Stardust and Witchcraft, Norman Withers Solo [Hard]

This is the alternate version of my deck where I tested 1 copy of Shrivelling. This was for "The Gathering" on Hard.

(no Shrivelling deck linked below) https://arkhamdb.com/decklist/view/4563/written-in-the-stars-norman-writhers-solo-1.0

While THIS deck here had much better luck, I feel like a small disclaimer is warranted: I only ran into both my weaknesses in two of the games and in one of them it was actually a useful draw as Vengeful Hound an easier target for Storm of Spirits, so it may as well have been an Unexpected Courage with how I was able to use it. The no Shrivelling deck objectively had much worse luck on critical token draws and drawing weakness, sometimes two in one turn thanks to his ability. That said, I gave this deck a total of 8 runs just like I gave the no Shriveling version and the end results were much better. And while this deck only double 'd on the Ghoul Priest once as opposed to twice like the other deck, it was also able to overcome it and finish him off and survive. Here's the breakdown:

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RESULTS FIRST!!!

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DEFEATED ZERO TIMES!

x1 Resign with 5 XP in the VP display. It was a rough run, I was caught in the hallway with an Icy Ghoul, Frozen in Fear and 8 doom at agenda 3. There was no way to resolve this so I advanced he act, Shortcut into the Parlor, and resigned. Felt bad, but that Frozen in Fear screwed me over too poorly, if I failed to finish the Icy Ghoul in two actions and/or failed the Frozen in Fear test AND/OR drew Ancient Evils I was done for, so rather than risk any of the above, called it a day. I had played a little greedy to wait for at least 1 VP ghoul to arrive and then things escalated as I drew them back to back (careful what you wish for) but with the way things panned out I would have otherwise had needed a flawless execution of the Ghoul Priest with no which doesn't always happen anyway.

x7 Killed the Ghoul Priest earning 7-8 exp. Three times with either Icy Ghoul or Flesh-Eater in the display, and FOUR TIMES WITH BOTH!!!

I had some tight runs, including one that truly showed how much Shrivelling can come through as I was able to rebound after two 9 draws, getting me hit twice from retaliates and two backfires of Shrivelling... but I survived the turn and Lita hang on a bit longer too, I landed a desperate 9 Shrivelling attempt with my now relevant Say Your Prayers, drew the top card of my deck saying goodbye to Lita Chantler and my Holy Rosary and using the Unexpected Courage I had seen sitting atop my deck I used my last "I've got a plan!" with 1 clue in reserve and my last 2 resources via Hyperawareness to land a 9 blow finishing with 1 HP, 2 Sanity, and no cards in hand.

Some runs were honestly as easy as if I were on easy mode, drawing Shrivelling and Knife in my opening hand made two of the runs a joke, drawing Alyssa Graham once in my opening hand and once top decking her turn 3 made that encounter deck a complete joke, allowing me to spend a good number of turns impatiently tapping my foot in the hallway, gathering a ridiculous number of resources, waiting for at least one VP ghoul to show up and purposefully attempting some skill tests from Grasping Hands with only +3 from Hyperawareness trying to bait out a skull. Yeah, I got away playing THAT cocky.

Obviously the 3 runs where I only got 1 in the display were a bit tighter, one I simply ran out the clock as much as I could and Flesh-Eater just never showed up. And I could have possibly killed the Ghoul Priest in the 6th run as well if I hadn't gotten so entitled to a 7th exp. That's the game though.

The long explanation is at the end when I go over the specific 4 move strategy and preparations to tackle the Ghoul Priest with EASE... so long as... no... @#$% ... grumbles

CARD BY CARD BREAKDOWN!!!

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Flashlight: Simple, it's on hard mode and shroud 4 is no joke, even without obscuring fog in the way, 5 against 4 isn't the best bet. But the deck is tight aaand I don't ever want two of them so I cut it to one.

