Dark Horse Ashcan & Duke

"Dark Horse" is a survivor archetype. It´s based on the eponymous Dark Horse card. General idea is to benefit of having little to none resources. Usually, only one single resource is needed. Madame Labranche will supply you with the one resource necessary.

Playing style is based around Dark Horse and Pete's ability. We need to get out the "pricier" assets out first, best before playing Dark Horse. The deck is build with as few cards costing more than one resource possible, so bringing out Mariner's Compass, Talisman of Protection , Fieldwork, Peter Sylvestre and Madame Labranche is beneficial. Once Dark Horse is out, we target to have none or one resource maximal to best utilize the +1 to all stats effect. Our one resource we invest in the abilities from "spend 1 resource" cards like Fire Axe, Dig Deep, Plucky, Mariner's Compass, Plucky or Scrapper.

"Ashcan" Pete's ability allows us to discard a card for readying one asses, usually used to ready Duke for taking another action the same round with your partner's fight with 4 or investigate with 4. This demands cards allowing us to either draw new cards or take cards back from our discard pile. Good examples are Resourceful for successful tests or Take Heart, Rabbit's Foot while failing. Inspiring Presence adds another "ready Duke" option, plus a decent healing.

This archetype has synergies with the "skills" archetype as skills don´t cost any resource to be played.

Staples are Guts for better surviving the mythos phase, Overpower and Perception for the extra punch and intellect.

Cards, Updates & Alternatives

Here are some further explanations to the cards and alternative considerations.

• "Spend one resource" cards:
  • Mariner's Compass for investigation without resources
  • Dig Deep, usually for the +1 or +1 when needed.
  • Scrapper, Scrapper•••, same with +1 .
  • Plucky• additionally would give us a +1 option.
• Ward of Protection could be one of the five allowed off-color cards helping you when having trouble with the mythos phase, also recommended by the inspiration for this deck.
• Scavenging, allows to revive items from the discard pile back to your hand. Together with Rabbit's Foot that will supply you with more cards for Pete's ability to ready Duke.
• Drawn to the Flame gives us clues "for free" - if we can handle the mythos phase well.
• Peter Sylvestre is always a good ally choice for survivor . You get one horror per round "for free"
• Backpack, when we have trouble in consistently finding the items we would need.
• "Look what I found!" when you're in trouble with investigating / but it costs 2 resources that you usually will not have.

Updates

• Lucky! Lucky!•• by drawing a card it replaces itself. Lucky!••• gives us an additional +1 and does not cost a resource at all.
• Include Plucky• and update to Plucky•••. It's another "spend one resource" to get +1 to one ability card. Replace Mariner's Compass for focusing more on Duke's ability and boosting it.
• Backpack Backpack•• - this will heavily increase the likelihood of finding the Item.
• Rabbit's Foot Rabbit's Foot••• allows us to choose one card from the first X cards of our deck, where X is the amount we failed the test.

Inspiration

• Just a Solid Dark Horse Deck (Beginners' Guide)
• "Ashcan" Pete for Newbies (PlayingBoardGames)
• Youtube: Survivor: Dark Horse | Archetype Guides