Agnes, Expert Waitress: Swamp vs. Soup (Achievements)

Agnes Baker's attempt to complete Return to the Night of the Zealot, solo, on Expert difficulty, continues! Having barely escaped her own home, Agnes decided it made sense to take a holiday in the bayou and let her Arcane Research do its work to automatically upgrade some more of her magic. It worked for Akachi Onyele in the past, anyway. Here we go!

SESSION REPORT - EXPERT DIFFICULTY

SIDE SCENARIO - CURSE OF THE ROUGAROU

• Opening Hand: Shrivelling, Guts, Ward of Protection, Fearless, Thermos
• Kept: Shrivelling
• Replacements: Fearless, Lucky!, Guts, Fire Axe
• Starting Location: Brackish Waters

As before, I've got weapons but no investigative tools.

R1 (1D, 2H, 5$, 0C): 0/5 doom

• Encounter: None
• Move to Fauborg Marigny
• Play Shrivelling [-2$]
• Play Fire Axe
• Draw Flashlight [+1$]

I got lucky getting the "play assets for $1 cheaper" location early on. And hey look, an investigative tool! However... it's not going to be super useful when the clue I need to pick up now is in a shroud 3 location (Audubon Park). I need something stronger.

R2 (1D, 2H, 4$, 0C): 1/5 doom

• Encounter: Ripples on the Surface, commit Fearless, 6 vs. 3 (-4), play Lucky! [-1$]: pass [heal 1H] (feels bad to burn Lucky! here but I want that horror heal)
• Draw Drawn to the Flame (That's stronger!)
• Play Flashlight [-1$]
• Move to Audubon Park
• Draw Fire Axe [+1$]

R3 (1D, 1H, 3$, 0C): 2/5 doom

• Encounter: Swamp Leech spawns at Brackish Waters
• Play Drawn to the Flame: draw Dragged Under, 3 vs. 3 (-4): fail [threatens] [+1C, +1 Victory] (This is one of the few treacheries that I'm not well-equipped to handle. Watch me draw it multiple times as a result. For now, I'll pause to draw.)
• Draw Paranoia [-3$] (...well, at least I've time to bounce back)
• Draw Rite of Seeking
• Test Dragged Under, 3 vs. 3 (0): pass [discarded]
• Draw Dark Memory [+1$]

A lucky pull got rid of Dragged Under, but almost back-to-back weakness pulls is a bit demoralizing. At least I can draw safely after I've advanced the doom clock next turn.

R4 (1D, 1H, 1$, 0C): 3/5 doom

• Encounter: Dragged Under, 3 vs. 3 (-8): fail [threatens] (not again!! This one I just have to eat)
• Take a resource [+1$]
• Play Dark Memory [-2$]: +1 doom
• Move to Brackish Waters [2D, discard Dragged Under, Swamp Leech engages]
• Advance Act to 1b [-1C]: Lady Esprit enters play at Brackish Waters, New Orleans and Unhallowed locations enter play, The Rougarou spawns at New Orleans-A, encounters added and reshuffled, receive Curse of the Rougarou
• Curse of the Rougarou: 1H [ Agnes Baker: +1D to Swamp Leech, defeated]
• Draw Painkillers [+1$]

At least Curse of the Rougarou gives me another option to actionlessly ping enemies for damage, or in the case of Swamp Leeches, pop them with impunity. Painkillers are a welcome draw to mitigate the horror. And with the agenda advancing, I can manipulate The Rougarou to move close to me.

R5 (3D, 2H, 1$, 0C): 5/5 doom

• Agenda advances to 1b: encounters reshuffle, The Rougarou moves to Fauborg Marigny [drop 1C each on New Orleans-A, Cursed Shores, Brackish Waters], advances to 2a
• Encounter: Dragged Under, 3 vs. 3 (-8): fail [threatens] (not... aGAIN!!)
• Use Lady Esprit [1H on Lady Esprit]: heal 2D (with all this swimming I'm doing, Lady Esprit's healing powers are going to be tasked overtime)
• Move to Fauborg Marigny [2D, discard Dragged Under]
• Play Painkillers
• Curse of the Rougarou: 1H [ Agnes Baker: +1D to The Rougarou (that's 1 damage out of 5)
• The Rougarou moves to Unhallowed Land-A [drop 1C each on Fauborg Marigny, Brackish Waters, Foul Swamp]
• Draw Thermos [+1$]

The fact that Agnes can damage The Rougarou without needing to engage it is going to come in very handy this scenario. I'm now 20% of the way to completion, with two full Agendas to do it. And while I'm taking a lot of punishment, I've tools (Painkillers, Lady Esprit, and now Thermos) to bounce back from it.

R6 (3D, 3H, 2$, 0C): 1/6 doom

• Encounter: Swamp Leech spawns at Brackish Waters
• Take a resource [+1$]
• Play Thermos [-3$]
• Move to Brackish Waters [Swamp Leech engages]
• Curse of the Rougarou: 1H [ Agnes Baker: +1D to Swamp Leech, defeated]
• Draw Uncage the Soul [+1$]

Once again letting my own Curse handle Leeches automatically.

