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Arkham Horror The Card Game isn’t for the faint of heart. From the moment you start the campaign, you’re thrust into a world of relentless horrors, crippling weaknesses, and ancient evils that threaten to unravel reality itself. The only thing standing between you and the abyss is a crew of brave investigators, each armed with unique skills.
As you play, your investigators will gain new perks, face tough challenges, and find powerful bonuses. This makes choosing the right investigator crucial for survival. Not sure who to pick? Or maybe you want to try a new deck? Here are our favourite investigators to help you navigate this Lovecraftian adventure.
Daisy Walker (Core/Revised Set) by Jon Wellard
Daisy is the Librarian and her love of books led her to discover the translation of the Necronomicon. This left her wondering what other horrors were held within the restricted collection of the Orne Library.
My go to character when I am after high intelligence: with a stat of 5 intelligence, she is on the front foot when it comes to getting clues from the majority of locations and can really tackle those high shroud locations.
Her ability that allows her to get an additional action, every turn, to use on Tome abilities makes deck building so much fun as you can really build her out in so many different ways, especially if you have a large card pool to pick from. When you get Daisy’s Tote Bag out, you can get even more tomes into play to help you or those you’re playing with.
Her weakness, the Necronomicon, is not too bad as her high sanity means that it is a slight niggle and picks at you rather than being completely in your face. It makes it a little bit of a push your luck as to how long you choose to leave it out and it impact your bag draw before you start taking the sanity from it.
Her health is low along with both her fight and evade skill so if you’re playing with more than one investigator, it’s useful to have a decent fighter with her to help her out of some of the situations she will find herself in.
Roland Banks (Core/Revised Set) by Sophie Jones
Roland Banks is one of the core investigators you can start with. He’s your typical American fed, equipped with a fedora, trench coat and a long stare. What I love about Roland is how balanced he is. When starting the game, I originally chose him as he seemed the best character in a fight, but he also had enough brains for clue solving. This made him the perfect solo investigator but also dynamic in a group setting as he can tank or go on a clue hunt.
Roland is also easy to play. His cards are straightforward and his abilities are what you would expect from a fed. Additionally, his unique ability allows you to instantly find a clue at a location where you defeated an enemy, which means you don’t have to pass a skill check and you ultimately get 2 for the price of 1.
The only problem with Roland is he’s not the best at evading. With only 2 skill points in this area, he’s definitely not the fleeing kind. This can get you caught up in a room with multiple enemies and nowhere to go but with a pistol, a beat cop and an explosion in your deck set there are workarounds.
If you want to play the most rounded character in Arkham, Roland is a solid choice. As you level up you also get access to better intellect abilities which can really help out if the rest of your crew aren’t the best at discovering clues.
Ashcan Pete (Dunwich Legacy) by Northern Invasion Stu
Ashcan Pete and his faithful hound Duke are my go-to choice whenever I want to play a survivor character in Arkham Horror the card game. Pete made his debut in the Dunwich legacy cycle and, like the other characters in that series, he can take level 0 to 4 neutral/character class-specific cards (survivor in this case) and up to 5 off character cards. This makes for really interesting deck-building options and a play style tailored specifically to how you most want to experience the game. I tend to focus on little tricks to beat skill tests, make evasions or just resign before I lose the scenario.
I imagine Pete’s days as a drifter have made him street smart and that he has a fair amount of luck. Pete is a fun and interesting character in his own right but his good dog Duke takes him above and beyond the other survivor characters in my view. Pete can send Duke off to investigate or to fight in his stead - not only on his own space, but on adjacent locations too. Knowledge and combat are Pete’s lowest stats (2), but Duke makes up for them with a healthy four in each.
I remember the first time I took out Pete and Duke. I had equipped Pete with his leather coat and his trusty, two-handed sledgehammer (jury rigged of course). It was the first mission in the Dunwich Legacy cycle, ‘the house always wins’. If you’ve played it, you know it takes place in a gambling den come speakeasy. Trying not to draw attention to himself, Pete sidled around the bar area sipping cool, crisp moonshine. Without warning some rats scurried past giving Pete a fright. Of course Duke lept to Pete’s rescue by pouncing upon the rats and dispatching them instantly. Nobody blinked - very cinematic. Pete and Duke went on to ace the mission with some stellar investigative work and a lot of luck - that’s how I remember it anyway…
Honestly, if you want to try something different and you like true solo play Pete is a bundle of fun. He is challenging in some of the harder scenarios but he feels so different to the other characters I have played. Give him a try but make sure you look after Duke!
Zoey Samaras (Dunwich Legacy) by Jon Wellard
Zoey Samaras, the Chef that has found another use for her knives. Actively seeks out and vanquishes anything she can find. With Zoey, you feel like you can take anything on, there is no running away!
A character that I have had so much fun playing and deckbuilding with throughout the course of my Arkham Horror journey and is at the top of my list every time that I look to start a new Arkham Horror Campaign.
Her stat of 4 fight skill makes her great for that primary investigator who deals with enemies, then her auto reaction of generating a resource every time that you engage The enemy works brilliantly. If you also have Zoey’s Cross equipped you can turn that resource into a free damage to the enemy that just engaged you. Add to this her health stat of 9, and fighting becomes less stressful as she can take some damage over the course of the game.
Additionally, she has a willpower of 4 which means treachery cards drawn from the encounter deck are less of a problem as they often contain willpower checks. This means you don’t need to discard cards to bump it up as much.
Her weakness can be pretty brutal. Smite the Wicked brings along with it another enemy at the location furthest away from you. If you cannot defeat it before the end of the scenario you get a mental trauma. With a sanity of only 6 this can be a real problem as the time it takes to reach and defeat it can often alter the outcome of the scenario or result in the death of investigators. When played right, Zoey can be the ultimate tank but just make sure you have someone watching your back when Smite the Wicked is revealed.
The beauty of Arkham Horror lies in its ability to cater to different playstyles and preferences. The key to surviving the horrors of the mythos isn't just in picking the "best" investigator but in choosing the one that resonates with you and complements your team. Whether you're delving into the tomes of forbidden knowledge with Daisy, cracking cases and skulls with Roland, surviving by the skin of your teeth with Ashcan Pete, or charging into the fray with Zoey, each investigator offers a unique perspective on the madness that awaits
So, the next time you sit down to play, consider stepping out of your comfort zone and trying a new investigator. Who knows? You might discover a new favourite as you continue your journey in Arkham Horror. Happy investigating, and may your wits stay sharp and your sanity intact!
