Seeking advice- Forced Learning / Dig through discard Minh

Card draw simulator

Odds: 0% – 0% – 0% more
Derived from
None. Self-made deck here.
Inspiration for
None yet

An_Undecayed_Whately · 1186

I'm about to embark on the Circle Undone campaign and am planning to try out a Minh Thi Phan deck. Please offer any suggestions to improve!

The concept is to have a lot of situational card options available.

The first way to accomplish this is with Forced Learning: Every turn draw two cards and keep one. This also allows the deck to have 15 extra cards to permit cool-but-situational cards like Persuasion, True Understanding, etc. Also this lets you ignore useless or duplicative cards.

The second way to access situational cards is using the discard pile as an "extended hand". The Scavenging talent allows you to dig up items. Resourceful picks up anything. A Glimmer of Hope, Winging It, Impromptu Barrier, and Improvised Weapon all are playable (sometimes only playable!) from the discard pile. Short Supply is key here, since it seeds the discard pile with 10 cards, possibly even removing weaknesses.

The economy here is boring charity from Madame Labranche. This gives bonuses to fighting (Fire Axe), investigating (Mariner's Compass), and all skill tests (Dark Horse).

Overcoming Minh's signature The King in Yellow should always be kept in mind, so hold wildcard skill cards (Inquiring Mind, Unexpected Courage) in hand until it's been resolved. A Glimmer of Hope can pitch in too!

Laboratory Assistant is being excluded purposefully because it reduces opportunities to discard.

I'm expecting the first advancement will be Ancestral Knowledge, which creates a third hand / side-deck of skill cards. This further improves the ability to get the cards you want when you want them.

Death • XIII, Pathfinder, and Higher Education are all next in line for improvements.

Later upgrades likely to feature Deduction, Acidic Ichor, and Backpack (which adds a fourth hand/side deck!)

What here can be improved?

7 comments

Mar 20, 2022 lelel555 · 2811

Is that for solo playthrough? I guess not, it's only for self-defense, which is needed in TCU.

either way: I'd put:

  • second Lucky
  • second Scavenging, since it might go away from short supply. My experience with SS is that it discards all the best stuff xP
  • and for the same reason: Scrounge for Supplies, if you have TDE cycle (might be a problem, if you're in Poland ;) )
  • Connect the dots might be totally unaffordable.
  • I've played DH Minh as well and I'd put Milan Christopher :) He gets you a resource for your next investigation with Mariner's Compass.
  • Downgraded Grisly totem probably is something you don't need as Minh Thi Phan. ;) You can always put upgraded version later.
  • If you're not playing with taboo (but I see you are): drawing thin is a nice piece in the DH package.

Might be a cool deck! :)

For further upgrades consider upgraded Scavenging and maybe Ice Picks?

Mar 21, 2022 An_Undecayed_Whately · 1186

@lelel555 Thank you for the tips!

I pulled Grisly Totem and a copy of Guts in exchange for another Scavenging and a Rabbit's Foot. Rabbit's Foot not intended to ever equip, bit spent for the ? icon that can be recycled via Scavenging.

After the first scenario the deck gains 5 cards on account of Ancestral Memory and I'm considering a Dream Diary for the late-campaign free card draw...

Mar 21, 2022 lelel555 · 2811

@An_Undecayed_Whately if you want to go for Dream Diary, maybe also consider big hand package: Laboratory Assistant and Dream-Enhancing Serum? With Forced Learning you can choose a card to proc Dream-Enhancing Serum (it can proc, but won't untap until the next upkeep phase.

Mar 21, 2022 An_Undecayed_Whately · 1186

hmm, upon review Dream Diary probably is a waste. There's too many things using up hand slots: Mariner's Compass, Fire Axe, The King in Yellow, and eventually Ice Pick (late-campaign replacements for the Fire Axe).

Instead I think pull both Guts and replace with Plan of Action.

When adding the 5 mandatory cards from Ancestral Knowledge use 3x Astounding Revelation (less wasteful due to Forced Knowledge and its draw 2 keep 1) and 2x Practice Makes Perfect.

That would have 6 practiced cards in the deck (though a couple might be sitting under Ancestral Knowledge) and several ways to get the free resources from Astounding Revelation (Eureka!, Practice Makes Perfect, and Backpack (2) by scenario 3). Few other decks can probably spare the space for Astounding Revelations...

Mar 21, 2022 An_Undecayed_Whately · 1186

@lelel555 You're right that Connect the Dots is too spendy! I'm pretty new to the game and I meant to use Seeking Answers. It's cheaper and finds a remote clue all the same.

Apr 04, 2022 An_Undecayed_Whately · 1186

having played a version of this through most of the Circle Undone campaign, here are some notes:

  • The recursion concept works really well and is really fun! My discard pile is essentially another "hand", especially with Glimmer of Hope and Winging It. The extra free "draws" from Scavenging and Ancestral Knowledge are key to being able to have too many cards in hand and trigger a discard.

  • Forced Learning lets me include oddball clutch cards like Persuasion, Talisman of Protection, and Fine Clothes, It also provides a second way to dump cards like Glimmer of Hope and Improvised Barrier straight into the discard pile.

  • Short Supply worked really well in conjunction with the recursion. Anything that starts in the discard is usually able to recycle via Scavenging (the items) or Resourceful (cards like Scavenging itself). Often one of my weaknesses started in the discard pile, which was a relief given I was assigned a crippling third weakness because I'm the lead investigator this campaign.

  • I pulled some cards to make room for 3 Astounding Revelation and it's not working out. Save those for a Daisy deck. Add in Emergency Cache x2 and a Crack the Case

  • I tossed in a Lucky Rabbit's Foot, which works great as a wild skill icon that can be Scavenged. I might was well go with 2 copies of Strange Solution, since it has option to increase card draw and same wild skill bonus

  • Ancestral Knowledge is an underrated card, your early turns go so well with the five free draws! Also it is key to mitigating the signature weakness King In Yellow as I predicted

  • the Mariner's compass is often too expensive without a better economy. A ton of multi-clue investigations are coming off of Winging It and Deduction (2).

  • Ice Pick (2) is a great card! It's only been in the deck for one scenario but it's a winner

Apr 04, 2022 lelel555 · 2811

@An_Undecayed_Whately Ancestral Knowledge? I do firmly believe it's an amazing card! :) I love it. Especially in Harvey it's crazy good.

For Mariner's Compass economy – you probably cut it already. But if you decide to keep it, consider maybe Crafty (3). It might really boost your budget.

Btw, I'm also half-way in TCU with my Dark Horse "Ashcan" Pete true solo . :)