Magnifying Glass: With Norman's ability the only difference between this and the 1xp version is you can't return it to your hand. I loved top decking this thing countless times for 0 cost on a fast play. Helps compensate for the 1 Flashlight and can synergize.

Knife: He needs the combat boost, there's really nothing else with his restrictions, I have every damage card 0XP has to offer included, still needed more oomf. Helps you get rid of Swarm of Rats easily without worrying about the skull and with Anatomical Diagrams it can make quick work of others as well. Plus, anything at cost 1 is amazing with Norman as you can top deck it at no expense.

Shrivelling: I really wanted to get away with not running the lv 0 version, as you can see how greedy I play from the results section, or in my other extensive no Shrivelling write up. In the end, this deck was more reliable (obviously) but also managed to get 8 exp the same number of times the other deck managed to successfully defeat the Ghoul Priest. And as far as average experience gain goes, no Shrivelling netted 6.25 exp across all runs and with fewer "successful" finishes. This one killed the Ghoul Priest all but one time, and averaged 7.25 exp. So, the 1 exp inefficiency of buying a lv 0 to replace this card is actually a complete wash by the end of the first scenario. So! This card is a must run, BUT ONLY ONE COPY! it WOULD be a waste of experience in the long run to run a redundant copy, at least here in "The Gathering on Hard." The results are in folks, Norman Withers runs ONE copy of the level 0 Shrivelling, the other four slots are for staple assets and impactful events.

Fine Clothes: Literally just in there for the parley needed for the ending, can also soak a clutch AOO as well, though. Ditch it in the first upgrade.

Holy Rosary: No brainer, although the reason I only run 1 is because I find Alyssa Graham too good to not run 2, and Storm of Spirits is both necessary for the end strategy here, and your only answer for being overrun which can easily happen at the end of agenda 2.

Alyssa Graham: With Split the Angle you can peak at the encounter deck for free and then discard your top card (if non essential) to get rid of it without incurring any doom. And, of course, you can always take the doom if you're in a position to manage it. Norman has the potential to pick through 2 encounter cards every turn, which is insane. She also provides a +1 boost which not only comes in handy for the investigating you have to do in every single scenario, but also sets you up for stronger Mind over Matter and "I've got a plan!" plays. I really wish I could run two copies of her, and I'm tempted to make some final tweaks to the deck and do a straight run through the whole campaign now where I aim for a full 8 exp clear on The Gathering and replace Shrivelling with Alyssa Graham right away.

Dr. William T. Maleson: He was a poor replacement for Alyssa Graham, but top decking him for 0 and having a 2 HP/ 2 Sanity soak asset is never bad. I did use his ability about a dozen times over the course of the 8 games, and most of the time it led to a much better draw, twice I managed to redraw the exact same card, and once drew a worse card. Overall. I could take him or leave him.

Laboratory Assistant: The strategy involved here requires a lot of cards. And if things go well, you'll play a good number of them from the top of your deck rather than your hand. She helps keep you healthy on cards and hand size while being able to take a shot of Painkillers and an AOO. easily better than Preposterous Sketches or even No Stone Unturned which I tried in the prototype deck but never delivered a game winning card or ultimately got me to a good resolution.

Hyperawareness: When top decked for 1 it's amazing, which goes without saying for any card here, but taking off just that 1 resource really makes a huge difference when playing a skill test asset which you'll likely need very soon. I added it mostly because of Grasping Hands trouble I had with the original deck, very glad I did. I didn't use it much but it always had at least one clutch turn that saved the game when I did use it.

Painkillers: Again, the damage... it's so difficult to deal with. But this costs 0 with his ability and Alyssa Graham and Laboratory Assistant can each easily shoulder some horror for your pill addiction, empty Painkillers are great for Crypt Chill fails, and with his high sanity reserves and Logical Reasoning he can get a lot of mileage out of this card. It can also kill off Alyssa Graham before her 2-3 doom cost you dearly.

