Denizens of the Underworld Review, Part 1

Our staff has put together a first blush analysis of the newly released Denizens of the Underworld. We’ve used a one through five scale; five being the best. The cards are listed in numeric order. Our reviewers are listed in alphabetical order. Let us know in the comments how you feel about the cards in this pack!


[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_naomi-obannion-dotu.jpg'] Naomi O'Bannion

Danigral - 4 out of 5
Great icons and skill with a built-in ready mechanism. This will allow you to play your good tactics twice for one domain. I’m not sure what would happen if you had Snow Graves on your discard, but if that works you may be able to abuse her a lot and perhaps find some infinite combos.

dboeren - 4 of 5
Good icons and skill, and she can re-ready herself while triggering a free event. The catch is that it has to be a Tactic, which before were pretty thin. Fortunately this set introduces more of them and you can pack even more in dual-faction decks. She will continue to improve as more Tactics cards appear in the future as well but even now there are enough to make her ability useful.

Ire & WWDrakey - 4 out of 5
A splendid gal if there ever was one, the only question being whether there’s enough good Tactics for her out there.

mnBroncos-3 out of 5
Since the wording is ready to choose and trigger... there must be a tactic event to stand her, which makes sense or else be crazy powerful, also makes her just an okay card. There is already a lot of great three cost options for Syndicate, however, if you are running multiple Tactic events being able to stand and retrigger, is really like getting two free events per trigger. She is definitely good character and could get amazing with more Tactic events.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
With a decent enough stat block (icons and skills for the cost), Naomi will rarely be a bad choice for any Syndicate deck. That being said, she really doesn’t perform well outside of the archetype she now defines, but the abusing of Tactic event cards is now a path to victory!

Kamcausey-3 out of 5
Good icons, skill, and ability. All around she’s a solid character but Syndicate has some stiff competition at the 3 cost slot. She’s a 5 in a Syndicate deck focusing on Tactic events but otherwise there are better choices.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_melisande-lebeau-dotu.jpg'] Melisande LeBeau

Danigral - 2 out of 5
I would only play this in a deck without supports, or that don’t stay in play for long. It wouldn’t be horrible, but there are some very good supports you’d have to pass up. I see her in some decks, especially if you need support destruction without resorting to Shub, but the opportunity cost is high for this effect.

dboeren - 3 of 5
If it wasn’t a Forced Response she’d be higher, but as things stand you risk destroying your own Supports if your opponent doesn’t have any. If you design your deck not to include any permanent supports she’s great to suppress your opponent’s stuff, but you’re missing out on some good cards if you do. The reason I don’t rate her higher is that your opponent can fairly easily just use any Supports he draws as resources to avoid her at a fairly low cost.
Ire & WWDrakey - 3 out of 5
Now this gal ain’t for every occasion, but when ya wanna light a fire in someone else’s turf far from yer own, she’s definitely got the skill for the job.

mnBroncos - 2 out of 5
Although to me seems like Syndicate has few support control options a character that could eventually destroy your own seems to risky to run.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
Syndicate can do well with little to no support cards and often struggle with support card removal so Melisande can/will be a saving grace. That being said, at 3 cost, she’ll likely be at the top of the curve and lacking willpower will probably keep her from being a complete all-star, but will serve the the faction well with the right “support.”

Kamacausey-3 out of 5
Solid icons and skill but her forced response can hurt just as much as it can help. Obviously the way to play her is in a deck that packs little to no supports or supports that won’t be staying in play for very long. She will definitely see play but won’t be a Syndicate staple that you see in every deck I don’t think. Still, its nice to see some support hate out of a faction that’s not Shub. She’s almost a 4 for me. It could just be the artwork...
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_obannions-inner-council-dotu.jpg'] O'Bannion's Inner Council

Danigral - 4 out of 5
You will probably want to play this character with Johnny V’s Dame, since I would almost never consider taking a Syndicate deck to 4 resources. However, once he’s on the board he will definitely make an impact. This will mean that given enough characters, only AOs will be able to content with OIC, and most other characters can’t. He will be a solid defender and great closer as well, with all the other skill shenanigans that Syndicate has.

dboeren - 5 of 5
Wow, Syndicate finally gets a really good expensive character! Since almost all your characters will be Criminals, O’Bannion’s Inner Council should get strong fast. It doesn’t say “other” Criminal either so he’s starting out at skill 3. He’s a very strong defender and you can send an Investigation character with him on offense with little to fear. The downside is that you’ll be raising a domain for 4 just for him in a lot of Syndicate decks but it’s worth it. Definitely better for mono decks, but Syndicate runs mono probably more than any other faction I think.

