Introduction

This was my first crack at a Solo Forgotten Age Campaign with Mandy on Standard Difficulty. It was a blast to play. Despite using it for solo play it should even be easier to make it multiplayer compatible with little effort.

EDIT: The combo below with 3 Aces doesn't work. This doesn't change much on my impression, you can easily replace it with "Necronomicon + Sleight of hand" or put in more work to ensure that test (maybe Versatile + lvl 0 Will to survive) to keep the original idea.

This deck has it all (not at the start though) testless damage, testless clue gathering and testless evade.

I had previously played the campaign once before in multiplayer, so I was prepared for a few things. I had no experience with Mandy as an Investigator.

*0 Apologies in advance. There might be spelling or grammar mistakes as I'm not a native speaker.

*1 Weaknesses: I think triggering Shocking Discovery asap is very strong as it allows you search consistency afterwards until you reshuffle and you are in less trouble at the start of a scenario when you're forced to draw from the encouter set. Research Librarian and later Lucid Dreaming are especially useful for this.

*2 Deck size: In hindsight I think 30 cards will be better as despite the tutoring and draw it was still sometimes less consistent then I would have liked it (I might try to fine tune a second version to this number wich could affect upgrade choices)

3 Taboo: I didn't respect the Taboo list as I was initially afraid of Mandys fight value of 1. In hindsight I think you can cut Elusive especially if you are reducing decksize (see 2). Double or Nothing is a dead card in scenario 1 anyway. I included it to not spend the 1XP after scenario 1 to include it. If you stick to taboo it would mean that you need to get 3XP in the first scenario though (see later)

*4 Cost curve: Despite the highest cost being 3 resources this deck is resource heavy

*5 Despite using a lot of unidentified cards you must not use Shrewd Analysis

*6 Difficulty: Not sure how it'll do on higher difficulties but its testless qualities should make it viable on higher difficulties as well if you can do decently in the beginning. The first 2 scenarios might be tough.

The following will contain light campaign SPOILERS so stop reading if you want to prevent it. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Scenario 1 - Try to do decent and don't get poisoned

Taking binoculars is essential, you want 2XP going into Scenario 2. I also took map, torch and blankets. No Medicine! The reason for omitting medicine was that it doesn't help you unless you actually get poisoned and this deck has 8 expendable 1 or 3 use allies that protect against the (imo) biggest threat Snake Bite

There are scenario silver bullets in the deck list Fine Clothes is for dealing with Ichtaca and Knowledge is Power is only in the deck to help with "Interpreting the dream" asap.

Get rid of them asap afterwards. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Upgrade after scenario 1

You'll get 2XP from binoculars alone which will be used on the essential first upgrades 3x Three Aces and Ancient Stone

If you respect the taboo list you'll also sadly need 3 more XP for a one time use of Double or Nothing now.

If you have the XP left (difficult if you respect taboo) if possible (hopefully) upgrade to Dream Diary or Dream Diary. I went with the first but in retrospect the other might have been better (not sure yet)

If you have the XP left get Segment of Onyx to remove more unessential cards

I would not take Easy Mark yet as I think it is more useful to replace the silver bullets after scenario 2. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Scenario 2 - The Holy Grail

Silver bullets are "I'm outta here!" which breaks this scenario (imo) in solo play and Double or Nothing

When you reach the final location with your tutoring and draw you should have been able to get the cards to do the following: Play Ancient Stone Use ist investigate ability commiting 3x Three Aces and Double or Nothing This gives you all the clues and "Identified the stone[14]" !!! You can now advance and use "I'm outta here!" to win the scenario XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Upgrade after scenario 2

Get to two upgraded Ancient Stone asap Use Easy Mark or Segment of Onyx to cheaply remove your last silver bullets, Your base deck is now ready to mostly dominate scenarios. You now have lots of ways to do testless, non-opportunity attack inducing damage Mr. "Rook", Blood-Rite, Three Aces and Dream-Enhancing Serum. You have testless clue gathering in Occult Evidence, Art Student and possibly Pendant of the Queen. There is also possible testless evade in Pendant of the Queen XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The "hated" scenario

