[Guide] Darrell has no clue

SUMMARY

This deck focuses around the card Research Notes. This card provides Darrell Simmons with evidence to power his ability main ability. It also negates the worst aspect of "place a clue" cards, which is recollecting the dropped clue.

• 4 - SETUP - It doesn't take many actions or resources before your deck is doing what it's supposed to do.
• 5 - CLUES - You will collect a lot of clues (some clues you'll collect multiple times).
• 3 - COMBAT - You have a few methods to deal damage or remove monsters.
• 2 - MYTHOS - You have limited methods to deal with encounter cards.
  • 1 - SURVIVABILITY - You have limited methods to prevent or heal damage or horror.
• 3 - ECONOMY - You're decent and getting resources and drawing cards.

DECK BREAKDOWN

Let's break this deck down card by card:

• Research Notes: This deck is built around this card.

  • This card creates Evidence for Darrell Simmons
  • You can use the ability on high shroud / victory locations.
  • You'll be adding evidence with Quick Study, Captivating Discovery, Bizarre Diagnosis, Forewarned.
  • It's a tome! you can fetch it with Research Librarian.
  • It's a tome! Knowledge is Power is a Free and Fast use of the ability without having to pay any of the costs (spent evidence), which means you can use it find a BUNCH of clues very fast. This does feel broken & will likely be brought up in the next Taboo.

• Newspaper (2):

  • It was cheap! perfect for setup. as soon as you collect 1 additional clue, it pays for itself. After that, it's only value and you'll collect 5+ extra clues if played early.
  • It doesn't exhaust meaning you can trigger this multiple times in the same turn.
  • You'll be hovering around 0-2 clues as you constantly drop clues. This allows you a quick way to recollect them.

• Press Pass:

  • Everyone likes extra turns! Even triggers when not your turn.
  • If you have Quick Study you'll get it almost every turn.
  • It's an accessory, so you can only have one unless you invest in a Relic Hunter.
  • Even though I only run one in this deck, I have Captivating Discovery to help find it.

• Research Librarian:

  • This person fetches the most valuable card in the deck Research Notes. He serves no other purpose except perhaps damage and horror soak late game. Because Research Notes is so valuable to running this deck, I have him as an auto-include.
  • Dr. William T. Maleson is the other obvious ally fighting for your ally slot. He's great at dodging the worst cards of the encounter deck. I find that Forewarned does his job well enough and if you don't have Research Notes it feels like the deck sputters, so I opt for Research Librarian. Charisma is an option if you want to run both, or play Dr. William T. Maleson after Research Librarian does his thing.

• Quick Study:

  • Once out, you'll likely use this ability each turn. It has too much synergy with your other cards not to use.
  • It gives you an extra turn with Press Pass.
  • It gives you evidence with Research Notes.
  • It counteracts Darrell Simmons low and .

• Darrell's Kodak

  • The best thing I can say about this card is that it's free and starts in play and gives you a few evidence at no real cost.
  • Definitely scenario specific. collecting evidence from treacheries is much easier than enemies.
  • The fact that it exhausts to put evidence on treacheries or enemies is pretty annoying and scales much better in larger player counts.
  • It's a lot of bookkeeping ( remember to place resources on enemies, and treacheries, then remembering to collect them if you find clues at their location).

• Bizarre Diagnosis

  • 0 cost! You have significant healing if you have a clue.
  • commit icons is rather nice.
  • Triggering Research Notes and Press Pass.
  • Darrell Simmons is squishy with only 6 health.
  • I run one, but if you have 2+ physical trauma, I would likely find a way to run another.

• Captivating Discovery

  • Insane draw potential. Drawing 6 cards for 1 action is insane.
  • Gives you lots of evidence on Research Notes.
  • Recollect clues with Newspaper and Research Notes.
  • Filters out weaknesses. You're not required to draw them.
  • Finds combo pieces Quick Study, Press Pass.

• Exploit Weakness

  • This is one of Darrell's few tricks to deal with monsters.
  • Lots of enemies an evade or fight value of 2 or less. Darrell Simmons ability allows you to automatically discard them!
  • Since it discards, it prevents non-elite enemies from joining the victory display.
  • It deals 3 damage and evades elite monsters!! These foes rarely have low stats, so you'll need Gumption and/or Map the Area to help reduce higher values.

• Shed a Light

  • Very similar to Exploit Weakness.
  • Low shroud locations net 2 extra clues!
  • The "... 1 additional clue from any location" allows you to collect evidence from far away evidence you placed with Darrell's Kodak.
  • Helps guarentee Deduction and Resourceful.
  • You can lower shrouds with Map the Area and Gumption, but less efficient as you're already a good clue finder.

• Forewarned:

  • Allows you to dodge the worse treacheries (Ancient Evils)
  • Avoids and treacheries as those are Darrell Simmons lowest stats.
  • Triggers Research Notes and Press Pass.

• Knowledge is Power

  • This card is fast.
  • This card is free.
  • This card is absolutely BUSTED with Research Notes. Use the ability without having to pay any of the costs (spent evidence), which means you can find a BUNCH of clues with no actions.
  • Fast means you can find clues, when there is a monster with evidence (from Darrell's Kodak engaged with you. Find the clues, collect that evidence, then use that evidence to fight or evade that monster!
  • Working a Hunch eat your heart out!

