Eldritch Horror is a cooperative board game where players assume the roles of investigators traveling the globe to prevent an Ancient One from awakening and destroying the world. Success hinges on coordinating efforts, managing resources, and confronting horrifying monsters and events to solve mysteries and seal off otherworldly gates before time runs out.
The Global Struggle Against Cosmic Terror
Eldritch Horror, published by Fantasy Flight Games, is more than just a board game; it’s an experience. It’s a narrative driven by dice rolls, card draws, and the collective decisions of the players. Imagine yourselves as intrepid investigators in the 1920s, racing against time and the rising tide of cosmic horror inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Your mission: to prevent an Ancient One – a being of unimaginable power and malevolence – from awakening and plunging the world into eternal darkness. This guide will walk you through the core mechanics, strategic considerations, and essential elements of this thrilling cooperative adventure.
Setting the Stage for Madness
Before plunging into the abyss, understanding the game’s components and setup is crucial.
Understanding the Components
Eldritch Horror boasts a rich array of components, each playing a vital role in the unfolding narrative. Key components include:
- The Game Board: A beautifully illustrated world map depicting various locations crucial to the storyline.
- Ancient One Sheet: Details the specific Ancient One you’re facing, dictating the game’s unique challenges and loss conditions.
- Investigator Sheets: Outline each investigator’s unique abilities, skills, and starting equipment.
- Mythos Cards: Drive the game forward, triggering events, spawning monsters, and introducing new mysteries.
- Encounter Cards: Provide narrative encounters at different locations, testing investigators and offering potential rewards.
- Asset, Condition, and Spell Cards: Represent items, afflictions, and magical abilities investigators can acquire or suffer.
- Gate, Monster, and Doom Tokens: Track the progress of the Ancient One’s impending awakening.
- Dice: Used for skill tests and combat.
The Initial Setup: Preparing for the Inevitable
Setting up the game correctly is paramount. This involves:
- Choosing an Ancient One: The chosen Ancient One dictates the unique setup requirements, including specific Mythos cards and starting locations for monsters.
- Selecting Investigators: Each player chooses an investigator, taking their corresponding sheet, starting equipment, and starting location token.
- Placing Gate and Monster Tokens: As dictated by the Ancient One’s sheet.
- Creating the Mythos Deck: Combining specific sets of Mythos cards to create the game’s event deck.
- Setting up the Token Bank: Organizing the various tokens (sanity, health, resources, etc.) for easy access.
The Flow of the Game: A Descent into Chaos
Each game round consists of three phases: the Action Phase, the Encounter Phase, and the Mythos Phase.
The Action Phase: A Race Against the Clock
During the Action Phase, each investigator takes three actions. These actions are crucial for mitigating threats and advancing the investigation. Common actions include:
- Travel: Move your investigator to a connected location on the map.
- Acquire Assets: Purchase assets (weapons, items, etc.) from a location’s reserve.
- Rest: Recover sanity and health.
- Trade: Exchange items and resources with other investigators at the same location.
- Research: Attempt to solve clues and advance the Ancient One’s mysteries.
- Prepare for Adventure: Gain a clue token.
Strategic action selection is critical for efficient resource management and effective threat mitigation.
The Encounter Phase: Facing the Unknown
In the Encounter Phase, each investigator draws an encounter card corresponding to their current location. These encounters present various challenges and opportunities, often involving skill tests and difficult choices. Encounter cards can offer rewards, such as clues or assets, but can also inflict penalties, such as sanity loss or wounds. Successfully navigating encounters is essential for progressing the game and gathering vital information.
The Mythos Phase: The Ancient One Strikes Back
The Mythos Phase represents the Ancient One’s relentless advance. During this phase, a Mythos card is drawn and resolved, triggering events that can unleash monsters, open gates, and accelerate the Ancient One’s awakening. The Mythos Phase is unpredictable and often throws unexpected challenges at the investigators, forcing them to adapt and react quickly. This phase is where the sense of impending doom truly sets in.
