starting off in the pathfinder card game

[jimthegray]

while i have had the game for a while an upcoming con cruise is about to give me the chance to play at least a few games with people other them me for a change & i was wondering what characters work well for a new player

i own the wraith of the rightious
and picked up on sale so far the following expansions
magus
the evil deck 2
goblins burn
witch
wizard
gunfighter
monk

though have no issue picking up others.

thoughts?
ideas?

[jones314]

jimthegray wrote:

while i have had the game for a while an upcoming con cruise is about to give me the chance to play at least a few games with people other them me for a change & i was wondering what characters work well for a new player

i own the wraith of the rightious
and picked up on sale so far the following expansions
magus
the evil deck 2
goblins burn
witch
wizard
gunfighter
monk

though have no issue picking up others.

thoughts?
ideas?

I guess I would say that magic users, particularly ones that rely on magic for combat, can be tricky to play at first. The main thing though is that players find the character that speaks to them.

You picked probably the set that is most difficult to win scenarios so maybe check some of the threads that explain how to adjust for that.

[cartmanbeck]

For Wrath of the Righteous, the Hell's Vengeance characters (I assume that's what you mean by Evil deck 2) will do REALLY well, because several of them make use of the Corrupted blessings that are rampant in Wrath. I would also highly recommend the Magus deck, because the characters are just plain excellent, but those characters are also a bit complex to learn, so might not be best for a beginner.

[Hannibal_pjv]

I would start purely using characters From the Main Gaming box... and only add extra characters in the next game.
Alain is ok as a figter. Then you need a healer and maybe one dexterity character for the traps.

[Black_Rabbit_Inle]

I'm new to the game myself and have been using Raheli from the witch deck. She seems pretty simple, but versatile. Her ability makes it so that she isn't reliant on her deck, while the fact that she picks a cohort before each scenario means she can tailor her skills to the situation at hand. While Raheli has some access to healing, she probably won't be able to recharge a cure.

I was warned away from goblins burn and hell's vengeance, because they have some stuff that harms other players.

[Frencois]

I'm following cartman on his advice.
I helped many players start that game. Obviously the nicer way is to let the newbee chose what he wants to be. But this said, using one of the character from the main box that you plan to play is the good way to go.
There is enough choice to satisfy any newbee and it helps understanding the rules and tricks... which is mandatory to later cleverly chose your next hero for the next adventure.
IMHO.

[jimthegray]

thanks for information
of the starter main game sets how would you guys rate them?

[Longshot11]

jimthegray wrote:

of the starter main game sets how would you guys rate them?

This all depends on what you're looking for in terms of difficulty, but I wager the following cannot be disputed:

RotR - the best set to introduce someone to the game, especially if they lack any extensive experience with board games. Hands down the "easiest" set, but also lacking in any set-specific rules to complicate the matters further.

S&S - a little more difficult, but several scenarios have enormous jumps in difficulty that may frustrate even experienced player. The beginning scenarios however should be easy enough to "hook" you or your new players.
The "set specials" include Ships and Plunder, but are mostly a gimmick and don't add much to the overall complexity.

WotR - hand down the most atrocious starting scenarios; do NOT attempt to hook up new players with those! "Set Specials" include Corruption/Redemption on cards, Cohorts and (after AD1) Mythic Paths which boost your characters considerably. However, this is also reflected in the banes you encounter, so the challenge doesn't get all that lessened. Overall, post AD2 the difficulty is on the level of S&S. Still, if you play this game with 6 characters - a handful of scenarios (as early as AD2) will really ruin your day/month/desire to touch PACG ever again (in addition to the AD0 torture). You've been warned! The set has its proponents, but it seems to be generally considered the worst in terms of balance, difficulty curve, and the amount of testing that has gone/should have gone into it.

MM - Mostly praised. "Set specifics" include Traders (which give you better access to boons) and Triggers (effects that penalize you - sometimes severely so- for "examining" cards). The latter feature seems to be predominantly liked on these forums, but -while not bad in itself- the Trigger feature really missed the sweet spot for *my* crowd, and more often than not was a source of frustration instead of a "fair challenge".
No major spikes in difficulty, despite a couple of later scenarios that may give you pause, should your party lack some specific skills.
Overall, seems to be perceived as what PACG "should be" going forward.
EDIT: Also, in contrast to all other sets, MM starting scenarios are really rewarding - so, unless your players are total newbies on the board game scene- those are probably even better introduction than RotR.

[jimthegray]

thanks i guess i will be grabbing mummy and maybe rotk sometime near future :)

[Yewstance]

Personally, I find WotR by far the most compelling set; with a huge amount of difficult and interesting decision-making done on a turn by turn basis, and in terms of the fascinating boons that make you really think as to how to use them. Each encounter, each bane, also feels starkly unique, and the scenario mechanics are creative and fulfilling.

With that said, I have yet to play Mummy's Mask, but Wrath of the Righteous feels like a far more fulfilling game to me than RotR or S&S. But it is, as mentioned, far more difficult... and I STRONGLY suggest it not be attempted with a 5 or 6 player group, due to the wonky scaling on some missions.

[Hannibal_pjv]

Yep. My favorites Are Mummys mask and wrath because They Are harder and more complex, but maybe not for beginners? Depending on your board-fu level.

[jimthegray]

caved and ordered a subscription , going to pick up mummy mask next weekend and have been practicing solo play on wrath

my collector nature is going to get me into trouble :)

[Longshot11]

jimthegray wrote:

caved and ordered a subscription , going to pick up mummy mask next weekend and have been practicing solo play on wrath

my collector nature is going to get me into trouble :)

Welcome to the rest of your boardgaming life :D

[Hawkmoon269]

jimthegray wrote:

caved and ordered a subscription , going to pick up mummy mask next weekend and have been practicing solo play on wrath

my collector nature is going to get me into trouble :)

You are going to want to check out the promos in the store as well:

http://paizo.com/store/pathfinder/adventureCardGame/promo

[jimthegray]

i got tup , ekkie and reepazo

any others i should consider?

[JohnF-1011 Ranzak]

jimthegray wrote:

i got tup , ekkie and reepazo

any others i should consider?

Ranzak is the bestest!

[MorkXII]

The Poog of Zarongel ally is a great card. Of the (non-character) promos available on this site, it's probably my favourite.

[JohnF-1011 Ranzak]

I agree! Poog is good friend for goblins!

Ranzak is currently playing through 'Season of the Goblins', and he's got both Poog and Fire Sneeze in his deck. While he can't make best use of Fire Sneeze himself, he's got to have one spell in his deck, so it might as well be something that burns ...