Arkham Horror is a deeply immersive and challenging cooperative board game where players take on the roles of investigators battling cosmic horrors threatening to engulf the world. Success depends on collaborative strategy, careful resource management, and a healthy dose of luck as you navigate the treacherous streets and other realms to seal the Ancient One’s portal.
Preparing for the Descent into Madness
Arkham Horror, at its core, is about cooperation and mitigation. Before plunging into the chilling narrative, meticulous preparation is paramount. Setting up the game correctly not only ensures smooth gameplay but also minimizes confusion and maximizes enjoyment.
Understanding the Game Components
Arkham Horror boasts a wealth of components, each playing a crucial role. Familiarize yourself with the following:
- Game Board: Depicts Arkham, with locations like the Miskatonic University and the Arkham Asylum.
- Ancient One Sheet: Describes the looming cosmic threat and its specific victory conditions.
- Investigator Sheets: Detail each investigator’s unique abilities, skills, and starting equipment.
- Encounter Cards: Trigger events and challenges in specific locations.
- Mythos Cards: Drive the game forward, unleashing monsters and opening gates.
- Monster Tokens: Represent the horrifying creatures stalking Arkham.
- Gate Tokens: Indicate portals to other dimensions.
- Clue Tokens: Provide vital information and help seal gates.
- Doom Tracker: Measures the Ancient One’s impending arrival.
- Dice: Used for skill tests and combat.
Setting Up the Board
Setting up Arkham Horror requires a structured approach. Follow these steps:
- Place the Game Board: Position the board within easy reach of all players.
- Choose an Ancient One: Select an Ancient One sheet, either randomly or strategically, and place it face up.
- Prepare the Decks: Separate and shuffle the encounter decks (location-specific), the mythos deck, the ally deck, the common item deck, the unique item deck, and the spell deck.
- Select Investigators: Each player chooses an investigator sheet, taking the corresponding standee, starting items, and skill tokens.
- Place Gate and Monster Tokens: Place gate tokens on the locations indicated on the Ancient One sheet, and place monster tokens in the monster cup.
- Place Clue Tokens: Place clue tokens on locations indicated on the Ancient One sheet.
- Set Doom Tracker: Place the doom marker on the Ancient One sheet’s starting doom value.
- Choose First Player: Randomly determine the first player.
Gameplay: Navigating the Shadows
Arkham Horror proceeds through a series of turns, each consisting of three distinct phases:
The Upkeep Phase
This phase represents the calm before the storm, where players prepare for the coming horrors.
- Ready Items and Abilities: Players ready any items or abilities that were exhausted during the previous turn.
- Gain Income: Players gain income (usually clue tokens or money) as indicated on their investigator sheets.
- Move Items: Investigators can freely move items to other investigators in their location.
The Movement Phase
This phase allows investigators to traverse Arkham, seeking clues and confronting threats.
- Movement Points: Investigators have a movement value that determines how many locations they can move to.
- Moving Between Locations: Moving between locations costs one movement point.
- Special Movement: Some abilities and items allow for special movement, such as moving to a specific location or moving without spending movement points.
The Encounter Phase
This is where the real action happens. In this phase, investigators face the consequences of their actions and the horrors that lurk within Arkham.
- Location Encounter: Each investigator draws an encounter card from the encounter deck associated with their current location. These encounters can range from finding clues to facing terrifying monsters.
- Other World Encounter: If an investigator is in an Other World (accessed by traveling through a gate), they draw an Other World encounter card. These encounters are often more dangerous and unpredictable than location encounters.
- Fighting Monsters: If an investigator is engaged with a monster, they must fight it. Combat involves skill tests, dice rolls, and strategic use of weapons and spells.
The Mythos Phase
This phase represents the relentless advance of the Ancient One’s influence, bringing new challenges and pushing Arkham closer to destruction.
- Draw a Mythos Card: A mythos card is drawn from the mythos deck.
