Roland Banks by Cycle for Newbies (PlayingBoardGames)

In this guide, I'll be going over a basic Roland build with two core sets, then talking about upgrade paths as well as talking about what cards to look for from each cycle, as an aid for newer players who may only have access to one or two cycles. If you do not have multiple core sets, I highly recommend either purchasing a second, or proxying the cards you are missing. All decks from this series will be ignoring mutations as well as the taboo list. I also won't be looking at the cards from the Return To expansions for this, as newer players really should look at picking up most of the cycles before delving into them.

Looking at our base deck from just two Core Sets we already have a pile of pretty solid cards to look forward to. Machete and Dr. Milan Christopher are two of the strongest level 0 cards in the game. Cards like Vicious Blow and .45 Automatic will enable you to rumble with the enemies you need to, while cards like Deduction, Evidence! and Flashlight will keep the clues coming when there's no monsters to fight.

Next up are our upgrades. One of Roland's biggest weaknesses is his 5 sanity, and our core set upgrades are going to look to help mitigate that. Police Badge will help scrape by on some of those tough treacheries, while the Elder Sign Amulet will actually keep us alive. Beat Cop is the default option for some better fighting capabilities, and Shotgun is a fine choice for boss killing, or if you just wanna feel powerful. On the seeker side of things, Disc of Itzamna is typically unnecessary, but Magnifying Glass is a fine pickup if you have extra XP.

If you have the Dunwich Legacy campaign, Prepared for the Worst, Shortcut and Inquiring Mind are all easy adds. Brother Xavier, Pathfinder and "I've had worse..." are all solid upgrades, as are Vicious Blow and Lightning Gun. Look into Charisma if you're looking at an ally build.

The Path to Carcosa offers "Let me handle this!", On the Hunt and Fieldwork for level 0 decks. Calling in Favors opens up an opportunity for a neat ally deck, and the Say Your Prayers cycle of cards are all easily usable to Roland with his piddly sanity score. For upgrades, Forewarned is good protection, Ever Vigilant is solid setup and Shortcut feels great for your teammates. This cycle also offers Stick to the Plan, a very strong tool for consistency.

Next up we have the Forgotten Age. Things are a little sparse here at level 0, with only Scene of the Crime and Take the Initiative jumping out as strong options. Venturer is okay, if a little expensive should you find yourself running low on ammo. Quick Study is cute with Roland's reaction, and Well Prepared is a fun and strong build around. Lastly, we have the Flamethrower, roasting and toasting all your enemy troubles.

The Circle Undone is up next, and it has some really great options. At level 0, Hallowed Mirror, Occult Lexicon, Steadfast and Enchanted Blade are all fantastic. Something Worth Fighting For, Alice Luxley and Mr. "Rook" are all a little more niche here, as they're expensive and there's lots of competition for the ally slot, but both are fun to play around with. Crack the Case and Hawk-Eye Folding Camera are both okay options as well. For the upgrades, both tarot cards, Death • XIII and Ace of Swords are strong, if unexciting. Well-Maintained and Enchanted Blade are good combat options, and "I've had worse..." does everything you want, aside from actually killing monsters. This cycle also features some Big Dumb Stuff if you just like playing flashy cards: Agency Backup and Mk 1 Grenades are both a little tough to get working, but when they do it feels fantastic.

I will write up a section here when the Dream-Eaters cycle has concluded.

Hopefully this has helped some new players with their deck building and collection buying without being overbearing. I'll be looking at doing this for the rest of the core set investigators, as well as a less comprehensive deck building guide for the other investigators with only cards from two core sets and their respective cycles.

Find our video guide for this decklist here: https://youtu.be/cxT8YaoPOMc