Jenny Barnes - Don't test me, Carcosa edition (Expert)

Card draw simulator

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Derived from
Jenny Barnes - Don't test me (Dunwich Legacy on Expert) 122 92 16 1.0
Inspiration for
Jenny Barnes - Don't test me, Carcosa edition (Expert) 0 0 0 1.0
Marissa Barnes 0 0 0 1.0

Croaker13 · 2640

Warning: Spoilers for the Path to Carcosa campaign.

This is the deck I've used to run true solo through the Path to Carcosa campaign on expert difficulty. It is heavily based on my original "Don't test me" deck (found here: https://arkhamdb.com/decklist/view/5757/jenny-barnes-don-t-test-me-dunwich-legacy-on-expert-1.0).

Most of the piloting advice and upgrade order still applies, so I won't repeat everything in this description. Consider keeping the V.1 deck open in another tab, as I'll reference it a lot.

In this guide, I'll cover the differences from the previous version and then do a scenario rundown for the Carcosa campaign, including advice on upgrades for each scenario.

But first of all, it bears repeating that rogue decks can be uniquely flexible due to Adaptable. You can, and absolutely should, change the deck to suit each individual scenario as well as your personal playstyle.

ahc11_preview1.jpg

Changes from v.1

While the Carcosa campaign pose some unique challenges, the fundamentals remain the same as in Dunwich. Just remember to K.I.S.S (Kill, Infiltrate, Survive and Support) and you should be ok.

One important difference is that there are fewer locations with 2+ clues, but more with high shroud values, in Carcosa. The ability to get single clues off high-shroud locations therefore becomes more important than the ability to get a lot of clues off low-shroud locations.

You also generally don't need to gather quite as many clues in Carcosa, though you may want to as a lot of XP are tied to locations.

That said, the most of changes to this deck are done because of the specific challenges posed by the first two scenarios (Curtain Call and The Last King). In no particular order:

So, what about the cards that got cut:

These changes combine to mean that, while the deck is less effective overall, it is better suited to handle Curtain Call and The Last King.

A note on Amnesia: This actually also applied to the V.1 deck, but I forgot to mention it back then. You have a low board-presence, meaning that you keep most of your tricks in your hand until needed. Under those circumstances, drawing Amnesia can be a death-blow most of the time. I would probably restart the campaign if I got it as my starting basic weakness.


Upgrades

The general upgrade path is mostly the same as the v.1 deck. Possible changes are:

  • Ornate Bow: Generally an improvement over Chicago Typewriter. It's boostable with Streetwise and you would usually spend several actions boosting the Typewriter, so the downside of having to reload the bow isn't as glaring. The bow is also the most viable option in a doubt A Phantom of Truth, where you'll usually need to move, engage and attack in a single turn, which means that you can't spare actions to boost the Chicago Typewriter. On the other hand, Chicago Typewriter is better against low-fight enemies and when combined with something like Fight or Flight. That said, there's no reason why you can have some combination of two or more of these cards - especially if you go for a conviction Dim Carcosa (see below).
  • Perseverance: You often use Say Your Prayers as a last ditch defense against horror damage from the encounter deck and this card does that better if you can spare the off-faction slot.
  • The Skeleton Key: A good late-campaign buy as a way to make some of those high-shroud locations more manageable. Combine with Sleight of Hand to save an action retrieving it.
  • Premonition: Can be a cheaper stand-in for a Sure Gamble as a way to remove some uncertainty from an important test. Not as good but doesn't cost XP.
  • Moxie: You'll likely have to pass a couple of -tests throughout the campaign (see the scenario guide). Most importantly, Black Stars Rise has a 50/50 chance of requiring a (3) test to win. If you have both Sure Gamble by that point, you'll probably be o.k. but otherwise you should consider getting a Moxie simply to pass this. It's not wasted after that either, as Dim Carcosa reintroduces the Striking Fear encounter set, which really puts pressure on .

    Lola Santiago: This card deserves a section to itself, as it represents the most significantly different upgrade-path compared to the v.1 deck. I often use it, but may not want to.

Pros:

  • Gives you a repeatable, fast, test-less way to get clues. This is pure gold on expert difficulty.
  • Boosts your two most important stats.
  • Is in-faction, so it can replace Art Student to free up two off-faction slots.
  • If you don't run Art Student, you can also cut the two Calling in Favors to free up two card slots.
  • Has a respectable 2/2 soak
  • You can use her ability after triggering a Flashlight in order to get a clue for two fewer resources.

Cons:

Is it worth it? Probably - especially if you go for a doubt run of Dim Carcosa - but it does come at a price.

