This deck aims for Prepared for the Worst + Shotgun + Extra Ammunition late game weapon combination. Remembered that feeling when you opened the core box wanting to make Shotgun work with Roland Banks but couldn't? It lacked consistency provided by Prepared for the Worst that came with Dunwich Investigator Expansion.

Shotgun is a power weapon with ammo / hand slot issue requiring some support. This deck offers 2 paths of tutoring the sub-weapon :

• Using cards on her 5 splash slots, Shrivelling can get into the vacant Arcane slot, searched up with Arcane Initiate, which also tanks good amount of horror. Zoey needs it.
• Using Bandolier to additionally equip Machete or Knife. 2x Knife are not removed at any point on upgrade, for theme. (look at her portrait) These 4x melee assets improve the hit rate of Prepared for the Worst so it hit something even if not a Shotgun, it make sure taking time to play Bandolier is not wasteful.

Economy to prepare the Shotgun or pump Physical Training for Vicious Blow (2) is partly provided by Zoey's ability, and we add 2x Stand Together to the mix. Bandolier's 2 resources are hard to swallow otherwise.

This deck is almost a pure fighter except when Arcane Initiate hits the 1x Rite of Seeking once in a blue moon that god says she should investigate this night for a change. Find some clue getting partners!

► About "2 Packs Deck Guide"
　A series of decks made with the new distribution model in mind, requiring a Revised Core Set box + just 1 more Investigator Expansion box. ⌂ character on the deck's name means the additional box it uses is The Dunwich Legacy Investigator Expansion.
　It maximizes the chance of newcomers being able to build and learn to play the game, enjoying the story on Standard difficulty ASAP. They can then get into deck-building later if they wished to do so. See other decks in the "2 Packs Deck Guide" series here.

Upgrade guide

(View at arkham-starter.com)

It is unlikely to reach "Extra" on Dunwich campaign which it gives so little XP. I expecting 20-24 XP to be an average of your blind run, so that's why the Moment of Respite + Vicious Blow (2) part looks like that. Moment of Respite needs to be able to come in at least 1x when your cumulative failed Smite the Wicked reach an annoying point.

The position of Shotgun's inclusion so soon is also assuming you are playing Dunwich. Any more late, you missed too much chance to blast the mid-campaign baddies.

The Extra section is just in case you take her to other campaigns with higher XP output. (Perhaps you buy only Campaign Expansion going forward.) Otherwise, feel free to not take out the Monster Slayer (5) from your collection to the Side Deck. This XP expensive card is not critical to the deck at all, but is on the theme with Zoey. (She goes out to slay monsters at night.)

2 Packs Team Compositions

2 Packs Deck Guide : The Dunwich Legacy series is now complete with the following decks :

• Zoey Samaras: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : Shotgun & Magic
• Zoey Samaras: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : Snipe the Wicked
• Rex Murphy: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : Misfortune Foresight
• Rex Murphy: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : Simple Dark Horse Rex Deck
• Jenny Barnes: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : Basic Quad-Boost Jenny Deck
• Jenny Barnes: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : News of Isabelle
• Jim Culver: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : Aureolus-Axe
• "Ashcan" Pete: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : Persistent Pete
• Roland Banks: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : Flare Spam Roland Deck
• Daisy Walker: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : Higher Willpower
• "Skids" O'Toole: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : Adaptable / Typewriter
• Agnes Baker: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : Average Dunwich Agnes Deck
• Wendy Adams: ⌂ 2 Packs Deck Guide : 1 Combat Against All Odds

To help assembling a party made entirely from just 2 packs, I have a tool that let you browse team compositions for 2 players, 3 players, and 4 players, that has manageable amount of card overlaps or even none at all. The result is sorted from low to high overlaps. Click here to see all team comps.

Card tips

Knife

Other than big thematic hit for Zoey, the +2 is actually awesome with Vicious Blow (2). It requires over-success to hit the highest potential, so +2 is very welcomed. Add some more from Physical Training to make it count.

Handy in a messy fight that you are trying to preserve Shotgun's ammo to have a Knife hidden in your Bandolier. Machete only adds +1 and is weak on multiple engagements.

Though I love the Knife, keeping also 2x Machete around is good to improve Prepared for the Worst hit rate.

Moment of Respite •••

This card came in later scenarios expecting that you had failed Smite the Wicked for a bit. It also retains the same commit icons of Guts.

Taunt

Can be useful even with 1 enemy to engage so you don't blow your friend's head off with the Shotgun.

Shrivelling

The 1 horror rebound can be an issue if you failed Smite the Wicked too many times. "If it bleeds..." and 2x Moment of Respite that came in at the end can alleviate this.

Physical Training

You may have heard that this kind of card is "deprecated". I don't agree, and it is not because this is a low pack count deck that I am forced to use this card. I want to use this card.

The perfect pump Talent for this deck's combination, you can pump for Shotgun's over-damage, or pump for Shrivelling hit to substitute the lack of Holy Rosary, or pump to make Vicious Blow (2) deals +2 damages.

If you are playing Dunwich campaign, you will thank the + that it can do, too!

Stand Together •••

The art may make you think of using this while you are fighting off hoard of enemies together, but you do get hit with AoO if engaged just by trying to "stand together". Perhaps play while you are free of engagement before using Taunt to start fighting.

Rite of Seeking

Though only 1x copy, this is by far my favorite card in this deck. Not often we have a Guardian that can use Mystic card, and has 4 to not be that bothered by the 0 boost. Physical Training can even pump for more. Picking 2 clues as a Guardian feels great! Try helping out on 2 shroud locations.

You may try 1x Shrivelling instead to add 2x of this card, if you are confident in Bandolier + Prepared for the Worst to get a sidearm for Shotgun.