Card draw simulator
| Derived from |
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| None. Self-made deck here. |
| Inspiration for |
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| None yet |
An_Undecayed_Whately · 1083
How is it possible that I don’t see any decks that take advantage of Roland using the Katana / Steady-Handed combo yet? And Steady-Handed is a great fit for Roland’s low sanity value as well. Plus: katana + trench coat + true solo is a clear Highlander vibe. Let’s go!
The obvious challenge is getting the Katana to trigger. So we include a few ways to help trigger that more often:
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Steady-Handed nudges your result by +1 or -1
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Analysis lets you drop clues to fish for a chaos token
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Strong-Armed lets you tap into Roland’s lopsided stats to fish for a chaos token
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Girish Kadakia adds +2 to a skill test and is with regards to timing
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Galvanize offers a way to use the katana again
When there’s nothing to stab, the Chemistry Set gets great value from Steady-Handed as far as free cards and resources for doing what you’re already doing.
An early improvement is upgrading the Knives into Brands of Cthugha, which is a useful way to do 2 damage per action and not exhaust the katana. And a great choice given that the katana hogs up both hand slots.
While it’s always tempting to spend experience immediately, it’s really important to have Stick to the Plan, so save up for that early and you won’t regret it. It’s as if you start every scenario with Prepared for the Worst and Ever Vigilant in your opening hand. And your odds and getting a weapon on the table early with this setup are much much better.
I listed Roland’s alternative replacement signatures since Roland's .38 Special is superfluous, and the Dirge of Reason weakness is far less punitive than Cover Up.
As with any Roland deck, try to maximize the free clues for defeating enemies! The obvious method is to park on a high-shroud location and go On the Hunt. Also, don’t use Shortcut just for an extra movement. Shortcut moves Roland onto a clue when he’s engaged with an enemy and avoids the Attack of Opportunity.
You can freely substitute any ally you like for Dr. Maleson, but he’s cheap and he sure does help avoid the and treacheries that can really snag Roland. If you’re feeling richer go for the usual Beat Cop, Dr. Milan, Medical Student, or whoever suits you.
Good luck, and please let me know how he works out!
| 3 comments |
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Aug 28, 2024 |
Sep 02, 2024Early playtesting is positive! Against enemies with low stat the katana triggers about 50% if Steady-Handed is out. Before each scenario I just check the scenario card, bag contents, and jot down the optimal target number (usually it’s “go into the test at +4” but sometimes +3). Also there’s incentive to succeed by exactly 2 with the Chemistry Set as well as the katana in order to heal horror. Very handy for Roland. Having played Roland true solo before, a major oversight in this deck list is the omission of Logical Reasoning. I already re-started and included 2 copies that replace Practice Makes Perfect. There’s some confusion about when to commit Vicious Blow, not knowing whether I’ll trigger extra damage from the Katana. I guess I’ll keep playing and see if experience gives me any insight there. |
Sep 03, 2024As fun as this was to attempt, I don’t think this is a great build for a campaign. The glaring flaw isn’t that the katana is bad or unreliable. But rather that the hand slot is needed for a Flashlight or a Grim Memoir. It would be workable in standalone mode with some XP though. |
I'd consider Enchant Weapon for a damage bump in the future, making your Katana a semi reliable 5 damage weapon in two actions without considering ability cards extra damage. This deck looks pretty hot IMO.