• Map the Area:

  • A very easy investigation test!
  • Reduce ALL tests by 1( You and your team). In some scenarios, one location becomes very important or you get stuck on at a location. Great for final boss fight preparation.
  • After I took it out for a scenario, I put it back in. It's a much better effect in practice even though the effect seems small on paper.
  • Reduces difficulty for Exploit Weakness and Shed a Light.
  • If you needed to cut any card, this is the one. Not ideal in some scenarios where you just move around a lot (edge of the earth, forgotten age).

• Shrine of the Moirai

  • I don't know why I don't see this card in more decks, it's a late-game powerhouse. You (& your team!!) can recollect your most powerful cards from your discard pile.
  • It's a fast action to collect the cards.
  • Gumption and Exploit Weakness. This is a boss-killer strategy. You can play this combo 3 turns in a row.
  • If you need clues, two Knowledge is Power will do the trick!
  • You really only need 1 of these.
  • Bonus if Gloria Goldberg is a teammate!

• Brute Force:

  • 3 damage!
  • Hurts elite foes!
  • You can get over the "...successful by 2 or more..." clause by bumping your stats with Quick Study, as well as lowering the difficulty with Darrell Simmons ability, Gumption, and/or Map the Area.

• Deduction

  • Finds 3 clues in 1 test.
  • If you can reduce the shroud to 0, Shed a Light can guarantee the extra clues. aka, great for 2 shroud locations with lots of clues.
  • 3 clues > 2 clues with Sharp Vision which fights for a slot in this deck.

• Resourceful

  • Survivor staple. Fetches most commonly Exploit Weakness, Shed a Light, or Brute Force.
  • Guaranteed success with Shed a Light and Exploit Weakness.

GAMEPLAY

• Opening Hand

  • Hard mulligan for Research Notes or Research Librarian (to fetch your Research Notes). Discard any other non-asset. Newspaper is great for the beginning. Only keep Quick Study if you have Research Notes or Newspaper too.

• Early Game

  • Ideally you want Quick Study and Research Notes in play. You're good to go after that.
  • Drop clues for Captivating Discovery to find combo pieces. You want to draw a minimum of 4 cards off it.
  • Your role is to find clues and complete odd-ball skill tests (like parley tests or remove treacheries like Locked Door, etc) with your difficulty reduction ability and Quick Study.

• Mid Game

  • If you have a key spot, place Map the Area for your team there.
  • You'll want to find your Press Pass as you can. The extra actions become more valuable the later you go in the scenario.
  • Save Brute Force and Exploit Weakness for the worst of the enemies.
  • Your role is to find clues and complete odd-ball skill tests.

• Late Game

  • Play Shrine of the Moirai.
  • Use Gumption and Exploit Weakness to deal 3 damage and auto evade elite monsters.
  • Two Knowledge is Power will collect the clues you need.
  • Find clues and complete odd-ball skill tests.

UPGRADE PRIORITY

• Quick Study
• Press Pass
• Knowledge is Power
• Newspaper
• Brute Force
• Gumption
• Forewarned
• Shrine of the Moirai
• Deduction

STARTING DECK

ASSETS

• 2x Pocket Telescope
• 2x Research Notes
• 2x Research Librarian
• 2x Fine Clothes

EVENTS

• 2x Bizarre Diagnosis
• 2x Captivating Discovery
• 2x Exploit Weakness
• 2x Map the Area
• 2x Shed a Light
• 2x Crack the Case
• 2x Connect the Dots
• 2x "I've got a plan!"
• 2x Anatomical Diagrams

SKILLS

• 2x Deduction
• 2x Resourceful

NOTEABLE EXCLUSIONS

• Dr. William T. Maleson. As noted, I just prefer Research Librarian for a more reliable Research Notes.
• Pocket Telescope This card helps you find evidence placed with Darrell's Kodak on locations with enemies without engaging them.
• Fine Clothes - This is his best body slot option. Depending on your campaign you may want to run 2 of these.
• Fortune or Fate - Great for the last scenario if you have the XP to spend.
• Fickle Fortune - Great for the last scenario if you have the XP to spend.
• The Raven Quill - Everyone really seems to like this card in Darrell Simmons, but you can only spend 4 checkmarks on it. for 4 XP this can fetch Research Notes, but Research Librarian is cheaper and 0-level. It can make it not take up any slots, but you need the quill attached for that effect.
• Empirical Hypothesis - It's good at getting evidence and drawing cards, but I don't find any of the upgrade options compelling. You only have 4 checkmarks to give it.
• Hiking Boots, Track Shoes, Death • XIII - Darrell already has a good 3. I don't need stats boosts when you have evidence for Darrell Simmons difficulty-reducing ability or Quick Study.
• Scavenging + Old Keyring - This is a classic combo, but it's more setup and you're already good at getting clues. The benefit of Shed a Light is to find 1 clue at any location. Locations with a shroud of 2 are rather common.
• Short Supply + Forced Learning - This could be a fun addition if you want to run the Winging It, Improvised Weapon and Impromptu Barrier, Fortuitous Discovery, etc. A lot of fun if you want a bigger deck, but it's hard to find your combo pieces and you don't have ways to retrieve them from the discard pile.
• Analysis - Even though this places a clue, there are better cards.