I am the 'some host from that other podcast', and I can honestly say this is one of the most fun and fast decks I've ever played. It consistently smashes scenarios by simply racing them out and it's a joy to pilot! Great write-up!

bloodfeud4eva

Ursula is one of my favorites because of how fast she is to setup. I still go Elli and Bow but I loved playing the Crystalline Elder Sign in my last campaign. I even got two of them into play one scenario.

I still want to love the Hawk-Eye but I have gone back to the Magnifying Glass since it is a Fast action and cheap. I might try the Hawkeye again with my next Daisy deck. It should be perfect for both of them.

I think Maleson is my favourite ally... balance is just right and the soak for the cost is perfect. The steampunk/h.g.wells theme of the self sacrificing inventor has a soft spot for me.

3/5 Needs moar Fingerprint Kits.

But more seriously, Unearth the Ancients to drop in Fingerprint Kit would be a pretty slick play!

@mattastrophic I like that as a play, but I'm not convinced. This is a solo deck, so you're adding an expense in the Kit for not too much benefit. For the couple of times you need a double clue, Deduction (and Practice Makes Perfect sets you up nicely. Maybe in Dunwich I'd be more tempted to sub it in.

Oh yeah, I'm quietly thinking about multiplayer, where Ursula could drop the I've Got A Plans for Fingerprint Kits pretty safely.

@mattastrophicYeah, I looove Unearth for dropping Fingerprint Kits. I ran that in Ironman TFA last year. Such a huge economy saver. But yeah, in solo I don't tend to run the Kits. If you wanted to adapt this to a two-player build I'd definitely throw the Kits in. Probably replace the True Understandings? Though that would be a shame as I think True Understanding is criminally underrated, and was so by myself before I realized the power of it. Especially in solo.

This seems like a very good deck.

One useful thing to remember (not mentioned in this) is that if you've got Jake in play you can take your first move or investigate action without taking an attack of opportunity. this is useful both for letting you use Fieldwork when evading an enemy, and also for spreading enemies out to keep yourself from getting mobbed. I find that getting mobbed by enemies is usually the worst thing for Ursula in true solo. Shortcut (though not Pathfinder, sadly) also works for this, but you can't do it over and over like you can with Jake.

Another card that really helps out with enemy management in true solo is Archaic Glyphs: Prophecy Foretold. Over the course of several true solo TFA runs with Ursula, I found that that was probably the most important enemy management tool. Being able to condense an evade and an investigate action into one is extremely strong, especially considering that Ursula can use her extra investigate for this (either in combination with Jake/Shortcut, or to move into a location with an enemy that still has clues).

Also, can definitely confirm that double Crystalline Elder Sign is worth taking Relic Hunter for.

What are your thoughts on Mr.Rook over the current ally? He costs 2 more, has same soak, but lets you fetch any card in your deck basically. Also better synergy with unearth the ancients.

I think this deck looks solid and i am going to give it a try. I often play two or three handed but think this deck got a lot of potential to speed through most scenarios without getting into to much trouble.

I like decks that don't rely on resources to much, i have a Minh deck that often ends up with lots of resources because once i have got the cards i need i don't often use them . I have a feeling that this deck will have a similar situation.

I am looking forward to trying this deck and i might pair her up with Leo or push myself and use Mateo for a another run at The Forgotten Age. EIther way thanks for sharing.

Thanks Scott for sharing your "fast" Ursula ! Saw your runs and really wanted to try it in solo. I think I'll squeeze in a Dream Diary though, the identified version helps PASS TESTS, as you put it :)

Can't wait to try Maleson also, not as just soak I mean :)

Thanks for the write up, your insights are very much appreciated!

@DreadreaperAs much as I love Mr. Rook, I don't think he fits as he doesn't keep the same tempo as Maleson. Maleson can just stop terrible cards in their tracks. Try it out though and let me know how it works out!

@InvisiblecamGlad to hear, let me know how it goes!

@gothicminkYeah, Dream Diary was such a late cut for me. I'm not even sure it was correct to cut it. I definitely think it is a strong contender for a spot in this deck. Are you going with the Dreams of a Madman? Or just letting Shrewd Analysis make the decision for you?

I think I'll go with Dreams of a Madman! I also feel like evading reliably will be crucial for solo Ursula. Dreams of an Explorer was really good in a Mandy deck I played recently and helped identify the Ancient Stone (Knowledge of the Elders) with 8 secrets on it (!!!). And I think I'll stick to one copy, so I won't need Shrewd Analysis, even though I really like surprises and free XP :)

I'm wondering what to cut to make room, either a copy of Tooth of Eztli or a True Understanding, even though I really like how they work with Dr. William T. Maleson, helping you deal with treacheries while avoiding enemies. I'll think about it while finishing my run through Return to Dunwich with solo Wendy!

@gothicminkI'd probably cut a Tooth. I usually upgrade out of the Tooth the second I can so it really is low-hanging fruit for a cut.

That's what I figured :) Thanks for the feedback, the shows and all !

