Solo Rex Ducks the Deck

This is a solo Rex deck designed to (a) avoid the encounter deck, and (b) abuse utilize movement during skill tests to take advantage of his ability. While Rex is conventionally used to discover 2 clues from a single location, when used in this manner he can discover 1 clue each from two different locations. Not surprisingly, this is ridiculously powerful in solo and solves what many see as solo Rex's biggest draw back. Furthermore, in the process we can virtually ignore many many of the encounter decks tricks that otherwise interfere with our investigating. How all of this works, and some examples of it in action, are detailed below.

This deck works best on "conventional" clue-centric quests like Midnight Masks where it is almost super human; on more funky quests like The Last King it powers down to a mere mortal. It's "broken" potential isn't going to work with every scenario, and probably works better on Standard than it can on Hard+, but when it works it works. The same concepts can apply in multiplayer but they are less effective.

Piloting Instructions

Mulligan Guide

We are primarily looking for:

1. Movement tool: Pathfinder > Shortcut
2. Investigate tool:Magnifying Glass > Flashlight
3. Enemy management tool: Dr. William T. Maleson > Acidic Ichor > Mind over Matter > Anatomical Diagrams > Fight or Flight

If you draw Cryptic Research keep it. After the above everything else is gravy. The number one goal is Pathfinder.

Try to find and save a card for dealing with enemies. Enemies are likely the only thing standing between you and victory. We are mostly opting to evade enemies as not many enemies pop out in solo.

The Timing Window to Abuse

Players will note that there are two windows (before/after committing cards) during a skill test. Frequently we just use boosters during these windows but it is also a perfectly valid time to play Shortcut, Pathfinder, and Elusive. Despite changing our location, we are still investigating the initial location and will discover clues from that location (the same applies if we play Deduction). However, Rex's applies to our current location ("your location"). Consequently, if we change our location mid-skill test, we can discover clues from two locations at once. Eat your heart out Deciphered Reality!

The result (if successful): discovering 1 clue at your initial location (2 if using Deduction), +1 clue at your current location. Bonus: this helps avoid nasty shroud values or location effects that would otherwise frustrate you.

Remember: you can use multiple Pathfinders/Shortcuts to move further which is useful if there is an annoying "hub" location like in Miskatonic Museum or The Devourer Below.

Here are some interesting applications

• Where Doom Awaits: Want to take that investigate test to reveal a location? Hold up. Reveal a location but don't travel to it. Next round, take the investigate test and travel to the unrevealed location. If successful, you discovered 1 clue and revealed a location in one action! Nifty!
• Extracurricular Activities: don't want to burn an action at Orne Library? Investigate the Humanities Building or Miskatonic Quad and move over mid test. Problem solved (besides that shroud, which speaking of...)
• Any high shroud location: just investigate an adjacent, low shroud location (if available) and move to the high shroud location mid test.
• Echoes of the Past: Historical Society got you down? Have no fear, you can now discover a clue and modify your intellect to do it.
• Lost in Time and Space: Prismatic Cascade discard effect is of no concern when we can simply take the last clue and not be there when it disappears.
• The Devourer Below: one of the Arkham Woods locations forcing you to investigate with an off stat? Then just investigate the Main Path and move to any of the woods locations.

Other Playing Tips

• Try to reserve Dr. William T. Maleson for enemies as they are most likely to cause you trouble. We have lots of ways to deal with treacheries, not so many to handle enemies.
• Reserve your treachery cancels for cards that spawn enemies or Revelation effects that gain Surge if they don't trigger; that new encounter card could be an enemy that we don't want to see.
• Remember Rex isn't a fighter so don't pick a fight you can't win. Don't be afraid to Resign and avoid trauma. A little XP or a better resolution just isn't worth it.

Upgrade Guide

1. Deduction x2 Pathfinder(1) x2 (2XP)
2. Strange Solution x2 Strange Solution(4) x2 (8XP)
3. Preposterous Sketches x2 Cryptic Research(4) x2 (8XP)
4. Higher Education(3) (3XP)
5. Guts x1 Deduction(2) x1 (2XP)
6. Perception x1 Deduction(2) x1 (2XP)
7. Inquiring Mind x1 Forewarned(1) x1 (1XP)
8. Emergency Cache x2 Emergency Cache(2) x2 (4XP)
9. Magnifying Glass x2 Magnifying Glass(1) x2 (2XP)

Our upgrades are fairly straight forward; Pathfinder to enable our combo and Cryptic Research to improve consistency.

Alternatives Cards

• "I've got a plan!" instead of Anatomical Diagrams: useful in The House Always Wins to wipe out the Clover Club Pit Boss; however, it is otherwise a really inconsistent card in solo considering the number of enemies we will actually see and the likelihood of having this card and some clues to use it.
• Survival Instinct instead of Fight or Flight: a better one shot ability, but if it misses you're SOL. Fight or Flight has the advantage of working with Acidic Ichor and for when the game asks you to test your and .
• [Fieldwork]] instead of Magnifying Glass/Flashlight: I like Fieldwork, but sadly it doesn't work with the Pathfinder/Shortcut trick (at least, if you move during a skill test).
• Working a Hunch: to mop up the odd clue
• Lantern: another alternative to Magnifying Glass
• Shrivelling: if you want additional offensive options. Arguably more useful than Fight or Flight, but until we get Higher Education its chances of successful use are dubious.
• Manual Dexterity instead of Guts/Perception: improve our number of icons.