quite a bit longer, as things are going to turn out.

R8 (0D, 2H, 1$, 0C): 5/7 doom

• Encounter: Icy Ghoul spawns and engages
• Use Forbidden Knowledge [-1S, 1H]: +1$ [ Agnes Baker: +1D to Icy Ghoul] (end of mythos phase)
• Use Shrivelling [-1X]: Fight Icy Ghoul, 6 vs. 3 (-2): pass [+2D]
• Use Flashlight [-1S]: Investigate [Icy Ghoul attacks, 2D/1H [ Agnes Baker: +1D to Icy Ghoul, defeated, +1 Victory], 2 vs. 0 (-1): pass [+1C]
• Play Fire Axe [-1$]
• Corpse-Hungry Ghoul moves to Hallway
• Draw Peter Sylvestre [+1$]

I purposely triggered an attack of opportunity from the Icy Ghoul to finish it off without using two Shrivelling charges. I'm beginning to feel keenly the fact that my other copy of the spell got discarded. (In retrospect, this may not have been the best play, given where things develop from here damage- and horror-wise.)

R9 (2D, 3H, 2$, 1C): 6/7 doom

• Encounter: Rotting Remains, 6 vs. 3 (-4): fail by 1 [1H]
• Move to Ghoul Pits, 3 vs. 3 ( and -2), play Lucky! [-1$], pass
• Use Forbidden Knowledge [-1S, 1H on Holy Rosary]: [+1$]
• Take a resource [+1$]
• Use Rite of Seeking [-1X], commit Guts, 8 vs. 4 (-1): pass [+1C, +1 Victory], draw Flashlight
• Corpse-Hungry Ghoul moves to Cellar
• Draw Painkillers [+1$]

The idea is to move back into the Corpse-Hungry Ghoul, Shrivel it to death, and then head up to the Attic. The encounter deck, however, is going to have other plans.

R10 (2D, 4H, 4$, 2C): 7/7 doom

• Agenda advances to 2b: encounters reshuffle, Grave-Eater spawns and engages (one more enemy...)
• Encounter: Grave-Eater spawns and engages (...gah, two more enemies??)
• Use Forbidden Knowledge [-1S, 1H]: +1$ [ Agnes Baker, +1D to Grave-Eater] (end of mythos phase)
  • Use Shrivelling [-1X]: Fight Grave-Eater, 6 vs. 2 (-5): fail (arrrgh!)
• Use Shrivelling [-1X]: Fight Grave-Eater, 6 vs. 2 (-1): pass [+2D, defeated]
• Play Peter Sylvestre [-3$, Grave-Eater attacks, 1D/1H, discard Flashlight], Agnes Baker: +1D to Grave-Eater, defeated] (once again leveraging attack of opportunity to finish off a weakened enemy)
• Corpse-Hungry Ghoul moves to Ghoul Pits, engages and attacks [2D/1H, 1H on Peter Sylvestre] [ Agnes Baker: +1D to Corpse-Hungry Ghoul]
• Draw Drawn to the Flame [+1$]

All of a sudden, I'm down to 1 damage and 1 horror away from defeat, and with an empty Shrivelling spell. I still have Fire Axe. Is that last gasp enough to succeed?

R11 (5D, 7H, 3$, 2C): 1/10 doom

• Encounter: Swarm of Rats spawns and engages (not ANOTHER enemy!!)
• Use Fire Axe [-1$]: Fight Swarm of Rats, 4 vs. 1 (-6): fail (arrrrgh)
• Use Fire Axe [-2$]: Fight Corpse-Hungry Ghoul, 6 vs. 4 ( is -2): pass [+2D, defeated, +1 Victory] (whew)
• Use Fire Axe: Fight Swarm of Rats, 2 vs. 1 ( is +7): pass [+2D, defeated] (DOUBLE whew)
• Peter Sylvestre heals 1H
• Draw Drawn to the Flame [+1$]

That was an incredibly near thing. When I realized I was going to need to pass a combat test from only 1 above, or lose Peter Sylvestre to the Rats, I was just about ready to write off this whole endeavor. Yet somehow, the Chaos Bag deemed me worthy of another try. Now, can I stabilize my incredibly precarious situation?

R12 (5D, 7H, 1$, 2C): 2/10 doom

• Encounter: Frozen in Fear
• Take a resource [+1$]
• Take a resource [+1$]
• Play Painkillers [-1$]
• Use Painkillers [-1S, 1H on Peter Sylvestre]: heal 1D
• Peter Sylvestre heals 1H
• Test Frozen in Fear, commit Guts, 8 vs. 3 (-5): pass [discarded], draw Uncage the Soul
• Draw Ward of Protection [+1$]

I don't want to draw into my weakness, and I need resources to get Thermos online to pull myself back from the brink. So time to play slow.

