How to gather clues for True Solo investigators
Gathering clues in one of the primary tasks that investigators have to complete in Arkham Horror LCG. It grants direct XP by clearing victory locations, and is very often required to reach a favorable resolution at the end of the act deck. A True Solo investigator must be able to gather clues effectively.
Scenarios played True Solo Have on average 10-12 clues on locations. But the player is rarely required to clear them all, and planning to consistently get at least 8 clues is a good rule of thumb to cover the act deck and clear most of the Victory Points locations. This number is important if a player plans to use limited use assets, events or skills to get clues. A player must pack enough cards to both have some available early in the scenario, and cover the required amount of clues.
Some investigators, such as Daisy Walker, have it easy. They can slap one or two assets with a +1 intellect boost and run around doing basic investigate vs shroud. They won’t have to dedicate many of their card slots to finding clues, and if they do, will be looking for action compression rather than to just pass the tests.
Other investigators, with limited class access and low intellect, such as Nathaniel Cho, will have to be much more creative. In this post series, we will look at the card pool to evaluate the card that can help an investigator to find clues in True Solo.
Cards will be ordered in the same order as on ArkhamDB. For each possible card, I will do a brief summary in the following form:
Card Title
- Clue gathering effect summary
- Cost to play, other costs/benefits
- Clue getting potential
- Advised investigator skill value
- Does the card synergize with True Solo specificities
This post will cover both neutral cards and guardian cards. Following posts will cover the rest of the card pool.
Neutral Cards
Neutral cards are accessible to all investigators. This is important as it provides basic options to everyone, and class access should offer investigators better / additional options compared to the neutral cards.
Assets
Flashlight
- -2 shroud for this investigation
- 2 resources cost, hand slot
- Up to 3 uses
- Any intellect value if targeting 1-2 shroud locations
- Good solo synergy: the limited uses of flashlight are less detrimental in True Solo
Flashlight (3)
- -2 shroud for this investigation per supply spent
- 2 resources cost, hand slot, can help to evade as well
- Up to 4 uses
- Any intellect value if targeting 1/2 shroud locations
- Good solo synergy: the limited uses of flashlight are less detrimental in True Solo
Hemispheric Map (3)
- +0/1/2 intellect boost depending on the number of connecting locations
- 2 resources cost, accessory slot, gives an equal willpower boost
- Unlimited skill boost
- 4+ intellect
- Neutral solo synergy
HyperphysicalShotcaster (Telescanner)
- Investigate any revealed location with any skill
- 4 resources cost, hand slot
- Up to 4 uses
- 5 in any skill
- Good solo synergy: ability to let clues behind for later pick-up enable some options for True Solo players
Key of Ys (5)
- Up to +3 intellect boost
- 3 resources cost, accessory slot
- Unlimited skill boost
- 3+ intellect
- Negative solo synergy: giant XP cost makes it hard to upgrade to in True Solo
The Red-Gloved Man (5)
- Set your base intellect to 6
- 2 resources cost, fast, ally slot, set another skill to base 6, 4/4 soak
- Lasts for one round
- 3- intellect
- Neutral solo synergy
Events
Call for Backup (2)
- Discover one clue if you control a Seeker card
- 1 resources cost, gets extra value if you control cards of multiple classes
- One clue
- Any skill value
- Negative solo synergy: will provoke AoO if engaged with an enemy
Skills
Desperate Search
- +4 intellect on this test
- requires 3 or less remaining sanity
- One test
- 2+ intellect
- Negative solo synergy: lack of versatility
Perception
- +2 intellect on this test
- draws a card on success
- One test
- 3+ intellect
- Neutral solo synergy
Unexpected Courage
- +2 intellect on this test
- can be used for other skill tests
- One test
- 3+ intellect
- Neutral solo synergy
Neutral cards summary
There is not a lot of good options to get clues with Neutral cards.
Flashlight is of course a staple, as it allows any investigator with any intellect to get up to 6 clues out of 1 or 2 shroud locations (with two Flashlights). Every investigating hand asset should be evaluated against it. Its upgrade can actually be worth the XP cost if you can benefit from lowering evade values and/or are short of investigating options.
