A Couple of Gamers




My girlfriend Lindsay and I have been playing and absolutely loving Arkham Horror for a few weeks now. A couple of weekends ago, we were out shopping and happened to be near our local geek haven and game shop. I turned to her and said we might as well stop by while we're out. Lindsay, always the frugal shopper, was hesitant, as she knows that I'm likely to blow our entire mortgage payment on board games. Her hesitation turned into anticipation, however, when I mentioned that they'd likely have an Arkham Horror expansion that we could pick up. Indeed, they did - both Kingsport and Dunwich Horror. After some deliberation, Lindsay decided she liked the box art on Kingsport better (product designers out there take note - box art matters!), and so the choice was made. I threw in the Curse of the Dark Pharoah expansion right before we hit the cash register, and we were all set.

A few sessions later, we feel confident that we know Kingsport well enough to share our thoughts on the expansion and what it adds or detracts from the core game of Arkham Horror. We hope many of you out there find our ramblings entertaining, informative, and, above all, useful.

OVERVIEW
Something strange is afoot behind the swirling mists of the seaside town of Kingsport. Just inside the haunted harbor, small cracks in the walls between worlds have begun to form. If left unchecked, these cracks may deepen, eventually crumbling into a swirling rift - an open gateway through which the evils of beyond may spill forth, bringing terror and doom down upon Arkham and quickening the arrival of the Ancient One.

The Kingsport Horror expansion adds another board section that represents the town of Kingsport, with new encounter locations and two new Other World locations for the investigators to explore. Aiding in that exploration are 8 new investigators and quite a few new common items, unique items, spells and allies. A few intriguing and especially nasty monsters have been added into the mix, as well as 4 new and incredibly ghastly Ancient Ones. The game also includes and introduces Epic Battle cards - a new way to add some thematic spice to your final showdown against the Ancient Ones.


KINGSPORT


Overall, the Kingsport board is a beautiful addition to the Arkham Horror base game. There are four new groups of encounter locations, including the centerpiece of the town - the Kingsport Head. The Head consists of three locations: the Causeway, Wireless Station, and the wonderfully mysterious Strange High House in the Mist. The Head is notoriously difficult to traverse, and this is represented by a new location function called Hard Going. Basically, whenever an investigator enters the Causeway or the Wireless Station, they must end their movement. This new function turns a trip to the Strange High House in the Mist into an arduous five-turn trek. Why would any sane investigator go on such a journey? Well, sanity is subjective in Arkham Horror, but upon reaching the Strange High House, an investigator can spend gate trophies or monster toughness to acquire the Changed card. This basically adds +1 to maximum Sanity and Stamina. The Changed card can also be exhausted instead of using a clue token. Very handy. An investigator will also receive The Great Seal, which allows any gate to be sealed permanently without risk of gate bursts or other effects. Clearly, these grant an investigator some fantastic bonuses, but are they worth the time-consuming and often-difficult voyage? Thematically, yes; technically, no. Thematically, the rough journey makes you feel as though your investigator is up against the mystery that IS Arkham Horror, and it almost becomes a test of wills. It also adds to the story and drama that is an essential element in the game. Technically, however, it's very difficult to fit a trip up to The Strange High House into a game. As mentioned, most trips will take at least 5 turns for a payoff, and you are only able to get the Changed card if you are stocked with gate trophies and/or monster trophies. This usually only occurs when the game has gone on for quite some time and the Ancient One may be close to awakening. By that time, most investigators are scurrying about trying to close or seal that last gate before doomsday. On one hand, though, a trip up the treacherous Head would be worth an investigator's time if the awakening was inevitable and the investigator had time to travel up and get stocked for the final battle.

The Head isn't the only intriguing location in Kingsport. The town is stocked with a hospital, a tavern, and a curiosity shop, as well. The hospital is a handy location - not as powerful as St. Mary's back in Arkham, but it allows investigators who have had a rough time in Kingsport the chance to gain stamina AND sanity in one spot. The Rope and Anchor Tavern, however, isn't quite as useful. An investigator can spend a turn here, pay $1, and search the common item deck for a food or whiskey card. The food and whiskey cards can be beneficial one-use cards, but when compared to spending a turn having an encounter somewhere else that may have a big payoff, the time here clearly isn't worth it. Neal's Curiosity Shop is very useful, though. Here, an investigator is able to sell off some of those less-useful items that have been collecting dust. Lindsay and I had already been playing with a house rule that common items, unique items and spells could be sold back to the respective shops in Arkham at half price (rounded up), so having a defined location that allowed that house rule legally and thematically was a welcomed addition.