R7 (3D, 4H, 1$, 0C): 2/6 doom

• Encounter: Dark Young Host spawns at Cursed Shores (also known as the "let's see if I can win without ever going over to that third of the map" encounter)
• Use Lady Esprit [1H on Lady Esprit]: heal 2D
• Use Thermos [-1S]: heal 2H
• Use Flashlight [-1S]: Investigate, 2 vs. 0 (-1): pass [+1C]
• Curse of the Rougarou: 1H
• Draw Forbidden Knowledge [+1$]

R8 (1D, 3H, 2$, 1C): 3/6 doom

• Encounter: On the Prowl, surge, The Rougarou moves to Unhallowed Land-B [drop 1C on Unhallowed Land-A]
• Encounter: Cursed Swamp, 5 vs. 3 (-1): pass
• Move to Foul Swamp
• Play Uncage the Soul: play Rite of Seeking [-1$]
• Use Thermos [-1S]: heal 2H
• Curse of the Rougarou: 1
• Draw Painkillers [+1$]

I paused before moving in on The Rougarou because I want to do double-damage to it with Shrivelling, and that means a full move-engage-attack turn. Mmm, that Thermos soup sure is tasty right now.

R9 (1D, 2H, 2$, 1C): 4/6 doom

• Encounter: Spectral Mist attaches to Brackish Waters
• Move to Ritual Grounds
• Engage The Rougarou [-1C]
• Use Shrivelling [-1X]: Fight The Rougarou, commit Guts, 7 vs. 3 ( is -3) [1H]: pass [+2D], draw Lita Chantler
• The Rougarou moves to Fauborg Marigny [drop 1C each on Ritual Grounds, Foul Swamp, Brackish Waters]
• Ritual Grounds: 1H, draw Lucky!
• Draw Rite of Seeking [+1$]

I had to look up this rules question, but no, I couldn't have gotten a third damage on The Rougarou from Agnes's reaction ability that turn. If I'd let the horror backfire from Shrivelling turn into damage on The Rougarou, it would have fled right then - i.e., before the double damage from Shrivelling landed. Thankfully, Agnes's ability is a reaction and not forced, so I could choose to forego it.

R10 (1D, 4H, 3$, 0C): 5/6 doom

• Encounter: On the Prowl, surge, The Rougarou moves to New Orleans-B [drop 1C each on Fauborg Marigny, Brackish Waters, Cursed Shores] (I sent The Rougarou over there because the coming agenda flip means I can move it back over near me next turn)
• Encounter: Swamp Leech spawns at Cursed Shores
• Play Lita Chantler
• Use Thermos [-1S]: heal 2H
• Use Rite of Seeking [-1X]: Investigate, 5 vs. 2 (-3): pass [+2C, +1 Victory]
• Curse of the Rougarou: 1H on Lita Chantler
• Ritual Grounds: 1H on Lita Chantler, draw Heirloom of Hyperborea
• Draw Drawn to the Flame [+1$]

Lita Chantler is much needed right now as soak. Hanging round the Ritual Grounds is damaging to the psyche but the cards it's drawing me are a welcome tradeoff. I have to be careful though... I'm out of soup.

R11 (1D, 2H, 4$, 2C): 6/6 doom

• Agenda advances to 2b: On the Prowls reshuffle, The Rougarou moves to Ritual Grounds [drop 1C each on New Orleans-B, Cursed Shores, Foul Swamp], advances to 3a (right where I want him!)
• Encounter: On the Prowl, surge, The Rougarou moves to Audubon Park [drop 1C each on Ritual Grounds, Foul Swamp, Brackish Waters, -1 Victory] (...and off he goes! Dang it)
• Encounter: Ripples on the Surface, 5 vs. 3 (-3): fail by 1 [1H]
• Use Flashlight [-1S]: Investigate, 2 vs. 0 ( is +3): pass [+1C, +1 Victory]
• Move to Foul Swamp
• Move to Brackish Waters
• Curse of the Rougarou: 1H
• Agenda 3a: +1 doom
• Draw Holy Rosary [+1$]

Well, I was hoping to end things that turn, but need to go chase the thing down instead. Thankfully, I've plenty of icons to funnel into one last big Shrivelling blast.

R12 (1D, 4H, 5$, 3C): 2/8 doom

• Encounter: Insatiable Bloodlust attaches to The Rougarou
• Move to Audubon Park
• Engage The Rougarou [-1C]
• Use Shrivelling [-1X]: Fight The Rougarou, commit Painkillers, Heirloom of Hyperborea, Drawn to the Flame, Holy Rosary, 10 vs. 4 ( is +4): pass [+3D, defeated]
• Act 2a: Resolution 2

Resolution 2

• The Rougarou is destroyed, and the curse is lifted
• Curse of the Rougarou removed
• Lady Esprit joins Agnes
• Experience 2 (Victory 2)

Boom! Success. Two experience isn't a lot, but it's basically four thanks to Arcane Research, and Lady Esprit is a welcome addition. But now, time to get back to the real task for Agnes: Returning to The Midnight Masks.