Moxie

Moxie is probably my pick for #2 Composure behind Plucky. It in a faction that loves the pay-to-win mechanic, and it has stats that are generally very useful to those who can take it.

  • Sefina is a no-brainer for Mox, as she's basically a Mystic and loves to turn those Painted Streaks into Shrivelling hits.
  • Although Jenny seems like a likely candidate, she often enjoys Streetwise, which already comes with a superior booster, so you're taking Mox for the pump. If I could afford the off-faction slots, I'd sooner take Physical Training than Moxie for the complementary stats.
  • Skids and Finn both make for surprisingly effective homes for Moxie. By playing either of these gentlemen, you're resigning to fail most tests. However, some are still must-pass, and Mox becomes an "in case of emergency, break glass" tool for help your Frozen in Fear and Rotting Remains woes. The booster is also welcome for either gator.
  • Wendy very much enjoys this card as well. Her already good means Mox covers you for any extra difficult willpower tests, and she's obviously going to love the agility help. Wendy has access to economy like Hot Streak(2), and Survivors also don't have a ton of expensive cards to play.
  • Leo seems to be least likely on this list to take Mox, mostly because he's very money-hungry and doesn't have the extra cash to fuel this. Also, his is so laughably low that he will have to pay too much during must-pass agility tests.

Overall a situational but effect tool for most investigators.

PureFlight · 783
Isn’t your review somewhat contradictory regarding Leo’s must pass speed tests and willl tests for Finn? I agree he won’t have Ressources for it as both deck options are very expensive. — Django · 5163
@Django I agree with the review actually, even though it contradicts itself. Will tests are far more likely to be fatal for gators, while agility tests are simply inconvenient. — SGPrometheus · 847
Boosting Willpower is the reason you mostly want this card as a rogue, and most willpower tests will come from treacheries. You might think that since this card is fast you can just wait till you draw a treachery whose test you absolutely cannot afford to lose, but that doesn't work. Keep in mind that fast assets, unlike fast events, can only be played on a player window during your turn. You must play Moxie early on to be sure you are prepared to face a nasty treachery but that exposes you to risk of losing the card. — Killbray · 12468
Norman Withers

When Norman Withers was first released, my initial reaction was disappointment. He's a Seeker character with the Miskatonic keyword, but he can't use Higher Education! It's such a good card for Seeker investigators that I almost immediately dismissed him once I learned he didn't have access to it.

After using him once through The Path To Carcosa campaign, I've changed my mind and I think that he's a very capable investigator - possibly one of the best.

Card Pool

Norman technically has one of the smaller card pools. In addition to the Neutral card options, he can take level 0 Seeker and level 1-5 Mystic cards, with up to 5 level 0 Mystic cards that can be splashed into the deck. This essentially means that he has access to a little more than one class's worth of cards, which is less than the pool of cards available to most investigators. For reference: as of this writing, this is only a little better than the card pool of Father Mateo (all Mystic cards plus 5 starting experience) and on par with characters like Mark Harrigan (all Guardian cards with some low-level Tactics cards). At face value, Norman's card pool is not quite as good as most core set investigators since they get one full class's worth of cards plus 2 levels' worth of cards in a secondary class, and it's also not quite as good as the Dunwich investigators who get a full class's worth of cards as well as any 5 level 0 cards.

However, in my opinion, level 0 Seeker cards are some of the best level 0 cards in the game. You get cards that amplify Norman's strengths like Magnifying Glass and Dr. Milan Christopher. You also get cards that shore up his weaknesses like "I've got a plan!" and Mind over Matter. All in all, there's some solid options.

Similarly, Mystic cards are generally some of the best experience options in the game as well (barring Blood Pact, which doesn't quite stack up to its counterparts in other classes). Shrivelling (3) and Shrivelling (5) are powerhouse combat options. Grotesque Statue is great for improving critical tests and working around the token. Ward of Protection (2) and Ward of Protection (5) are great counters to some terrible encounter cards. Again, there's a lot of solid options.

