The House Always Wins Question

[cleardave 741]

During the House Always Wins scenario in the Dunwich box, the compaign book and the opening agenda mention that all Criminal "monsters" are treated as aloof until they lose that keyword.

 

What tripped us up is were wondering at what point are the Criminals no longer aloof?  We were expecting a specific mention to come up in the agenda/act cards as we advanced, but after we finished the mission we looked through them and didn't see a mention anywhere.

 

I think what we did wrong was that we were supposed to play it that the Criminals are no longer aloof when that opening agenda that mentions this rule is advanced and no longer active.

 

We were probably listening to the campaign book's "clarification" a little to literally.

 

Is this how it's supposed to be played; advance beyond the "aloof" agenda and then the Criminals go active, trying to take you out?

[Network57 561]

As soon as the text no longer appears on any in-play Encounter card, it no longer applies. The word "gains" didn't mean in perpetuity - rather, only as long as the text exists to give them that additional keyword.

[mplain 129]

Added to ArkhamDB: https://arkhamdb.com/card/02063

[cleardave 741]

Excellent.  Thanks for the confirmation.

 

We had some lucky pulls at the card table and wound up zipping through the scenario relatively quickly.  In anticipation of something coming up reversing the Aloof trait, we had taken out a bunch of the mooks in the back hallway so we could have a clear run to the back door.

 

It was when the next agenda flipped and we realized something was up we went back and realized our error.

 

A pretty cool scenario overall.

 

As an aside, I thought for sure we were missing a card when one of the Act cards instructs you to advance to Agenda (forget the number now)B.  We were looking at the front of each and just saw the A.  Furious searching through the box only to afterwards discover the B is just the other side, so if that comes up, you would effectively skip a whole card, going straight to it's back side, potentially ending the game sooner in disaster.

 

It reminded me of the Lita Chantler problems people were having with the Core, not being able to find the card.  I sleeve everything so I had it all laid out and didn't have that issue.  I read all those concerns thinking "I'm glad that didn't happen to me" and here I am getting tricked by the game in the end, looking for some magical extra card that didn't exist.

[Network57 561]

The agenda also states as soon as any Criminal Enemy takes damage, to advance. Meaning that taking out a mook in the Hallway would have caused the rest to attack you as well.

[cleardave 741]

The agenda also states as soon as any Criminal Enemy takes damage, to advance. Meaning that taking out a mook in the Hallway would have caused the rest to attack you as well.

Indeed, but we had already gone beyond that Agenda, so didn't have that as a reminder.

 

It just came down to not realizing that when the top Agenda goes away, Aloof goes with it.  Ironically we probably would have played it correctly if the blurb in the campaign book didn't devote a paragraph explaining that the Criminals are Aloof until an effect causes them to lose it.  We were looking out for said event, thinking it was either on some encounter cards or in an upcoming Agenda card, then later realizing "the event" to look out for is when the Agenda card that grants the keyword is no longer in play.

[Network57 561]

Yeah that struck me as potentially confusing as well, but I defaulted to playing as game text is no longer active as soon as the card with it goes out of play.

[iGniGhted 113]

i just assumed it from the start, as with the +1 to monster attack and agility in the Devourer Below. a really fun scenario, having the pit boss follow you around as you try to gain clues, the only thing i was slighty confused on was of Peter Clover gets discarded by the abomination.. then i realized he wasn't an enemy, but an ally. great couple of scenarios, im jonzingggg for the next sets!

[Network57 561]

i just assumed it from the start, as with the +1 to monster attack and agility in the Devourer Below. a really fun scenario, having the pit boss follow you around as you try to gain clues, the only thing i was slighty confused on was of Peter Clover gets discarded by the abomination.. then i realized he wasn't an enemy, but an ally. great couple of scenarios, im jonzingggg for the next sets!

Your comment makes me realize that Aloof doesn't prevent Hunter. I've been playing it wrong the entire time!!

[unlimitedpower 52]

I just played once but tried to end my turn two locations away from the pit boss as I could since it seems reasonable that he wasn't looking to make new friends

 

 

i just assumed it from the start, as with the +1 to monster attack and agility in the Devourer Below. a really fun scenario, having the pit boss follow you around as you try to gain clues, the only thing i was slighty confused on was of Peter Clover gets discarded by the abomination.. then i realized he wasn't an enemy, but an ally. great couple of scenarios, im jonzingggg for the next sets!

Your comment makes me realize that Aloof doesn't prevent Hunter. I've been playing it wrong the entire time!!

 

 

I played for the first time last night and for the most part tried to end my turn about two locations away from the pit boss.  Hard to mention the specifics without spoilers but near the end 'things got interesting'

[iGniGhted 113]

 

i just assumed it from the start, as with the +1 to monster attack and agility in the Devourer Below. a really fun scenario, having the pit boss follow you around as you try to gain clues, the only thing i was slighty confused on was of Peter Clover gets discarded by the abomination.. then i realized he wasn't an enemy, but an ally. great couple of scenarios, im jonzingggg for the next sets!

Your comment makes me realize that Aloof doesn't prevent Hunter. I've been playing it wrong the entire time!!

 

Yeah, enemy phase i said "well there's the pit boss, but he's aloof.... but.. he DOES have hunter" thematically it makes sense, he's eyeing you down, following you as you're asking too many questions.

[stevtimus 2]

Aloof, hunter enemies are an interesting design space. Have you guys tried "Extracurricular Activity" yet? The whippoorwills that can show up in that scenario are also aloof hunters and boy oh boy are they fun to have around.

[Network57 561]

Aloof, hunter enemies are an interesting design space. Have you guys tried "Extracurricular Activity" yet? The whippoorwills that can show up in that scenario are also aloof hunters and boy oh boy are they fun to have around.

 

Those are ones I did do correctly. I don't know why I spaced the Hunter ability on the Pit Boss...

 

Although with Zoey having her cross, you just take one action to engage -> gain a resource -> trigger the cross, spend a resource -> dead Whippoorwill.

[ForAiur 13]

How exactly do aloof hunter enemies behave?

[rsdockery 537]

The keywords don't conflict with each other. Aloof means they don't automatically engage and can't be attacked while unengaged; Hunter means they move towards the nearest investigator in the Enemy phase. An Aloof Hunter moves towards the nearest investigator, but remains unengaged.

[Khudzlin 734]

You can attack an aloof enemy while it is engaged with any investigator (not just you). But you can't attack it while it's not engaged with anyone.

[ForAiur 13]

But I can always engage it? And if no other text says any different, if I evade him he will not re-engage?

[Gaffa 673]

Yes, you can engage aloof enemies with an engage action (or a card that does the same). Aloof enemies never engage on their own; not sure why you'd think an evaded aloof enemy would engage once they straightened.