StartWithTheName · 64110
This is one of a set of decks designed to create a demonstration set to let new players try the game out. The intention is to give new players a meaningful choice between chars by making each play a little different to the others without overly nerfing them to the point of not being fun. This does mean some decks are stronger than others but no one has so far has cared.
The other decks can be found here: [This section under construction - I will edit these as I publish each deck but bare with me it might take a few days do to the write ups]
Roland: Firearm based combatant with passive clue acquisition.
Zoey: Heavy duty melee damage purist.
Skids: Combat rogue with high evasion and burst damage options.
Jenny: Cash driven multi action generalist
Daisy: Clue hunter/caster hybrid with additional support functionality.
Rex: Ellusive heavy duty clue hunter
Wendy: Stealth rogue, event driven reactive deck
Ashcan: Draw heavy flexible damage dealer and clue hunter hybrid
If you don’t mind proxying or some substitutions, the only restriction between using some of these together is in the unique allies though I have tried to minimise overlap by only allowing them to be in pairings I would not expect to be picked together very often (Milan in both seekers, Leo in both rogues etc).
Disclaimer: Where possible I have tried to test these decks, though some have had more testing than others and one or two are as yet untested. I have added a second disclaimer at the bottom where this is the case. As I get the chance to try them out I may well update them a bit. I certainly welcome feedback if anyone does try them out or has suggestions.
PLAYING AS Pete: Flexible damage dealer/Clue Hunter hybrid
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Scooby Snacks: As with most Ashcan decks, you should be aiming to use Duke twice a turn most turns, for this you`ll need cards. Thankfully the years on the road has made Pete an expert at salvaging from the trash. At the heart of this deck is a Scavenging based discard engine. The deck has 8 item cards with either , or pips which can either be discarded to reset Duke, played naturally, or committed to skill tests as needed. Its usually worth keeping a Magnifying Glass or two in play where possible to maintain the Scavenging triggers, but do note that if you have to recur it, it is fast to install at least which minimizes tempo loss. Similarly Fire Axe is very cheap to play and it isnt a huge hit to overwrite it as needed. Similarly if you decide to put the Rabbit's Foot into play, it can be used as a small draw engine to keep your hand stocked up though this occurs less often than you might imagine, usually only from encounter deck tests or a dreaded tentacle moment.
Let Me At 'Em! Duke's fight ability is strong in its own right particularly for the + 1 damage. It cant be combined with weapons, but it can be augmented to hit higher enemies. Beat Cop (Fred?) provides a constant +1, while Overpower and Oops! give you four cards with double pips to commit to attacks. Leather Coat and Fire Axe offer recurable pips. Obviously, they can also be used as a damage soak/alternative attack method respectively as well, with the axe's very generous pumping rate compensating for Pete's low innate . Getting the bonus damage from the axe is a secondary consideration. Its here for accuracy mainly and dealing with enemies who have an odd number of HP.
My Glasses! Duke's second ability combines a free move action with an investigation at the new location. Note that attacks of opportunity are only checked for at your starting location, so it is entirely viable to use duke to move into a location with an enemy and investigate it prior to becoming engaged. The Magnifying Glasses and Perceptions give you means improve your odds on investigating with Duke and triggering Scavenging. "Look what I found!" and Drawn to the Flame give you back up options for awkward areas or that third non-Duke action.
Zoinks! Encounter protection comes in the form of skill cards with most encounters testing to prevent horror or to prevent damage. These are protected by Guts and Manual Dexterity respectively. It is often worth keeping the Lucky!s and Unexpected Courage back for the same purposes, though base 4 is a solid start anyway. Bare in mind you can always soak damage and horror on Leather Coat and Beat Cop. If you found this isnt enough (and i never have). Swapping Drawn to the Flame for a Holy Rosary would provide a recurable sanity soak and boost. Ive seen alot of decks putting The other Pete in an ashcan deck, but i find this a massive over compensation. It also makes him unavailable for other investigators who might have a better synergy (Agnes Baker or Wendy Adams) if theyre in your party. Dont get me wrong, Petes a really great card, but you really dont need all four stats to be at 4. your much better off with boosts to your key stats then just soaking the odd hit (Shame really as he`d make a fantastic Fred!).
Jinkies! (Upgrading) Since you wont feel the pressure to upgrade Peter Sylvestre, you now have plenty of xp to spend on things that contribute to your progression rather than your off spec stats. With draw being important in this deck, the bonus draw on upgraded Lucky! is quite a decent boost here. Note that the Bulletproof Vest and Elder Sign Amulet are both items with pips, and a bonus or pip respectively. In this build these are alternative upgrades for Oops! or Leather Coat (careful on the price if you plan on wearing it though) for , or Guts or possibly Rabbit's Foot for . Note that the Elder Sign Amulet can take the sanity soaking role of Holy Rosary in the above paragraph quite easily. Finally im yet to see a deck where Will to Survive doesn't help.
thanks for the set man! it´s very useful for beginners like me!