"I've got a plan!": Amazing damage via , can one-shot Icy Ghoul or Flesh-Eater with 3 clues. It's amazing. Must run. Period. This is how you farm the VP ghouls, taking them down with one hit with 5-6 base INT with Anatomical Diagrams or resources from Hyperawareness to boost you to 8/9 .

Anatomical Diagrams: Much like with Flashlight shining brightest when it reduced a shroud to 0, this card is an ace against anything with 2 combat/agility. Testing against 0 is the best you could hope for, and elsewise it can bring Ravenous Ghoul down to 1 or the VP ghouls down to 2 for very easy use of Storm of Spirits, Knife (thrown), and "I've got a plan!". When combining it with Mind over Matter it's a breeze, and you won't need to save either one for the Ghoul Priest so they are your go-to mid game clutch cards.

Logical Reasoning: with in the corner and the ability to either heal 2 horror or discard a pesky Frozen in Fear, potentially only for 1 resource, it's too good not to run at least one copy. But no real reason to run two.

Mind over Matter: He has 1 ... and 2 ... just run it. Granted, you get much more mileage out of Anatomical Diagrams, but you can only run 2 of those and he needs something to cover his ass in this early 0 exp build. However, I found it wasn't useful at all against the Ghoul Priest and only marginally useful against the VP Ghouls. It's great against weaker foes, but since you can't use it on Grasping Hands I honestly wound up using it as a committed card to help throw my #knife almost as much as I played it. Still, it's a cheap (possibly free) fast play. And you can top deck it just to get it out of the way to see your next card as well, which I did once. And if it ever comes up later when it's past its usefulness discard it via Split the Angle.

Shortcut: Generally awesome and absolutely mandatory for the strategy of the deck, explained later.

Storm of Spirits: Already explained in its relation to other cards, but, again, at 0 XP this rising star Mystic has limited damage. He needs all the damage he can get and the ability to wipe and entire room of ghouls and rats in one turn is clutch here.

Deduction: Mostly in here for the following scenario, but conserving an action and securing a better success on investigating is never bad, can always add to a Mind over Matter or "I've got a plan!" play later. I've also discarded it via Split the Angle twice I think, same with a late Flashlight or Magnifying Glass. This way I have 3 different cards exclusively for sleuthing and they can all be used together if I draw them at once.

Eureka!: I found it useful as it's practically a symbol skill card, it only lacks which you will rarely really use, and if you do you're probably doing it with the help of Anatomical Diagrams or during the final battle at the end, and I've never had a problem getting to 9 on the Knife throw with Lita Chantler's help. So, it's basically in there because it's a cross between no stone unturned and Unexpected Courage, essentially. While it doesn't let you dig too deep, when combined with a Perception or Guts you can draw the top card if you know you want it first, then search the next 3, or if you know you don't want it, you can search first, then shuffle, then draw. It also doesn't cost 2 resources and an action like No Stone Unturned does and it helps you succeed at something you need to get done, like investigating the Cellar along with a Deduction. I find this card very useful but it is not mandatory, could easily be a Calling in Favors.

Guts: Encounter cards and spells demand you run this on hard. And card replacement is critical.

Perception: Same as Guts, try to save it for Lita Chantler or an "I've got a plan!" at the end, but not necessary.

Inquiring Mind: Great early, can come in handy late with Maleson dropping clues. Mostly in for the following scenario, drop after Masks.

Unexpected Courage: Because of course

special mention:

Say Your Prayers: This card came in CLUTCH, especially in the one run where I drew the twice on my firs two attempts to fight the Ghoul Priest. It's an absolute wonderful card to keep up your sleeve for your final play, and as a mystic will always flirt with insanity and find a use for ... I say it's worth a slot. Can save the entire day, could sit in your hand the whole game as a dead card. But unlike Inquiring Mind, you're almost certainly going to eventually be in a place to use it unless physical damage so far out paces your sanity that you're defeated. It's definitely better than Inquiring mind... But not on Masks. I tried both ways and while this can save the day both here and in the last scenario, inquiring mind will help you get more cultists in scenario two.

