Thoughts after soloing The Circle Undone with Jim

Impressions & Hints:

• Out of all other factions Mystics are perhaps the least qualified for solo runs. Their spells let them tackle almost every task with , but only after an extensive setup. Being overwhelmed at the beginning of the scenario is the worst thing that can happen to a Mystic such as Jim.
• Jim’s five splashes are all Seeker cards. Mr. "Rook" needs no introduction. In this deck his main job is finding spells and tanking the Final Rhapsody. Knowledge is Power serves as an excellent panic button for when one of Jim’s combat spells misses or isn’t yet on the table. True Understanding is all about action compression. I feel it’s an underappreciated card and The Circle Undone has numerous Hex treacheries that give Jim more control over its timely use.
• Notably, there’s no Arcane Research in this deck. With no Shrivelling there aren’t enough opportunities to use it. Why no Shrivelling? Because Jim is perhaps the only Mystic who can make the bullshit tokens work to his advantage and Shrivelling runs counter to this theme.
• When choosing the prologue investigators I’ve used to go for Penny White. However, lately I prefer Gavriella Mizrah, because she has can reliably survive seven rounds in the prologue and thus not cause problems over in Union and Disillusion.
• The Witching Hour is generous both with time and with XPs. In fact, it’s the only scenario in this campaign that gives out so much XPs so freely. Grab all of them, 8, if able. Remember that combat spells take priority over Sixth Sense or else enemies will grind down Jim’s health and sanity.
• Ideally, you want to keep one Drawn to the Flame for the final location. It feels great to investigate with Sixth Sense from over at Witch-Haunted Woods and then go in and finish with Drawn to the Flame.
• At Death’s Doorstep is the first scenario with the The Spectral Watcher. It becomes self-evident that having low damage output and no evasion sucks. Make the most out of the free round the Watcher doesn’t ready itself after getting defeated.
• With Gavriella as your prologue investigator and no boosters to convince Josef Meiger there’s no pressure to move far from the Victorian Halls. Keep in mind that looking for trouble in the halls the last round before Agenda 1 advances leaves you with two free clues and some bait for the Watcher.
• In most cases Jim has no choice and is forced into playing anti-Lodge. This means killing Josef Meiger in At Death’s Doorstep removes him from Union and Disillusion.
• Rats are evil! It's really an achievement for the designers to make players hate rats so much in The Secret Name.
• By the third scenario Jim should have access to two Sixth Sense IVs. This translates to excellent action compression, because the scenario map is hub-based. More than that, it is possible to trigger the reaction on Keziah's Room from elsewhere.
• The best way to finish the The Secret Name in solo is to have two extra clues before advancing to the final Act. If you can manage that while still being in Agenda 3 then Nahab herself suddenly becomes irrelevant. I think it's worth taking significant risks to push for this outcome.
• Then there's Wages of Sin... This scenario is unwinnable in solo. I'm not convinced it can be done even with the incoming Open Gate. Defeat one or two Heretics and resign before too many enemies clutter your escape route. It's a half-decent opportunity to use Delve Too Deep, so feel free to indulge yourself.
• For the Greater Good almost always makes you infiltrate the Lodge. On one hand enemies will start aloof and most of them can be parleyed with . On the other hand the Master of Indoctrination variant Nathan Wick needs to be defeated conventionally.
• Union and Disillusion is sometimes winnable, but because of Jim's anti-Lodge sentiments I wouldn't recommend pushing for victory at all costs. Note that this variant of Jim has no skill boosters which means his precious Puzzle Box needs to be saved for the final Circle 20 test. Or, as was the case in my run, an emergency evade.
• BTW, if you read the campaign log below closely you'll notice that my Jim had no -based locations in this scenario. Tough.
• In the Clutches of Chaos is similar to the previous scenario in that losing it is not a big deal. I'd even go so far as to say it's a breather in solo. I still got my Jim defeated though. Mostly because of wretched chaos bag pulls.
• The scenario is diverse, but one trick has served me well regardless of which locations I've got. If at all able get your fourth clue alongside your third clue. Again, Sixth Sense IV is your friend here.
• In the end, if the defeated boss offers his or her assistance... Accept. Always accept! Those scenario resources will be worth their weight in gold in the finale.
• Alas, Before the Black Throne is incredibly random. I this particular run I was well-prepared and had everything I needed on the table, but then got myself the Piper of Azathoth and two Mindless Dancers back to back and that was the end. In retrospect if I had Arcane Research I might've prevented that with Ward of Protection V.
• In general I'm satisfied with the deck. It's half-decent consistent and fun to run. I was expecting myself to cut Dark Prophecy, but I was casting it a lot. In contrast I've used Sign Magick less and less as the campaign went on, but I couldn't find the XPs to replace it. The XP budget was also the reason behind no Grotesque Statues.
• I'm also glad to report that Wither IV coupled with Olive McBride is good enough for solo Jim. Granted, I've lost the final scenario to enemies overwhelming Jim, but in that situation Shrivelling V would've been no better.

Campaign Log:

Disappearance at the Twilight Estate: Gavriella disappeared into the mist. 3 pieces of evidence were left behind.

The Witching Hour: Jim has rejected his fate. The witches’ spell was broken. 9 XP (Witches’ Circle, Abandoned Mine, The Lonely Tree, Child’s Tree House, Tainted Well, Hermit’s House, Delve Too Deep, 1 bonus XP), Mementos: Mesmerizing Flute & Scrap of Torn Shadow.

At Death’s Doorstep: Jim is on Gavriella’s trail. Jim escaped the spectral realm. Josef disappeared into the mist. Jim is an enemy of the Lodge. 6 XP (Josef Meiger, Office, Master Bedroom, Delve Too Deep).

The Secret Name: 5 XP (City of Elder Things, Physics Classroom, Court of the Great Old Ones, 2 bonus XP), Mementos: Gilman’s Journal, Keziah’s Formulae & Worn Crucifix.

The Wages of Sin: 2 heretics were unleashed unto Arkham. Jim survived the watcher’s embrace. 2 XP (Haunted Fields, Abandoned Chapel), Mementos: Wisp of Spectral Mist, 1 Mental Trauma.

For the Greater Good: Jim discovered how to open the puzzle box. 3 XP (Nathan Wick, Library, Delve Too Deep).

Union and Disillusion: Jim sided with the coven. Anette Mason is possessed by evil. Gavriella is alive. 3 XP (Moss-Covered Steps, Haunted Spring, Decayed Willow).

In the Clutches of Chaos: Doom draws ever closer. The path winds before Jim (5). 2 XP (Witness of Chaos, Silver Twilight Lodge).

Before the Black Throne: Azathoth devoured the universe. INSANITY.