Joe Diamond - Solo Carnevale of Horrors

Spoiler Warning

Return to the Dunwich Legacy solo (Standard difficulty):
Disclaimer: semi-blind run - several decisions within the game as well as in deck-building is done with prior knowledge of the Campaign in mind.
Though this is my first run on Return and with Joe Diamond.

Upgrades:
On the Hunt sacrificed for Pathfinder
Lots of mobility required for Carnevale of Horrors.

Carnevale of Horrors (3XP):

Summary:
Went with the strategy of looking at the Masked Carnevale-Goers with action on Act 1a and it went surprisingly well.
Flipping enemies with the agenda saved quite a bit of pain and time.
I wouldn't try that on more players because it's very action inefficient, plus a Mass Hysteria can throw all these plans awry.
Running rings around The Thing That Follows was hilarious.
Deliberately held off advancing the Act so as not to run an XP deficit.
4 is evidently too low and the constant need to commit cards to combat is not effective; will need Beat Cops in sooner rather than later.

• Turn 1:
  No Stone Unturned (Hunch) draw Hawk-Eye Folding Camera
  Play Dr. Milan Christopher
  Exhaust Abbess Allegria Di Biase to move to Canal-side
  Investigate (5 vs 2 shroud) (-3: success; +1 resource)

• Turn 2:
  Encounter: Lost in Venice (move to The Guardian) draw 1
  Play Hawk-Eye Folding Camera
  Working a Hunch (Hunch)
  Investigate commit Eureka! (6 vs 3 shroud) ( & -1: success; +1 resource; draw Take the Initiative) Hawk-Eye Folding Camera
  Crack the Case (+3 resources)
  Play Detective's Colt 1911s

• Turn 3:
  Encounter: Carnevale Sentinel
  Spend 1 clue: Flip Innocent Reveler
  Parley (5 vs 2) (-2: success)
  No Stone Unturned (Hunch) (draw Tooth of Eztli

• Turn 4:
  Encounter: Mass Hysteria (shuffle)
  Play Pathfinder
  Exhaust Pathfinder: move to Streets of Venice
  Spend 1 clue: Look at Masked Carnevale-Goer (Savio Corvi)
  to Bridge of Sighs (Streets of Venice)
  Investigate (5 vs 1 shroud) (-1: success; +1 resource)

• Turn 5:
  Encounter: Lost in Venice (move to Rjalto Bridge; 1 horror)
  Investigate (5 vs 2 shroud) (-2: success; +1 resource) Hawk-Eye Folding Camera
  Unsolved Case (drop 1 clue)
  Spend 1 clue: Look at Masked Carnevale-Goer (Salvatore Neri)
  Exhaust Pathfinder: move to Flooded Square

• Turn 6:
  Encounter: Mesmerize (Innocent Reveler to San Marco Basilica)
  Investigate (6 vs 4 shroud) (-1: success; +1 resource) Hawk-Eye Folding Camera
  Exhaust Pathfinder: move to The Guardian draw 1
  Play Tooth of Eztli
  Shortcut to Streets of Venice
  to Bridge of Sighs (Streets of Venice)
  Exhaust Abbess Allegria Di Biase to move to San Marco Basilica (1 horror)
  Parley (6 vs 2) (-1: success)

• Turn 7:
  Encounter: Poleman (spawn Canal-side)
  Play Preposterous Sketches (Hunch)
  Place Innocent Reveler under Act deck
  Place Innocent Reveler under Act deck
  Enemy: Poleman to Academia Bridge

• Turn 8:
  Encounter: Abduction commit Eureka! (5 vs 3) (-1: success; draw Quick Study) draw 1 (Tooth of Eztli)
  Exhaust Abbess Allegria Di Biase to move to Canal-side
  Detective's Colt 1911s on Carnevale Sentinel commit Vicious Blow (6 vs 3) (: success - kill Carnevale Sentinel; Move Working a Hunch to Hunch deck)
  Evidence! (Hunch)
  Investigate (6 vs 2 shroud) (-2: success; +1 resource)

• Turn 9: Advance Agenda (spawn Baleful Reveler)
  Encounter: Writhing Appendage
  Detective's Colt 1911s on Writhing Appendage (5 vs 2) (: success - kill Writhing Appendage; Move Evidence! to Hunch deck)
  Spend 1 clue: Look at Masked Carnevale-Goer (Innocent Reveler)
  Parley (6 vs 2) (0: success)
  Exhaust Pathfinder: move to Academia Bridge
  Shortcut to Rjalto Bridge (-2 resources)
  Enemy: Poleman attacks (1 damage & 1 horror); Baleful Reveler (0) to Canal-side

