Card draw simulator
| Derived from |
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| None. Self-made deck here. |
| Inspiration for |
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| None yet |
Lucaxiom · 3985
Esprit de la Guerre
As of The Scarlet Keys, Akachi Onyele has a grand total of 21 out of class options (search "t:asset x:charge f:guardian|seeker|rogue|survivor" to see them all, through this list includes the multi-class mystic options). If you're trying to make a deck unique to her as a result, you have your work cut out for you.
Allow me to present my answer to that challenge: Runic Axe + Decorated Skull establishes the role of primary fighter Akachi Onyele.
The Level 0 Deck
Barbarian Wizard
Fighting with is so blasé. Give me something with heft in my hands, preferably something that can raise a 3 stat to guardian-tier levels.
Fortunately, we have 2 weapons that can reasonably reach +3 to their boost: Runic Axe and Dragon Pole. Either will suffice, so whichever enters your hand first will likely be your weapon for the remainder of the scenario.
Runic Axe may I remind you enters play with 1 additional charge as per Akachi's investigator ability, giving it a slight edge over the Pole. However don't sleep on the strategy of replacing the Axe for the Pole when fighting invariably burns through your charges faster than they are replenished.
Extra Slots
Dragon Pole is supplemented by a host of arcane slot assets, Familiar Spirit, and Meditative Trance. The Spirit provides the extra slot to perchance bring the Pole's boost to +4, and Meditative Trance takes advantage of both for above-average heal value.
Shrivelling marks the 5th and 6th 'Weapon' that almost guarantees being able to fight effectively from turn 1 (and begins the trend of mystic cards that hurt you on a , , , , or that we've included in this deck).
Decorated Skull and Alchemical Transmutation represent the deck's engine, and are both boosted by Akachi's ability. Transmutation marks card #2 with penalties for drawing a , , , , or . In addition with Shrivelling and Storm of Spirits, we have a fair number of cards that hurt ourselves, and with little soak, Meditative Trance is going to be important in keeping Akachi in the game.
Rounding out out arcane slots (and sources of charges for Angered Spirits; remember that non-spells cannot deal with her signature weakness when swapping out cards during upgrades) is Obfuscation. Obfuscation is going to make more sense in upgrades, but if you don't like the upgrade paths provided, Mists of R'lyeh is a decent substitution (if you don't mind a more generic deck).
War Paint
Living Ink will of course be boosting our stat. It might seem that we are reaching diminishing returns on boosts, but Dragon Pole doesn't start with a boost, and with a high enough $combat, we need not use the Accuracy inscription of Runic Axe as much, increasing its longevity in pitched battle.
And because it doesn't fit in any other section, Ill mention Torrent of Power here. A natural include to take advantage of all your extra charges (especially your replenishing ones).
Inviting Disaster
The theme of mystic cards with negative effects on , , , , or tokens should by now be obvious. This actually foreshadows a card that is high on the list of priority upgrades. For now, we have Defiance and Eldritch Inspiration attempting to cover for this deck's purposely included drawback (through do be careful in Innsmouth).
And to drive this theme into the ground, we'll fill out the rest of our deck with Astral Travel, Blinding Light and Storm of Spirits. These cards effects are less of the reason why we're taking them. More motivating is the tech we'll eventually have to evaporate their downsides entirely.
Combo: Spirit-Speaker + Living Ink
Spirit-Speaker can infinite any asset with charges, but it is especially potent with Living Ink since it costs nothing but an action to replay and the timer on its disappearance is made defunct. Furthermore, is now rivals Brand of Cthugha [lvl 1] for resource value when its charges are turning into money: 4 to Brand's 5 at no upfront cost and one less 1xp.
Combo: Obfuscation + Storm of Spirits
Enemies don't usually have the courtesy of jumping you all at once. They spread out and come at you one by one; the cheek.
This is half the reason why we take Obfuscation. The easiest way to line enemies up is to move into a location with them in your threat area. The downside is of course the attack of opportunity, and the solution is of course Obfuscation.
The other half of the reason we take Obfuscation. Read the upgrade path of the next section to find out.
Upgrade Paths: Going Wide Or Going Deep on Damage
Time to make a choice. Are you a boss-killer? Or a crowd-slayer? In 2-3 player games, you'll likely need to run a bit of both as most of the fighting duties will fall to you. In 4-player, you can co-ordinate with the other fighter(s) to specialize down one path completely. If you have the experience for both, do both, but since you'll be drip-fed experience slowly over the course of the campaign, specialization is encourage for the first few scenarios.
Upgrade Choice 1: Runic Axe
N.B. Akachi may only mark 8 squares on Runic Axe, due to her deckbuilding options being cards with "uses (charges)" level 0-4.
Runic Axe Upgrades For Going Wide
- Inscription of the Hunt
- Inscription of Fury
- Inscription of Glory
- Scriptweaver
Total cost: 7xp
Naturally, Inscription of Fury is the priority here, followed closely by Inscription of the Hunt. The cleave only works on enemies engaged with you, so a free engage before the attack may be required. That, or a move to bring enemies into the same location.
After that it is a tie between Inscription of Glory to get showered with goodies from slaying so many enemies, or Scriptweaver to keep up with the extra demand of your charges.
