I want to show a way to build a "training" Preston deck that is simple to understand and cheap! The Circle Undone Investigator Expansion gives a suite of Favor cards (Small Favor, Intel Report, Decoy) which perform testless work at a cost, just perfect for Preston. They were originally scattered throughout different Mythos Pack in this cycle, with new distribution it is now possible to including everything right from the start.

The deck also performs without Rogue money cards and Survivor failing cards that are scattered elsewhere, like in The Forgotten Age.

With an exceptional card Double, Double, this deck is built around 6 cards to repeat at reasonable play cost : 2x "Look what I found!", 2x Sneak Attack, and Revised Core Set addition 2x Emergency Cache (2). Of course Preston can use the Favor cards that has a built in () repeat. Those Favor cards will also be supported by resources and card draws from Double, Double Emergency Cache (2).

In my test run on The Circle Undone Standard, this deck varies from being boss evader with Well Connected + [Dig Deep + Family Inheritance] + Cunning Distraction + Able Bodied, shroud bypasser with Flashlight + ["Look what I found!" + Double, Double] + Intel Report, or risk-free enemy finisher with [Sneak Attack + Double, Double] + Small Favor. Or simply use Leo De Luca and initiate all that test on other's threat area treacheries using Well Connected or Money Talks to yeet them out. He is already so unbelievably flexible with just TCU cards!

► About "2 Packs Deck Guide"
　A series of decks made with the new distribution model in mind, requiring a Revised Core Set box + just 1 more Investigator Expansion box. ∞ character on the deck's name means the additional box it uses is The Circle Undone Investigator Expansion.
　It maximizes the chance of newcomers being able to build and learn to play the game, enjoying the story on Standard difficulty ASAP. They can then get into deck-building later if they wished to do so. See other decks in the "2 Packs Deck Guide" series here.

(View at arkham-starter.com)

The whys :

• Fortune or Fate •• : Positioned at this point in the plan to be used often. (I have this already in TCU Scenario 3: The Secret Name.) Using Exile only on few last scenarios is a waste of potential of this card! It is a privilege of requiring so low XP to complete the deck, now you have a very important function that gets an entire team 1 more round to play and no one will laugh at your stats anymore. This make that Another Day, Another Dollar / Hot Streak upgrade delayed by 2~6 XP if you keep repurchasing Fortune or Fate, which is fine as core is already completed with Double, Double + 2x Emergency Cache (2).
• Able Bodied : Are all kept as it allow throwing for a friend to setup for your Double, Double Sneak Attack. On the other hand Decoy is removed 1 copy, later on you will encounter more Elite where Decoy does not work as well. Beware of both Rabbit's Foot + Flashlight at the same time reducing an icon.
• Rabbit's Foot : This card together with Emergency Cache (2) allow you to recover from bad start. Should not remove any copy.
• Flashlight : The shroud reduction is used to abuse "Look what I found!" on 4 shroud then you can Double, Double it to quickly vacuum that location. Should not remove any copy.
• Another Day, Another Dollar ••• : What a copy of this makes is so that Preston's first ATM brings him to 7 + 4 = 11 resources. Combined with 1 resource on Upkeep he is going to get next, this gets 5 stat on Money Talks or +2 on Well Connected (you use 2 to play Well Connected and you are now at exactly 10). Therefore spending 3 XP here allow more ways to survive your first Mythos Phase.
• A choice of what to remove for Hot Streak can be one copy of Intel Report or Small Favor instead, depending on which Favor you'd like to keep all 2 copies.

Double, Double combo

This card is conveniently 4 cost, which you can use your credit card (Family Inheritance) to pay for it instead of real cash.

Double "Look what I found!"

When you use Flashlight on 3~4 shroud, you will likely fail by 1 or 2 at your mediocre stats. Prepare 4 resources on Family Inheritance, and look what Preston found. 4 clues!

Double Sneak Attack

It's 4 resources for 4 damage. The trick is to setup the exhaust for free using your friends, so that you can spend exactly 4 resource on your Family Inheritance.

2x Able Bodied are included for this. When someone Evade for you, you can pitch in to ensure it. Only works fully when having just either Rabbit's Foot or Flashlight, not both.

Paid way includes Decoy, Trial by Fire (need to test), Dig Deep, and Cunning Distraction. But Preston prefer not to use his own wallet if possible.

Double Emergency Cache (2)

What ultimately make this deck "work" is the Double, Double + Emergency Cache (2) combo, requiring 12 XP. Emergency Cache (2) is a Revised Core Set addition, previously you have to buy The Dunwich Legacy to get them.

There are barely any other upgrades as all the Favor cards are testless and powerful at Lv. 0. We just need to grease the deck with resources and draws to keep the Favor rolling.

He's a millionaire but Family Inheritance requries to transfer money to him for bigger plays (Money Talks, Well Connected, high cost Favor)

By using Double, Double + Emergency Cache (2) (it then drops 6 on Family Inheritance due to Preston's ability), and use on Family Inheritance, you get 10 resources and 2 cards in 2 actions. This number 10 is nice as it adds +2 to Well Connected, might get you out of some treacheries.

Double, Double requires you to spend resource again to double the event (like 4 resources for double Sneak Attack) therefore for something with 0 cost like Emergency Cache (2) and also giving you multiple things, it is very effective.

I add 1x Hot Streak later on which can also be doubled, but Emergency Cache (2) is still overall superior that it gives you 2 draws on the double. Nothing beats a hand full of solutions in a card game. And Preston is very card-dependent.