For the level 0 Mystic cards, Norman has access to the regular Shrivelling as well as Holy Rosary. Players who are feeling bold can even use these slots on Delve Too Deep. However, I personally think the best use of these slots is for 2 copies of Arcane Research since it lets him power-level Shrivelling and makes getting Ward of Protection (5) much more viable.

Overall, I think he's got some good choices.

Stat Line

I think that Norman Withers might have one of the best stat lines of all investigators. He has:

  • 4 - this stat matches that of many Mystic investigators. It means he can cast spells with the best of them and avoid most nasty Treachery cards that deal horror.
  • 5 - the same as Daisy Walker. This stat is very strong and means Norman will be able to gather clues very effectively.
  • 2 - this stat is not very good. However, it's a shortcoming that Norman can work around with his card pool. Most tests are against monster enemies, and Norman can normally handle those with Shrivelling, Mind over Matter, or "I've got a plan!" All of these cards key off of his stronger and stats.
  • 1 - This is probably Norman's most glaring weakness. Conventional wisdom says that low can be managed around if you have good combat options, because fighting is often better than running away. However, there are some Treachery cards that deal damage for a failed test, and Norman only has 6 health. It's best to pack some Painkillers or bring a Ward of Protection for those kinds of situations.

Barring some unusual scenarios, most of the tests Norman makes will be either tests or tests, and those stats are very good for him. His and are low, but he has cards in his pool that can work around those shortcomings so he can ignore those flaws rather than try to improve them to a passable level. This lets Norman focus on his strengths: investigating and casting spells. He is the first investigator to have a base stat of 4 and a base stat of 5! His focus on having 2 strong skills makes him very specialized and very powerful in his areas of expertise.

Special Abilities

Overall, I would say Norman's power is just OK. Being able to see the top card of the deck is normally useful, and having the option to play it effectively means Norman has one extra card in his hand at any given time. Being able to play that card at a one-resource discount is nice, but it's not as strong a benefit as Jenny Barnes, who is granted one extra resource a turn by her ability. I say this because Norman will not normally be able to benefit from his discount every turn, so the savings are not enough to rival what Jenny Barnes would make over the course of the game.

I normally measure the usefulness of an investigator's ability based on how it saves actions over the course of the game. Finn Edwards has an extra action, but it has to be used to evade. Jenny Barnes gains an extra resource, and gaining a resource is normally an action. Roland Banks discovers a clue when he defeats an enemy, which effectively saves him one action. Using this metric, it's hard to see if Norman's ability saves many actions by comparison. Like I mentioned before, it's essentially a constant +1 card with the occasional resource saved on that card's discount. I would say it's a situationally useful ability, but not one that's worth building the whole deck trying to leverage it.

There is sort of the unfortunate side effect that Norman can be hit by his Weakness cards immediately after he draws his opening hand. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it can be quite difficult. Being subjected to Paranoia or Amnesia before getting to play any cards is really, really brutal, and any enemy cards you draw will hamper your first few actions. If you choose to play as Norman, you need to be aware that it can happen - I would say this makes him slightly more vulnerable to Weakness cards than the average investigator.

In multiplayer, Norman's ability does improve communication a little bit. While players can't share what is in their hands, everyone is able to see Norman's revealed card. This means everyone can plan around it and discuss the best way to use it. It's not a big benefit but it's kind of neat.

Norman's ability is relatively unremarkable. It will normally just provide a bonus to succeeding. Being able to switch the card will let Norman take advantage of his top-card discount slightly more frequently, but it doesn't usually make that big of a difference.

Overall

I think Norman Withers compares fairly well against other investigators up through The Forgotten Age. His 5 means he can investigate with the best of the Seeker investigators and his 4 means he can cast spells on the same level as Mystic investigators. His card pool is a little smaller than normal, but it's focused enough to support him to do what he's meant to do. Once he earns enough experience, Norman Withers is a force to be reckoned with.