Runic Axe Upgrades For Going Deep
- Inscription of the Elders
- Ancient Power
- Saga
Total cost: 7xp
Ancient Power twice or thrice gives you the option to do 3+ damage per swing, which is the benchmark damage threshold for late-game weapons. Saga In turn ups the recharge rate of Runic Axe to address the extra demand in charges.
Inscription of the Elders is optional, but with Accuracy inscriptable 3 times now, its 1 exp to add some easy cleuvering while you wait for the big guys to show up.
N.B. There's space for Heirloom in either build. You shouldn't need it, but its there.
Upgrade Choice 2: Secondary Weapon
[Storm of Spirits [lvl 3] For Going Wide
Shrivelling [lvl 5] For Going Deep
Total cost: 6xp/10xp
Self-explanatory, so instead I'll warn you about the increased penalties of mystic cards with negative effects on , , , , or tokens. This has to be dealt with sooner rather than later, so...
Core Upgrades 1: Symbol Cancellation
Total cost: 4xp
Make no mistake of the amount of hurt that [Storm of Spirits [lvl 3] or Shrivelling [lvl 5] can wrought upon you. This deck works fine at level 0, so you have time to take these vestigial upgrades before buying the heavy hitters with the largest penalties for drawing basic symbol tokens.
Core Upgrades 2: Relic Tech
Total cost: 9xp
You are most likely going to find yourself with a dearth of charges on Decorated Skull, and few if any actions to make use of it. To that end, the 200% efficiency increase of Decorated Skull [lvl 3] is a must have and could very well be your first upgrade.
Relic Hunter on the other hand should be taken once most of the other early upgrades have been squared away, as it will be in service of a non-urgent piece de resistance of your deck.
Upgrade Choice 3: Second Relic Slot
Empty Vessel For Going Wide
Binder's Jar For Going Deep
Total cost: 4xp/2xp
Empty Vessel is a guardian asset apparently, even though mystics stand to benefit from it more. Oh well, more uniqueness in an Akachi Onyele deck then. Since it enters play with a charge, only 2 more enemies need to be killed (by your hand specifically) to activate Wish Eater, as which point you are healing and cancelling tokens with abandon. Given its role , it can replace a Meditative Trance and given its requirement, when you're going wide on damage, you will see Wish Eater far faster than most situations.
Binder's Jar on the other hand has a significant distinction in that you don't need to be the one to kill the enemy to place it under the Jar. This is quite necessary if you wish to chop through a single enormous enemy, leaving the small fry for your secondary fighter or hybrid investigator to handle. And the benefits gained become important too when you're up against an enemy that will likely last from more than a round. Cancelling attacks will help you stay in the game, or extra arcane slots will up your fight if you have Dragon Pole out rather than Runic Axe.
Upgrade Choice 4: Living Ink
Living Ink Upgrades For Going Wide
- Shifting Ink
- Subtle Depiction
- Eldritch Ink ()
- Eldritch Ink (either or )
Total cost: 7xp
This is a very support oriented direction to take Living Ink, and we do so because not only does your extra charge occur even if it enters play in someone else's play area, but also since Decorated Skull [lvl 3] will likely be overdrawing for us and you might as well make use of that second copy of Ink what with all the xp sunk into it.
Of note is that not only does Subtle Depiction extend its lifespan, it does not turn off its effect during the mythos phase. So an enterprising investigator can keep Living Ink on indefinitely if they only want it for a and during the mythos phase!
Living Ink Upgrades For Going Deep
- Imbued Ink
- Eldritch Ink ()
- Vibrancy
Total cost: 7xp
A far more focused build that knows you'll be leveraging a lot more with Shrivelling [lvl 5] than with Storm of Spirits [lvl 3]. Furthermore, with the additional arcane slots the Binder's Jar provides, it can occupy those slots without overcrowding and thus having 2 out is not out of the realm of possibility.
The loss of should be a minimal downside since we're dodging attacks with Obfuscation and Binder's Jar, but during treachery effects, damage may mount as a result. Fortunately, the recently vacated body slot will let you slot in the health soak you'll need. That and Meditative Trance should be at 5 health/sanity heals by now.
Total cost for the entire build: 39xp/41xp
That should be a generous campaign's worth of experience in one deck. However, there is one more upgrade I tentatively recommend, much to my distaste...
Capstone Upgrade: Cyclopean Hammer
Total cost: 10xp
It feels icky starting a build designed specifically to create a unique deck experience and capping it off with Cyclopean Hammer, but I cannot deny that Dragon Pole will fall off in value by the end of the campaign and a second late-game weapon will retain your reliability in getting a good weapon early in a scenario. At least it is in a 's hands.
Closing Thoughts
It's been a while since I've published a deck. Mostly I've been working on a custom campaign called Essence of Humanity. Scenario 6 will be out very soon, and until the rest is done, further deck essays have taken a backseat. A shame; my Mark Harrigan sniper deck has seen a resurgence of popularity, a fact I attribute to a bunch of new players getting in with the advent of the Path to Carcosa investigator expansion.
For those players, I hope this deck for another investigator from that expansion will engage you until I get back to deck theory-crafting. Sniper Mark himself has receive many a tweak with the steady release of new cards, and I endeavour to a unique deck for each and every investigator. So, if you has a preference for who you want to see next, or want to inquire directly, I am around. See ya.