[Solo] Diana Stanley - Fusion of Spells and Spirit

Overview:
Use your Boxing Gloves and Guard Dog in the early stage while you quickly increase your willpower by using your "cancel" and "ignore" cards. Once you have around 5 to 7 willpower, you can deal with most of what the scenario throws at you.

credits to PlayingBoardGames (https://www.youtube.com/c/PlayingBoardGames) for giving me the idea of using Boxing Gloves.

Strategy:
In the early stage of the game, Use your Boxing Gloves to deal with enemies and to draw Spirit cards such as Delay the Inevitable or Ward of Protection to help increase your willpower quickly. You can also search for Glory to help mill through your deck to get your desired cards quickly since Diana has increased deck size.

Since three(3) intellect is not reliable for most investigation tests (especially in higher difficulty), use your skill cards to increase chance of success, or cards like Drawn to the Flame and Read the Signs.

Once you have around 3 - 4 willpower start setting up your Sixth Sense and Azure Flame via Arcane Initiate and Uncage the Soul.

Lastly, don't forget to use your Prepared for the Worst to search for your Twilight Blade (so you can re-use your cancel and ignore cards), as well as search for your stronger weapons.

Tactics:
1.) Use Daring then assign damage to Guard Dog to Damage Enemy + Draw a Card OR Dodge the attack to gain Resource + Increase Willpower + Draw two cards.

2.) Avoid paying for the upkeep of Delay the Inevitable by using its effect one time similar to Dodge, then placing it beneath Diana right after to get back 1 resource and so you can re-use the card later.

3.) Keep in mind that you can counter Diana's weakness (Terrible Secret) with Deny Existence because it just "ignores" and doesn't cancel.

4.) Guard Dog can be used to deal with pesky low health enemies (ex: Rats), instead of wasting your precious Azure Flame charges.

5.) Ward of Protection can help deal with a nasty treachery card drawn via Drawn to the Flame

6.) Don't forget to include Dark Insight in your starting hand. This is a common beginner's mistake.

Essential Upgrades:
1.) Maximize Azure Flame quickly with Arcane Research. This will be your secondary weapon.

2.) Main Weapon: Choose between Brand of Cthugha or Cyclopean Hammer. Both have their pros and cons:

Brand of Cthugha
Pros:
-Cheaper because Arcane Research helps reduce cost
-Easier to Search and Play (with Arcane Initiate and Uncage the Soul)
-more flexible (since you can use your Combat stat in the beginning then switch to Willpower later).
Cons:
-The penalty is a pain to deal with so you have to weaken the enemy with another card before you hopefully finish the enemy with this card on the next turn, Else pray with your Holy Rosary and hope you get lucky.

Cyclopean Hammer
Pros:
-Can push enemies away which is good if you are being swarmed or to avoid damage from dangerous "non-elite" enemies
-More Reliable than Brand of Cthugha once you have high willpower and because there's no penalty, nor charges.
Cons:
-Costs more XP
-Needs setup time (higher willpower to be truly effective)
-More expensive to play

3.) Bandolier . So you don't have to discard your Gloves or Twilight Blade to make room for your other weapon.

4.) Prophetic. Helps pay your Spirit and Spell cards especially in the early stage when you don't have much resources yet.

5.) Deny Existence, Ward of Protection, and "I've had worse…" (for Innsmouth) and other Level1-5 cancel or ignore cards. These cards will increase your chances of survival.

6.) Best Bro Brother Xavier. He's more expensive than your Dog but he can soak a lot of damage and gives you bonus willpower.

Optional Upgrades:
1.) Replace Holy Rosary with Police Badge. Horror soak is good but the additional two turns from Police Badge makes room for some clutch plays.

2.) Sixth Sense. Only if you have excess XP. I think there are better Level 1-5 cards than this (such as Dayana Esperence, Seal of the Elder Sign, or even Arcane Initiate)