I'm a fairly novice player so can't give any great advice on card combos etc. but I can't get a line from 'The Drawing of the Dark' by Tim Powers out of my head when playing this character (who is awesome, especially with Pathfinder, In the Know and Crack the Case x2). Saint Ursula indeed! Read the book...

@SaejHi, thanks for the deck, I tried it in Dream Quest mini campaign and it performed very well. My campaign report arkhamdb.com

@SergSel Just read your write-up, glad you liked it and found great success!

Y

@Dethvir...because? ;)

This looks very interesting. It's kind of mind-blowing to me that you have a maximum of 8 potential damage in the whole deck, and that's assuming everything goes well! (you see both copies of I've Got a Plan!, you sit on 3 clues, no auto-fail token etc). I was fully expecting you to suggest the Bow as an upgrade. Did you not have problems with scenarios where you must kill an Elite in order to win, or where locations are set up in such a way that you can't really dance around hunter enemies? Or is that a necessary sacrifice in order to make the playthrough as fast and lean as humanly possible? :)

After trying this deck a few times now and I can honestly say I was impressed. It's a good example of cutting you darlings and moving fast as you can.

Cutting your darlings can be difficult especially with the card pool forever growing. I find it infuriates me with some investigators like Luke for example. This Ursula deck got a job to do and is committed to finding those clues.

Full disclosure I played her with Leo so I didn't play her true solo. I am looking forward to play her again when the return to the forgotten Age is released, probably with Winifred and a third investigator.

@mihnea13Damage output is low, for sure. You need to consider the campaign you're in as far as how you'd like to augment the deck. I have found that 2x "I've got a plan!" plus all the agility works well for most campaigns. You can also use Inquiring Mind to get the last point of damage needed on a 5-health boss. Otherwise, using Strange Solution or Ornate Bow can work as upgrades. Though, as you said, you can often win before you need to face off against a boss. Speed is key!

So having played the entire A side of the dream quest I can safely say this is the most powerful solo deck I've ever encountered. She just does everything exponentially faster than other investigators and once you get some xp you can do it even faster.

I never felt like I was in danger of losing the entire campaign and I always finished (except for where the gods dwell) with a fair few turns left before dooming out. In the first scenario I got held up a bit by the priests but after that it was an absolute breeze just being able to just keep moving. I felt I was never wasting actions or I had actions to spare. In search for kadath I was halfway through the scenario before realizing I forgot to upgrade my deck and still managed to uncover 8 signs of the gods with a few turns left to spare but i was getting swarmed so i had to duck out. The dark side of the moon was a cakewalk as i upgraded into 2 crystalline elder signs, 2 pathfinders and 2 studious and I was basically a pinball and just pushed through the scenario ridiculously quickly I believe I ended with one agenda card not even haven been gotten to so I had plenty of time. Pathfinder with her is kind of ridiculous. And finally in where the gods dwell I zoomed through the first 3 acts and then spent the rest of the game staying ahead of the encounter deck and trying to get the win conditions completed and got held up by a multitude of enemies but was able to pull out a win with 1 doom left to go.

This deck kind of just wins without effort so would definitely recommend it to people

@SamthemanGamgee lovely review. Just wanted to add that when Scott and I were both playing the dreaming side, our experiences of Dark Side were similarly turbo. One of us finished with 3 doom on agenda 2, the other with 4, or something like that - essentially: turbo!

@SamthemanGamgeeGlad you enjoyed it! Like @zozosaid, we had very similar experiences. Just an unbridled horse rampaging through scenarios! I love that you got 8 Signs even without any upgrades! Upgrading after two Dream scenarios with all the XP must have felt fun. You could buy anything you wanted!

I didn't understand about how's it going on it's upgrade plan. Can you recommend those upgrade priorities and replacing cards by that upgrade?

Great deck! Dumb question, do you swap the shortcuts with the pathfinders?

@einsferThe upgrades are mostly listed in suggested order. Is there something specific you're looking for advice on?

@KrysmopompasI think that Shortcut is so powerful and valuable in this deck that I'd probably cut a True Understanding for the Pathfinder? True Understanding and Unearth the Ancients are kind of the first sacrificial lambs to be cut in this deck, unless a card is being replaced (like cutting Tooth of Eztli for Crystalline Elder Sign).

That being said, Unearth the Ancients could actually help you get Pathfinder out into play, so I'd probably lean towards True Understanding. All this to say, I'd keep Shortcut in the deck until the very bitter end.

Un-freaking real! After about 7 failures to get past the second scenario of TFA I managed to make it through using this deck true solo. Not that I did not try to fail. TFA has always been a nightmare for me. Even with this deck I spent 5 turns unable to get off of the campsite. Enemies, kept drawing treacheries, kept drawing locations that did not connect and failing almost 2/3 of all skill tests. Evaded the lone enemy on the run to the end with 6/6 damages. What a rush. Threads of Fate, 5 turns, eight minutes. Ursula is like a Ninja Warrior contestant gone to eleven. Thanks.

@SaejWhat I meant was each upgrades replace which cards instead in the original cardlist

This deck is amazing.

