Blackjack and Black Magic: Agnes Baker

BLACKJACK AND BLACK MAGIC: AGNES BAKER

DECK OVERVIEW

This deck is designed to be half of my "Blackjack and Black Magic" partnership with "Skids" O'Toole, but can be played solo as well, since the investigators are intended to split up and function on their own and, thus, have strategies for both investigating as well as dealing with enemies. Working independently also allows them to use their respective "disengage & move" effects--Elusive for "Skids" O'Toole; Survival Instinct for Agnes Baker--without having to worry about leaving their compatriot behind to face several enemies.

INVESTIGATING

With only a 2 , Agnes needs some help investigating. While Scrying & Drawn to the Flame are her traditional methods, I prefer the safer (and more repeatable) Flashlight and/or Perception/Unexpected Courage when she is working alone. Both methods take 2 actions to discover 2 clues, but Perception can also provide card drawing, which this deck is low on. True; encounter deck scrying is nice and can mitigate the downside of Drawn to the Flame, but she still has to face an encounter card. If she was planning to stick with "Skids" O'Toole throughout the adventure, I might opt for her traditional method, as his complementary skills could help mitigate that unavoidable encounter card. [When "The Dunwich Legacy" is released and Rite of Seeking becomes available, I will likely replace 2x Perception with 2x Rite of Seeking.]

FIGHTING & EVADING ENEMIES

Against enemies, Agnes has the option of fighting with Shrivelling or evading with Blinding Light. Both can be retrieved with Arcane Initiate and use her , which can be boosted with Holy Rosary, Fearless, Guts & Unexpected Courage. Both also deal direct damage which, along with her innate effect, can help eliminate enemies more quickly.

DEFENSE VS. ENCOUNTERS

Lucky! & Survival Instinct are Agnes' safety valves if she fails a skill test or gets overrun with enemies, respectively, and Ward of Protection can cancel treachery cards. Leather Coat absorbs damage, while Holy Rosary absorbs horror. Arcane Initiate can absorb either and should probably be the first choice to take damage/horror, since you'll want to eliminate her and her doom token before the doom threshold on the current agenda is reached. [Leather Coat could be considered optional in this deck but, when alone, Agnes is more likely to suffer damage and has no method to heal it. I also like the idea of using all of an investigator's asset slots and, in the Core set, Agnes is the only one who can do so with 0-Experience cards.]

"THE HORROR, THE HORROR..."

Shrivelling, Forbidden Knowledge & Ward of Protection can deal horror to Agnes' to power her innate and Elder Sign effects. When not needed for her effects, this horror should be placed on Arcane Initiate or Holy Rosary. Fearless is her only method of healing horror and, with its +1 , pairs well with Shrivelling.

RESOURCES & CARDS

Forbidden Knowledge & Emergency Cache provide Agnes with resources. Card drawing comes from skills, Heirloom of Hyperborea & Arcane Initiate's ability to delve for spells, of which there are 6 in the deck.

WORKING TOGETHER

At the beginning (and possibly the end) of a scenario, when "Skids" O'Toole & Agnes Baker are likely to share the same location, Agnes can benefit from the former's First Aid & Dodge. They can also play skill cards on each other when together. Otherwise, they can usually accomplish more, by splitting up.

EXPERIENCE OPTIONS

1XP: Aquinnah in lieu of Arcane Initiate. At 5 resources, she is somewhat expensive but offers twice the horror absorption as Arcane Initiate, as well as a method of negating damage and providing direct damage. You could also probably consider subbing her in for 1x Holy Rosary or 1x Leather Coat.

2XP: Upgrade Blinding Light to Blinding Light II or Lucky! to Lucky! II. The former provides more direct damage (and horror on Agnes); the latter provides card more drawing. Both are good options.

3XP: 1x Elder Sign Amulet in lieu of 1x Holy Rosary for more horror absorption. Likewise, Bulletproof Vest is good for damage, but she is more likely to take horror and Leather Coat costs 0 resources. Book of Shadows may become a better consideration when more spell assets become available in later releases.

4XP: Grotesque Statue in lieu of 1x Lucky! or 1x Unexpected Courage. This is a great card for mitigating the effects of chaos tokens, especially in conjunction with Shrivelling & Blinding Light. And Agnes still has one hand slot available.