Suggested Upgrade path: Because there are multiple possible ways to go about the campaign (Lola vs. non-Lola, doubt vs. conviction at A Phantom of Truth, doubt vs. conviction Dim Carcosa, 2x Ornate Bow or not), there's no clear-cut upgrade path. Instead I've sorted the different cards into three categories (get first, second and last) with only the first category having a suggested order of purchase.

Along the way you'll also be switching level-0 cards in and out to suit the scenarios (see scenario guide).

Get first:

  1. Charon's Obol
  2. First Adaptable
  3. Streetwise
  4. 2 x Cat Burglar
  5. (Second Adaptable)

Get second:

Get Last:

Cards in parentheses are dependent on chosen build or choice of doubt/conviction.

At 29 XP (which you should reach at The Pallid Mask or Black Stars Rise) a deck could look something like this: https://arkhamdb.com/deck/view/248292.

An alternative build running Lola Santiago could look like this: https://arkhamdb.com/deck/view/248294.

These builds assume that you get 4-5 XP per scenario on average. That should be fairly easy when running Charon's Obol but you still have to keep an open eye for opportunities to clear VP-locations.


Scenario Guide

This is a general guide to the scenarios. I'll describe important upgrades and general play.

Before you set up, go over the locations so you have an idea which of your investigation tools are best suited for each location.

As with the Dunwich campaign, your main objective is to gather XP and not take too much trauma - everything else should be considered optional.

Doubt vs. Conviction: Either path is possible. The main differences will be how A Phantom of Truth and Dim Carcosa plays.

Note that it's possible to get either a doubt or conviction run of "Phantom" and still get the opposite version of Dim Carcosa. This is actually often the best way to go about it, as the build that's best for one version of A Phantom of Truth is usually better suited for the opposite version of Dim Carcosa.

Keep a close eye on your doubt/conviction track and remember that you'll get at least one doubt after Echoes of the Past (we don't want that amulet).

I personally think that going for a conviction A Phantom of Truth and a doubt Dim Carcosa is the easiest path.

The most important differences to upgrades are as follows:

Curtain Call:

Upgrades: None

Play: Curtain Call has a well-deserved reputation for being a real nut-buster. This is very much still true on expert difficulty and to be perfectly honest, I've never been able to achieve more than about 60% chance of getting out without trauma. Your main goal is therefore to get at least 2 XP and hopefully resign.

The scenario presents you with the following tasks: Get 3 clues off different locations (at least one of which will be 3+ shroud), then deal with The Man in the Pallid Mask twice and finally resign from the Lobby. Along the way you'll probably have to deal with the Royal Emissary in some way.

A speed-run of the scenario is your best way of to get out in one piece. Mulligan for help getting clues - especially some way to get clues from two 3+ shroud locations. If you have that, look for a Dynamite Blast.

You should aim to get the three clues off the Balcony, the Lobby and one of the two other adjoining locations. The order you investigate those locations in is entirely dependent of the cards you have in hand. If you didn't get the opening hand you need, consider spending a few actions drawing cards in the Lobby.

Even if you don't have a Flashlight, you have a decent chance to investigate the Balcony using your base as long as you only have 0-1 horror (where a will still let you pass the test). It's obviously even better if you can pitch some -icons. Consider doing that early.

When/if you get the three required clues, advance. You'll then have to deal with The Man in the Pallid Mask. A Dynamite Blast is the easiest way to do this. However, unless you've already drawn both copies, consider using Backstab or investigating in order to save the Dynamite Blast for later. You'll likely have to pitch multiple cards to that test.

A nice trick at this point is to leave a clue you don't need on a revealed VP-location. Any Fanatic you draw will hoover up the clue and give you an XP for, essentially, free.

At this point, the Royal Emissary will likely have appeared. You might be able to kill it with Backstab + Coup de Grâce, but more likely you'll have to avoid it. Elusive and Narrow Escape (remember that it's massive, so won't follow when you move) are your best friends here.

Move to the Lobby and deal with The Man in the Pallid Mask again, then resign (possibly using "I'm outta here!" if you moved away from the Lobby to get an easier investigation test).

If you can manage it, try to have the Royal Emissary in the same location as The Man in the Pallid Mask, dynamite them and move in for the kill with Coup de Grâce. Resign next turn.

Easy, right? It really isn't though, so don't be disappointed if you end up biting the dust. If it becomes apparent that you won't make it out, make sure to have at least 2 XP (but preferably 3+) and for the love of all that is holy, don't leave Searching for Izzie on the board! Two trauma from the first scenario is not good and I'd probably start over if that happened.

