Theory to practice|Amanda gets some fresh air|Deck Guide|0xp

Bored of the The-ory, Amanda goes out to start Practicing, cycling (her Deck), Hiking, Bird Watching, Ice Climbing and Finding new routes.

Feel free to ♥ this deck, and let me know in the comments what do you think is the best version of Amanda!

Credit: Eric Wilkerson

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Introduction:

The The Red-Gloved Man deck is really good for Amanda, but now that The Edge of the Earth is out, I think there is a way to make her even more efficient, especially in regards to using as little moving actions to focus on performing as many tests per turn.

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Table of Content:

• Overview

• Main Strategy

• Cycling (your Deck)

• Hiking

• Increasing the Pace

• Example of a Turn

• non- Tests

• Early Game

• Upgrade Path

• Make your own deck!

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Overview:

Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

Enemy Management: ★★★☆☆

Clue-getting: ★★★★★

Encounter protection: ★★★☆

Survivability: ★★☆☆☆

Economy: ★★★★☆

Card Drawing: ★★★★★★

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Main Strategy:

Cycle the deck using Unrelenting under Amanda almost every turn.

Use the Pocket Telescope, Eon Chart (4), Shortcut and Hiking Boots to spend as little actions Moving and as many actions investigating each turn.

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Cycling (your Deck):

Using your passive:

Play in priority Unrelenting under Amanda because it also helps for the Encounter/Scenario Tests. Plus with all your draw, you will always have enough to commit to your tests. Keep the 2nd copy of Unrelenting in your hand all the time to save it for the next round.

Using Player Cards:

• Perception (2) should bring you 4 cards back per turn.

• Cryptic Research of course is a great draw engine, up to 6 cards per turn, .

• Practice Makes Perfect makes a potential draw of 2 cards, on top of the potential draw of Perception (2), Unrelenting when they are the result of the search.

• Scientific Theory (3) is here to soak the Horror caused by the fast-cycling as well as a good way to spend your extra cash.

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Cycling Capacity:

Overall the deck has the capacity to cycle itself in one single turn:

Ideally, you have 5 assets in play and keep 1 copy of Vicious Blow, Mind over Matter (2), Occult Theory, Unrelenting in your hand waiting for the right time to use them. This results in 25 cards in your Deck + Discard pile (at the beginning of a campaign, goes up to approx 27 with more weaknesses included by the end of the campaign).

During your turn you draw:

+2 cards during Upkeep and Amanda's Passive = 2 cards

• 6 cards with Cryptic Research = 8 cards

• 6 to 10 cards with Unrelenting under yourself = 14 to 18 cards based on if you used Eon Chart (4)

  • 4 cards with Practice Makes Perfect assuming that it reaches at least one "drawing" Practiced card = 18 to 22 cards

• 4 cards with the 2 Perception (2) = 22 to 26 cards

+1 Mind over Matter (2) = 23 to 27 cards

• 2 cards with Eureka! = 25 to 29 cards

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Why not going for Big Amhanda?

With all this card draw, we need ways to increase our hand size right? Not even. Once the Assets are down, all our cards are either Events, or Skill cards, making it likely that you spend all the cards you draw every turn, bringing you extra clues, Move actions, secret refill, and resources.

The only cards you may want to store in your hand are the situational cards such as Mind over Matter (2), Vicious Blow for enemies, 1 Ice Pick (3) for when the one in play is used, Occult Theory and Obscure Studies for tests, and 1 Unrelenting when the second one is under Amanda. All the rest can and should be used every turn.

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Hiking:

The most painful thing to do for Amanda is to use your actions to Move when you have a good card under her.

Using the Telescope:

To decrease the burden, we welcome in this deck the game-changing Pocket Telescope.

• Use Shortcut during a window of an Investigate action at a connecting location to move 2 locations in one go!

• Empty a connecting location with the Pocket Telescope to trigger the Hiking Boots granting you a move 2 locations away!

Using these 2 methods should allow you to not use Move actions on most of your turns.

Other methods:

Cycling your deck often means that you should be able to use Enraptured enough to be able to use your Eon Chart (4) or Scroll of Secrets early game every turn.

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Increasing the pace:

• Ice Pick (3) is fast and brings an extra clue at the chosen location of the Pocket Telescope only on success, never waste it.

