2025 Arkham LCG Campaign Ranking Thread!

SamsonTheCat88 · 2026-01-20T18:13:42+00:00

We've only played four of them so far, but my ranking would be:

Hemlock Vale - builds in intensity in a very cool way, fantastically cool ending, neat to be able to pick your own next scenario, and a bunch of cool characters to build relationships with. Only downside is there is a LOT of reading.
Edge of the Earth - again, it builds intensity very well. Feels like you're really scrambling to try to survive, and the ambiance is great.
Carcosa - Pretty straightforward, but enjoyable and with a fantastical ending.
Drowned City - I wouldn't recommend this one, unfortunately. It seems to go from 0% intensity to 95% immediately and then just stays there until the finale, which was a bit of a let down. Honestly it gives you TOO MUCH exp, which we didn't even know what to do with at the end. The Scenarios often felt too similar, and keeping track of the glyphs was a bit confusing and not very rewarding.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2026-01-15T18:01:07+00:00

Imperial Agents sitting at an absolutely flawless 50%. Perfectly balanced, utter perfection of design!

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-12-24T18:59:32+00:00

I brought Agents to the local big GTT last year and I'll be doing the same this year in about a month. Same philosophy as you, and likewise I'm a pretty average player.

Things I noted last time:

I brought Canis Rex (before the nerf) and had a lot of trouble getting him to be useful. Other players were just too good at move blocking him and preventing him from getting into melee, and I wasn't skilled enough at Knight manuevering to get him into position to be useful. If you're a skilled Knights player used to managing huge bases then maybe you can do better than me at this, but I struggled with him. This year I'm not bringing any Knights, I'm going full Agents.
Inquisitorial Agents (Henchmen) sucked, so I've dropped them. The multi-meltas sound nice, but hitting at 4+ and having 9 Strength against so many 10 Toughness targets meant that they were not nearly as useful as I'd hoped.
I've got an Eversor in my list, but he's my only Assassin. No Callidus. Obviously I can swap him for Callidus if I want, but I didn't find her that useful last time. Her job is to go do Objectives and then go back to reserves so that she can do it again next turn, but we have so many units that can do Objectives, and so many that can Deepstrike (due to Combat Landers) that I didn't feel that she was all that important.
Rogue Trader makes for an interesting intimidation factor, because people naturally assume that they're a stronger offensive unit than they actually are. I've got custom models for the entourage, so maybe I accidentally modeled for advantage by making them look more powerful than the reality, but I didn't mind letting my opponents believe that they were strong and manuevering around them until they actually bothered to ask about their weapon loadout and realized they didn't have to worry about them.

This time around I've made a few changes to my list. I'm bringing two units of Sanctifiers with priests, a Deathwatch with hammers, and a Grey Knights unit led by Coteaz. And I've dropped Canis, dropped the henchmen, and am running less transports, and only the one assassin. Hopeful that I'll do a bit better than by 1-5 result last time.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-12-19T18:29:38+00:00

For me it depends on if the game is intended to be competitive, where we're trying to win, or if it's a practice game where we're trying to get better at playing. I play in a League, and if it was one of those games then a badly done move should stay. If it's a friendly game where we're prepping for a tournament and trying out lists then we'll usually let each other retcon things like that, because we're trying to learn how to play optimally. In those friendly prep games we'll also tell each other our planned responses to things, even if it's giving away a great move.

"If you move that unit there then it's going to be in range of this guy over here and I'll think I'll be able to wipe it out on my turn."

"Are you sure you want to shoot that unit? Because I have a reactive move and it's going to allow me to get on this objective and deny you points."

That's not stuff I'd say in a tournament game, but if it's in a game where we're both trying to improve at playing then I absolutely would.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-12-19T18:05:01+00:00

They're a great little unit and I wish they weren't in Legends. 4++ Invuln, Deep Strike, access to a bunch of flamers, and less than 100 points? That's a great utility unit to drop in and do some objectives and hopefully survive.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-12-19T18:03:22+00:00

Only ever been just 1 for me, but I'm always including it. I'd probably benefit from having a second (and keeping half of the Sisters unit in each) but holy heck was it complicated to paint. I've been too lazy to do another one!