Ire & WWDrakey - 4 out of 5
Four cost cards always have to bring the bang for their buck, but these fellas bring a mean business, and that’s a fact.

mnBroncos - 4 out of 5
Pros: Great character that can win story by himself. Extra toughness/willpower
Cons: 4 cost which is very high for a syndicate deck usually never a reason to go pass 3 and most time want to get a board of 2/2/2 (from my little experience with them). Only worth running in a Mono Syndicate/Criminal deck.
So is an amazing character but the limit in deck types see play in makes it not quite a 5.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
Arguably one of, if not THE, best story combatant in the game right now. Outside of Syndicate’s normal/preferred cost curve, but don’t let that stop you as this character is worth it… even in decks that don’t have a heavy criminal theme.

Kamacausey-5 out of 5
Now that’s what I’m talking about! Total all-star of a card! This is one 4 costed character worth playing! Last time I got this excited about a 4 costed character was Y’Golonac. Whether he is in a dedicated criminal deck or not he will still be super good. He’s got willpower and toughness, he can blank most opposing characters, and he is a great atacker and defender with his icons! Every Syndicate deck will want the inner council on their team! I don’t see a drawback seeing as how his cost is appropriate for what he does.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_tommy-malloy-dotu.jpg'] Tommy Malloy

Danigral - 3 out of 5
He would be much better if he returned to hand or was free, but since you have to play him, that means he costs 2, you need a steadfast match, and he won’t return to hand after that. He will be a one time surprise, but Black Dog is almost always better in most regards.

dboeren - 4 of 5
Syndicate gets a pop-in character. Being Unique is a minor drawback, but he’s still pretty decent as a surprise kill and unlike Black Dog, he stays in play which is really nice and Fast is always a bonus. I like him. The timing is a little odd, but if you commit someone with Terror or Willpower you can lose that struggle with nobody going insane and then have him show up once the Terror threat is over and maybe kill the scary thing.

Ire & WWDrakey - 4 out of 5
Not quite a Black Dog, yet unlike with that particular beastie, you have more control over the trigger, leaving your enemies less room to wriggle.

mnBroncos - 2 out of 5
He isn’t a bad card I just feel unimpressed. Solid character for two cost and can get a one surprise kill but once in play is just an average character. Fast is nice to have though.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
I have a feeling people are going to underestimate this card way too often. The only stepping stone is that you need to have someone survive the Terror struggle. Which, isn’t hard, but since it requires effort people won’t respect Mr. Malloy. When people don’t respect Mr. Malloy… did you even see what he did to that door!? Because I’m pretty sure he can do that to your opponent if he wanted to.

Kamacausey-3 out of 5
So the mobsters get their own twist of a black dog... I like him but it sucks that he is unique. With fast, toughness, 2 icons and 2 skill I guess they had to though but I still don’t like it. He will get many surprise kills in the future I’m sure. Respect “The Big Palooka”
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_lena-di-boerio-dotu.jpg'] Lena Di Boerio

Danigral - 4 out of 5
She is one of the only 1-drop sorcerers, and she is really good. Getting her turn 1 can mean that she alone can most often defend against two characters. She won’t be as useful as stronger guys come out, but for what she is, she’s worth a card slot, especially if you already are going to run Eldritch Nexus.

dboeren - 5 of 5
Reminds me a lot of one of my old favorites, Blood Magician. She can’t create *any* icon like him, but in return for being more limited (and also having to put herself at risk) she creates bigger swings. And, she’s really cheap. So, keep her safe and you’ll be very happy with her.

Ire & WWDrakey - 5 out of 5
Exposing your enemies to be unskillful hamfists is only the gravy, and it’s served on mightily tender pieces of beef here.

mnBroncos - 5 out of 5
Out of the human factions prior to this expansion it seemed like Syndicate had the worst one cost characters, but this little female sorcerer seems very very good. Being able to steal someones Icon is great in its own right (and not a non Ancient One so maybe even could get an ancient-one with only one terror insane) the fact that also lowers skill that also works inside its theme is just a great bonus.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
Can’t really ask for much more for a 1 cost character. While not as buff as say… Paul Lemond from Agency, and while the Skill trade-off is certainly useable. Her true nature is hidden in her ability to take away icons from her target. Believe it or not, you’ll probably see Hastur desire her more than Syndicate does. Still, an all around great card that should see plenty of play.

