157 replies to this topic

[WasteMaLife]

Henry Knoll is a strong strong card.... looks like Danny has a new target!

Seams the power creep is just going crazy in this game recently.. a 2 cost 5 skill, board arcane enhancement? wtf.

Look at clover club singer vs the clover club... powercreep!!

Buta / expensive guitar / library of Nalada O’Bannion’s Inner Council... wow...

[Yipe]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I can't wait for this expansion!

I don't know about power creep, but they do look like fun cards to play with. Besides, with the recent end of Warhammer: Invasion, this very well may be the last big hit of Syndicate cards ever. In that case, I'm okay if they're tough as nails.

[WasteMaLife]

wait are there rumors of coc shutting down?

[NuFenix]

I think it's just the concern that Invasion stopped abruptly.

Personally, I think they didn't want to have Disk Wars and Invasion, whereas CoC was the first game to move to the asylum pack format (if I'm remembering correctly), and I can't see them switching to another game with the same theme that could compete.

[Yipe]

wait are there rumors of coc shutting down?

There aren't any rumors that Cthulhu of Cthulhu is being canceled. However, after Warhammer: Invasion was shuttered it opened the door for other LCGs to be canceled as well (something that really wasn't considered a possibility beforehand).

There is some speculation that CoC may get 2-3 more years of deluxe expansions following the human-mythos-theme pattern and then end as that would give every faction a deluxe box (and the Silver Twilight a second). Even if this doesn't happen, it means the Syndicate will only be getting a smattering of cards for the next 3 years which may explain the power level of Denizens of the Underworld. It was the same when Seekers of Knowledge was released.

[Unnamable]

In the article 'O'Bannion's Inner Council' is spoiled and pictured in the foreground at what might be the bar is a shadowy figure wearing a red ring? I'm assuming this must be Danny O'! He's depicted much like the series of neutral conspirators, many of which are pictured on the 'Congress of Keys' story card. Could it be that Mr O'Bannion will be a neutral conspirator? Conspirator I can see but Neutral!?

More Denizens of the Underworld news.

I've been wondering if we would see any as yet unseen big name characters in the Syndicate, like O'Bannion himself. Maybe?

[pleechu]

KICK'S ASS:

[Toqtamish]

Wow, that is an amazing card.

[dboeren]

Crooked Attorney is 4 skill, not 5 - he isn't a Criminal himself so he doesn't get the +1 skill bump. Anyway, he's all kinds of vulnerable though (affected by both character effects and Night effect) so I don't know if I'd expect him to stick around long.

Inner Council looks good, Syndicate has had so much trouble getting good cost 4+ characters so maybe the drought is over now. Anyway, Syndicate I think has been needing a bit of a boost and it's awesome that they're finally getting it.

Box can't get here fast enough...

[mnBroncos]

i wish they could release these closers together i just feel that with these house expansions those factions without there box yet are going to behind..

[Unnamable]

Hopefully designing such a strong set will encourage the eventual release of faction centered boxes for all factions all in the spirit of evening the field. When they announce it's release perhaps they'll spoil Danny O'Bannion or an Ancient One if the set has any?

[GrahamM]

With Henry Knoll, Clover Club Bouncer, Tattoo Artist, the Clover Club and way more skill reduction, I feel like a splash of Agency (even if its just Shotgun Blast and/or Catastrophic explosion for 0) will start going a long way in Syndicate decks.

[Unnamable]

Catastrophic Explosion effects characters based on their printed skill. Most non-Syndicate factions will find ways to take advantage of being paired with Syndicate's skill reduction but it will be by far more effective when kept in house. I'm looking forward to seeing what Denizens of the Underworld will offer us and how Danny O's boys will make use of Silver Twilight's The Oubliettes?

[jasonconlon]

When they announce it's release perhaps they'll spoil Danny O'Bannion or an Ancient One if the set has any?

