Preston Fairmont - Solo Return to Dim Carcosa

Spoiler Warning

Return to the Path of Carcosa solo (Standard difficulty):
Disclaimer: semi-blind run - several decisions within the game as well as in deck-building is done with prior knowledge of the Campaign in mind.
Though this is my first run on Return and with Preston Fairmont.

Upgrades:
Ace in the Hole added as the Momentum, All In, Double or Nothing combo is pointless without it. With 1XP short for another copy of All In, I opted for The Skeleton Key instead. Elusive and Resourceful sacrificed.

Return to Dim Carcosa:

Summary:
Surprisingly survived to win the Campaign! -ish... I did play Time Warp on The Unspeakable Oath
... only to later prepare for the greatest performance of the King in Yellow!

Overall, I feel Preston is weak and prone to suffer especially early on when his toys are not available.
Also played Drawing Thin wrongly for the early campaign as I didn't realize the increased difficulty didn't reset after Live and Learn.

Didn't draw Monstrous Transformation till very late (last 5 cards of the deck) and that hindered his effectiveness. On the bright side, 4 of my weaknesses was also not drawn till then (resulting in a hilarious All In drawing 4 weaknesses and shuffling all 4 back)
Skeleton Key was not worth the XP investment as well as the action and resource cost. Will work better if Lola Santiago is recruited.
Never could afford the XP cost for Lola Santiago as well as the 2nd Charisma needed.

Key
a Action(s)
c Card(s)
d Damage
h Horror
r Resource(s)
s Shroud
C Cornered
DT Drawing Thin
FamI Family Inheritance
RF Rabbit's Foot
WC Well Connected

Game Begins:

• Turn 1:
  Play Drawing Thin (DT)
  Play Rabbit's Foot (RF)
  Investigate DT (+1c) (1v5s) (-1: fail) RF (+1c)

• Turn 2:
  Encounter: Visions in Your Mind (Death)
  Play Peter Sylvestre Investigate DT (+2r on FamI) (1v5s) (-5: fail) RF (+1c)
  Get FamI (+6r)
  Play Leo De Luca
  Play Peter Sylvestre
  Visions in Your Mind (Death): 1d,1h

• Turn 3:
  Encounter: Dismal Curse DT (+2r on FamI) (2v5) (: fail,2d) RF (+1c)
  Get FamI (+6r)
  Investigate Money Talks commit Momentum, Quick Thinking (6v3s) (-1: success; -2 difficulty;+1a)
  Investigate (1v1s) (-2 Lucky!: success; +1c)
  Advance Act (spawn The Man in the Pallid Mask)
  Play The Skeleton Key
  Play Track Shoes
  to Bleak Plains
  Track Shoes (3v3) (-1: fail)

• Turn 4:
  Encounter: Possession (Murderous)
  Investigate DT (+2r on FamI) (1v6s) (: fail) RF (+1c)
  Hot Streak (-3r): (+10r on FamI)
  Get FamI (+16r)
  Play Well Connected (WC)

• Turn 5:
  Encounter: Spawn of Hali
  Evade Spawn of Hali WC (+3) (6v2) (-1: success)
  to Palace of the King
  Track Shoes DT (+1c) (3v5) RF (+1c) draw Curse of the Rougarou
  Play Cornered (C)
  Investigate C commit Resourceful (4v1s) (-1: success; return Lucky! to hand)
  Curse of the Rougarou: 1h
  Peter Sylvestre: heal 1h

• Turn 6:
  Encounter: Fanatic (spawn Dark Spires)
  Play Ornate Bow
  Engage The Man in the Pallid Mask
  Ornate Bow on The Man in the Pallid Mask Streetwise (-2r) (8v4) (: success - defeat The Man in the Pallid Mask)
  Advance Act (spawn Hastur)
  Flip Palace of the King: move Hastur to The Throne Room
  Nock Ornate Bow

• Turn 7:
  Encounter: Dismal Curse WC (+1) (3v3) (-1 Lucky!: success; +1c)
  to Dim Streets
  Track Shoes DT (+1c) (3v5) ( & -2: fail; 1h) RF (+1c)
  Investigate Streetwise (-2r) (4v2s) (-2: success; -1a)
  Flip Dim Streets: Streetwise (-2r) C (6v3) (-1: success): 1 damage to Hastur
  to Palace of the King
  Curse of the Rougarou: 1h
  Peter Sylvestre: heal 1h

• Turn 8: Advance Agenda: Test : DT (+1c) (1v6) (0: fail) RF (+1c)
  Test (2v4) (-4: fail)
  Live and Learn C (6v4) ( Lucky!: success; +1c)
  Encounter: Voice of Tru'nembra C (2v3) (-5: fail): -2r,1h,-2 next skill test
  Play Drawing Thin (DT)
  to Ruins of Carcosa
  Track Shoes DT (+1c) (3v7) (-1: fail)
  Investigate Streetwise (-2r) (4v2s) (: success; 1d)
  Flip Ruins of Carcosa: heal 3h and replace Ruins of Carcosa
  to Palace of the King
  Curse of the Rougarou: 1h
  Peter Sylvestre: heal 1h

• Turn 9:
  Encounter: Spawn of Hali
  Evade Spawn of Hali Streetwise (-2r) (6v2) (-4: success; 1h)
  to Depths of Demhe
  Track Shoes DT (+2r on FamI) DT (+2r on FamI) (3v7) (0: fail) RF (+1c)
  Get FamI (+8r)
  Attach The Skeleton Key to Depths of Demhe
  Curse of the Rougarou: 1h
  Peter Sylvestre: heal 1h

