Pick it up! (Duke Fetches the Ice Pick)

Introduction

Our main job is getting clues but we have decent fighting capability as well.

What this deck is trying to achieve:

• 2 uses of Duke every turn
• Scavenge Ice Pick(3) every turn
• Steady resource income to spend on Plucky(3)/Scrapper(3) and trigger Dark Horse(5)
• Steady card draw to replace cards discarded to feed Duke

During an investigation turn

You have set up to start your turn with 1 resource and Ice Pick(3) in your hand (see step 8. below).

1. Play Ice Pick(3) fast. You now have 0 resource.

2. Investigate with Duke. You are investigating at 8 (base 4, +1 from Lawrence Carlisle, +1 from Plucky(3), +1 from exhausting Ice Pick(3), +1 from Dark Horse(5)).

3. Succeed, discard Ice Pick(3), get 2 clues.

4. Discard some card from your hand to ready Duke. Exhaust Lawrence Carlisle to gain 1 resource.

5. Investigate with Duke. Spend your resource on Plucky(3). You are investigating at 8 (base 4, +1 from Lawrence Carlisle, +2 from Plucky(3), +1 from Dark Horse(5)).

6. Succeed by 2 or more. Get a clue. Exhaust Lucky Cigarette Case to draw a card. Exhaust Scavenging to bring Ice Pick(3) back to your hand.

7. Use your 3rd action (move, basic investigation...).

8. Upkeep (start your next turn with 1 resource and Ice Pick(3) in your hand).

Note1: Newspaper(2) provides additional skill boost and clue compression when you have no clues. The second copy can be committed to skill tests and scavenged back to your hand.

Note2: If you succeed by 2 during step 3 you may immediately trigger Lucky Cigarette Case. If the second copy of Ice Pick is in your discard pile, you may immediately scavenge it. If you have both Scavenging in play, you may benefit from Ice Pick's discard effect (additional clue) on both investigate actions, every turn.

During a combat turn

You have set up to start your turn with 1 resource and Ice Pick(3) in your hand (see investigation turn).

1. Play Ice Pick(3) fast. You now have 0 resource.

2. Fight with Duke. You are fighting at 6 (base 4, +1 from exhausting Ice Pick(3), +1 from Dark Horse(5)).

3. Succeed, then,

   3.1. If the enemy has 3 health, discard Ice Pick(3), deal 3 damage, kill the enemy. Continue to step 4 of investigation turn.

   3.2. If the enemy has 4 health, don't discard Ice Pick(3), deal 2 damage and proceed to next steps.

4. Discard some card from your hand to ready Duke. Exhaust Lawrence Carlisle to gain 1 resource.

5. Fight with Duke. Spend your resource on Scrapper(3). You are fighting at 6 (base 4, +1 from Scrapper(3), +1 from Dark Horse(5)).

6. Succeed, deal 2 damage, kill the enemy.

7. Use your 3rd action (move, basic investigation...).

8. Upkeep (start next turn with 1 resource and Ice Pick is in your hand or in play depending the enemy's health).

Note1: In case of a 5-health enemy, you may choose not to exhaust Ice Pick during step 2 and exhaust + discard it during steps 5 and 6 instead, to deal a total of 5 damage. However, this means that during step 2 you are fighting at 5 so you'd better have some skill cards to commit. You also start next turn with Ice Pick in your discard pile.

Note2: Grizzled starts the campaign with traits Humanoid and Monster to help with combat in the level 0 deck.

Upgrade path

This deck leverages In the Thick of It and Down the Rabbit Hole for maximum efficiency. The path below simulates 4 to 5 xp gained per scenario and takes into account xp discounts.

(View at arkham-starter.com)

Final thoughts

I plan to play this deck in a 2-player campaign where the other player will be Kōhaku Narukami. The idea is to have them complement each other perfectly:

• Kōhaku will be the main fighter but with decent clue getting capability as well
• "Ashcan" Pete is known for being excellent in the early parts of a scenario and campaign, but struggling in the later parts
• Kōhaku will be the exact opposite: struggling in the early parts due to slow setup & somewhat week level 0 deck, but excellent in the later parts