Pete & Duke get desperate (Standalone 9xp)

INTRODUCTION

This is a setup to maximize the effects of the 8 desperate cards (Desperate Search, Reckless Assault, Say Your Prayers, & Run For Your Life). These cards grant you a +4 bonus to a skill test when low on sanity.

PROS

• Perfect for Standalone adventures at 9xp!
• Runs well on low resources
• Able to soak a lot of damage and horror.
• No overlapping slots!
  • Ally = Yaotl
  • Hand 1 = Fire Axe
  • Hand 2 = Gravedigger's Shovel
  • Clothing = Leather Coat
  • Accessory 1 = Cherished Keepsake
  • Accessory 2 = St. Hubert's Key (from Relic Hunter)
  • Arcane 1 = Shrivelling
• Able to get over big skill test hurdles.
• Many ways to fetch discarded cards.

CONS

• Dependant on Yaotl or St. Hubert's Key in opening hand.
• Dependant on Allies.
• Dependant on top card of discard pile.
• Unable to search deck for needed cards.

HOW IT WORKS

Playing St. Hubert's Key instantly drops "Ashcan" Pete's sanity to 3 and allows you to start committing Reckless Assault (or other desperate cards) to tests. However, if you don't start with the key, that's ok.

Alternatively, you can Yaotl. First use "Ashcan" Pete ability to discard a Say Your Prayers (or other desperate card) to ready an asset. Yaotl's can then use his ability to increase a skill test by +4, since it uses the desperate card you just discarded.

Example: Exhaust Duke to investigate. Then discard Desperate Search to ready Duke. Now Yaotl can give Duke a +4 to his next investigate or, better yet, Pete a +4 after duke is exhausted again.

YAOTL & ST. HUBERT'S KEY

Yaotl & St. Hubert's Key are the MVPs of this deck. You will likely want to mulligan for at least one of them.

If Yaotl gets defeated or discarded from a treachery card, we have Resourceful which allows you to recollect him from your discard pile. A Chance Encounter does the same thing, but as an added bonus can also bring back Duke!

If St. Hubert's Key is destroyed early, Scavenging can reclaim it from your discard pile.

I hardly use Yaotl's second ability. In a best case scenario it reveals a desperate card which you can immediately use or it discards a weakness, but these are rare scenarios. I prefer to have a Resourceful in my hand before using this ability in case I discard something i want. Unlike most investigator's "Ashcan" Pete starts with his best card (Duke in play, so don't be too intimidated using it.

SOAKING DAMAGE & HORROR

Leather Coat and Cherished Keepsake are for keeping damage and horror off you and your allies. Scavenging allows you to return them when destroyed. Relic Hunter allows both Cherished Keepsakes to be in play if St. Hubert's Key leaves you with 2 sanity.

CLUE COLLECTION

Duke or Yaotl with Desperate Search on the top of your discard pile are your best options.

Scavenging can repetitively fetch Gravedigger's Shovel after a good investigation skill test. This allows you to get 1 clue (with no skill test) for 2 resources and 2 actions. For some locations that's a decent trade and definitely not the worst option if Duke is exhausted or in your discard pile.

DEALING WITH MONSTERS

Duke normally attacks first for hopefully 2 damage. For bigger monsters I like to boost his first attack with Inspiring Presence, if able, which also readies him for a second attack.

Spending resources on Fire Axe is normally my second option or first option for creatures with large fight values. You normally need 2-3 resources for a good attack, since "Ashcan" Pete only has 2 combat (3 with Dark Horse).

After your resources are depleted to your fire axe, you can use Yaotl and a Reckless Assault and still have a decent chance to deal the 2 damage. If you don't have a Fire Axe with resources or Yaotl to boost the attack, the Gravedigger's Shovel will at give you a +2 to the skill test.

Note: you will fight more monsters than you have Reckless Assaults. So you need to use them wisely. Alternatively use Run For Your Life to evade.

Shrivelling is a backup plan. It uses "Ashcan" Pete's best stat (willpower) and deals 2 damage. However it only has 4 charges so use it sparingly.

OTHER CARDS

Dark Horse is used to increase your stats. Use Fire Axe to quickly deplete resources. I normally always take the resource during my upkeep phase if I have both in play.

Relic Hunter allows Cherished Keepsake and St. Hubert's Key to be in play at the same time.

Inspiring Presence is mainly used to boost a Duke action while also healing and re-reading him. It can be used on Yaotl too, but leaves only a +1 skill card on the top of the discard pile.

9XP STANDALONE

the deck above is for standalone 9xp games. It used two Yaotl (1xp each), two A Chance Encounter (2xp each), and one Relic Hunter (3xp).

FOR CAMPAIGN

If you wanted to start a campaign with this deck, I recommend replacing Yaotl with Peter Sylvestre and A Chance Encounter with "Look what I found!" or Lucky!.

CAMPAIGN - UPGRADE GUIDE

Get both copies of Yaotls first, then 1 copy Relic Hunter, then both copies of A Chance Encounters.

Scrapper is a great addition and pairs nicely with Dark Horse.

Once you take 2 mental trauma the St. Hubert's Keys loses their novelty. Swap them out for Drawn to the Flame for clue collecting.

For any XP beyond that i recommend saving up for some bigger 5xp items like Timeworn Brand or The Red-Gloved Man to replace the Gravedigger's Shovel. Depending on trauma, replace a Leather Coat with a Bulletproof Vest or a Cherished Keepsake with a Elder Sign Amulet.

Expendable items like Flare are great during late campaign.

ALTERNATIVE CARDS

I honestly believe you can run the deck very well without St. Hubert's Key. You can opt for swapping both St. Hubert's Key and Relic Hunter for two copies of Drawn to the Flame or Eureka! and Scrapper.

Gravedigger's Shovel is good in limited scenarios. some prefer a single copy of "Look what I found!".

Forbidden Knowledge can be an alternate to St. Hubert's Key to lower your sanity if you want to run more expensive cards.