Rita's RttDL Solo Run #4: The Essex County Express

Rita begins at Passenger Car

Opening Hand: Peter Sylvestre, Flashlight, Perception, Waylay, Lucky!

I’ve never once managed to complete the Return variant of this scenario. I tend to either solo and on low player counts and because of that the train scenario was usually a breather before reaching Dunwich itself. Not anymore. That being said, Rita exceeded expectations last scenario and here she has Peter to shield her from horror, Flashlight to jumpstart her investigation and Waylay to clear her way. Granted, Waylay won’t work against the Conductor, but Rita can afford to take one or two hits from it and keep evading.

#1

• PLAY Peter Sylvestre
• PLAY Flashlight
• INVESTIGATE with Flashlight (2 supplies left, commit Perception, 0, draw Resourceful, 1 clue)
• Upkeep: draw Dr. Henry Armitage, 1 resource.

#2

• Mythos: 1/2 doom, Resurgent Evils, Idle Hands, Acolyte (at the first car to the right)
• INVESTIGATE with Flashlight (1 supply left, -4)
• INVESTIGATE with Flashlight (no supplies left, 0, 1 clue)
• Idle Hands (2 damage)
• MOVE to Passenger Car (discard Dr. Henry Armitage)
• EVADE (-1, defeat Acolyte)
• Upkeep: draw Waylay, 2 resources.

#3

• Mythos: 2/2 doom, Where There's Smoke advances to A Tear in Reality (v.II), Mysterious Chanting (Acolyte at the first car to the right)
• INVESTIGATE (0, 1 clue)
• INVESTIGATE (-2, Lucky!, 1 clue)
• INVESTIGATE (0, commit Resourceful, return Lucky!, 1 clue)
• Enemy: The Conductor hunts and attacks (1 horror to Peter Sylvestre, 2 damage)
• Upkeep: draw Hoods, 2 resources.

#4

• Mythos: 2/2 doom, A Tear in Reality (v.II) advances to The Maw Widens, Violent Commands
• EVADE (-3, exhaust The Conductor, move to Train Car, 2 damage)
• FIGHT (-1)
• FIGHT (0, defeat Acolyte)
• Violent Commands (-2, 1 horror to Peter Sylvestre)
• Peter Sylvestre
• Enemy: The Conductor readies, Hoods attack (1 horror to Peter Sylvestre, 1 damage)
• Upkeep: draw Live and Learn, 3 resources.

#5

• Mythos: 1/3 doom, Wizard of the Order (at the first car to the right)
• EVADE (0, Hoods attack 1 damage & 1 horror, exhaust Hoods, move to Passenger Car (discard Waylay)
• EVADE (-3, exhaust The Conductor)
• Violent Commands ()
• Peter Sylvestre
• Enemy: The Conductor readies, Hoods readies
• Upkeep: draw Haunted, 4 resources.

Rita's Boardstate: 1 health, 4 sanity, 4 resources, 0 clues

In Play: Peter Sylvestre (1 horror), Flashlight (no supplies)

In Hand: Waylay, Live and Learn

Threat: Violent Commands, Haunted, The Conductor

Nope. Rita was being overwhelmed by enemies with doom and damage effects and weaknesses. She had the tools do deal with each but not all of them at the same time. Her usual mobility advantage was being negated. At this point the best I could do was to safeguard her from getting trauma and make her leap into the swirling vortex. On the plus side I’m fairly sure Rita broke the long jump record by orders of magnitude.

#6

• Mythos: 3/3 doom, The Maw Widens advances to Rolling Backwards
• DEFEAT.

And so Dr. Armitage is no longer with us. Let’s see whether Rita can rescue him next scenario.

Campaign Log:

Extracurricular Activity: The students were rescued. Professor Warren Rice was kidnapped. 3 XP (Vassal of the Lurker, Orne Library, Dormitories).

The House Always Wins: Naomi has Rita’s back. Dr. Francis Morgan was kidnapped. Rita rescued Dr. Henry Armitage. 4 XP (Servant of the Lurker, Art Gallery, VIP Area, Back Alley).

The Miskatonic Museum: Rita destroyed the Necronomicon. 4 XP (Nature Exhibit, Hall of the Dead, Restricted Hall, Medieval Exhibit).

The Essex County Express: Dr. Henry Armitage was kidnapped. Rita was delayed on her way to Dunwich. 1 XP (1 bonus XP).