The final "special" location in Kingsport is the North Point Lighthouse in Harborside. Here, an investigator can spend the requisite amount of gate and/or monster trophies to take the Captain of the White Ship card (and, subsequently, the White Ship herself). These two cards are pretty useful. The captain prevents an investigator from being delayed while in an Other World, but both cards are discarded if the investigator becomes lost in time and space. The White Ship allows an investigator to move to the first world of an Other World from anywhere in Arkham or the Other Worlds, during movement phase, even if no open gates currently lead to that Other World. This card, in itself, is worth the price of the gate and/or monster trophies. The tactical flexibility it affords an investigator can often be invaluable during a game. Compared to the Strange High House, The North Point Lighthouse also has the benefit of not taking five turns for a payoff, giving the lighthouse the edge in this expansion.

One important thing to note about Kingsport and it's locations is that all locations are stable. No gates will open under investigators, drawing them into an Other World, nor will gates open and spit forth monsters. In a sense, it adds to the special charm of the seaside town, but it can also be a hindrance to the investigators, as anyone in Kingsport is unable to help in closing or sealing gates to prevent the Ancient One from awakening. This can be a bit frustrating, at times, but it mostly adds to the difficulty level of the game, which makes for a much tighter and more tense finale, in most cases.


RIFTS


The main new mechanic that Kingsport introduces, and the reason that investigators are drawn to the town in the first place, is the appearance of rifts. Rifts are tears in the fabric of space and time that can open and roam around Arkham, spitting out monsters and wreaking general havoc. Rifts develop gradually, as special rift tokens accumulate on three different rift tracks on the side of the board. Each time a mythos card is drawn, a rift token is placed on the track that corresponds with the monster movement symbols on the mythos card. The rift tokens are drawn randomly, and contain the picture of a specific location in Kingsport. Investigators can prevent rifts from fully forming by removing rift tokens on the rift track. A rift token is removed every time an investigator has an encounter at any location that is represented by the image on the back of a rift token.

When all the spots in a particular rift track are filled with tokens, a rift is formed and opens in the location indicated by the gate spot location on the last mythos card. On the back of each rift is one of the dimensional symbols that controls monster movement. Each time that symbol appears during monster movement in the mythos phase, the rift moves as well and spawns a new monster in the location where it moved. In addition, a doom token is added to the doom track. Needless to say, open rifts aren't a welcome site in Arkham!

Some players have expressed dissatisfaction with the rift system and with Kingsport, in general, but we thought that the threat of open rifts really added an interesting and fun twist. One game, in particular, taught us the value of keeping rift tokens in check, as a rift tore open and zig-zagged its way through Arkham on almost every turn. The doom track gained four new tokens before we were able to close the rift, and it wasn't long before Azathoth awakened and the world ended with a burp.


INVESTIGATORS
There are 8 new investigators in Kingsport, ready to battle against ancient evil. We'll rate them with a thumbs up or thumbs down in each of five categories: special abilities, starting possessions, skill sliders, usefulness, and thematics - basically if we feel that the character fits in well with the Lovecraftiness of things.

Wendy Adams, the Urchin
- Special Abilities:
Wendy is able to pass any evade checks made in a street area, and with monsters almost always moving into the streets, that's a very, very useful ability. Wendy also cannot be arrested (whatever) or cursed (that's better) while she has an Elder Sign.
- Starting Possessions:
Speaking of Elder Signs, did you know she starts with one? Yeah, you heard me right. Oh, and 3 clue tokens. Did you just say you wanted to play as Wendy? I thought so.
- Skill Sliders:
Her sneak only drops to three when her speed is a the max. of 5. She might be a weak fighter, but with her evade special ability and sneak that good, she shouldn't be a monster hunter anyway.
- Usefulness:
If your strategy is running past monsters on the way to closing gates, then it doesn't get much better than Wendy.
- Thematics:
The idea of throwing a minor into the mix isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn't seem very Lovecraftian to us. Think less Call of Cthulhu and more Crow, if you know what we mean.