The Last King:

Upgrades: Get Charon's Obol first. If you have additional XP, get Adaptable and switch the two Coup de Grâce for two Double or Nothing. The next XP should go towards a Cat Burglar (replacing Dario El-Amin). If, by some miracle, you have 5+ XP after Curtain Call, get Charon's Obol and a Streetwise first, then Adaptable and Cat Burglar.

Play: First, you should read SgtMook's excellent guide here: https://arkhamdb.com/decklist/view/5343/to-carcosa-and-back-solo-expert-tptc-the-last-king-1.0. Your plan is very similar to that, but remember that Jenny can get to 10 resources faster, so parleying in the Ballroom is slightly less important.

Because you don't have access to all the survivor tricks, getting Constance Dumaine and Sebastien Moreau can be difficult. Concentrate on the three other VIPs and don't fall into the trap of ending your turn on the Gallery.

Whether or not to burn down the house is up to you. All five VIPs are likely alive, but you are speed-running most scenarios, so they rarely turn up in time to interfere with your plans. I'd suggest simply barring the door and walking away - especially if you've already got some mental trauma.

Echoes of the Past:

Upgrades: Get Streetwise. Additional XP go towards your first Cat Burglar, if you don't already have it, and maybe even your second (replacing Stealth) unless you are saving for weapons to use in a doubt A Phantom of Truth.

Switch the Working a Hunch for a Drawn to the Flame and start rotating the Fine Clothes for something more useful (Perception and Coup de Grâce are good in this scenario). You might want a second copy of Adaptable for this, if you have the XP to spare.

Play: Mulligan for a Flashlight and an ally.

The scenario revolves around getting seven clues. There are few really dangerous enemies or encounter cards, though you still have to watch out for the Agent of the King.

As long as you have a flashlight and an ally, you should have no trouble getting the initial four clues from the first floor locations.

When you get Mr. Peabody, move to the Hidden Library and gather the final three clues there. A Drawn to the Flame will greatly speed this process. If there wasn't a location with the "passageway" trait on the first floor, go straight to the third floor as there might not be one on the second floor either. Don't bother trying to kill the Possessed Oathspeaker.

Leave the amulet.

The Unspeakable Oath:

Upgrades: Get Charisma and consider getting a Lockpicks and/or a second Cat Burglar (if you didn't already). Unless you are saving for Lola Santiago or a weapon, this is a great time to get a Sure Gamble (replacing Desperate Search). Also, get one or two Lucky! or Premonition (replacing Dynamite Blast(s)) and consider switching a Desperate Search for a Sleight of Hand.

If you have a single XP left over, you can also get Moxie (replacing a Desperate Search).

Play: Another rightly feared scenario. You have to gather a lot of clues, avoid or kill a lot of enemies and pass some two-difficulty tests (not a big problem on standard difficulty, but it can be a hurdle on expert). Finally, you have to cover a lot of ground while doing the above.

Fortunately, for you, you are very good at staying mobile. Most of the enemies are stationary, so you can often simply bypass them using Cat Burglar or Elusive and you can get most of the clues you need from shroud 1-2 locations.

Mulligan for investigation tools - especially a Flashlight. Start in the Western Asylum Halls, get any clue there, then move to the Mess Hall and get the two clues. If there wasn't a clue on the Asylum Halls, move to the Yard for the final one and advance. Make sure you have enough resources to boost / to nine+ (both is better but I would settle for boosting one if I could get it to 10).

"Incite a fight" in the yard and move to the Garden to get the clue and "distract the guards".

If you have the cards to pass the (2) test you should also clear the Kitchen and "set a fire" now. You'll have to pass at least one (2/x=horror) or (2) during the scenario, and this is a good time to do it. On the other hand, Say Your Prayers likely won't be online at this point, so you'll have to rely on your other cards. Lucky!/Premonition and Sure Gamble/Moxie (if you have them) can help. You may have to return later if you can't make the test at this point in time, which is less than ideal.

Move to the Basement Hall and begin looking for Daniel Chesterfield. You also need to activate at least one of the other cells. Dreary Cell is easiest for you, unless you have no horror (fat chance!), in which case Familiar Cell is better.

After that, you simply need to resign. Remember that "I'm outta here!" will let you resign even if there is an enemy on the Garden. Still, it's better to avoid having enemies there if you can help it.

"Heed the warning" if you don't mind conviction.

The Phantom of Truth:

Upgrades: This really depends on whether you have more doubt or conviction. If you have more conviction, you only really need the Cat Burglar and a Charisma (so you can play your Lola Santiago/Art Student while keeping the Cat Burglar on the table. Other than that, you simply stick to the normal upgrade path.