This deck is pretty well equippeg for scenario 6. It doesn't play any unique items. It has has two cards that naturally battle the hand size reduction in Laboratory Assistant and Dream-Enhancing Serum. So much so that I needed active measures to prevent me from finishing early. Once items are playable it gets a Essence of the Dream for free every turn that is a +4 (possibly +8) to any skill test. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Thoughts on other upgrades

*1 I took and liked:

Charisma allows for great synergy with Mandys two target ability and Calling in Favors

Studious great addition once you got the essentials

Lucid Dreaming another great card in this deck

*2 I took but are definitely optional and I'm not convinced of yet:

Glimpse the Unthinkable is also excellent in scenario 6 and might be an autokill for one attack of opportunity otherwise. (see below)

The Black Cat is a great soak card but as I took the Ichtaca-route its tablet ability is useless.

*3 I took but most likely wouldn't take again:

Strange Solution a lot of XP for a card I only used once in the campaign, another suboptimal choice due to Mandys bad combat.

Surprising Find this is a trap (imo). Despite the decks concept it is not as good as it seemed to me when I looked at it. (Replaced all of them at later stages of the campaign). Too many research cards make for bad draws and opening hands.

*4 Cards I didn't take but should be worth it:

I didn't take these because I wanted to test the deck without some very powerful tried and true cards

Higher Education

Relic Hunter + Key of Ys

*5 Cards I considered but ended up not taking (lacking XP and/or deck space):

No Stone Unturned or Cryptic Research

The Red-Gloved Man

*6 Possibly interesting

Versatile might be an option to create deck space for high-impact high-XP cards later in the Campaign despite Mandys deck building option to create this deck space from the beginning with a benefit (see Intro #2)

Dr. Elli Horowitz can search for Segment of Onyx and Ancient Stone so it could be a possible later include if going Versatile and maybe Pnakotic Manuscripts XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Thoughts on Non-Essential Cards

Fine Clothes only needed for scenario 1

Knowledge is Power only needed until you have "interpreted the Dream"

Double or Nothing only needed for scenario 2

"I'm outta here!" only needed until scenario 2

Strange Solution I had fond memories of using Minh Thi Phan but in hindsight wasn't worth it

Quick Thinking and Eureka! nice but not necessary

"I've got a plan!" expensive and very situational until you "have identified the Stone" your only source of big damage beside Blood-Rite but I think it is cuttable

Elusive, Slip Away and Decoy cutting 1 if reducing deck size should be a given.

Art Student, Laboratory Assistant, Research Librarian cutting 1 if reducing deck size might be necessary

Shortcut is amazing but you might need to cut it if you reduce deck size

Crack the Case I replaced early, but given the decks resource consumption might be worth keepping XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Perfect Storm

This might be a possible action if you're set up that doesn't need a card in hand or resources. 1 It's not as unlikely as it may seem and usually a lesser variant of this will suffice. 2 For pratical purposes I found one Dream-Enhancing Serum and Ancient Stone in play to be sufficient.

Free: Use Mr. "Rook" to draw Calling in Favors and trigger Astounding Revelation for two resources.

Free: Evade enemy using Pendant of the Queen

Action: Play Calling in Favors using Mandys double target to put two Laboratory Assistant into play

Free: Trigger both Laboratory Assistant for 4 more cards drawn.

Free: Trigger both Dream-Enhancing Serum when you draw a double for another two cards drawn.

Free: Use both Ancient Stone 7 times for 14 Damage

ANCIENTONEDEAD

Another Perfect Storm

This requires only one Ancient Stone and Dream-Enhancing Serum each in play and one resource to play Glimpse the Unthinkable for one opportunity attack and up to 21 cards (more with better setup) drawn.

Use Ancient Stone 14 times for 14 damage

ANCIENTONEDEADAGAIN