- Resolve Mythos Effects: The mythos card typically triggers a series of events, such as opening new gates, spawning monsters, and increasing the doom track.
- Monster Movement: Monsters move according to the instructions on their monster tokens or the mythos card.
Winning (or Losing) the Game
The game ends when either the investigators successfully seal all the gates and defeat the Ancient One, or when the doom track reaches zero, signaling the Ancient One’s awakening and the investigators’ inevitable defeat.
Arkham Horror: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some commonly asked questions that will help clarify some of the trickier aspects of Arkham Horror:
FAQ 1: How do I perform a skill test?
To perform a skill test, you must roll a number of dice equal to your skill value. For each die that rolls a 5 or 6, you succeed. The encounter card or game effect will specify how many successes are required. Modifiers, both positive and negative, can be applied to your skill value before you roll.
FAQ 2: What happens when a gate opens?
When a gate opens, place a gate token on the location indicated on the mythos card. Then, place a monster token from the monster cup on the same location. The doom tracker typically advances as well, bringing the Ancient One closer to awakening.
FAQ 3: How do I close or seal a gate?
To close a gate, you typically need to be at the location with the gate and succeed at a lore skill test (the specific difficulty is often indicated on the Ancient One sheet). To seal a gate, you often require more successes, and may need to spend clue tokens. Sealing gates is crucial for preventing the Ancient One’s awakening.
FAQ 4: What are clues used for?
Clue tokens have multiple uses. They can be spent to re-roll dice during skill tests, used to purchase items, or used in certain encounters to gain advantages. Most importantly, they are essential for sealing gates.
FAQ 5: What happens when an investigator goes insane or is devoured?
If an investigator goes insane, they gain a madness card, which often imposes a permanent negative effect. If an investigator is devoured, they are removed from the game entirely. Both are devastating setbacks for the team.
FAQ 6: How does combat work?
Combat involves a series of skill tests. First, the investigator attempts to evade the monster using their evade skill. If successful, they are no longer engaged. If not, they must fight the monster. The investigator rolls dice equal to their combat skill (modified by weapons), and the monster rolls dice based on its combat rating. Damage is dealt based on the number of successes each side achieves.
FAQ 7: What are the different types of items?
Arkham Horror features various item types, including common items (easily acquired), unique items (powerful and rare), weapons (used in combat), and spells (providing a variety of effects). Each type offers different advantages and requires different acquisition methods.
FAQ 8: Can investigators trade items?
Yes, investigators can freely trade items with each other as long as they are in the same location during the Upkeep Phase. Strategic item sharing is vital for optimizing the team’s capabilities.
FAQ 9: What happens if the monster cup is empty?
If the monster cup is empty when a monster needs to be spawned, shuffle the discard pile of monster tokens and place them back into the cup. If the discard pile is also empty, no monster is spawned.
FAQ 10: How do I deal with the Mythos Phase when it’s overwhelming?
The Mythos Phase is designed to be challenging. Prioritize dealing with the most immediate threats, such as closing gates that are close to opening new gates or defeating monsters that are hindering progress. Don’t be afraid to use allies, spells, and other resources to mitigate the effects of the Mythos Phase.
FAQ 11: What is reckoning?
Reckoning effects are triggered by certain encounter cards or mythos cards. They typically involve a negative consequence, such as losing sanity or stamina, or advancing the doom tracker. Always read encounter cards carefully to understand potential reckoning effects.
FAQ 12: Can the game be played solo?
While Arkham Horror is primarily designed as a cooperative game, it can be played solo by controlling multiple investigators. This allows you to experience the full scope of the game and develop strategic teamwork strategies, even when playing alone.
By understanding these core mechanics and frequently asked questions, you’ll be well-equipped to face the eldritch horrors that await in Arkham. Remember, cooperation is key, and knowledge is your most powerful weapon. Good luck, investigators, and may your sanity prevail!