If you have more doubt, you should have two Ornate Bow. Two Cat Burglar and a Charisma won't hurt either.

In either case, you should rotate "I'm outta here!" out, as you won't be resigning any more. Think on Your Feet is good in this scenario.

Play: In a conviction run, we once again take a page from SgtMook. See his Wendy guide here: https://arkhamdb.com/decklist/view/5498/to-carcosa-and-back-solo-expert-tptc-a-phantom-of-truth-1.0. To summarize: Get a Cat Burglar in play and you should be fine.

This should be one of the easier scenarios. Between Elusive, Streetwise, Think on Your Feet and simply spending clues to auto-evade The Organist, you can get by for quite a while even without a Cat Burglar, and you have plenty of tools to hoover up clues from the VP locations. You can still be killed by a particularly unlucky streak of encounter cards, but that's always the case in this game.

A doubt run simply requires you to hit The Organist ( (3)) three times while spending a clue. That shouldn't be to much of a problem with Ornate Bow/Backstab. Since you are gearing up for a fight, you are well placed to kill some Byakhee, but a Cat Burglar will still let you pick your fights more easily.

The Pallid Mask:

Upgrades: Nothing particular, so reference the general upgrade guide. There are no 1/4 health enemies, so rotate any Coup de Grâce out of the deck.

Play: This is one of the more investigation-heavy scenarios in the campaign, but you should be well set up for that by now. Mulligan for investigation tools (a Flashlight will give you two easy clues from The Gate to Hell).

Other than that, simply get moving. The treacheries in the encounter deck are more concerned with slowing you down than outright killing you and most of the enemies can simply be bypassed with Cat Burglar.

You don't have full control over the layout, but try to get a mix of long corridors (to get distance from The Gate to Hell before the Specter of Death appears) and clusters (for dancing around hunter enemies).

Whether you advance act 2a by spending clues or killing The Man in the Pallid Mask is entirely up to you. Do that and get out.

You can try to kill the Specter of Death. Backstab/Ornate Bow and Double or Nothing can make short work of it. However, if you are pressed for time, simply avoid it.

If you draw Searching for Izzie later in the scenario, there's a good chance it'll spawn a long way away from you. I like to keep an Elusive handy for such an occasion.

Black Stars Rise:

Upgrades: You want two Sure Gamble at this point. Failing that, you can make do with one or two Moxie. Four-health enemies also return to the mix, so consider adding Coup de Grâce back in.

Play: Aside from the single (3) test you might be required to make, this scenario isn't so bad. You generally have plenty of time, and the map is large enough that you can avoid most enemies that you don't want to deal with.

I prefer advancing the "a"-agenda first, as Worlds Merge can hurt quite a bit. Remember that the amount of doom on the other agenda will determine whether you get a doubt or conviction.

Get the three clues needed to enter the Abbey Church and begin clearing clues from the Knight's Hall and Cloister. If you have the cards to make the -test (Sure Gamble/Moxie/Desperate Search), make sure to "find a guide" at the Cloister before you get hit by a Twisted to His Will and lose the cards you need. Otherwise, you can always busy yourself "finding the tower key" and seeing if the Abbey Tower is the correct location.

After that it's a simple matter of waiting for the correct agenda to advance, move to the Chapel of St. Aubert/Abbey Tower and find the two clues there. Remember that you can use Drawn to the Flame/Working a Hunch/Art Student to get clues off the Abbey Tower, as long as it was your last card in your hand. Remember that the other of those two locations will have two VPs, but only go for it if you have a good board state (including a charged-up Flashlight).

Keep an eye on the amount of doom on agendas, as it will turn -tokens from 0s to something approaching auto-fails and back to 0s again. This can help dictate when to attempt difficult tests.

Dim Carcosa:

The doubt and conviction versions of this scenario are so different from one another that is really doesn't make much sense trying to cover them both at once, so I'll split them.

General considerations: After pulling its punches for a couple of scenarios, the game is now back in full-on "I'm gonna murder you" mode. All though you've got a fairly generous time limit on the agendas (even accounting for placing a few doom at the beginning), there are a heap of beefy monsters in the encounter deck, as well as some of the nastiest treacheries the game has to offer.

You can't be defeated by horror, but it's still important that you keep a close eye on how much you've accumulated. There are two specific thresholds you should be aware of:

0 sanity: Once you reach 0 sanity, the scenario starts to hit you harder. Some treacheries become more dangerous, but the biggest issue is that the "physical" versions of Hastur begin treating 1, 0, -1 and as for attack and evade tests. In a hilarious turn of events, this is actually less bad on expert, where it "only" affects four tokens. It still means that more than 1/5th of all tests will auto-fail (there should be 23 tokens in the bag at this point), so you should take it into account. s also track how much horror you have, and this is about the point where you won't be able to keep up any more.