I've been playing it through The Forgotten Age, two player, along side Leo Anderson (R.I.P) and now Tony Morgan. This is our first time through TFA and we have acheived R1 in every scenario (just completed Heart of the Elders Part 2). Ursula has taken 1 mental trauma (not by being defeated) and we completed all three acts in Threads of Fate.

I made a couple of tweaks at the start for the two player setup - I added a Dream Diary and two Fingerprint Kits. The Dream Diary is so good it was my first upgrade. Four wild icons when engaged with emeny cannot be undersold - draw an enemy in the Mythos Phase, first action evade it with a skill value of 8 and get on with your day and get the card back next round. Failing that, "I've got a plan" will do the job - you will always be weighed down with clues. Lots and lots of clues.

I have not played the Fingerprint kit once - it is expensive and completely redundant. Anyone thinking of including it for a two player game, just don't. You'd be better off with a couple of No Stones Unturneds (it's hard to pluralize, so I coverd all the bases).

Upgrades:

First upgrades were the Dream Diary, 1 x Studious and 1 x Death XIII. I've since added 2 x Hemispheric Map, 2 x Deduction (2xp), and 2 x Forewarned (similar to Doc. Billy T, but it works for the treachery cards in the exploration deck).

Here's the problem. This deck is working so well, I currently have 11xp to to spend but I have no clear idea where to spend it. I know what I can cut - 2 x Manual Dexterity and my remaining Fingerprint kit (yes, I still have one, that's how I know for sure it doesn't work in this deck).

I feel like Pathfinder isn't really needed when you get a lot of free movement from the Exploration Deck. Shortcut seems to cover the rest. I know for sure this deck doesn't run the Ornate Bow - hand slots are for cameras and dream diaries when you're exploring, everyone knows that.

Do I add a Relic Hunter and a Gold Pocket watch? Or 2 x Cryptic Research and 1 x Eidetic Memory? Another Studious and maybe... In the Know?

Any suggestions?

Crystalline Elder Sign is awesome for Ursula plus Relic Hunter.

@buzardGlad you found some success with it. Threads of Fate in 5 turns?! Wow! I played a similar list to this and beat Extracurricular Activity in 5 turns, but Threads is something else! Well done!

@NickDQCSorry for the super late reply, I stopped getting alerts for this somehow! With 11 XP, another Studious is always clutch. After that, double Cryptic Research is pure gas. Plus, Studious and Cryptic Research are really good for scenario 6. ;)

@SaejNo worries. I Ended up with Relic Hunter and Gold Pocket Watch which did its job nicely in The Depths of Yoth and Shattered Aeons. I picked up the second Studious after that. Ursula made it through the whole campaign with only 1 mental trauma from her time on lookout and we achieved the "investigators won!" result in the resolution. There were a couple of close finishes (next Mythos Phase would doom out) but Ursula can get the clues and get to the "be here to spend the clues" location like no one else. A super fun deck.

@SaejI will try this deck in my next campaign, seems effective and fun, thanks for sharing it. I'm missing TheDreamEaters cycle tho, can you give me any idea for a good alternative to Practice Makes Perfect? Thanks in advance.

@ArdnedHey! I hope you enjoy it! Practice Makes Perfect is pretty good, but there are decent replacements. Working a Hunch is a good one, or you could take one of the "Seeker Side Quest" cards like Strange Solution or Ancient Stone. Practice Makes Perfect isn't a key card, it's just great efficiency.

Still going with Dr. M and not Rook?

@BiasOldZombie Yes sir! I still think the encounter filtering is worth more than a free draw with a possible downside, especially looking at the cost.

For me it's difficult to play Ursula solo in TFA. So much problem to explore and use her abilities, because most of them require successful exploration and it's not so often ..

Anyone try this before in the excelsior hotel? As a straight up clue gatherer

Any tips on how to make this 3 player? I am need gather more clues on our TFA run.

Took this through my first successful solo TFA run and absolutely crushed it. Even with an absolutely awful set of encounter draws and failed explorations in Shattered Aeons that lost me a combined ~6 rounds from doom acceleration, managed to get a non-parley win with my last possible action on the last turn before I would have doomed out. And I was thinking for the first 7 scenarios that Easy actually was making it easy for a change....

Followed the suggested upgrade list almost exactly as written, and it worked great. Got me playing some cards I usually skip over. Crystallizer was a great idea, sealing a +1 seemed scary until I realized that it was like seeing the +1 all the time, since I never expect to pull that token when I need it. I threw in an Occult Lexicon before I grabbed the second Crystallizer since I've Got A Plan seems to always be a auto-fail magnet for me, and those Blood Rites did some real good work. They're especially useful for killing cultists with doom on them, and the higher-level Occult Lexicon let me manipulate my deck size at the right times to let the signature weakness get shuffled back into a full deck.

I think the next time I run it, I'll cut the Practice Makes Perfect, since it seems to be another auto-fail magnet for me, and free up some slots to keep True Understanding instead of cutting it for upgrades. I found myself really missing that card once I got two Teeth or Crystallizers into play and started passing most treacheries with minimal effort.