The fact that Norman can hit a Weakness at the very start of the game can be a downside, and occasionally might trigger back to back if they are next to each other in his deck, but I think it is worth mentioning the counterpoint: Norman’s Weakness are NEVER a dead draw for him, unlike every other investigator. Since they trigger immediately on reveal, they never are instead of him drawing a card. — Death by Chocolate · 1489
Nice review. You 've covered all aspects of the character, nice job. Even though I haven't played Norman, I agree with all of your points. They seem to be quite logical, I would make the same thoughts. Also, getting hit by a weakness at the very start of the game is indeed brutal and it would definitely concern me if I ever played this character. @Death by Chocolate That's a good point, but I think the advantage you get is very little compared to the risk you take of drawing a weakness b4 you even get to play a card (now what are the chances you might say -and you would probably be right, but I have a tendency to fear for the worst!!) — matt88 · 3222
@matt88 Hitting weaknesses sucks whenever, but hitting a Weakness at the very start let’s you deal with it before you have other problems to worry about (especially in multiplayer) and means not having to play around that Weakness for the rest of the game. Obviously this doesn’t hold up as well in Solo mode when an enemy Weakness coming out before you’ve had a turn to set up is a huge set-back, but in multiplayer I would love to get a Weakness out of the way early - especially in a seeker deck with ‘bonus draw’ from his ability can easily tear through his deck and will likely hit his weaknesses eventually. — Death by Chocolate · 1489
It’s important the point out that Norman’s ability is +1resource and +1 card whenever he uses it. It’s not just a ‘constant’ extra card because using the card causes it to ‘draw’ to replace itself. — Difrakt · 1325
@Death by Chocolate Even in multiplayer it's still troublesome. If you draw something like Paranoia or Amnesia it's totally brutal!! You definitely don't want to lose your starting 5 resources or the cards you mulliganed for and if an enemy weakness is drawn, your teammates will probably have to spend a turn preparing before they can deal with it. Getting a weakness out of the way early on is beneficial indeed sometimes, I will agree to that, but when you draw it at the very start of the game b4 any player has had the chance to play a card can cause many problems. Weaknesses are encounter cards and the game gives you one turn to prepare b4 you face any of them, so drawing one before you get the time to prepare is something you definitely don't want to happen. — matt88 · 3222
@Death by Chocolate - You’re right about Norman’s weakness not normally being a dead draw due to his ability. However, one of his two starting weaknesses is “Vengeful Hound” which turns off Norman’s ability as part of its effect, so that one actually is a dead draw. — ArkhamInvestigator · 313
@Difract - You’re correct, it’s not really a constant +1 card. However, I think I phrased it like that initially because Norman is one of those odd investigators who can still play a card even when he has no cards left in his hand. So, where most investigators have 5 cards to choose to play at start, Norman has 6. Most investigators have a max hand size of 8, but Norman’s is functionally 9 if you count his top card as a playable option. Of course, he can’t commit his top card to tests - he can only play it, and that does complicate things. I think that often causes Norman decks to skew away from skill cards. I think that skill cards are still worth it in the early stages of a Norman deck - they have a bit of anti-synergy with his ability, but I don’t think it’s a reason to avoid them entirely. — ArkhamInvestigator · 313
@Arkhaminvestigator Vengeful Hound isn’t a dead draw because it doesn’t prevent him from drawing the card that revealed it. (Although it could cause him to draw a Weakness normally while it is in play.) — Death by Chocolate · 1489
Did you mention the fact that playing cards from the top of your deck is effectively a draw effect? I.E you save 1 resource AND generate an extra draw. — Tsuruki23 · 2578
Roland Banks

In context of solo play Roland is very solid pick because his statline and cardpool allows him to get clues as well as deal with enemies. Roland´ ability is basicially a once per round use of evidence which can be used to clear clues of high shroud locations which he is unable to investigate with cards such as Flashlight and Magnifying Glass. This becomes especially important in solo play there the presence of enemies usually means that you need to waste actions on dealing with them. However, in context of Roland´s ability the presence of enemies is beneficial as they can be used in order to make progress towards the act deck. This theme is further developed by cards such as On the Hunt which spawns enemies at your locations and Scene of the crime which profits from the presence of enemies at your location.