Perception is a nice cantrip for investigators with good starting intellects if you have the room for it in the deck.
Hyperphysical Shotcaster, Red Gloved Man and Keys of Ys are interesting buildarounds, with some hoops to jump through before and after getting them. Their principal issue is that they need XP to get started.
Unexpected Courage is decent for its versatility at passing other skill tests, but outshined by many cards in the current card pool.
Guardian Cards
Assets
Alice Luxley
- +1 Intellect boost, 1 damage to enemy upon finding a clue
- 4 resources cost, ally slot, gives effective 1/1 soak
- Unlimited skill boost
- 4+ intellect
- Negative solo synergy: harder to have enemies not engaged with you
Grete Wagner
- When killing and enemy, deal 1 damage to Grete for a clue
- 5 resources cost, ally slot, gives +1 combat and effective 0/1 soak
- Max two clues without healing. Requires killing an enemy on a clue location
- Any investigator that can kill enemies consistently
- Negative solo synergy: harder to have enemies on location with clues
Keen Eye
- Allows to spend 2 resources for +1 intellect until end of the phase
- 2 resources cost
- Unlimited uses
- 4+ intellect
- Negative solo synergy: in true solo, investigating multiple times a round is rare.
Agency Backup (5)
- Exhaust and deal 1 horror to Agency Backup to get a clue
- 7 resources cost, ally slot, can also deal 1 damage to an enemy by taking a damage
- Max 4 clues without healing. No other requirements
- Any skill value
- Negative solo synergy: too expensive to afford in solo play
Bestow Resolve (2)
- Can convert skill icons to wild icons
- 2 resources cost, arcane slot
- 4 uses of a +2/+3 skill boost. Can trigger skill effects not meant for intellect tests
- 3+ intellect
- Good solo synergy: gives versatility to skills with a lot of different icons
Cleaning Kit (3)
- Add +4 uses at +2 skill value to an investigating asset using supplies
- 3 resources cost, accessory slot. Can add supply / ammunitions to other assets
- 4 uses of a +2 skill boost. Stacks the boost with the asset it is used with
- Dependent on the asset used
- Good solo synergy: can boost and extend uses on multiple assets
Field Agent (3)
- +1 Intellect boost. Exhaust and deal 1 horror to Field Agent to get a clue
- 4 resources cost, ally slot, effective 1 damage soak
- Max two clues without healing. Unlimited +1 boost otherwise.
- No stat required, but 4+ intellect to get value of the +1 boost
- Good solo synergy: can grab clue even when engaged with enemies, convert healing into clues
Girish Kadakia (4)
- Exhaust Girish for +2 Intellect boost on a test
- 4 resources cost, ally slot, 3/3 soak, heal 1 if you succeed the test
- Max once per round, unlimited uses
- 3+ intellect
- Excellent solo synergy: can boost any skill, soaks and heals
Grete Wagner (3)
- +1 intellect boost. When killing and enemy, deal 1 damage to Grete for a clue
- 5 resources cost, ally slot, gives +1 combat and effective 1/1 soak
- Max three clues without healing. Requires killing an enemy on a clue location
- Any investigator that can kill enemies consistently
- Negative solo synergy: harder to have enemies on location with clues
Keen Eye (3)
- Allows to spend 2 resources for +1 intellect until end of the phase
- Permanent
- Unlimited uses
- 4+ intellect
- Negative solo synergy: in true solo, investigating multiple times a round is rare.
