Elder Things


Quick gameplay tips

  • YOU ARE THE TRUE POWER HERE. OPPONENTS MUST CONFORM TO YOUR DESIRES OR RISK YOUR WRATH, SO THEY ACCEPT THE FRAGMENTATION OF THEIR SANITY
  • This probably goes without saying but only play Eldest Thing if you can, uh, actually play it. If you don't sacrifice those 2 minions it'll just go right to the bottom of your deck and won't do you any good.
  • Elder Things are strongest when you muscle your way into a contested base with lots of players already on it, as almost all of your cards affect all other players on a base.
  • Try to keep track of who you've given Madness to, as certain cards have powerful effects when you force other players to reveal Madness from their hands.

Gameplay

i'm perfectly sane i don't know about you

The Elder Things' shtick is making other players go insane, while gradually bringing forth their madenning return to power. They have the highest printed power minion in the whole game in the form of Eldest Thing, but it comes with the hefty side-effect of having to destroy 2 of your minions when played. It's also immune to anything your opponents might try and do to it, making it an extraordinarily safe source of power if you can get it out. They also have a reliable way to resurrect Eldest Thing, with Begin the Summoning - allowing them to return it to the top of their deck. Well it can be played on any minion in their discard pile but their gameplan revolves around getting the big guy out to pop bases. The Elder Things do have to be careful about driving themselves insane, as they can cause themselves to draw a significant number of Madness cards which can bite them later on. But they're far better at making other people lose their minds, which is how they break out of late-game ties. For every 2 Madness cards in a player's deck at the end of the game, they lose 1 VP. The Elder Things like to stuff their opponent's decks with Madness to get a surprise win, counting on them losing track of the cards and accidentally dooming themselves. The main weakness of this gameplan is relatively little impact during the game, which can let players who manage their Madness run rings around them. They also require an extraordinary amount of setup, with quick-paced games leaving them in the dust before they can properly establish themselves.