Conquering Skill Tests: Dice and Destiny
Skill tests are a fundamental mechanic in Eldritch Horror, used to resolve encounters, conduct research, and combat monsters. Each test requires a player to roll a number of dice equal to their skill value. Each die that rolls a 5 or 6 is considered a success. The number of successes required to pass the test varies depending on the difficulty. Investigators can often use skills, spells, and assets to increase their dice pool or improve their chances of success.
Combat: Facing the Horrors of the Universe
Combat in Eldritch Horror is a dangerous and often unavoidable part of the game. When engaging a monster, investigators must use their skills and weapons to inflict damage. Combat involves a series of skill tests, with successes representing hits. Some monsters have special abilities or immunities that can make them particularly challenging to defeat. Strategic use of weapons, spells, and teamwork is essential for surviving encounters with these terrifying creatures.
Victory and Defeat: The Fate of Humanity
Victory in Eldritch Horror is achieved by solving three mysteries specific to the chosen Ancient One before the Doom Track reaches zero. The Doom Track represents the Ancient One’s impending awakening. Defeat occurs if the Doom Track reaches zero, or if all investigators are defeated. The game is a constant struggle against the relentless advance of the Ancient One, requiring careful planning, strategic coordination, and a healthy dose of luck.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FAQ 1: What happens if an investigator runs out of sanity or health?
If an investigator’s sanity or health reaches zero, they are considered defeated and are removed from the game. A new investigator can then be chosen to join the fight. The defeated investigator’s items are dropped at their location.
FAQ 2: How do I close a gate?
To close a gate, an investigator must be at the same location as the gate token and succeed on a Lore test. Closing gates helps prevent the Ancient One’s awakening.
FAQ 3: What are rumors and how do I resolve them?
Rumors are negative effects introduced by Mythos cards. They often have unique resolution requirements, usually involving specific locations or skill tests. Failing to resolve a rumor can have severe consequences.
FAQ 4: Can multiple investigators occupy the same space?
Yes, multiple investigators can occupy the same space. This allows for strategic coordination and teamwork, particularly when facing difficult encounters or combating powerful monsters.
FAQ 5: How do I use focus tokens, and when should I use them?
Focus tokens can be used to re-roll a single die during a skill test. They are valuable resources, particularly during critical tests. Strategic use of focus tokens can significantly improve your chances of success. Generally, they should be used when you need just a few more successes.
FAQ 6: What happens when the Mythos deck runs out?
If the Mythos deck runs out, the game immediately ends in defeat. This emphasizes the importance of managing time and resolving mysteries quickly.
FAQ 7: How do I get more clues?
Clues can be acquired through various means, including drawing specific encounter cards, using investigator abilities, or spending an action to “Prepare for Adventure.” Clues are essential for solving mysteries.
FAQ 8: What is a reckoning effect?
Some Mythos cards have a “reckoning” effect. This effect is triggered when specific conditions are met, such as a certain number of monsters being on the board or a particular location being overrun. Reckoning effects can be detrimental to the investigators.
FAQ 9: How do I deal with monsters with high toughness?
Monsters with high toughness require multiple successes to defeat. Investigators should focus on using weapons and abilities that increase their damage output or provide additional dice rolls. Teamwork and strategic coordination are essential when facing tough monsters.
FAQ 10: Can I repeat actions?
Yes, an investigator can repeat the same action multiple times during their turn, as long as they have available actions.
FAQ 11: What is the difference between a skill test and a combat test?
A skill test is a general test used to resolve encounters and perform actions, while a combat test is specifically used to attack monsters. Combat tests often involve different skills and modifiers.
FAQ 12: What expansions are recommended for Eldritch Horror?
Several expansions enrich the Eldritch Horror experience. Popular choices include Forsaken Lore (adds more Mythos and encounter cards), Mountains of Madness (introduces new locations in Antarctica), and Under the Pyramids (takes investigators to Egypt).
Embracing the Chaos
Eldritch Horror is a challenging and rewarding game that demands strategic thinking, teamwork, and a willingness to embrace the unpredictable nature of cosmic horror. By understanding the game’s mechanics, mastering its strategic elements, and working together, you and your fellow investigators can stand a chance against the encroaching darkness and save the world from the wrath of the Ancient Ones. Good luck, and may your sanity remain intact.