• Deduction that comes back often as we cycle the deck.

• Working a Hunch that you can use during an investigation of the Pocket Telescope to find the clue at the chosen location.

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Example of a Turn:

If A,B, C and D are connected locations, with 4 clues each. Place Unrelenting under yourself and go:

1 (using Eon Chart (4): Start at location A, investigate Location B using the Pocket Telescope, committing Deduction and Ice Pick (3), which results in 4 clues and empties the location bringing 4 resources with Crack the Case and triggering the Hiking Boots to move to B.

2 (using Eon Chart (4): From B investigate Location A using Deduction (2) and spending the 2 resources in Working a Hunch to get 4 clues and empty A and get 4 more resources with Crack the Case.

3: From B still, Investigate C, using your second Ice Pick, and the last Working a Hunch for 3 clues. During the investigation play Shortcut and move to D.

4: From D, use Mind over Matter (2) to fight a 2hp/Evade an enemy at that location or get a clue at your location, emptying C.

5: From D, take the last Clue out of C with a normal investigation or start investigating D.

In this turn, you got:

• 13 clues

• Cycled your deck entirely

• Made 10 resources and spent a maximum of 9.

• Potentially killed or evaded an enemy.

• Moved 3 locations away from your starting point.

And you are all ready to start again next turn.

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Non- Tests:

• You should always have Mind over Matter in your hand when needed, bringing you to 8 / once fully set up and if you have Unrelenting under your Investigator card. More than enough for most scenario tests.

• The deck can get rid of certain enemies using the Ice Picks (3) and Vicious Blow to deal up to 7 damage in 1 turn without having to use Vicious Blow under Amanda. If you do, this goes all the way up to 11 damage.

• Obscure Studies and Occult Theory and early on Inquiring Mind help to pass the tests. So keep them in your hand until you need them.

• Scientific Theory (3) also gives us the possibility to buy our way out of certain tests.

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Early Game:

At the beginning of a campaign, you will use Scroll of Secrets that you refill with Enraptured as you do not have the Eon Chart yet. Arcane Enlightenment allow you to have 2 copies in play with your Pocket Telescope.

Based on the card that you draw at the bottom of your deck:

• Asset/Event: Draw it.

• Skill: Put it on top of your Deck and use Written in the Stars to have the equivalent of 2 Skills under Amanda.

• Weakness: discard it.

This combo allows you, based on how lucky you are, to potentially have Perception (2) and Deduction for every skill you perform this turn!

The rest of the deck is relatively similar and just improves with the XP.

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Upgrade Path:

Link to the full xp Deck

In the Thick of It to have Unrelenting x2 + Hiking Boots x1 - Total 3xp

Dr. Milan Christopher x1 + Pocket Telescope x1 Cryptic Research x2 - 8xp - Total 11xp

Perception x2 Perception x2 - 4xp - Total 15xp

Written in the Stars x2 Eon Chart (4) x1+ Scientific Theory (3) - 7xp - Total 22xp

Scroll of Secrets x2 Ice Pick (3) x2 - 6xp - Total 28xp

Arcane Enlightenment x1 Mind over Matter x1 - 4xp - Total 32xp

Inquiring Mind x1 Occult Theory x1 - 1xp - Total 33xp

Deduction x2 Deduction x2 - 4xp - Total 37xp

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Make your own Deck!:

• Dream-Enhancing Serum is a good way to get 1 to 2 cards each turn, but I didn't add it here because it felt like slowing down the tempo of the deck.

• Unearth the Ancients was a cool way to make set up of the Asset heavier versions of this deck easier to set up while having icons to commit afterwards. If going this way, we could maintain the Written in the Stars/Scroll of Secrets combo as it is really fun when it does work.

• True Understanding is also a decent way to get clues from the game but it is too situational for this deck.

• Curiosity could also work here but the goal is really to play the cards as we draw them and not keep them in my hands, especially not until the moment when it is interesting to me: the Mythos Phase its tests.

• Relic Hunter + Grisly Totem is another card per turn but 6xp for 1 card seems to be a little bit over the top.

Come with suggestions on how to make this deck better or more adapted to certain play styles (solo/4 players, pure cluever/Flex...).