• Turn 10:
  Encounter: Winged One (spawn Bleak Plains)
  to Dark Spires
  Track Shoes DT (+2r on FamI) DT (+2r on FamI) (: fail) RF (+1c)
  Ace in the Hole (+3a)
  Ornate Bow on Fanatic (5v3) (-3: fail)
  Live and Learn commit Momentum (8v3) (: success - defeat Fanatic; -3 difficulty)
  Hot Streak (-3r): (+10r on FamI)
  Get FamI (+18r)
  Investigate Streetwise (-2r) commit All In, Double or Nothing (7v0s) (-3: success) (All In: +4c (3 weakness shuffled in); +4c (4 weakness shuffled in))
  Flip Dark Spires: deal 2d to Hastur; 2h (Winged One moves to Palace of the King)
  Play Monstrous Transformation
  to Depths of Demhe
  Nock Ornate Bow
  Peter Sylvestre: heal 1h

• Turn 11:
  Encounter: Painful Reflection
  Investigate 2v1s) (-1: success)
  Flip Depths of Demhe: 1d to Hastur (Winged One to Depths of Demhe)
  Ornate Bow on Winged One (9v3) (-1: success - defeat Winged One)
  Nock Ornate Bow
  Return The Skeleton Key to play area
  Peter Sylvestre: heal 1h Refresh: Haunted

• Turn 12:
  Encounter: The King's Edict surge Fanatic
  to Palace of the King
  Track Shoes DT (+1c) DT (+1c) (7v7) (-2: fail) RF (+1c) *draw Lost Soul Money Talks (Painful Reflection: -2) (11v1) (: success)
  Ornate Bow on Spawn of Hali (8v4) (: success - 3d)
  Fight Spawn of Hali C (-1c) (6v4) (-2: success - defeat Spawn of Hali)
  Nock Ornate Bow
  Peter Sylvestre: heal 1h

• Turn 13:
  Encounter: Visions in Your Mind (Hatred)
  discard Haunted
  to Ruins of Carcosa
  Track Shoes DT (+1c) DT (+1c) (7v7) (: fail; 1 clue on Ruins of Carcosa) RF (+1c)
  Monstrous Transformation on Fanatic (5v3) (-2: success - defeat Fanatic)
  Peter Sylvestre: heal 1h Visions in Your Mind (Hatred): 1d,1h

• Turn 14:
  Encounter: Agent of the King
  Ornate Bow on Agent of the King (9v4) (-2: success - 3d)
  Fight Agent of the King WC (+5) (10v4) (-1: success - defeat Agent of the King and add to Victory Display)
  Nock Ornate Bow
  Investigate Streetwise (-2r) (5v2s) (: success, 1d) Leo De Luca defeated

• Turn 15: Advance Agenda (spawn Beast of Aldebaran)
  Encounter: Realm of Madness discard Ornate Bow
  Flip Ruins of Carcosa: 1d to Hastur
  to Palace of the King
  Track Shoes DT (+1c) DT (+1c) (7v7) (-2: fail) RF (+1c)
  Ornate Bow on Beast of Aldebaran commit Momentum (10v3) (: success - 3d; -3 difficulty)
  Monstrous Transformation on Beast of Aldebaran commit Double or Nothing, Quick Thinking (7v0) (-1: success - defeat Beast of Aldebaran and add to Victory Display; +2a)
  Nock Ornate Bow
  Remove Lodge "Debts" (-10r) (Painful Reflection: : cancelled)

• Turn 16:
  Encounter: Fanatic
  to Bleak Plains
  DT (+2r on FamI) DT (+2r on FamI) (7v7) (-1: fail) RF (+1c)
  Flip Bleak Plains: 2d to Hastur
  Ornate Bow on Spawn of Hali (9v4) (: success - 3d)
  Fight Spawn of Hali C (7v4) (: success - defeat Spawn of Hali)
  Ace in the Hole (+3a) Monstrous Transformation on Fanatic (5v3) (: success - defeat Fanatic)
  Hot Streak (-3r): +10r on FamI
  Get FamI (+18r)

• Turn 17:
  Encounter: Maddening Delusions 1h surge Visions in Your Mind (Failure)
  to Shores of Hali
  Flip Shores of Hali: 1d to Hastur
  to Bleak Plains
  Track Shoes (7v3) (-5 Lucky!: success; +1c)
  Play Leo De Luca
  to Ruins of Carcosa
  Curse of the Rougarou: 1h
  Peter Sylvestre: heal 1h
  Visions in Your Mind (Failure): 1d,1h

• Turn 18:
  Encounter: Painful Reflection
  to The Throne Room
  Evade Hastur (7v3) (: success)
  Investigate WC (+5) commit Momentum,Quick Thinking (9v2s) (: success; -3 difficulty; +1a)
  Investigate (2v0s) (-2: success)
  Flip The Throne Room: you know the secret
  Fight Hastur Money Talks (Painful Reflection: : cancelled) (5v5) (-3: fail) RF (+1c)
  Live and Learn (7v5) (: success - defeat Hastur)

Scenario Ends ( R3 : 2VP + 5 bonus XP )
3 physical trauma
you tried to warn the police
the Stranger is on to you
you fled the dinner party
you destroyed the oathspeaker
the investigators were attacked as they escaped the Asylum
you heeded Daniel’s warning
you found Nigel’s home.
you entered the catacombs on your own.
you know the site of the gate.
you opened the path below
the investigators prevented Hastur from escaping his prison
VIPs Interviewed: Jordan Perry, Ishimaru Haruko, Sebastien Moreau
Possesion Treachery: Preston Fairmont
Conviction: 4
Doubt: 2
Chasing the Stranger: 10
the sun banished Cnidathqua into the depths
the rougarou escaped, and you embraced the curse