Healing Wounds with Words of PowerA Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game spotlight by guest writer Marius Hartland
Of his methods in the intervening five years I dare not speak. I was held to him by sheer force of fear, and witnessed sights that no human tongue could repeat. Gradually I came to find Herbert West himself more horrible than anything he did – that was when it dawned on me that his once normal scientific zeal for prolonging life had subtly degenerated into a mere morbid and ghoulish curiosity and secret sense of charnel picturesqueness.
–H.P. Lovecraft, Herbert West–Reanimator
In Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game, we could, if we wished, rename some of the factions: Bringing Forth Unspeakable Horrors, Large Arsenals of High-End Weaponry, and Driving All Things Insane. In this context, it can feel a little underwhelming to claim membership in the faction that could wear the epithet, Nerds and Books. This is not the time for wallowing in self-pity, though, as books and Tomes lie at the heart of the current cycle. In fact, it’s an exciting time to enroll in Miskatonic University!
A while back, we saw the University try to save the world, no matter the cost. Their research uncovered the means to combat the Ancient Ones, but to actually slog through the dirty work, they needed to team up with the dubious Order of the Silver Twilight. Some would say this is the only way to successfully play Miskatonic, in a partnership with another deck, and they’d say such deck lists prove the matter. But those who say such actions speak louder than words didn't count on the Words of Power, the upcoming Asylum Pack that is sure to give players incentives to give mono-Miskatonic strategies a second look. Words of Power may win converts to the idea that as a faction Miskatonic University can do more than just support other factions.
A quick recovery
No longer satisfied to watch its members be victimized over and over, the university has now arranged an Infirmary (Words of Power, 28) to help its members recover faster from all kinds of disasters. The Infirmary might even turn some of those disasters to the University’s advantage, allowing them to better confront the horrors that threaten our existence.
First, you want to make sure you can repopulate the table quickly once the disasters strike. Cheap characters are necessary, and free characters are even better. Once the Infirmary is set up, your free Hapless Graduate Student (The Horror Beneath The Surface, 23) can just keep soaking your wounds without much trouble. Trips to the Infirmary even help them circumvent their insanity clause.
You'll also want to use those characters that have useful abilities when they come into play. Maybe opponents will start to question whether or not they want to kill off your character… if it’s a Natural Philosopher (Core Set, 31) and sending it back to your hand means they’ll lose another card while you can sculpt your hand further. Your Museum Curator (The Wailer Below, 70) or Board of Directors (Initiations of the Favored, 47) can both help you find the Infirmary and bring into play other interesting support cards with each subsequent reanimation.
The miracles of medicine
Now that lethal wounds are far less troubling, Miskatonic University are playing a whole different ballgame. Speaking of ballgames, does the introduction of Words of Power and Infirmary mean that it's finally going to be a breakout season for Norm Grzbowski (Ancient Horrors, 5)? If so, we might witness a whole new kind of horror…
Thanks, Marius!
Is it finally time for Miskatonic University to join the top of the class in Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game? Find out soon. Infirmary and the other cards from Words of Power are on their way!
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Healing Wounds with Words of Power
