Patrice Hathaway Taboo Compliant Deck

This is my attempt at a Patrice deck. I don't think it is breaking particularly new ground, but I wanted to get my plan down on paper. Like most Patrice decks, it attempts to maximize the cards in your hand by committing their icons.

I chose to use one-offs for the assets because, in my experience, the issue is not Patrice finding assets but handling when those assets show up on turns where she can't afford the Resources or Actions to play them. Scrounge for Supplies and Resourceful helps with that more than extra copies.

Mulligan Strategy

Very simple: go for your assets. Patrice's Violin, Fire Axe and Madame Labranche will be the most impactful, but any of them will dom

Piloting the Deck

Every turn you draw a new hand of five cards. The challenge you have is determining how to best use your three actions and five cards every turn. Decide what cards from your hand you will be playing, and try to Commit all of the rest for icons. Don't be afraid to Commit Cards to an ally's test. Patrice is a flex card that solves problems so other people can take productive actions, support their actions, or use the events in her deck to find clues.

Priority EXP Spends

Cornered (2) - A staple in Patrice decks, it removes dead draws from your hand. Everything can effectively be used as a . With Cornered, Patrice should be able to force through most checks on her turn.

Summoned Hound (1) + A Chance Encounter (2) - If you use A Chance Encounter to play Summoned Hound, you don't put the Weakness into your deck. I can not stress enough how much tempo this is going to add to your deck. It is a bonus fight or investigate on each of your turns with a +3, which is equivalent to pitching about two cards.

Charisma (3) + Summoned Hound (1) - It was good the first time, so you may as well set up to get it again! Now you get a bonus two actions.

A Chance Encounter (2) + Cornered (2) - This is going to make you far more consistent. The bonus Cornered also stacks once you get both out.

Charisma (3) - This one is optional. Allies are a powerful slot, and this will let you have both of your Summoned Hound as well as Aquinnah (4), Peter Sylvestre (2), Jessica Hyde (1), or even old Madame Labranche. If the rest of your team are sporting some high impact allies, then you can situationally grab one of those as well with your two A Chance Encounter (2).

Quick Learner (4) x2 - Between these and Dark Horse, your last action of the turn as well as both Summoned Hound actions will effectively be at Stat 8, enough to safely bid against all but the toughest of challenges without even committing a card. That lets you focus on using your cards to support your allies more, or for their effects.

Drawing Thin (3) - Even at 3xp, this is a phenomenal economy boost that helps you make productive use of your first action while using Quick Learner. When you don't need the money to play assets, you can still get value from the card draw.

Luxury EXP Purchases

Versatile (2) - The +5 Deck Size doesn't impact Patrice as much as other investigators and, in fact, can be helpful if you are including more situational tech. I generally recommend picking up and feeding Inspiring Presence to your dogs.

Eucatastrophe (3) - Patrice's elder sign ability is amazing, so triggering it more often while also negating a poor pull from the Chaos Bag is extra amazing.

Ward of Protection (2) x2 - The default Ward of Protection is very nice, but Patrice won't always get it on the same turn she draws a treachery. However, in a larger group (3-4 players) it is highly likely that someone will draw a trechary you will want to cancel on the turn you have Ward of Protection (2). In larger groups it is debatably worthwhile to start with Arcane Research so you can pick the upgrade up for free in the first two scenarios.

Lucky! (3) - +3 to any failed test and deck cycling for free is always amazing.

Situational Cards

Arcane Research - Consider in a four person game for the free early Ward of Protection (2).

Quantum Flux - Only a requirement if you decide to play Patrice in Dunwich for some reason. This also bumps Eucatastrophe and Versatile up slightly in value.

Open Gate - Open Gate is one of those things that trivialize some encounters, and be utterly useless in others. Consider it in a 4 person game anyways.

Desperate Variation

Swap Fire Axe for Meat Cleaver and include Say Your Prayers, Reckless Assault, Desperate Search instead of the default skills. Definitely include Arcane Research. Consider St. Hubert's Key instead of Moonstone.