Tony Morgan, the Bounty Hunter
- Special Abilities:
Monster troughies are worth one extra toughness when spent, and Tony can trade in monsters for money in the streets. They're not bad special abilities, but they don't necessarily stand out, either. Tony tends to compare heavily to Michael McGlen, and, in that respect, he loses out with Michael's additional toughness ability and his tommy gun & dynamite.
- Starting possessions:
3 clue tokens is very nice, but the handcuffs are only useful in very specific situations. Of course, when I played Tony they did come in handy, just not as handy as, say, a tommy gun.
- Skill sliders:
For a bounty hunter, he's not terribly fast, stealthy, or tough in a fight.
- Usefulness:
The man has his uses, and his character is a cool concept, but there are many more characters who could do far greater things in Arkham.
- Thematics:
Bounty hunters belong in Star Wars, not in the cursed streets of Arkham.

Luke Robinson, the Dreamer
- Special Abilities:
Luke gains clues when he enters Other Worlds or is lost in time and space, plus his valuable Gate Box cannot be lost or stolen. Very handy.
- Starting possessions:
Six bucks, two spells, and the Gate Box, which can't be lost or stolen. 'Nuff said.
- Skill sliders:
He's not very fast, and there are better Lore sliders in the game, plus he only has Focus of 1. Unfortunately, this is his weakness.
- Usefulness:
Luke starts in the Dreamlands, he can travel out of any gate he likes with his Gate Box, and he gains clues when he's in Other Worlds. This is your ultimate gate crasher.
- Thematics:
Luke is basically a native or citizen of the Dreamlands. How much more Lovecraftian can you get?

Lola Hayes, the Actress
- Special abilities:
We wanted to give this one a thumbs up, but just couldn't. During play, the skill-changing ability just didn't prove that useful.
- Starting possessions:
She gets a little bit of everything, but, as a result, nothing really shines.
- Skill sliders:
Average, at best. She has a focus of 2 and a max. speed of 5, though, so she's not a total loss.
- Usefulness:
We like Lola and her concept, but there are investigators better suited for saving the world.
- Thematics:
An actress who has just gotten out of rehab in Arkham Asylum only to be thrown into an even more maddening world is delightfully appropriate.

Charlie Kane, the Politician
- Special Abilities:
Charlie can gain allies that have been returned to the box. That's a very subtle special ability that becomes more and more useful as the game progresses. However, he can also keep the terror level from growing. If he does so, his other special ability doesn't come into play. As a politician, he can either help the city or help himself. A genius way of demonstrating a theme through game mechanics.
- Starting possessions:
He starts with $9 and an ally. I'd say that gives him the thumbs up edge.
- Skill sliders:
The 5 in fight and a Focus of 2 give him a slight edge for a thumbs up.
- Usefulness:
Charlie is a "finesse" character, which requires a player with some experience in order to get the most out of him. It's for this reason alone that he gets the thumbs down, and it's a very slight one.
- Thematics:
We love the concept and especially the game mechanics, but Charlie and politics just doesn't seem to fit.

Rex Murphy, the Reporter
- Special abilities:
Rex gains an extra clue token anytime he gains one or more clue tokens - that applies even when picking up clues on locations. Think about that. We did, and the guy turned into a clue machine. Of course, he has his downside - the guy is cursed from the very beginning, and he can't discard his curse by rolling for it in upkeep. That can be a real pain in the neck, but it makes Rex a very interesting character to play.
- Starting possessions:
We're giving this a thumbs up despite the curse because of the 3 clue tokens and all the items he receives.
- Skill sliders:
With a high Lore, a Focus of 2, and the ability to be fairly speedy while still retaining some sneak, Rex has an edge.
- Usefulness:
Surprisingly, Rex turns out to be very useful during games despite his curse. And once his curse is removed, he really becomes a force to be reckoned with.
- Thematics:
HUGE thumbs up here. A reporter that's almost seen too much and carries a family curse? It's like Lovecraft himself came up with this character.