Roland´s glaring weaknesses are his low willpower and sanity. Roland´s willpower of three makes him vulnerable to nasty willpower treacheries and the existence of encounter cards which can deal up to three (or even more) horror means that Roland is prone to go mad during the course of a scenario. What makes this situation worse ist that Roland´s unique weakness Cover Up forces you to either waste time in order to get rid of the clues on it or to take a mental trauma which makes it even more likely that Roland will go insanse.

While these weaknesses were huge problems at the beginning of the game when there were not a lot of good ways to deal with them, the growing card pool has mitigated them more and more: the dunwich cycle introduced cheap expendable allies such as Art Student and Dr. William T. Maleson who could soak sanity damage and provided additonal benefits for Roland. During the Path to Carcosa cycle Roland got access to cards such as Forewarned and Logical Reasoning which provided him with even more ways to deal with nasty treacheries or heal horror. At the same time Roland also got access to more and more cards which allow him to place clues on locations such as Quick Study from the current Forgotten Age Cycle. These cards allowed Roland to place clues on locations in order to mitigate a situation in which Cover Up came up and there were no collectable clues in play. All of this in mind I think Roland is a very beginner friendly investigator who allows you to play a guardian who contributes not only in regard of slaying the beasts of Arkham but also in regard of clue gathering.

Warforce17 · 1410
You don’t need clues on your location to deal with cover up. You can investigate empty locations for that purpose. — Django · 5163
No you can't — MoiMagnus · 63
That's stated in the FAQ section of cover up page. "You cannot trigger Cover Up if there are no clues on your location." — MoiMagnus · 63
Excellent review! What do you make of his replacement cards? — Myriad · 1226
I sadly do not have access to the replacement cards so I am unable to test them. My impression are: — Warforce17 · 1410
The replacement weakness is better than Cover Up because it forces you to drop less clues with the offset that it is repeatable. However, since Roland usually does not draw a lot of cards I do not think of this as a serious drawback. One of Cover Up´s biggest issues is that it can be drawn in a moment in which you would normally not need to collect clues. This can force you to invest actions in order to prevent trauma. The replacement card does not have this issue. The signature replacement cards is a powered up working a hunch. It can be useful but I think that the gun is better because it is a free weapon card in your deck. This opens a slot for other cards. — Warforce17 · 1410
s/b "had", not "has", int he quote — BremenRADS · 13
Roland's special power is deceptively strong. A clue usually costs an action, additional resources and even then isn't a sure thing. With come over here, or an ally with scrying not only can he eliminate threats, but at the same time get clues from high shroud locations. Properly engineered he is amazing in team games. — Titar · 3
Contraband

I think this card is gaining new life after the introduction of the M1918 BAR. Sure, it's ain't cheap. But in curent cardpool only 2 investigators can use this combo. Leo Anderson, who has access to a Lonely Wolf and Hot Streak(2), and Zoey Samaras, who gain resource when engage the enemy (and She can use Lonely Wolf as well). I finds M1918 as an excellent card for both trash mobs and bosses, but it requires a different approach than Shotgun or Lightning Gun. Both Venturer, and Extra are Ammunition pretty bad for M1918 BAR, and without Contraband, this card will not show its true potential.

Clash77 · 68
I agree. Custom Ammunition is probably the only guardian reload that is worth its salt because it can let you squeeze more shots out of the BAR. — Myriad · 1226
Sleight of Hand

Most people think guns when they think about this card, but imagine Rex Murphy pulling Strange Solution (Acidic Ichor) out of his sleeves, dealing 9 damage, and be ready to play that card normally the next round! Also great with a Flashlight.

Ezhaeu · 51
I have made a build for Rex containing this cards. https://arkhamdb.com/decklist/view/7301/acid-rex-1.0 — Clash77 · 68