The original news article confirmed there would be an Ancient One, and also mentioned Danny by name, so I'm expecting both.

http://www.fantasyfl...s.asp?eidn=4352

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of Denizens of the Underworld, the sixth deluxe expansion for Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game!

It’s time to send Arkham’s coppers and cultists to sleep with the fishes! In Denizens of the Underworld, the Syndicate’s rogues and racketeers run amok, controlled by the criminal kingpin himself, Danny O’Bannion. Business is good at The Clover Club, even though the house always wins, and the criminal underworld pursues a host of new tactics to make sure no one ever muscles in on its turf.

Denizens of the Underworld introduces 165 new cards to Call of Cthulhu (three copies each of fifty-five individual cards), roughly two-thirds of which provide the Criminals of the Syndicate with new names, tools, and tricks. You’ll be able to build stronger decks around characters with the Criminal subtype, use new tricks to cheat luck, ensure no contest is ever fairly fought, and explore new Tactics. Additionally, you’ll find a new Ancient One, a new cop to pursue all the new criminals, and new characters and Tactic events for all of the game’s other factions.

[GrahamM]

Catastrophic Explosion effects characters based on their printed skill. Most non-Syndicate factions will find ways to take advantage of being paired with Syndicate's skill reduction but it will be by far more effective when kept in house. I'm looking forward to seeing what Denizens of the Underworld will offer us and how Danny O's boys will make use of Silver Twilight's The Oubliettes?

Damnit. That's dumb

The Oubliettes is also printed skill, though. Which is still dumb

[WasteMaLife]

right.... because skill reduction is so weak it needs to combo with cards like Y'ha-nthlei Statue.

[GrahamM]

Haha that would probably be going a bit far. But at least when I run skill decks (and maybe this is just because I'm a bad player but that's probably not the entire reason) they tend to a) not be at the very top of the line and wind up being mono-Syndicate. As to why this is (for me, anyway) when factions like Shub or Yog have at least a bit to offer skill decks, I think its because while the other factions are nice, they aren't really going too much above and beyond what Syndicate itself can do, and the closer you go to mono-Syndicate the better you play good cards like Triggerman and game winners like Panic! while still having a few essential neutrals.

If cards like Catastrophic Explosion or The Oubliettes worked with skill reduction, then you would have a big incentive (much bigger than currently exists, in my opinion) to splash in other factions. The possibility of killing multiple characters with a free and or cheap event or locking out a number of characters from committing for an indefinite time is awesome, but not necessarily OP. Any good deck currently out there has to be able to deal with board wipe capabilities (a la Plague Stone) and support cards.

All this doesn't change the fact that you're right, Yhanthlei Statue would be OP if it wasn't printed skill; my point is simply that it would be nice if there were some more powerful non-Syndicate cards that could interact with the whole Syndicate skill reduction thing.

[Unnamable]

I'd also like to see some more incentive for mixing factions up to 3 or more. Including cards like Master of Myths or Snow Graves doesn't count BTW! I'd like to see this to push more card interactions and combos leading to new deck types. I don't have a problem with printed skill or other restrictions but feel some new card abilities could encourage more mixing and utilization of the existing card pool. Back during the CCG days the Forgotten Cities set put a very effective emphasis on this very thing.

To keep this thread on track, I'm seeing the opposite with this box and to some extent the other faction boxes. Rather than encourage mixing factions they promote mono builds. Heavy subtype themes, Loyal, Steadfast and effects that are predicated upon having cards in play of only a single faction. Perhaps that should be expected from a release that focuses primarily upon advancing the agenda of a single faction?

[GrahamM]

I mean I think they make mono play more viable, and set up easy-to-build, strong decks for newer players. There are always cards (particularly in SoK) that discourage faction mixing, but on the whole I think they offer a number of different viable paths for the faction that allow it to combined with different factions in new ways.

[dboeren]

My skill decks are always mono-Syndicate as well, and why not? Most external effects go off of printed skill, and this set looks like it will have a selection of Skill 4 characters to choose from so you're not going to hire outsiders for their numbers