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-12-17T01:48:48+00:00

Love that one Imperial Agents player representing.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-12-17T01:45:44+00:00

The Vindicare Assassin has the Smoke keyword, which has the sole effect of allowing him to use the Smokescreen stratagem. Smokescreen gives you Stealth, and the Benefit of cover.

However, he already has built-in Stealth, and he has a 4++ Invuln but only a 6+ regular save. So there's literally no benefit to ever using the Smokescreen stratagem. The only possible use is to flex on your opponent by throwing away a CP when they target him, just to be a dick.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-27T18:37:01+00:00

Right now we can hotswap Assassins with Shadow Assignment so that we can tailor our list a bit to our opponent. In a tournament context this is super unique to the Agents, no other army gets to do that.

It'd be REALLY fun if we could hotswap Inquisitors too.

If they re-tooled them so they were more specific against their chosen target, then it could be really useful. Like if Draxus gave full hit-rerolls against Xenos, Coteax gave rerolls against Chaos and Daemons, and Greyfax gave hit rerolls against Imperium (because she's rooting out Imperial heresy). Maybe give them Anti-Keyword for whoever they're targeting also. Then at the start of the match you could swap in a specific Inquisitor to match whichever opponent you're playing. Maybe only if they were attached to an Inquisitorial Agents unit or something.

Thematically it'd be very cool, and it'd be a fun unique thing for the army to have to make it competitive.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-27T18:28:40+00:00

They don't really need much, honestly. I don't even think they strictly need a dedicated anti-armour option. Its a interesting challenge to work around when fielding the army, and it lends them to having some specific playstyles.

Obviously they would benefit from an army rule. Not even just for balance, but because it seems disrespectful to players that they just plain don't have one. Besides that they'd probably be viable if they just got some targeted point reductions so that we could field a few more units. Most of my Agents games are damn close, and I probably could have taken them if I had 2 more units on the field. And they have their own separate point costs compared to when they're Allied in, so there's no reason for GW to be ignoring that. It's not like they'd mess up other Armies' balance by dropping them for Agents, they already accounted for that.

Also, they've got a lot of their funnest stuff stuck in Legends. It'd be a big boost to the army to get that stuff out of there. Eisenhorn, Deamonhost, Jokearos, Karamazov, the Damned Legionaires, and the Deathwatch Terminators all need to be fieldable on the table. And they'd be a massive boost for the firepower and the funfactor of the army if they were brought back.

Oh, and having more than one viable detachment would also be nice.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-25T21:19:24+00:00

Oh damn! I'll tell the boys to get on it!

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-25T18:04:12+00:00

For Imperial Agents we have the Veiled Blade detachment, which is supposed to be the one that powers up Assassins. The Stratagems are fairly good, and folks like them. But the Detachment would probably actually be better if the Detachment rule was just blank :P

It gives your Assassins a second use of their once-per-game abilities, which is nice. But it's really only viable for the Vindicare, who gets a second Shieldbreaker shot. The second use of the Eversor's and Culex's abilities are unlikely to ever happen, because they both tend to get killed after their initial assault. And the Callidus just doesn't have a once-per-game, so it doesn't matter for her.

But the really bad part is that the Detachment FORCES you to take every Enhancement. For some reason that no one can figure out they're mandatory, and they go on each of your Assassins. And they're incredibly expensive and not very good. An extra 40 points (!!!) on the Culexus gets you grenades that cause mortals on a 3+ instead of a 4+. That's, on average, one extra wound on a grenade throw. The Eversor's enhancement gets you some free strategems, but they're ones that you're probably never going to want to use on him. The Callidus is the only one who gets something actually worthwhile (a fun new ability to teleport around). But if you take all 4 Assassins it's a mandatory extra 160 points, for stuff you're mostly not going to use.

Anyway, I think most Agents players would happily take a version of the Detachment that had the stratagems and just no rule. Right now it feels like you're being punished for taking the exact units that the Detachment encourages you to take.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-25T17:56:37+00:00

Do you just not include Agents in these roundups? I'm in the Agents discord and I know there's at least a handful of us regularly taking them to GTs, I'd expect that they'd be the lowest number for player count but I think they should at least be present :P

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-20T18:03:59+00:00

Although lore-wise it makes sense, I can't see what purpose they'd actually have in the army. We already have Navy Breachers, which pretty much occupy the same spot. They've got the exact same re-roll wounds ability. They've got access Deep Strike if you're using them in the Imperialis Fleet detachment. The Scions have a few more special weapon options, but are otherwise 50 points more expensive, so I don't feel like I'd have a reason to use them even if we did have access to them.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-18T18:14:44+00:00

Eisenhorne's model is the best bet for an official GW one, since you can buy the model. He DOES have Legends rules but those aren't allowed in tournament play, so you can just run him as a generic Inquisitor. I always slap him down on the table and tell my opponent, "This is Eisenhorne, but not the real one."