Hastur will begin dealing damage at this point, which may or may not be a problem.

Horror greater than twice your sanity: At this point you will be killed by any "possession" treachery. If you can't see a way to get rid of some horror, this is the point where you should throw caution to the wind. Taking more horror doesn't matter (s are already at least -14s), so you only need to worry about damage and speed.

Locations: You want to be flipping locations anyway in order to damage Hastur. However, they can also help you in other significant ways. This falls into three categories:

Dim Streets requires you to take skill tests, so you shouldn't use it unless you a holding something like a Sure Gamble.

The layout of map means that you can often avoid hunter enemies simply by having them go on the other side of the Palace of the King than the one you intend to use (look at the connections to see what I mean). If you can manage to get them into a single group, you might be able to stay clear of them for most of the game.

A note on Palace of the King: You'll need to flip this at some point. It can often wait until you are done dealing damage to Hastur, but you should at least clear the clues before agenda 2a flips, so you won't have to do so with the Beast of Aldebaran present.

Conviction:

Upgrades: You want at least two Ornate Bow/Chicago Typewriter in your deck at this point and a third wouldn't hurt. There are a bunch of four-health enemies, so you should also include both Coup de Grâce. On the other hand, you are only aiming to find about 6-7 clues (three of them from the two-shroud Palace of the King), so you can scale back on the clue-finding tools.

With regards to the five off-faction cards, there are a couple of options. Some of them should still be dedicated to clue-finding, but Fight or Flight can be extremely potent in this scenario, so you should include one or two copies. Premonition can also be very useful when attacking Hastur.

Play: Your first priority is self-defence against enemies. Mulligan for a Cat Burglar or a weapon. Failing that, look for economy to fuel Streetwise. Second priority is clue-finding tools.

Next you need two clues to advance the act. Your long-term goal is to deal Hastur three damage from locations and a good way to do this is through two damage from Dark Spires/Bleak Plains and one from somewhere else close by, so you might as well get the clues from those locations. Alternatively, get the clues from the Palace of the King.

Don't dawdle (this is a hostile environment) but also don't kill The Man in the Pallid Mask until you are ready to take on Hastur. You should at least have a weapon as well as some way to avoid Hastur (Cat Burglar/Elusive/Narrow Escape).

If you can deal three damage through locations, you only need to hit Hastur twice (once with Double or Nothing). Remember that Fight or Flight scales with the amount of horror you've taken, so it's more useful later on. It also nicely cancels out the -token.

You'll probably have to take some attacks from Hastur on the chin along the way, but that's just the way it is. With a bit of luck you should be able to deal the nine damage and flip the Palace of the King before succumbing to Carcosa. Good luck!

Doubt:

Upgrades: You are looking for even more clue-finding tools. The Skeleton Key is awesome here if you can afford it. If you are running Lola Santiago, you should also look for additional economy (primarily Hot Streak). Consider getting a Lockpicks. You should already have an Ornate Bow and keep the a Backstab or two as well as a Coup de Grâce.

For off-class cards, Perseverance can be nice, but otherwise you are simply using the usual Working a Hunch and Drawn to the Flame. Drawn to the Flame can be a bit dicey (it's a rough encounter deck), so I have tried switching one for a Scene of the Crime as a safer alternative.

Play: This should be the "easier" version of the scenario, as Jenny is much better at finding clues and evading than outright killing stuff. Mulligan for evasion (Cat Burglar, Elusive and economy cards) and clue-finding tools.

Other than that, it's mostly a matter of working fast. You need to deal damage from every location except one of the 1-damage ones (and that one should be Dim Streets).

Once again, make sure to clear the Palace of the King before agenda 2a flips.

You won't be exhausting Hastur through its card ability (a 4-6 test? Are you crazy?*), so your best bet is to do it through the locations (see above). You shouldn't go out of your way to do so, but it might give you a bit of breathing room.

*Well, Jenny probably is at this point, but that's another matter.

3 comments

Dec 24, 2018 Rancord · 1618

Nice read, btw you do not have your decks shared, so the example decks for 29 XP you list, will not show

Dec 25, 2018 Croaker13 · 2640

I'd made a mistake on the links - they should work now. Thank you for the heads-up.

Apr 16, 2024 Sillywiz · 1

If you had access to the 'book' cards, (Green Man Medallion and Sacrificial Beast) would you run them instead of Twin 45's and Izzie?