Carcossa 2021 Norman Withers Seeker Deck

 For the next campaign I will be running the Seeker with the impressive beard - Norman Withers (book version as the campaign standard will be arriving with the new campaign this year).

Apart from the default extras - 

Vengeful Hound 

So specifically stops Norman's strengths but not hard to take down, for anyone else in the party..Good artwork.

Split the Angle 

His personal card is of average utility. It's good as a pump but, at the significant cost of an action, can both forewarn of the top encounter deck card (so it can be given to the person best able to handle it) and even discarded if it is that bad.

His own special ability is to always have the next personal deck card revealed that can be played as if in hand at one less cost! So he is efficient at getting through cards and has some resource advantages. The random weakness I pulled was 'Day of Reckoning' which seems to remove the elder sign from the chaos bag and locks it until the Agenda flips.

For the deck I decided to reinforce these tendencies alongside the usual Seeker tricks to attempt to make him a better clue machine.

Neutral

Unexpected Courage 

Just a way to help pass those must pass tests. Distinct Jurassic World vibe about the art.

Emergency Cache

Which again needs no real explanation. Though the version shown above is the experienced with an extra card draw as well. Woops.

Mystic Cards

Here I went for cheap helper cards. Firstly 

Deny Existence  

which should allow me to mitigate any really nasty impacts of encounter cards (so hopefully less 'fail by 4 so lose 4 health and die possibilities).

Voice of Ra  

So 'always' a 1 resource gain for zero cost but with the possibility of up to six more if lucky on the draw. I suspect it will tend to be a 3-5 draw usually.

Seeker Cards

Allies - Packing two here 

Dr Milan Christopher w

the always useful (and expensive) though practically a staple for all seeker decks

Mr Rook 

- who rather disconcertingly looms like a younger Michael Gove. Anyway I like Rook because he has more soakability with 2 in each but he allows three times search for a card on a 'fast' action. Now ok there is always the risk of multiple weaknesses but sometimes you can time these. 

Assets - Only four taken 

Magnifying Glass 

which I like as a starter card especially as it’s a fast play, though it is a strong candidate for early replacement with a card from victory points. (Sorry image of the experienced version)

Medical Texts 

as an emergency damage repair, most likely for me. 

Fingerprint kit 

Not so sure about this. I like the extra clues but 4 cost means its another potential early victory point replacement.

Events - Five of these were taken. 

Mind over matter 

After Dr Milan the next 'staple' of Seeker decks. Only an emergency card though as even with a successful attack it would mostly only do one damage.

I've got a plan 

This is far better than the previous for fights and is also a common seeker card mainly as it does between two and four damage for the attack and will, due to the Seekers primary role, often get to the higher totals.

No Stone Unturned

Reinforcement of the deck control theme plus it helps other investigators.

Shortcut

 

I like having extra movement in decks and this has the added advantage of being  a fast play and one that can push other investigators.

No Stone Unturned

Follows the deck control theme and allows assistance for myself or another investigator who really needs an extra card.

Skills - Two of these were utilised. 

Eureka  

Seemingly featuring Dr Milan though that looks less 'Eureka' than 'get out of my house'. Anyway I like for the search possibility which reinforces the decks card draw/control focus.

Inquiring Mind

Three ? multi purpose pumps is always good and it will be useable 7 times out of 10.

Weaknesses

Looking at it there are a few areas where the deck needs strengthening. I would like better allies to act as damage/madness soaks as I am still weak in health. Another way of doing a lot of damage fast would be nice (but as the team has two combat capable fighty types and a probable fighty useful Mystic) not so necessary.

A marginal weakness lies in movement skills as I value that highly. So looking forward cards I would consider buying with experience are

To improve movement

Pathfinder - my favourite movement for Seekers (I think) mainly because it can be used potentially multiple times (though Shortcut is both fast and cheaper and in the default deck)

Esoteric Atlas-  a bit like Pathfinder but moves further (needs locations 2 apart) and can be used 4 times for the same cost.

 

Defensive improvements

Disc of Itzamna - Discards non-elites spawning at the location

Expose Weakness - very nice draw plus enemy fight drop (with test pass)

Clue enhancement

Deciphered Reality - Great card and at 5 cost it needs to be. Potentially allowing many, many clues to be discovered. This would help Norman move from an average clue finder to a potentially excellent clue finder. Allowing I get enough victory points to make it purchasable.

Deduction - I like this for the 2 book pump and the extra one clue and possibly two clues (that should be doable for a packed out seeker)

Other

Higher Education - useful as a general pump to both book and mind. That looks like Sean Connery to me!

Cryptic Research - fast play 3 card draw for zero cost for any chosen investigator at my location? Useful as a team play card,

Of those above I would probably look at the Disc first then Pathfinder and Deduction. After that it depends greatly on the strengths and weaknesses the team shows as the campaign rolls on. Looking forward to testing the deck out.

Finally for those on ArkhamDB here is the direct deck link.

https://arkhamdb.com/decklist/view/32764/norman-withers-deck-controller-1.0