Lily Chen, the Martial Artist
- Special abilities:
Whoa. Lily has the ability to adjust her max. stamina and sanity as if they were set on a skill slider. Also, if she increases one or the other, she gains 1 stamina or sanity, depending on which stat increased. Essentially, she can adapt to any situation, and potentially heal herself.
- Starting possessions:
Starting with the Martial Arts skill is very handy.
- Skill sliders:
Did we mention that you can adjust your max. stamina and sanity as if they were a skill slider?
- Usefulness:
Lily has proven very useful during some sessions, as she is a very independent character who can take on multiple assignments.
- Thematics:
We want to give her a thumbs up, but martial arts in a Lovecraft setting? We like the eastern mystic flair, and appreciate the scope that the designers are trying to introduce, but Lily just doesn't quite fit.

Daisy Walker, the Librarian
- Special abilities:
Daisy doesn't lose sanity when reading a Tome (and she starts with Livre d'Ivon!), and any Sanity she might lost in casting costs for spells is reduced by one. Yup, those get a big thumbs up.
- Starting possessions:
She gets a little bit of everything: $5, a clue token, the Livre d'Ivon, a spell, a skill, a unique item and a common item. Pretty nice.
- Skill sliders:
A focus of 2, a Lore of 5, and a speed/skill ratio of 4/1 gives Daisy a definite edge.
- Usefulness:
You'd better believe it. Many people have been saying that Daisy is one of the most powerful investigators in the game, and they are right.
- Thematics:
A librarian that stumbles across the ancient tomes that are the key to understanding the mythos is very Lovecraftian.


MONSTERS
For the most part, the mix of monsters that get added to the cup from Kingsport is pretty good. A couple of standouts are the Leng Spiders (nice to see those mysterious creatures popping up from out of the Dreamlands) and the deadly Shan that can devour investigators on the spot. Yeah, that's right - DEVOUR. Let me tell you there have been a few nerve-wracking moments when one of our investigators has come face to face with those critters.

The Kingsport monsters also add two more Mask monsters, which make taking Nyarlathotep as the Ancient One more interesting.

Kingsport expands on the types of monsters, as well. In this expansion, aquatic monsters are introduced, which can travel from one location that is marked as aquatic to another aquatic location closer to an investigator. They're sort of like limited flying monsters without a sky, and are denoted by an orange border. As a result of the new aquatic baddies, the game comes with two aquatic tokens to place on the River Docks and the Unvisited Isle back in Arkham. We think this is a nifty concept, but the game only introduces four aquatic monsters into the mix. With so many monsters in the cup and so few aquatic monsters and locations, they don't really affect the game very much. Personally, we can probably assume that since there haven't been any Deep Ones in the expansions just yet (unfortunately), the aquatic theme will have a much larger impact with a Shadow over Innsmouth expansion. That's gotta be down the pipeline.


EPIC BATTLE
Besides the rifts, another great component that's introduced in this expansion is the Epic Battle card deck. These cards are only brought out when the Ancient One awakens. Each turn before upkeep, a new card is drawn, and it details bonuses or detriments that may occur during the final battle that turn. The Epic Battle cards start out fairly benign, but they grow in severity and maliciousness as the battle wears on. There are also instances when a Sinister Plot card should be drawn. These are a set of cards - 3 each for every Ancient One - that brings some specific flavor into a battle. These can really zero in on an Ancient One's particular nastiness, and add even more thematic flair to the showdown.

All in all, the Epic Battle cards seem to be a welcome addition to the game. The weakest part to us has always been the constant dice rolling in the final battles, which always lacked a lot of the storytelling elements of the main game. The Epic Battle cards continue the story until the very grisly or heroic end.


CONCLUSION
Overall, we believe that Kingsport is definitely worth the money, especially if you are looking to add some extra spice or difficulty to the base game. Although there are no unstable locations in Kingsport, there is still more than enough to keep investigators occupied with unique encounters and the ever-increasing threat of the rifts. The additional mythos cards also add a lot of extra twists to the game - one moves all the monsters on the board at the same time! Another finds the first player Lost in the Mist, and sends the investigator straight to The Strange High House in the Mist. The extra location encounter cards for Arkham are great additions, as well, and ensure that there is a lot of variety and replay value across several games. And, of course, the new investigators - for the most part - are intriguing and useful.

Kingsport will offer even more for those players who truly enjoy the thematics behind Arkham Horror. The story of the sleepy seaside town plagued constantly by heavy fog and mists in which any manner of evil could lurk is horror at its best. We'll be paying a visit to Kingsport many more times - as long as our sanity holds out, that is.

Cheers,
Chris and Lindsay