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STRATEGY EXPLANATION TIME!

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Every card is in for a very specific purpose. While most of them were explained above, Shortcut is only to be used on your last turn when advancing to act 3 and the set up and cards in hand must be precise. I had no problem biding my time and spending spare actions on resource gathering. I had solid control of the encounter deck and did not have to waste more than 3-5 extra actions investigating in almost every run, so this final show down is easy to prepare for so long as you don't have everything go wrong at once along the way. Also, key timing in advancing act 1 can get rid of enemies you can't fight so playing around that I was able to ditch one tons of enemies and get out of a lot of early weakness draws by staying in the study all the way into turn 5 in some runs. Anyway, here's what it all boils down to:

Standing in the Hallway

With 6+ resources preferably if you need to use an event for an attack or make up for limited cards to commit for by using Hyperawareness.

Needed cards: Shortcut and 2 of the following: Shrivelling with 1-2 charges with enough to commit for 8-9 Knife in play with enough to commit for +4 "I've got a plan!" with enough to commit for at least 9 Storm of Spirits with enough to commit for at least 9

Also, the ability to survive two retaliate attacks and the attack on the enemy phase with the ability to do at least one attack at skill value 8 is preferable incase the shows up... or twice in a row which has now happened to me a grand total of 3/16 attempts on the Ghoul Priest.

The play will look something like one of these two examples:

Shortcut into the Parlor => Parley => Shrivelling @ Ghoul Priest -> Discard Knife(/card/03153) @ Ghoul Priest

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Shortcut into the Parlor => Storm of Spirits @ Ghoul Minion / Swarm of Rats => Parley => "I've got a plan!"/ Knife / Storm of Spirits / Shrivelling @ Ghoul Priest

This set up is actually incredibly easy to set up and execute, although some games had me waiting until halfway through agenda 3 to be fully ready and half waiting for a VP Ghoul to appear since "I've got a plan!" were burning a hole in my pocket and not really necessary for killing the Ghoul Priest, although they would have done the trick if both succeeded.

Anyway, you advance the act, with 1 clue left over, short cut into the parlor with all 3 actions left and no damage from any enemies tailing you. If you dragged in another ghoul/rat GREAT! use Storm of Spirits on it immediately. While Lita Chantler could give a damage boost you have an easier shot on the extra, and also won't take a retaliate attack from the ghoul If you miss on the rat.

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So, my final words of advice for Norman Withers. Run only one copy of Shrivelling. Know your weaknesses will and play around them to the best of your ability, Advancing act 1 and dumping the Vengeful Hound and/or a basic enemy AND/OR an encounter enemy is amazing. Make sure to farm out the VP Ghouls, "I've got a plan!" makes it an incredibly easy one-shot. If you can, wait out the agenda until you have at least on of them in the display. Keep Alyssa Graham out as long as possible and plan out your encounter draws based on how you can spend your current turn and following turn achieving the end goal by keeping your resources healthy and keeping an eye on your hand size, a Laboratory Assistant later in the game to keep your hand stocked is great and you will need to ditch Alyssa Graham eventually anyway to keep that 2-4 doom from coming back to bite you. Play around the skull as much as you want, but if you have an empty Flashlight or Painkillers or something that has outlived its usefulness, set yourself up to fail Crypt Chill so a can let you search for a VP Ghoul to farm out. And try not to be QUITE as greedy as me... but still, get at least 7 exp. He needs it. Also, Paranoia and Amnesia will both absolutely destroy you, I honestly don't think you could even play him with Amnesia as your weakness.

If you made it through all or most of this wall of text, thank you for taking the time! If you have any feedback or tried it out/have your own Norman experiences to share I would love to hear them! I almost exclusively play Seekers and Mystics so Daisy and now Norman are my favorites.