Michael Leigh (5)
- +1 intellect skill boost
- 4 resources cost, ally slot, +1 combat, can deal extra damage if you succesfully investigated previously
- Unlimited uses
- 4+ intellect
- Good solo synergy: boost both intellect and combat, extra use for combat if you can investigate succesfully
Runic Axe (Elders)
- Discover a clue if you succeed an attack by a number equal or more than the location shroud
- 4 resources cost, 2x hand slot, can boost combat and damage as well
- 4 charges, replenish 1/round
- 5+ fight
- Neutral solo synergy: harder to have enemies on clue location, takes both hand, can be used as primary weapon
Well Prepared (2)
- Exhaust for a skill boost equal to number of intellect icons on a controlled asset
- 2 resources cost, can boost other skills as well
- Once per round, unlimited uses
- 3+ intellect
- Neutral sol synergy: slotless, versatile skill boost source, requires an asset with intellect icons
Events
Evidence
- Fast, discover one clue after killing an enemy
- 1 resources cost
- One clue
- Any skill value
- Negative solo synergy: killing an enemy on a clue location is more difficult
Guided by faith
- Investigate using willpower, one extra clue if you reveal and elder sign or bless
- 2 resources cost, adds two blesses to the bag
- One clue / Two upon revealing a bless or elder sign
- 5+ willpower
- Neutral solo synergy
Interrogate
- Test combat (3) + an enemy fight value to get one clue in your location and one at any location
- 2 resources cost
- Two clues
- 5+ combat
- Negative solo synergy: requires an enemy on a clue location, need to have another clue available in another location
Scene of the crime
- Discover 1 clue, 2 if an enemy is present at location
- 2 resources cost
- Two clues
- Any skill value
- Negative solo synergy: unconditional first clue, but second one requires an enemy on a two clue location
Task force
- Can discover a clue at your location
- 2 resources cost, double action cost, allows to move once and activate an asset ability
- One clue
- Any skill value
- Negative solo synergy: harder to get the full value of the three actions
Evidence (1)
- Fast, discover one clue after killing an enemy, 2 if 4+ printed health enemy is defeated this turn
- 1 resources cost
- Two clues
- Any skill value
- Negative solo synergy: killing an enemy on a clue location is more difficult, killing 4HP worth of enemy on a 2 clue location even more
Lesson Learned (1)
- Fast, discover two clue at your location after taking damage from an attack
- 1 resources cost
- Two clues
- Any skill value
- Negative solo synergy: requires taking attack damage on a two clue location
On the trail (1)
- Can discover 1 clue on an empty location on the shortest path toward an enemy
- 1 resources cost
- One clue
- Any skill value
- Unusable in solo: having a revealed location with clues between you and an enemy is not happening
On the trail (3)
- Move twice toward an enemy, discover one clue on each location entered
- 1 resources cost
- Two clues
- Any skill value
- Negative solo synergy: requires an enemy in play on a location that is not yours
Reliable (1)
- +1 skill value on the attached item asset
- 1 resources cost, fast
- Used as long as the asset it attached to
- Dependent on the asset
- Neutral solo synergy: requires an item asset that investigates
Skills
Take the Initiative
- +3 intellect if used during first action
- Can be used for other skill tests
- One clue
- 3+ intellect
- Positive solo synergy: no other investigators to take their turn before you, versatile
Guardian cards summary
Guardians clue gathering potential is strongly tied to having an enemy at your location. This makes it harder for them to gather clue in True Solo, as one cannot guaranty the spawn of enemies on locations with clues.
At level 0, the only reliable options for guardians are Scene of the Crime and Task Force. They are not amazing cards, and do not have enough clue getting potential on their own. A mono guardian, especially with low intellect, will either have to fight with one hand weapons and pack a pair of Flashlights, or use a lot of conditional cards such as Grete Wagner and Evidence.
Take the Initiative can be used with guardians with 3+ base book to get a clue, and Guided by Faith has a use in a bless build for a high willpower guardian.
XP cards do offer some interesting buildarounds for guardians to help gather clues. While none can singlehandedly handle clue getting, most of them support another role. Grete Wagner (3), Micheal Leigh, Runic Axe (Elders) all support combat on top of clue gathering. Girish Kadakia provides healing and versatile skill boosts, while Cleaning Kit (3) and Reliable can improve the usability of investigating items (unfortunately not existing in guardian, but they still all can access Flashlight).
The polyvalence of these cards is interesting as it makes it easier to stack effects without hurting too much your other roles. Guardians need this, as this class is the class that can offer the least amount of reliable and efficient clue gathering options.