Double Favor

All the Favor cards are not so useful to double as they have a built-in doubling and that makes you pay 4 resources already. (And more if you want the extended range.)

But if you need to Intel Report for 4 clues or Small Favor for 4 damages to close out a scenario (unlikely as often Elite is your obstacle to get a winning resolution), then go for it! That will use whopping 8 resources. You can also get 4 remote clues or deal 4 remote damage for 12 resources.

If this kind of play does not immediately end the scenario and you have not yet paid Lodge "Debts", beware! (It will also shut down your Well Connected, Money Talks, and not allow you to all-in on Dig Deep anymore.)

Double "You owe me one!" ?? : This is an underrated double Favor combo, and there is only one copy.

• If you have enough resources (and asset slots) to purchase their cards on hand 2 times, you maybe able to give someone 2 fresh card draws while taking their irrelevant junk out while they are busy fighting. You also get 2 draws!
• On the doubling it also takes out most of the "Gambit" since you just looked at their hand asides from the card they just draw.
• On the doubling you can look at different player's hand instead if playing 3+ players and you are all together.
• You can also use Double, Double on the other player's Event you are choosing to play instead of doubling "You owe me one!" itself, which opens up infinite possibility of fun. (e.g. 10 resources 2x Dynamite Blast) But the choice of doubling "You owe me one!" is a nice safety net in the case that you don't find any interesting Event to double on other's hand.
• Despite all these, I think 1 copy is enough.

Defensive Cards

There are 6 cards that can up your defense :

• 1x Well Connected : Do not count resources on Family Inheritance. This is not as OP as it sounds as Preston need to do some extra work to get cash on him where it counts. But still at 10~15 resources you can respond to / fail-by treachery in Mythos Phase "for free". Since it is "limit 1 per investigator", I think including just 1x is a better use of deck space. Deck space for the other copy is better used for Dig Deep to be used together with this card.

• 1x Dig Deep : Remember that you can get +4 in your turn or any test to remove the treachery at the end of your turn (like Frozen in Fear), by using resources on Family Inheritance. You must use personal resources in Mythos Phase where cash is not rolling in the Family Inheritance just yet. Well Connected / Money Talks are cards that can fill in that task better.

  + in your turn can be used to Evade. In multiplayer and the scenario need someone to keep disabling the boss enemy to turn off its ridiculous ability or heavy Retaliate this shouldn't be underestimated. Preston is surprisingly a good evader with Dig Deep, though you need some "accounting" to keep doing this every turn.

  Preston get to try starting 5 every round by using 4 resources on Family Inheritance. But you must succeed on the first try, so add in Able Bodied or Swift Reflexes commit, or pump in more personal cash outside of Family Inheritance, until you beat -4 or something.

  If he succeeds, he can spend his remaining action to gather more resources to Evade again the next round. (Can get more with Leo De Luca.) If you have some spare resources on you, you can try Trial by Fire (3 cost, leaving 1 on Family Inheritance) and add a bit more Dig Deep on each tries instead of going all-in on the first try. Follow up Sneak Attack can contribute to Elite fight. Sometimes a good evader that only fails on is all the team needed to complete the scenario. Elite that ends the scenario are at 3~4 , so you need 7~8 each round to keep disabling it.

  If you are about to fall out of Well Connected threshold due to having to spend non-inheritance resources, you can use Well Connected first before spending in Dig Deep.

• 2x Money Talks : Also do not count resources on Family Inheritance. Better prepare real cash on you as the Mythos ain't accepting credits...
• 2x Leo De Luca • : No one other than Preston can look at Leo as soaks. When Preston plays Leo he'll likely use 4 from Family Inheritance. By upgrading Leo to cost 5, it make sure that combined with what you get on Upkeep to make 5 resources and always able to play / replay Leo. I don't have deck space for Leather Coat, and that'll be a problem with Able Bodied too, seeing that Rabbit's Foot is so good on Preston. Also he is the ATM guy to on the Family Inheritance. Double, Double or not Emergency Cache (2) will require one more action to cash in and Leo will help you do that.

How to use...

• Cunning Distraction : "Red Dynamite Blast". Left 1 copy in the deck as otherwise this card would never get played. How to make it works better than Decoy is to use it on Elite enemy. Elites often cause other enemies to pile up since you can't deal with everything that fast anymore. And this is perfect opportunity to plan a power turn with everyone that are fighting together in this location. Everyone can hit everything without Retaliate, can gear up, or can move away.
• Swift Reflexes : To be honest, this card is very weak in Preston. Preston need more resources reserved for things you want to do in this action too, probably something like Sneak Attack / Small Favor to follow up Evade, finish off other's work. All copies are quickly removed in the upgrade plan, I let you enjoy them for short while. They are more used for to prep for Sneak Attack in my test play... but including Manual Dexterity instead would not be so exciting to try out your new expansion, isn't it?
• Trial by Fire : Combined with Dig Deep and Leo De Luca, Preston can spend 1 resource per action to get a decent 6 stat at either or . (But you have to repeatedly doing that same kind of test.) You can choose to manage enemies or choose to go around and fix treacheries on others. Choose to simply help plainly investigating low to mid shroud location for 3~4 clues is also an OK trade for 3 resources play cost (for a Millionaire). You might even trigger "Look what I found!" without the Flashlight tech, but that's 2 more resources (4 if doubled).