Arkham Horror - Strategy and Tips Part #3

Excellent comments from everyone on the first 2 posts. The great thing about Arkham Horror is that really there isn't one right answer to these questions. Sometimes I do stuff in Arkham just for fun or to experiment. A great thing about F:AT is that we didn't need to have somebody breaking down the game decisions into probability to determine the optimum way of winning. Here it can be just about what's fun and cool do. Today I'll throw out 2 questions:

What's your favorite Arkham Location for encounters?

#1 Historical Society - This just seem like the ultimate Lovecraft type place
#2 Silver Twilight Lodge - Also a very Lovecraft type place. There's also the possibility that you'll get to go to the inner sanctum.
#3 Hibbs Roadhouse - Always a fun place to meet people. Possibly you can get an ally.
#4 Library - Easy to get a free spell. It's also a popular location in Lovecraft stories like Dunwich Horror.

If somebody handed you $10 in Arkham Horror where would you spend your money?
#1 General Store for weapons if I don't have a good weapon
#2 Curiosity shop for unique items
#3 Spells
#4 Save some money for healing
#5 Skills - Skills are great but not worth it for the cost

Geez, that first one is a toughie. Really depends on my mood and maybe what character(s) I'm playing. My last phase I was doing encounters in the spell store and curiositie shop just because they seem to be the most common places that nobody ever stays and draws an encounter at.

But I mean you HAVE to do at least a couple non-forced encounters, period. It would be idiotic to say I wasn't playing to win, of course we try. But really, the early game is a good time to just do random encounter stuff. It's just too much fun not to. Sometimes I actually like getting trapped in a corner of town just so I can have a guilt free encounter or two.

2. I love magicky toys so Curiositie Shoppe wins.

2a. Always gotta save a couple bucks to get a shrink or help someone who's short on dough.


King Put, your Arkham threads have me fiending to play like crazy. Gotta bust it out this weekend. Thanks.

I have to agree with Hex. It's hard to pick a favorite. The Silver Twilight Lodge is pretty cool but I never seem to get to go there as there's usually something more urgent to do. The worst place - the Woods. Somehow I always seem to end up in the Woods picking up a clue or something and getting my butted kicked by the Sheldon gang. I hate that place.

The second question is easy. I just gotta go get myself a bad-ass weapon.

SusanR, maybe we should include our least favorite place. That could be fun. I don't mind the Woods. I think the whole Sheldon gang thing is pretty funny. Here you are fighting some supernatural monster that can destroy Arkham and perhaps the world as we know it and then you've got to deal with this weird bootlegging gang that's hanging out in the woods.

I have to stay my least favorite place is the Unvisited Island or maybe the Unnameable. Just there names seem pretty nasty and most of the encounters just suck. With the new Innsmouth expansion, I would have to the Innsmouth Jail but the other locations in Innsmouth are also a little freaky.

I like going to Arkham Asylum for encounters. Sometimes you get some crazy things happening. Also the Science Building. Strangely enough, I don't think anyone has ever had an encounter at the Bank of Arkham in all the plays I've had.

As for the ten Arkham bucks, I dunno. Probably the Curiousitie Shoppe hunting for Elder Signs. If there are a couple out, then likely for a skill at Administration.

ah, now I'm gonna have to hit up the Bank next time I play. I don't think we've ever had an encounter there either. or a loan.

Library/Historical Society are the go-to places for us. seems like its always possible to pick up a clue or a spell or something nice there. I actually hate going to the police station or the Asylum. it always seems like you get delayed there. My wife went to the Asylum as the Psychiatrist one time, and ended up staying 3 turns in a row there because the nurse kept injecting her with drugs....

I dunno if the Silver Twilight Lodge has changed with the expansions I've added, but with the basegame, it just sucked.

go there, either pay to join or get beat up.
okay, I pay.
"inner sanctum!" woo!
-pay dues or get beat up

since then we tend to avoid the place. we've had a couple of neat encounters there, with rituals to close gates and stuff..but we have bad memories of the place so its a rare visit.

money - weapons, depending on the character. spells if its a magic guy, and generally the general store. its never been "worth" it to try and find elder signs in the unique items deck, with a couple expansions it just seems too hard to find them.

Favorite Arkham location for encounters: the Newspaper Office. I was on the school newspaper staff in high school and thought that I might become a reporter some day. So I can relate to some of the encounters there. Also, it's a very strategic location. With luck, you can get some cash there and then either catch a train or go shopping with just two points of movement on the following turn, leaving room for sneak if necessary.

Least favorite Arkham location for encounters: Arkham Asylum and the Hospital. Don't take encounters there, ever, if you can help it. Go there for healing if you have time and money to spare, and then get the hell out. Also, I'm kind of burned out on Independence Square. I got trapped there by a stubborn Wraith one game, because I thought that if I just waited a turn or two, it would fly away. I should have just fought it and taken the free ambulance ride. Instead, I went through several annoying encounters there until a Gate opened up under me and took me somewhere vile. Which happens quite often at Independence Square. It isn't even worth the trouble to try to grab a clue token there, wait until there are two or more before trying.

$10 in Arkham? Assuming there aren't any specific needs in the current situation, I would probably go to either the General Store or the Curiousitie Shoppe for some shopping. If the GOO is physically resistant/immune, I go to the C.S., otherwise I go to the General Store. I would try to save a few bucks for train rides or healing.