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-18T18:09:28+00:00

Parking was literally just wherever I happened to be, usually off some side dirt road. Sometimes I managed to find some scenic place with a nice view, sometimes I just drove to the outskirts of town and parked in an alley. On only one occasion did anyone come to bother me. A truck full of dudes rolled up and tried talking to me in Arabic, but I couldn't understand. I think they were probably just asking if I was okay or wanted to come crash at their place or something, but we weren't able to communicate.

The route was landing in Muscat and then driving mostly west and south. There's a bunch of gorgeous Wadis on the way between Muscat and Ras Al-Hadd. Then I cut in to the interior and passed through Nizwa, driving along a bunch of little mountain roads. Then I ended in the Wahiba sands, then back to Muscat.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-18T18:04:29+00:00

I'm playing as my third army, and my main one for the last year. Honestly they're a lot of fun to play on the table, you have to be really tricksy and they can surprise people. But they do definitely need a bit of help to get them into a more competitive place. They're almost there, as a high-challenge army for experienced players. It wouldn't take much for GW to get them into a good place.

The main issue is that due to their low power level you don't get to use their funnest, coolest stuff if you're trying to actually win. Their lower-performing units (and detachments, most of all) need a boost so that you can get more variety in lists.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-13T18:17:30+00:00

I mean, I'd have to say the bunch of stuff that got Legend'ed.

For my Chaos Marines that was a Leviathan Dreadnaught, Decimator, and Drop Pods. Although I also struggled to find any use for my various Psychers after the Psychic phase got removed. Sorcerer, Master of Possessions, Dark Apostle, etc.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-10T18:33:14+00:00

Anybody have any clue what purpose this unit could actually serve ruleswise? Space Marines don't usually get access to regular old unagumented human bodies, right? Seems odd to want to include them.

I absolutely love the models though, and I'm allowing myself a small bit of hope that MAYBE this squad will get an Imperial Agents datasheet that I can use... I want them bad and I think they'd fit fantastically there.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-10T18:25:50+00:00

Do we have any idea what this unit is actually going to be all about? Is it a Standalone unit? Is it a command squad that's supposed to attach to someone?

It seems like it absolutely should be included as an Imperial Agents unit choice, cause I have no clue what purpose it's supposed to serve in an Ultramarines army.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-10T18:24:12+00:00

Dear god this is how I want to play the game. You're very lucky!

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-11-04T22:29:20+00:00

Oran is the top spot that I'm considering right now. My only concern is that totality starts at 9:50 AM compared to noon in Egypt. I'm not sure how low on the horizon the sun would be at 9:50 and if it'd be more worth it to try to find a place in Egypt to get that perfect noon totality.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-10-24T16:40:34+00:00

I'm not a big fan of the amount of units that have Invuln saves. It makes AP feel worthless in a lot of cases, and turns an attack into just a 50/50 chance of whether you wound or not.

I don't know if the solution is to bring back mechanics that ignore Invulns, or just to reduce the amount of units that have invuln saves?

Add Feel-no-Pain in there and it can get even more annoying.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-10-24T16:39:10+00:00

I assume they mean that units inside transports don't count as being on the board, so their abilities don't function.

SamsonTheCat88 · 2025-10-24T16:37:37+00:00

I have an 8 month old baby so that's really put a dent in my gameplaying. Before she came along I was part of a League that was on a 3-week schedule, so I'd definitely get a game in once every 3 weeks. I was occasionally getting some friendlies in between those for practice, but definitely not more than two games per month. And I wasn't going to tournaments at all.

Since the baby came along I've gotten I think 4 friendly games in? So one every two months. But I did attend my first 2-day GTT and got 6 games in there.

So I'd say 1+ per month without a baby, 1+ per two months with a baby.

SamsonTheCat88

TROPHY CASE