Kamacausey-5 out of 5
I love her! Like Tom said, you can’t really ask for much more from a 1 costed character. She is super versatile! She can be a great story blocker if you are playing more of a control deck or she can be a great story attacker if you are playing a rush deck. She is a fantastic addition to the Syndicate faction and she will see tons of play!
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_jacob-finnegan-dotu.jpg'] Jacob Finnegan

Danigral - 3 out of 5
He is great in a rush deck where you’re exhausting a lot of opponent’s characters. If he can go unopposed at a story, it’s the same as winning investigation, and if you can somehow give him investigation or just commit him with another dude with it, then he can be strong for a 1-drop. I’m not as concerned about losing him to his forced response because he is very low investment, and there are so many other ways he can be destroyed in the current environment. Barring any surprises as a story, you will typically know if you are going to win it or not before you commit him.

dboeren - 3 of 5
There’s a potential to grab an extra success token, which is good for rush decks, but unfortunately his second Forced Response means that he’s lousy for defense unless you’re using him to soak Combat. You can only Succeed at a story on your own turn, so if you use him for defense he will go to the bottom of your deck which is why I’m less impressed with him. Still potentially worthwhile, just keep his drawback in mind.

Ire & WWDrakey - 3 out of 5
Mightily fiddly for a small fry, but can be useful at times… although as an early drop doesn’t do much to stop your opponent’s moves. Quite skilled for a wee fella though.

mnBroncos - 3 out of 5
Wow another great one cost character. Now the downside is late game this guy is awful but early game if can push an unopposed attack with this guy for 1 is just amazing.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
In dedicated skill decks…. pretty useful. Outside that scope… Jacob probably won’t make the cut. Keep in mind that if even if you win Skill while defending, Jacob will disappear if he defends as you can only “succeed” when you’re the active player. However, the really interesting about Jacob is that he is both a Criminal and a Student. This can allow for some really interesting interactions that could lead Jacob to the center stage. Poor guy.

Kamacausey-3 out of 5
Hmmm…this guy is interesting. Very different as far as card design goes, which I like. Most people would think to throw him in a skill manipulation deck but I think he’s more suited for a straight up rush deck. He basically has a hidden investigation icon on his card and when combined with a character that actually has one he and that character can get up to 4 icons in one go at a story. With him being a Student maybe he would be good paired up with the guys at Miskatonic University.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_henry-knoll-dotu.jpg'] Henry Knoll

Danigral - 4 out of 5
This guy will have a target all over him. Repeatable destruction is just very good, and it gives -1 skill until the end of the turn. With multiple ways to ready him, he could be a machine gun, but you will need to protect him from basically every form of removal and control the game has.

dboeren - 4 of 5
Obviously best in skill manipulating decks, although also great at sniping characters with skill 0-1. His icons make him more of a supporting character and create a small dilemma. You kind of want to use his Arcane to ready someone with stronger icons, but then you might also want to ready him to use his ability sooner than waiting for the start of your turn. Still, a very good character for nearly any deck. If his ability happened on commit I think he’d be a 5.

Ire & WWDrakey - 4 out of 5
The problem here is that ‘ready’ portion, which naturally goes along with his Arcane icons, but makes him a bit of a ‘win more’ type of deal. Probably best in combo with cards that have a exhaust-cost, to get some real extra kick on the backswing.

mnBroncos - 4 out of 5
Being able to combo with skill effects that Syndicate already loves and being a 2 cost character with 2 arcane (an icon Syndicate always seems to need more of) and 3 skill is all great! Not a fancy review but a solid character that will always have a chance to make any deck running some Syndicate.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
An excellent tool for Syndicate skill decks. Similarity to A Game of Throne’s “Targ Burn” aside, Syndicate has been aching for more cards like this.