R13 (4D, 7H, 3$, 2C): 3/10 doom

• Encounter: Acolyte of Umôrdhoth spawns and engages (arrgh)
• Evade Acolyte of Umôrdhoth, 4 vs. 2 ( is -2): pass [evaded]
• Use Forbidden Knowledge [-1S, discarded, 1H on Peter Sylvestre]: +1$
• Play Thermos [-4$]
• Use Thermos [-1S]: heal 2H
• Peter Sylvestre heals 1H
• Acolyte of Umôrdhoth readies and engages
• Draw Painkillers [+1$]

I don't have the means to kill this thing until I've gotten some soup in me from the Thermos. At least I have a reasonable chance to evade it until I've accomplished that.

R14 (4D, 5H, 1$, 2C): 4/10 doom

• Encounter: Obscuring Fog attaches to Ghoul Pits (finally, the encounter deck whiffs)
• Evade Acolyte of Umôrdhoth, 4 vs. 2 (-4): fail
• Evade Acolyte of Umôrdhoth, 4 vs. 2 ( and is -2): pass [evaded]
• Use Thermos [-1S]: heal 2H
• Use Painkillers [-1S, 1H on Peter Sylvestre]: heal 1D
• Peter Sylvestre heals 1H
• Acolyte of Umôrdhoth readies and engages
• Draw Fire Axe [+1$]

Finally, I'm back from the brink, both in terms of damage and horror. Time to counter-attack.

R15 (3D, 3H, 2$, 2C): 5/10 doom

• Encounter: Grave-Eater spawns and engages
• Use Fire Axe: Fight Acolyte of Umôrdhoth [-2$], 6 vs. 3 (-6): fail (what)
• Use Fire Axe: Fight Grave-Eater, commit Ward of Protection and Fire Axe, 4 vs. 2 (-8): fail (WHAT)
• Evade Grave-Eater, 4 vs. 2 ( is -2): pass [evaded]
• Use Painkillers [-1S, 1H]: heal 1D [ Agnes Baker: +1D to Acolyte of Umôrdhoth]
• Acolyte of Umôrdhoth attacks [1D/1H] [ Agnes Baker: +1D to Acolyte of Umôrdhoth]
• Grave-Eater readies and engages
• Draw Holy Rosary [+1$]

...now is it time to counter-attack?

R16 (3D, 5H, 1$, 2C): 6/10 doom

• Encounter: Rotting Remains, 6 vs. 3 (-8): fail by 3 [2H, 1H on Peter Sylvestre] [ Agnes Baker: +1D to Acolyte of Umôrdhoth, defeated]
• Use Fire Axe: Fight Grave-Eater [-1$], 4 vs. 2 ( is -2): pass [+2D, defeated]
• Use Thermos [-1S]: heal 2H
• Move to Cellar
• Peter Sylvestre heals 1H
• Draw Fearless [+1$]

Whew! Finally! I can get out of the Cellar! Now I just have three turns left! But... so long as I get 1 clue in the Attic, and manage to spend them by the end of my last turn, I can still get out of my house by the Agenda running out, for the low low cost of 1 physical trauma. At this point, I really don't have any other options.

R17 (3D, 5H, 1$, 2C): 7/10 doom

• Encounter: Rotting Remains, commit Fearless, 7 vs. 3 (-5): fail by 1 [1H on Peter Sylvestre
• Move to Hallway
• Move to Attic [1H]
• Use Rite of Seeking [-1X]: Investigate, 6 vs. 1 (-2): pass [+2C, +1 Victory]
• Peter Sylvestre heals 1H
• Draw Dark Memory [+1$]

R18 (3D, 5H, 2$, 4C): 8/10 doom

• Encounter: Crypt Chill, commit Uncage the Soul, Drawn to the Flame, Drawn to the Flame, 10 vs. 4 (-6): pass
• Move to Hallway
• Play Dark Memory [-2$]: +1 doom
• Take a resource [+1$]
• Draw Peter Sylvestre [+1$]
• Advance Act to 2b [-3C]: Parlor revealed with Lita Chantler, Ghoul Priest spawns and engages, advance to 3a
• Agenda 2b: +1 doom

R19 (3D, 5H, 2$, 1C): 11/10 doom

• Agenda advances to 3b: defeated, +1 physical trauma

Task failed successfully!

No resolution

• Agnes's house is still standing
• The Ghoul Priest is still alive
• Lita Chantler joins Agnes
• 6 experience (4 Victory + 2 bonus)
• Total trauma: 1 physical, 2 mental

Man, that was quite the harrowing experience. The Expert difficulty chaos bag wasted no time in smacking me upside the head for tests that would have been "all but tentacles" on Standard. At least Agnes got out alive (if bruised), and with a few experience points under her belt.

The next step is a side adventure to the Louisiana swamps, mainly to let Arcane Research earn me a couple of additional spell-upgrade points. I had a fairly simple time of it there with Akachi. Let's see if Agnes can replicate that, dealing with an Expert chaos bag. Onwards!