
-This is an excerpt from my 'All for One' series of decks. If you'd like to see similar descriptions for other investigators, just search them up under my username.-
Some might think Hank a simple farmhand. I'm here to say he's anything but! First thing is his unprecedented 5 combat in a Survivor, a class with limited weaponry options that gains a lot from having a headstart in the fist department. His basic ability to take teammate damage is pretty unimpressive, until you factor in that Hank the tank actually gets a total whopping 10 health and sanity, which he can stretch even further since excess damage doesn't carry over to his bonded cards. Those bonded cards more than make up for his lacklustre starting ability; granting him even more impressive stats, aaand a much deserved reward for doing what he does best: taking a beating! While his Warden form is what you'll be wanting majority of the time to smash beasties better, you have some added flexibility with his Assistant card if you know there's not much fighting, or you need to soak up some extra horror.
Up until that point Hank reaches his "final form", his ability doesn't generate as much value as your average investigator, and you'll never be that excited to see his elder sign. The impact Hank has in the first half of a scenario is going to very much depend on what cards he's drawn, and with his limited cardpool, options for weapons are somewhat lacking when compared to other fighters. Another Hemlock investigator with a nasty weakness, Hank's search for Pa has potential to really sideline your gameplan. Burst damage or horror healing are welcome options to have on standby before you realize Pa's gone missin' again! Also, for some reason the designers decided to give big Hank a big ol' deck, so consistency is not his strong suit.
Some archetypes that work well for this template:
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The Farmhand - Take a lickin' and keep on tickin'! Hank can naturally take more abuse than the average investigator, so make sure you're taking cards that let you profit from that damage, transfer it, or reward more haphazard play. You should always be fixin' for your next fight, and you're not trying to get hurt, but it should feel good when you do! He excels even further in teams where he can bodyguard one or more investigators, allowing them to focus entirely on their book-lurnin'. Just make sure you bring enough soak and healing to compensate for the extra whoopin's you'll be takin'!
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The Warden - You have 5 fist, and you're gonna have 6(or more!) by the time that boss shows his ugly mug, so use it! Bonus combat points are okay, but what you really want are cards that increase your damage output (hint: many spirit cards can do this). This burst damage not only allows you to bring down big bads in the 3ish turn window you have to utilize your resolute advantages, but it's a great way to counter your weakness if it spawns an unnaturally beefy elusive enemy.
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The Assistant - A good assistant should always be able to keep themselves busy. You'll still likely be sheltering friends and picking away at monsters, but you should also have a good tool belt of support cards, skill boosts to cover your teams weak-spots, and enough soak / healing to sustain you past the finish line.
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Survivor Flex - Whether playing solo or with others, the survivor class has an excellent selection of cards to easily allow a dumdum like Hank to grab clues off of 1, 2, and even 3 shroud locations. Shroud reduction, "fail by x", and even cards that reward failure are great supplements that allow Hank to pick up some extra clues, when he's not busy shaking down cultists for Pa's whereabouts.
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Uniquely effective and staple cards for Hank: Pitchfork, Sledgehammer, Cherished Keepsake, Leather Coat, Sparrow Mask, Improvised Weapon, Pushed to the Limit, Wrong Place, Right Time, "Let me handle this!", Long Shot, Stunning Blow, basic neutral skills, Bandages, Baseball Bat, Dark Horse, Fire Axe, Flashlight, Madame Labranche, Matchbox, Mysterious Raven, Old Keyring, Peter Sylvestre, Schoffner's Catalogue, Talisman of Protection, "Look what I found!", Calling in Favors, Emergency Cache, Live and Learn, Lucky!, Perseverance, "Not without a fight!", "desperate" trait skills, Resourceful, Take Heart, Inquiring Mind, Quick Thinking, "I'm outta here!", Ward of Protection, "Get behind me!", "Get over here!", Clean Them Out, Counterpunch, Glory, Heroic Rescue, Monster Slayer, One-Two Punch, Stand Together