Kamacausey-4 out of 5
It’s pretty obvious what kind of deck this guy belongs in...That aside he is a good enough character that he will see play in a lot of Syndicate decks. Like dboeren pointed out, he will be awesome at sniping 0-1 skill characters. Great addition to the mobsters!
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_martin-herring-dotu.jpg'] Martin Herring

Danigral - 2 out of 5
While he’s not bad in terms of efficiency, and will be a good warm body in a David Pan deck, he often translates to 1 extra token. Which isn’t bad, but he won’t make the cut most times. That said, he does provide a little extra insurance for Peter Clover.

dboeren - 3 of 5
A card for gamblers. Sometimes he’s fantastic, other turns his ability does nothing really useful at all. Also, he’s giving away information to your opponent (unless you were already using another card that reveals your top card). Either way though, he’s a *fun* card to play with and you can probably bump him to a 4 if you play some other cards that help you manipulate the top of your deck through bottom-drawing, discard, placing cards on top, etc…

Ire & WWDrakey - 3 out of 5
For a complete wildcard, this here fella is a much surer bet than one would think.

mnBroncos - 1 out of 5
Now if you are a newer player or have a limited card pool this guy is obviously better. But 2 cost is the sweet spot for Syndicate and this guy just may never do anything more then be a character and in this game it just isn’t enough on this guy to make him worth playing most of the time.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
With a little help and effort Martin can be an absolute nightmare for your opponent. Prophecies and other ways to manipulate the top card of your deck (ie. Archaeology Interns) combined with the likes of Peter Clover can potentially disrupt your opponent’s best laid plans. Competitively, Martin probably won’t appear in most decks as he isn’t completely reliable, but he’s bound to surprise most.

Kamacausey-4 out of 5
I guess I’m going to step out and be the minority here and say I like him. A lot. If you just ignore his text box and strip his card down to the basics he is a 2 costed character with 3 skill, combat, investigation, and fast! Those stats are way above the typical 2 cost average. Yes his ability is a gamble but imho it’s just the cherry on the already delicious sundae! I think this guy will surprise a lot of people.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_isaac-miles-dotu.jpg'] Isaac Miles

Danigral - 3 out of 5
While he may be an important piece of the puzzle if you want to do a lot of deck manipulation, such as with Bootlegging Operation, if he becomes too annoying to your opponent, he will just be the first to go. I don’t think he will ultimately be the panacea for Yithians, but he can help. The arcane and investigation are great for Syndicate though, which usually is a little light.

dboeren - 4 of 5
Unusual icons for Syndicate, looks more like a Miskatonic or Silver Twilight setup. Also, he’s not a Criminal. But what he does do very well is shut down milling decks. Yithians can’t get to their own discard pile, and your characters that get discarded come back to your deck too. No need to run Forgotten Shoggoth anymore! This was a tough card to rate because if you’re NOT facing milling he’s much less exciting. Once mill settles down and becomes less common he’ll drop to a 3 though.

Ire & WWDrakey - 3 out of 5
Easier to fit in yer gang than a pair of snowy graves, while doin’ almost the same business and rushing nicely on the side. Easy anti-meta, with decent stats to boot. Will go up-n’-down in value with meta-shifts, but in the right environment he’s a solid bloke.

mnBroncos - 2 out of 5
Same as the last guy, the fact this guy may do nothing more then be a body makes him not that appealing. However, this character has the handy arcane icon and a slight counter to mill makes him definitely worth more than the last guy.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
Yah… he can keep his ear. The art is super creepy, his icons are unusual for Syndicate, and he has a strange effect. Strange, but important. Syndicate no longer has to look to Forgotten Shoggoth to utilize the bottom card of your deck, and in the ‘Age of Yithians,’ Mr. Miles becomes a strong metagame choice.

Kamacausey-3 out of 5
This guy was printed as another way to keep Yithians in check, which is good. They needed more cards to help combat them imho. That being said he won’t see much play if the Yithians don’t as there are better choices at his cost slot. He’s a welcome addition to the mobsters though as his ability is a needed one in the metagame. As a side note I love his artwork!
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_clover-club-high-roller-dotu.jpg'] Clover Club High Roller

Danigral - 3 out of 5
Another cheap investigation icon, he could be very good in a rush deck. As he’s an independent, it might combo well with 607 Walter Street to keep him coming back for more. Otherwise you will need additional ways to give him toughness to really make it worth it. So he’s really a combo card.

dboeren - 3 of 5
Good for finishing off stories, but he dies to do it and his icons are below average. You may want to include cards that grant Toughness like Dutch Courage. Luckily getting an extra token is pretty handy which saves him from being a 2.

