Suggestions for two player co-op

[febolebo]

I'm generally new to the game and have been playing solo quite a bit now and have been doing fairley well for myself at it using a combat focused Ezren. Tonight I had my first chance to play a co-op game with me playing as Valeros and her as Lini and we couldn't even get passed the first scenario. She was stuck with absolutely no combat abilities and I got sucked into a never ending battle with a ghost monster because I didn't have the magic trait required to permanently defeat it. Can you guys give some advice on where I might have gone wrong?

[Irgy]

Some advice:

Valeros can give Lini a Mace, or some other weapon which doesn't require proficiency. Actually a ranged weapon is better if you find one. Having a weapon makes her a lot stronger. Even though she's d4 strength, with her animal power and a weapon she's still always rolling 3 dice, which is often enough, and if you really need to you can discard a card for d10 strength, and then a blessing for an additional d10.

Lini should have some copies of Inflict, which can kill ghosts. I think the default deck has one, I prefer at least two. If Valeros can't defeat a Ghost, get him to move to a different location while Lini deals with it. Even if she isn't suited to the closing deck one blessing can usually deal with that.

Your ghost description reminded me of soloing with Valeros once on the mission with no villain (you treat allies as pseudo-henchmen instead). I eventually got to a state where there was literally one card left, and it was the someoneorother's daughter barrier. Valeros spent the remaining 10 turns there, discarding through his deck to get to cards that even gave him a chance, but just couldn't overcome it. It was a shame to lose but it somehow seemed appropriate.

[James McKendrew]

Were you playing Rise of the Runelords, or another set?

If RotR, make sure Lini has Inflict, Cures, Detect Magic, and an Amulet of Mighty Fists. I think she can only really start with one Animal Ally (Crow) without the C deck, so that makes things tough. Don't be afraid to discard cards to get her Strength or Dexterity up. If she has two Cures, she should have a decent time (especially once she has her Crow in hand).

With Valeros, I recommend that, even when you are overpowering a monster, use the Discard power on weapons as often as possible (unless it's the last Weapon in your hand). For example, rather than revealing a Longsword for Melee + 1d8, discard it for the extra 1d6, whether you need it or not. Since he Recharges weapons instead of Discarding them for their powers, this keeps them in his "health" pool while still keeping you from getting stuck with four weapons in your hand, leaving you the choice of discarding when you reset your hand, or not drawing anything.

[Vic Wertz]

James McKendrew wrote:

Were you playing Rise of the Runelords, or another set?

If RotR, make sure Lini has Inflict, Cures, Detect Magic, and an Amulet of Mighty Fists. I think she can only really start with one Animal Ally (Crow) without the C deck, so that makes things tough.

In RotR, Lini is part of the RotR Character Add-On (C) Deck, so she shouldn't suffer for lack of animal pals.

[James McKendrew]

Vic Wertz wrote:

James McKendrew wrote:

Were you playing Rise of the Runelords, or another set?

If RotR, make sure Lini has Inflict, Cures, Detect Magic, and an Amulet of Mighty Fists. I think she can only really start with one Animal Ally (Crow) without the C deck, so that makes things tough.

In RotR, Lini is part of the RotR Character Add-On (C) Deck, so she shouldn't suffer for lack of animal pals.

I dunno about everyone else, but I don't restrict the C-deck characters to five- or six-player games. And if I'm not playing with five or six characters, I generally don't use the (rest of the) C deck. (Especially not in WotR, because I have NO use for a SECOND Demonic Horde AND a second Arboreal Blight...)

[Hawkmoon269]

I pretty much just always have the C cards in, no matter the number of characters.

[Calthaer]

James McKendrew wrote:

And if I'm not playing with five or six characters, I generally don't use the (rest of the) C deck. (Especially not in WotR, because I have NO use for a SECOND Demonic Horde AND a second Arboreal Blight...)

Yeah, no kidding. S&S and Runelords made the C-deck really good so that you would want to purchase it, but with Wrath they made the C-deck pile on the suckitude so that, unless you want the characters, you might want to skip it.

[Eliandra Giltessan]

What are you talking about? That aklys is great! ;-)

[Wraithguard]

I always throw the C-deck in, no matter the number of players. If I didn't want the extra angry barriers I could always keep those extra ones in the deck box.

[James McKendrew]

Eliandra Giltessan wrote:

What are you talking about? That aklys is great! ;-)

Ranged bludgeoning is rare and to be cherished. But seriously, one Demonic Horde is one too many. (I admit, Arboreal Blights got a lot less annoying once CD-Sajan could bounce combat damage off of his manly pecs.)

[Keith Richmond]

I almost always throw all the C cards in as well; certainly if any C characters are being used.

The one exception is that when I'm running an organized play game or play test and know I'll have 4 or fewer players, I have occasionally not done so. It skews the boon and bane distribution a little bit to do so and I'm okay erring on the side of what's probably better for the players (higher AD banes sometimes more exciting, higher AD boons definitely more rewarding).