Wendy’s Secret Recipe

[Note]: I only have Revised Core, The Forgotten Age, The Circle Undone, Edge of the Earth and The Scarlet Keys Investigator Expansions. Any suggestions are welcome.

MAIN STRATEGY

Focus on high-skill investigations to consistently gather 2+ clues per turn. Avoid combat entirely, relying on evasions and skill tests to stay safe. Support cards maintain efficiency and consistency, ensuring resources and key assets are always accessible.

OVERVIEW

INVESTIGATION

Lockpicks • are your main investigation tool, + .

Breaking and Entering •• is your backup.

Base: 7,

Peter Sylvestre / Peter Sylvestre •• : +1 ,

Track Shoes : +1 ,

Plucky ••• : +1 ,

The Moon • XVIII • : +1 ,

Ice Pick ••• : +1 Skill Value.

Total = Investigation at 12.

With this investigation value, failing a test is highly unlikely. This makes it safe to use Drawing Thin, gaining 2 resources or drawing 1 card, efficiently fueling your turn.

CLUE GENERATION LOOP

2× Ice Pick ••• + 1× Scavenging

Requires:

1× Ice Pick ••• in your discard pile

1× Ice Pick ••• in hand or in play

1× Scavenging in play

Description: This loop allows Wendy to reliably convert discarded items into clues. It is limited to 2 clues per action but extremely consistent.

How it works:

1. Play/Activate Ice Pick ••• for an investigation and resolve its effect.

2. Discard the used Ice Pick •••.

3. Use Scavenging to retrieve one Ice Pick ••• that is already in your discard pile.

4. Play/Activate the retrieved Ice Pick ••• and repeat steps 2–4.

   Repeat this cycle to maintain consistent clue generation each turn.

CARD EXPLANATIONS & PURPOSE

• Drawing Thin – Primarily used with investigation tests, but also effective with Track Shoes' ability, since failing has no consequences (no movement). Provides resources or card draw even when failure is unavoidable, acting as a “consolation prize.”

• Wendy’s Amulet – Can be committed to skill tests equal to Unexpected Courage() or discarded via Wendy's ability. Either way, it can be recovered with Scavenging.

• Backpack , Black Market , and Friends in Low Places – Serve as the deck’s tutors, ensuring key assets are accessible when needed.

• Cheat the System – Functions as a Emergency Cache, especially useful in a multi-class setup ( with Lockpicks or The Red Clock, with Ice Pick, with the remaining assets). Upgrade is optional.

• Grizzled – Tech card for campaign preparation, ensuring consistent setup and readiness.

• Winging It (discarding via Wendy's ability. It's better in the discard pile.) and Eucatastrophe – Key cards that help make skill tests more resilient, protecting against token failures and reducing the risk of critical mistakes.

• Peter Sylvestre •• and Plucky – Provide protection against tests.

• The Red Clock – Strong, generic card that adds flexibility and resilience to the deck.

WEAKNESS

• Core-piece dependent: missing Lockpicks •, Ice Pick •••, or Scavenging slows setup.
• Minimal combat; relies on avoidance.
• Early draws without tutors can be awkward.

UPGRADE PATH