Ire & WWDrakey - 2 out of 5
Well, he ain’t bad, but neither is he exactly forth the gamble. The icons are quite slim, so ye’ll be paying a lot for a single investigate… leavinh the ability as the punchline, and we ain’t quite sure if it’s worth it.

mnBroncos - 2 out of 5
I don’t know why but I just haven’t been that impressed with these two cost characters. This does definitely help push the rush Syndicate can do and there are a number of times that you get that fourth investigation and killing this pathetic guy to finish the story can be great.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
I think I like him a bit more than I should. Getting a quick 4 against 0 success token advantage on a story card can sometimes be better than actually winning said story card. Plus he has the added bonus of cheating that last token you need late in the game. He may not be an everyday player, but is amazing given the right (easily made common) conditions.

Kamacausey-4 out of 5
I’m with Tom on this one. Any character that has the potential to nab 4 success tokens at a story in one go shouldn’t be overlooked. No he isn’t a criminal and no he isn’t as flashy as some of the other Syndicate cards in the set but he is a great story attacker. Yes he dies when he uses his ability (barring he isn’t liquored up) but if it gives you that last success token you needed to win that story something tells me you won’t mind too much.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_clover-club-ringer-dotu.jpg'] Clover Club Ringer

Danigral - 2 out of 5
I think she may be a trap. You will still have to make it through terror and combat, so she will almost never commit alone, and you still take the same casualties otherwise, you just get one yourself. So you’re basically trading weenies, or getting an additional success token maybe. I just think she won’t be as useful in actuality as she could be in the ideal circumstances.

dboeren - 3 of 5
A pretty decent card to frustrate your opponent, but with poor icons and a choice to make of which struggle to use her on. She’s not flashy, but she does have flexibility and the potential to do some annoying things.

Ire & WWDrakey - 3 out of 5
Now that’s a mighty curious card. Alone, she’ll go bonkers and get herself offed more often than not, but she does look like a piece of a puzzle. That is, if you can figure out what the image is supposed to be.

mnBroncos - 3 out of 5
I am still pretty new and this effect seems great being able to lose a struggle yet win it also, but with the once per turn and that opponent still wins it as well makes it kinda questionable for a 3 cost character.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
Is she good? Is she bad? Nope, just weird. Weird in a fun way of course. Beyond her base ability, there are a good bit of cards that trigger off of who wins/loses a struggle and could reveal some pretty amazing situations that really add to the depth of the game.

Kamcausey-2 out of 5
I could be wrong on this one but overall I don’t like her too much. Her ability seems a lot better than it actually is. Seeing as how she only has an arcane icon you aren’t going to be able to defend stories with her by herself so she isn’t worth the investment imho. She seems more suited as a combo piece than a story attacker/defender.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_clover-club-pit-boss-dotu.jpg'] Clover Club Pit Boss

Danigral - 5 out of 5
There isn’t much to argue with here. Willpower is probably one of the best keywords, and protect virtually all your guys from an entire faction (Hastur). Poor Hastur. That said, this box is chock full of characters with no-icons, so until you get the pit boss out, most of your characters will be vulnerable.

dboeren - 5 out of 5
There’s just no good reason not to take him in a mono-Syndicate deck, but you might leave him at home if you’re mixing factions. He’s reasonable enough just on icons and skill, but granting Willpower to all your Criminals is really good for keeping your guys on their feet and most Syndicate decks want to keep their tempo up.

Ire & WWDrakey - 5 out of 5
Here now, that’s some mighty gang synergy right there, and there’s no doubt about it. The three skill is just a fine polish on top of a shiny wagon here.

mnBroncos - 5 out of 5
I maybe overrating this character but one of my most successful decks I have made so far was a mono Syndicate deck (prior to this expansion) and being able to make every Criminal character immune to their biggest weakness is AMAZING. However it still can be stopped with direct removal yet I still feel like this is one of the best cards for Syndicate in the set so far.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
Having a problem with your criminals all going insane? I mean for real, and not just faking an insanity plea… Well fear no more as the Pit Boss has been called to the table. For painfully obvious reasons, he will practically be a staple in most Criminal based decks.

