Parallel "Ashcan" Pete | The true drifter experience

Hello everyone! Welcome to my parallel "Aschan" Pete deck. This deck focuses on using traps, musical instruments and other resources in order to manage enemies and help our companions, making the smallest amount of tests possible. Note that this is a full support deck and gets stronger as the player count goes up.

Since we are drifters we need no belongings. This deck features no other assets than animal replacements for our loyal Duke who has stayed in daycare (which has caused Pete some trauma) . The idea is simple, keep the enemies far away from your group, scout and easen the locations and let them do the dirty work (investigating, yuck).

I recommend using the 3 xp provided by In the Thick of It for the Net upgrade on Makeshift Trap, which is really helpful.

As for level 0 cards, the idea is the following:

• Stray Cat For 1 resource and 1 action we get an auto-evade that can really save us or our teammates (since we don't have to be engaged to the enemy). Just great.

• Pete's Guitar The star of out deck. We can move enemies to where we want and on top of that, win resources or heal horror. We still miss our old Duke, but we can sing a song in his honor.

• Barricade This card has been sitting in my collection since day one, and I thought it would stay forever this way. Now you can make a bunker and when you're done, move, retrieve it and play it again in the new location! If any enemy spawns inside it, you can always kick it using the guitar.

• Breach the Door This card is really good. We might require some assistance with icons, but if gets through is totally worth it. Also if we get our we can retrieve it.

• Dynamite Blast For when everything else fails...

• Hiding Spot Sometimes you will need to get through a location full of trapped enemies. For that times this cards assures safe passage.

• Kicking the Hornet's Nest Everything is too calm? You need resources? You feel like picking up a clue?. If any of this answer is yes, here you go.

• Live and Learn Sadly, sometimes we will need to make some tests. This cards will us when everything else fails.

• Makeshift Trap The star of the show. We can lock, damage and weaken foes. Take note that Explosive Device upgrade doesn't combos with our character ability, so you will have to choose if doing 3 damage or retrieving the card to our hand.

• Making Preparations A nice card that provides a boost to the whole team.

• Map the Area Very useful in high veil locations or with hard printed tests that need to be repeated. Remember you can retrieve it with your

• Predator or Prey? Another dilemma which will help us position the enemies or investigators where we want them.

• Toe to Toe An attack??? This was not in the plans. We shall pay with blood not taking the test.

• Able Bodied We don't have more than one Item in our deck, so this card is always going to us 3 icons.

• Grizzled Very good card to spend XP on. In this card comments there is a link with a very useful link about a stadistical trait analysis. I reccommend taking a look.

• Take Heart For that high tests.

• Unexpected Courage Two icons is always nice.

Other interesting cards:

• "Let me handle this!" Some treacheries can be nasty and we may be able to sort them out. Or just suck it.

• Elusive A useful card for repositioning.

• Heroic Rescue Same idea as "Let me handle this!".

• On the Hunt We can place an enemy where we want it with this, yet I feel many conditions are required to make it work, so it doesn't makes the cut.

• Shortcut As Elusive, an useful card for repositioning you or your teammates.

• Stand Together Useful if you consider you or teammates are short of resources.

Possible card upgrades:

• Grizzled and Makeshift Trap upgrades. Remember that Grizzled allows 6 XP and Makeshift Trap allows 8 XP. The upgrades you would want depends on the campaign.

For Grizzled I reccomend choosing "Specialist" for a 3rd trait for 1xp and "Always Prepared" for 5xp.

For Makeshift Trap apart from the "Net" upgrade I already mentioned I do reccomend taking "Simple" and "Remote configuration" for 2 xp each. We can only spend 1xp more that you may want to spend on "Improved Timer". If you want a more aggresive approach, take "Explosive device"

• Ambush (1) I don't really like this card. 2 damage isn't an ideal number and it also costs 2 damage and requires you to stay on the location or lose the effect. It has some combo with On the Hunt.

• At a Crossroads (1) This is a usefull support card. Nothing else.

• Barricade (3) You shall not pass.

• Close Call (2) For those nasty nasty enemies.

• Dynamite Blast (3) Bigger, faster, better, stronger.

• Enchanted Bow (2) What's this? An asset?? absolutely barbaric. Yet this lil fella may help us dispatch some annoying enemies at a safe range.

• Fend Off (3) Similar to Toe to Toe but dealing permanently with the problem. Quite expensive though.

• Lure (1) & Lure (2) The lvl 2 version offers much more for only an XP point. This card can save an scenario in the right time.

• Snare Trap (2) This card dispatches an enemy for two turns. Is good, yet is not amazing.

Hemlock Vale expansion possible cards:

I don't own Hemlock Vale expansion yet, so I haven't included these cards in the deck nor tried them. I will mention two cards that may fit the build.

• Elaborate Distraction This is expensive. 2 actions & 3 resources is a lot. Yet I think that this lets your party to split knowing you can help them from distance. Compared to Cunning Distraction I think is a much better alternative.

• Survival Technique I have mixed feelings about this card. At first glace, it seems great, you can get back Breach the Door and Map the Area as fast actions, yet is not as useful for traps and lures, we already have "Ashcan" ability in order to retrieve them. The +2 during a skill test seems nice as well. In order to make this work, you have to draw it, pay it and you also need to have played other cards which you can retrieve. Seems like a lot of conditions for a not so amazing effect. When I try it I will come back and tell you if I was wrong :)

Pros:

• Great for dealing with enemies.
• Almost a testless deck.
• Support actions.
• Can take some & tests.

Cons:

• Your investigation potential is near to zero.
• Has some problems against Elite enemies.
• If there are no enemies in game you won't have much to do.

Conclusion: Be a true drifter and improvise with your surroundings! Leave investigations for academics and if everything is calm, take your guitar and pick a good song!

I hope you like this deck! Let me know if you try it out. Cheers.