• Turn 10:
  Detective's Colt 1911s on Poleman commit Take the Initiative (8 vs 4) (0: success - 2 damage)
  Detective's Colt 1911s on Poleman commit .32 Colt (6 vs 4) (-2: success - kill Poleman; Move Preposterous Sketches to Hunch deck)
  Evidence! (Hunch)
  to Flooded-Square
  Exhaust Pathfinder: move to The Guardian draw 1
  Enemy: Baleful Reveler (-4) to Academia Bridge

• Turn 11:
  Encounter: Acrid Miasma (attach to Streets of Venice)
  Exhaust Pathfinder: move to Streets of Venice (Acrid Miasma commit Logical Reasoning (5 vs 2) (-1: success)
  Working a Hunch (Hunch)
  to Bridge of Sighs (Streets of Venice)
  Play .32 Colt
  Investigate (6 vs 1 shroud) (-2: success; +1 resource)
  Exhaust Abbess Allegria Di Biase to move to San Marco Basilica (1 horror)
  Place Innocent Reveler under Act deck
  Enemy: Baleful Reveler (0) to Rjalto Bridge

• Turn 12: Advance Agenda (Flip Elisabetta Magro)
  Encounter: Chaos in the Water (3 vs 4) (-1: fail; 1 damage)
  Exhaust Abbess Allegria Di Biase to move to Canal-side
  Working a Hunch (Hunch)
  Exhaust Pathfinder: move to Academia Bridge
  Engage Elisabetta Magro
  .32 Colt on Elisabetta Magro commit Take the Initiative (7 vs 3) (-1: success - 2 damage)
  .32 Colt on Elisabetta Magro commit Steadfast (7 vs 3) (-1: success - kill Elisabetta Magro and add to Victory Display)
  Enemy: Baleful Reveler (+1) to Flooded Square

• Turn 13:
  Encounter: Watcher's Gaze commit Tooth of Eztli; Hawk-Eye Folding Camera (6 vs 4) ( & : success) Tooth of Eztli (draw 1)
  Play Preposterous Sketches (Hunch) (spawn The Thing That Follows on Bridge of Sighs)
  Play Quick Study
  Investigate (6 vs 2 shroud) (0: success; +1 resource)
  Enemy: Baleful Reveler (-2) to The Guardian; The Thing That Follows to San Marco Basilica

• Turn 14:
  Encounter: Abduction (4 vs 3) (-1: success) Tooth of Eztli (draw 1)
  Play Pathfinder
  Exhaust Pathfinder: move to Rjalto Bridge
  Exhaust Pathfinder: move to Flooded Square (-1 action)
  Draw 1 card
  Enemy: Baleful Reveler () to Bridge of Sighs; The Thing That Follows to Canal-side

• Turn 15: Advance Agenda (Flip Savio Corvi)
  Encounter: Mass Hysteria (shuffle)
  Exhaust Pathfinder: move to The Guardian draw 1 (shuffle deck: 1 horror)
  Exhaust Pathfinder: move to Streets of Venice
  .32 Colt on Savio Corvi commit Steadfast (7 vs 3) (-2: success - 2 damage)
  .32 Colt on Savio Corvi commit Vicious Blow, Inquiring Mind (8 vs 3) (-2: success - kill Savio Corvi and add to Victory Display)
  Preposterous Sketches (Hunch)
  Enemy: Baleful Reveler () to San Marco Basilica; The Thing That Follows to Academia Bridge

• Turn 16:
  Encounter: Chaos in the Water (3 vs 4) (-1: fail; 1 damage)
  to Bridge of Sighs (Streets of Venice)
  Exhaust Pathfinder: move to San Marco Basilica (1 horror)
  Exhaust Abbess Allegria Di Biase to move to Canal-side
  .32 Colt on Baleful Reveler commit Steadfast (7 vs 4) (0: success - 2 damage)
  .32 Colt on Baleful Reveler Quick Study (7 vs 4) (+1: success - 2 damage)
  .32 Colt on Baleful Reveler commit Inquiring Mind (7 vs 4) ( & -2: success - kill Baleful Reveler and add to Victory Display)
  Advance Act (Flip Salvatore Neri)
  Advance Act (Move to Gondola)

• Turn 17:
  Encounter: spawn Writhing Appendage x1
  Play .32 Colt (1 damage)
  .32 Colt on Writhing Appendage commitTake the Initiative (6 vs 2) (-1: success - kill Writhing Appendage)
  Row (4 vs 2) (0: success)

• Turn 18: Advance Agenda
  Encounter: -
  Row (4 vs 2) ( & -3: fail; spawn Writhing Appendage x1
  .32 Colt on Writhing Appendage Quick Study (7 vs 2) (-2: success - kill Writhing Appendage)
  Row (4 vs 2) (-1: success)

• Turn 19:
  Encounter: -
  Scene of the Crime (Hunch)
  Crack the Case (+5 resources)
  Row (4 vs 2) (0: success)
  Row (4 vs 2) (+1: success)

Scenario Ends ( R1 : 4VP )
The sun banished Cnidathqua into the depths
Abbess Satisfied