Kamacausey-5 out of 5
Willpower for everyone!? Yes please! Good skill, decent icons, and a great ability. Willpower is one of the better keywords in the game and being able to give it to everyone in your deck is just outright bonkers! He will be a staple Syndicate card till the end of time! Great card!
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_numbers-runner-dotu.jpg'] Numbers Runner

Danigral - 3 out of 5
While he is a bit pricey for his icons, if you combo him with other cards, he can really do work. If you can find a way to exhaust and ready him repeatedly, you can get a lot of unopposed. Still, in and of himself, he’s not great since he’d work pretty much on defense alone.

dboeren - 3 out of 5
He doesn’t make as immediate an impact as some of the other cost 3 Syndicate guys, but he pays off over time the more you get to use his ability and a lot of characters will have skill less than 4. I feel like he’s more for non-Rush Syndicate decks or that I want some acceleration to get him down early enough to leverage his ability more.

Ire & WWDrakey - 3 out of 5
That there triggering by readying makes another appearance, with a similar setup of not having much in the way of active icons. On a 3 cost that gets a bit less enticing, since ye really expect a bit more of an instant return for your investment at the cost.

mnBroncos - 4 out of 5
Being able to trigger this on your turn and your opponents turn with standing from winning an arcane struggle makes this a great option for control or rush decks. Not much negative to say besides only having 2 icons for a 3 cost character.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
With the right pieces around him, this character goes from decent to an all-star! Ironically enough, Numbers Runner probably works best when paired with Meat Wagon and Agency’s San Marco Basilica for a torrent of exhaustion.

Kamacausey-2 out of 5
I could be undervaluing this guy as well but the investment that you have to put into him to make him effective seems too great. I feel like I could invest my resources into something more useful than to spend my time and effort trying to make him useful. Much like Clover Club Ringer he seems more like a combo card.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_fall-guy-dotu.jpg'] Fall Guy

Danigral - 4 out of 5
This guy is pretty much the ultimate chud. While he will be pretty bad on his own, he really shines once you get a few other guys on the board and are ready to get some work done at stories. He lets you focus on your good struggles or the skill check.

dboeren - 3 out of 5
For a guy to throw under the bus, I still tend to prefer Patsy because you can wait and use him at the last moment, but this is a decent alternative.

Ire & WWDrakey - 5 out of 5
He did it. Honestly he did it. He confessed too, didn’t he? So, we kosher now?

mnBroncos - 4 out of 5
Another amazing guy for one cost. Although it is more like an event that your opponent sees coming, stopping opponent from winning any struggle at a story is just crazy good. Only downside is that you will still want other characters at the story as well so it isn’t an unopposed attack by your opponent or so that you can win your own struggles as the attacker. Still great!

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
Behold the ultimate pawn in your grand scheme! Syndicate is notoriously weak at struggles when compared to most other factions (reason why they like to use skill instead). Fall Guy here is the failsafe. You’re not always in a Parallel Universe and David Pan isn’t always around to save the day so Fall Guy is an additional option you can use to focus on just winning the skill challenge.

Kamacausey-3 out of 5
The Fall Guy is a decent 1 costed character with a good ability but I honestly don’t know where I would make a spot for him in one of my decks... I don’t tend to build my decks thinking that I will be losing struggles so I don’t want to pack cards in my deck that will prevent me from losing struggles in the first place. As a Syndicate player I either want to have cards that prevent my opponent from going to stories with cards that exhaust or kill their characters. I’m not quite sure where he fits into the Syndicate lineup but the fact that he doesn’t have to be at the story to prevent the struggles from happening is why he will see play.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_marine-salvager-dotu.jpg'] Marine Salvager

Danigral - 4 out of 5
This makes any support destruction your opponent has almost useless unless paired with character removal as well. He is also great for getting back your own supports that you sacrificed yourself for effects, like Ice Shaft or Under the Porch. He’s not that great in terms of stats, but hey, the Pit Boss makes every criminal better. In this first part we look at the Syndicate characters.

dboeren - 4 out of 5
This is a card that’s hard to rate. In a deck that relies on a particular support, he can be a 5. In another deck where your supports aren’t that crucial, he’s so-so. It’s going to depend on how much support hate is in your meta, and also whether your opponents tend to pack supports that you can steal and make good use of. It’s worth taking a moment to consider whether he fits your deck. If nothing else, use him as a surrogate Jamberg and go Ice Shafting once per turn.

Ire & WWDrakey - 3 out of 5
It does get hot in that there suit, but the fishes is pretty. So, all in all, a decent gig.

mnBroncos - 3 out of 5
Now this effect is amazing, however, you have to have targets for this effect so need to have discarded your opponents supports or after your own has been discarded which may never or rarely happen. Also, having to exhaust and pay also makes the ability much worse and as just a simple 2 cost 1 icon 2 skill character makes this guy not great for many decks. I could see a Syndicate/Shub deck liking this guy a lot though. Concrete and Chains, a support card will see later, made me rate this guy a 3 not a 2 but could even be a 4.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
ALL YOUR SUPPORTS BELONG TO US!!! Combining this water with fire (Melisande) allows you to double dip when you profit from burning everything to the ground. Unless support cards disappear from decks… this card is just good.

Kamacausey-4 out of 5
Maybe it’s because I love supports so much but I am a HUGE fan of this guy! Recurring supports is awesome. Don’t think so? The restricted Marcus Jamburg begs to differ. No, he isn’t as good as Jamburg but having another character like him in the format will just strengthen support based control decks. If you don’t think so I imagine you will be surprised in the coming months. The only reason he isn’t a 5 is because he’s so specialized, but it’s a relevant enough specialty that he will be useful more often than not. Look for this guy to do some work in the near future!
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_cat-burglar-dotu.jpg'] Cat Burglar

Danigral - 3 out of 5
I’m not sure about this guy. His ability is situational, but meta-dependent, since you never know if your opponent is running supports. There are still a lot of great supports out there though, so he can rarely be a bad bet. Think of him as a reverse Museum Curator, who is restricted for a reason. If paired with other factions that make good use of night, he may slot in well, and he’s a good early game rusher if you give him some additional support from other characters.

dboeren - 3 of 5
Crooked Attorney and La Bella Luna are steering my Syndicate builds back towards Day so it’s a little harder to fit this guy in. He does have a pretty nice ability though, and even if you don’t get to steal a support you gain some intel on your opponent’s deck which is a reasonable consolation prize. But if you are doing Night, and this also applies to dual-faction Syndicate/Mythos decks, he’s a pretty good pick.

Ire & WWDrakey - 2 out of 5
The fast does a lot, and em’ golden watches give Syndicate a good chance of pulling off a Night gig… that said, the icons be a bit mediocre and he’s mightily situational even in the dark.

mnBroncos - 4 out of 5
I actually really like a Syndicate night deck I have made and this guy would be a great addition to that style of deck. Being able to steal support cards may not help you that much since some decks won't have many support cards, however, in my limited experience support cards are often a very import to what decks are trying to accomplish so being able to take away an opponent's key card is great!

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
Marine Salvager not good enough for you? Ok fine, make it night and CB here rips ‘em straight out of the deck. Syndicate has some great support cards, but doesn’t hurt (usually) to take your opponent’s as well.

Kamacausey-3 out of 5
So many good characters in this set it’s boggling my mind! Cat Burglar isn’t as good as some of the other characters in the set since he takes another step to go from average to awesome but he is still a solid character with investigation, 4 skill, and the fast keyword. Even if you don’t manage to nab one of your opponents support cards you still get to see the next 5 cards of their deck and you can then plan accordingly to thwart what they have coming up in the next couple turns.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_crooked-attorney-dotu.jpg'] Crooked Attorney

Danigral - 2 out of 5
What a conflicted character. Villainous has been an AO faction keyword, but Day works with human factions, and his buff if strictly for Syndicate (with a couple exceptions). This will mean unless you try to get fancy that he will be in a mono-faction skill deck. He’s not bad for that, but still a very niche dude.

dboeren - 4 out of 5
Not totally bonkers, but very good and will see use in some of my mono-Syndicate decks. He’s not a Criminal himself, but he boosts most of your guys in a mono deck as well as providing anti-Night tech. I don’t see Villainous as much of an issue unless you’re trying to pair with Agency, Syndicate doesn’t really have Heroic. The potential anti-synergies are that extra skill works well with skill manipulation decks but the granted Arcane may be superfluous and that if you’re using La Bella Luna the need to win Arcane is less although it’s still a good blocker for enemy Arcane. Don’t overlook this guy even if he seems like he just fills a support role.

Ire & WWDrakey - 2 out of 5
Errm, alone he’s an iconless Villainous fella, forcing you into that Day pattern. With only a few of the more restless Criminals getting any mileage out of day jobs, he just doesn’t seem worth the trouble. Maybe if everybody else is running night gigs, then he might have a place, otherwise we’d leave that there legal stuff to others.

mnBroncos - 3 out of 5
Sorry here is another card that as a newer player I'm not quite sure how to rate The bottom effect giving Criminal characters arcane and plus 1 skill is amazing and would run this guy just for that. However, the Day part is kinda hit or miss. You can easily run this guy in a day deck or a non-day/night deck however, giving a Villainous character day is weird because if trying to use this guy in a day deck they will more likely have Heroic characters over Villainous ones.


Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
Ya, no. He’ll fit in to theme decks, but while an extra book and skill is nice, Crooked Attorney will likely be sitting on the bench. With other tools available to Syndicate now, I don’t imagine this guy will be taking up deck slots too often.

Kamacausey-2 out of 5
He is one of the characters made specifically for a mono Syndicate build. He will fit a version of the Criminal deck but won’t see play outside of that I’m afraid. It’s kinda weird that he makes it Day since there are criminals that benefit from it being night, but maybe there is a way to turn that into a positive...
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_hatchet-man-dotu.jpg'] Hatchet Man

Danigral - 4 out of 5
A great rush character or a great defender, he basically gets whatever icon you need the most. He will be difficult for your opponent to plan around.

dboeren - 4 of 5
Pan Junior is not quite as good as the original, but he’s cheaper and non-unique. If he got to choose after both sides committed he’d be even better but still very good. Between this guy and all the skill 4 characters Syndicate got in this box, the stock for skill manipulation decks is definitely going up. Blank icons keep him down a bit.

Ire & WWDrakey - 4 out of 5
Now that’s a really solid addition to your gang, letting your own skills shine through.

mnBroncos - 5 out of 5
So we got a cheaper not quite as powerful non-unique Mr. David Pan. This is great way of not only stopping you from losing a challenge you normally would have lost but actually win it. Not much more to say about this guy but any deck, even one not subtracting/adding skill, can run this guy effectively.

Tom Capor - aka Magnus Arcanis
Love it! Obviously not as awesome as David Pan or a timely Parallel Universe, but being non-unique and reuseable… I’ll take it as a nice addition to the previously mentioned options for your typical Syndicate Skill deck.

Kamacausey-4 out of 5
It’s a mini David Pan! I like him. No icons is kinda rough but his ability makes up for it since you basically get to choose to win whatever icon struggle you need or want to at the time. He of course excels in the skill manipulation deck but will be good in pretty much any Syndicate deck.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/coc/med_wheelman-dotu.jpg'] Wheelman

Danigral - 3 out of 5
He’s basically a Military Bike in a character, since you can go through all the struggles at one story and just before terror resolves at another you can jump them both there. While it can be useful to double-up, or avoid surprises, he just doesn’t seem good enough on his own to warrant a spot. He’s a good support character, but you need other good characters to make him worth it.

dboeren - 3 out of 5
This guy can create some havok or just save your butt. Going to take some finesse I think to get the most out of him but there’s some decent potential. Also, you can use him to put a strong character at two stories in the same turn which is pretty cool. However, he needs a good partner to really be useful and you can’t always be sure of having (and keeping) one that you can spare to accompany him.

Ire & WWDrakey - 2-3? out of 5
Now he’s tricky, ain’t he. Sub-par icons again, so the meat has to be in the ability… which is decent, but not overwhelming. Also, a bit light on skill for a hardened Criminal. Must be all that sitting around in cars eating donuts.

mnBroncos - 2 out of 5
Although this guy isn’t useless and there could be times his effect can make a solid difference I just feel there are much better options then this guy, even in just this box.

Tom Capor - Magnus Arcanis
Wheelman is a mid game super star. Quite often Syndicate can struggle at stories when they’re no longer able to exhaust every threat presented, and wheelman acting like a far superior version of Military Bike and allow you to create some serious holes in your opponent’s defenses. Add in that, when combined with up to 2 other copies, you can start to use Wheelmen on defense more effectively in addition to causing double (or more) trouble for your opponent’s ability to block effectively. That being said, the wheelman won’t be for every scheme you can cook up as a deckbuilder, but I thoroughly recommend giving this nifty character a chance.

Kamacausey-2 out of 5
I’m not really a fan of this guy or most cards that requires another card to be useful. Also, your opponent will just play around this guys ability when he is in play. Maybe I’m not appreciating his effect enough but I just think there are better options at this cost slot. His artwork is fantastic though!
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