Blunt Trauma

By Seth A. Cohen

Illuminati

Group Cards

Plot Cards

Introduction

This is an extremely brute-force Cthulhu deck. It could pretty easily be a brute-force Bavaria deck, done so by replacing a couple of cards, but this is the way I did things. I build most of my decks without duplicates; thus I feel obligated to use some of the Ultra-Rare cards I have (Don't try to follow the logic, just listen). There's a lot that can be replaced in this deck, and I'll detail that later in case you don't have the cards you need.

What you're going to try to do in this game is to fulfill one of four goals (hence, flexibility): you could fulfill your Basic Goal by controlling (picking a number out of the air) 12 Groups, including your Illuminati; you could win via Cthulhu's special goal (each destroyed group counts as a group towards your Basic Goal, or destroy 8 total groups); you could do Power for its own Sake, which means controlling 50 Power, including your Illuminati; or, you could do the Criminal Overlords goal, which can be combined with both the Basic Goal and Cthulhu's Special Goal. This is probably the best, and your opponents will be looking out for these Goals. Don't worry too much about it. You don't have to.

Beginning

All of the groups you have for this game are fairly regular cards, usually used by Cthulhu or by other Illuminati. You could begin with any of them, but of course you'd want to start with something powerful. I favor New York, and then Texas, but of course the Clone Arrangers work well as well (especially because you won't look like what you are immediately). It will be clear to all but the newest player that you're playing a Brute Force Cthulhu--and you want to eat them up. They'll (where possible) avoid putting Places down--they'll choose defensive groups and power structures, and they'll do their damndest to stop your plots. Don't jump on them immediately. Wait until you see something juicy to take, and get it. Also, offer to help people attack each other (with subtlety, if you can). The more you disrupt the flow of things, the easier it is for you later. Make sure you get something in trade that you can use.

What you will be trying to do is to use the alignments your groups have in common with each other to easily control them. You will find that some rival Illuminati will be controlling groups you have in hand. This is okay--either take them away from them in attacks, or destroy them. But remember--you only have 11 groups you can control out of hand--if you destroy some of them, you'll have to control or destroy groups belonging to your opponents to meet the basic goal. Not that that's a bad thing. But many of your Group cards will be Agents, or your opponents will have agents for cards in your Power Structure. Be warned, but don't worry too much. You'll be fine.

Midgame

I'm going to take this opportunity to list the basic things you'll want to use each Group Card for:

Clone Arrangers
Aids in controlling Personalities. Very powerful, and Secret--thus difficult for your opponents to destroy.
Cycle Gangs
Useful in aiding destroying both groups and Places. A cheap takeover.
Dinosaur Park
Useful in destroying Places, and can help you with controlling Science or Corporate Groups. It's a low-power place, and thus easy to destroy. Don't let your opponents do it for you.
International Weather Organization
Good for Disasters, and has lots of control arrows. Good for defending your places, so don't blow it's action unless you need to.
IRS
You like other people's plots. You're powerful, and Criminal. You're also hated, so be careful about being without an action.
Lawyers
The anti-IRS card. In case someone else has the IRS, you'll need them. Bad if you have the IRS and someone already has the Lawyers, but that's why you have these cards--Agents are your friends. Powerful and Criminal, and defends against Gov't and Corporate.
Loan Sharks
Violent and Criminal, and increase with power as the game goes along if you can get Criminal groups into your power structure.
The Mafia
Powerful, Violent, and Criminal; also aids in controlling or destroying Criminals.
New York
The most Powerful non-Illuminati, has all three alignments you'll need to win, and increases the power of all your other Criminal groups.
Robot Sea Monsters
A lot like Cycle Gangs and Dinosaur Park. But it's also Secret, and thus harder to incapacitate.
Texas
Big, and allows you to hold a spare plot. Keep a +10 or a plot canceller under Texas, unless you've gotten a anti-disaster card from someone with IRS. It's powerful and has useful alignments, but is a big fat target to your opponents.
Clipper Chip
+2 power to all Government groups
Cyborg Soldiers
Doubles the power of any one violent group. Not a Unique Gadget, so you could use more than one of them if you wish.
OMCL's
Alters the alignment you need to either help control or destroy things easily.
Weather Satellite
Big bonus to disasters and against them (if you need it), as well as ordinary attacks to destroy. Has two actions per turn.

Other cards you could replace some of these with (almost off the top of my head): CIA, CFL-AIO, Democrats, Federal Reserve, FBI, Manuel Noriega (an easy New York takeover), Multinational Oil Companies, NSA, Nuclear Power Companies, or the Pentagon. Also, the Necronomicon, Midas Mill, Perpetual Motion Machine and Rogue Boomer. You need a couple Science, Space, or Computer groups, so don't forget them if you remove them from your deck.

Classes of plots that are important:

Disasters and disaster-type cards
Annual Convention, Atomic Monster, Combined Disasters, Flesh-Eating Bacteria, Giant Kudzu, No Beer, Nuclear Accident, and Tidal Wave. You have lots of cards to destroy places, and take one Organization (with Annual Convention) out with it. Flesh-Eating Bacteria and No Beer are both Ultra-Rare cards, so you might not have them--so either replace them with other disasters or remove them, as you desire. FEB is reusable, though, so get it if you can. Giant Kudzu is the most powerful Disaster, but it's not Instant--so it's best use is as the secondary card to a Combined Disaster. There's nothing preventing you from having multiples of the same disaster, but you can't use the same disaster twice in a Combined Disaster.
+10 Cards
Big Score (attack or defense for Criminal groups), Martial Law (ditto for Gov't), Terrorist Nuke (ditto for Violent) - all good cards, and you might want to have doubles if you can fit them in. The Swiss Bank Account is +10 for an Illuminati attack, and Back to the Salt Mines is +10 attack or defence to a Place--and if your side is victorious, it returns to your hand! A good card. It can also be used with Giant Kudzu, so there's a bonus there.
Plot Control
Plot card cancellers are Hoax and Secrets Man Was Not Meant to Know. Both are good cards. Hat Trick will allow you to claim a just-used plot, and S&L Scam will allow you to get more plots into your hand. Don't forget that you're Cthulhu, and each time you destroy a group you can draw a Plot card!
Dice Alteration
Bribery, Murphy's Law, and Computer Virus. Good cards, all, if expensive to use. You need a specific action to use the Virus, so read it carefully.

Blitzkrieg-for a reload of a captured group. Power Grab-save if possible for when you're 10 groups away from the Basic Goal, and play appropriately. You'll shoot right up to 12 groups. Otherwise, it can get you something you need and allow you time to think (during your opponent's turn). Seize the Time is much the same, but it limits you to not using Plots and not drawing Groups or Plots. Plan before using, if possible. Sorry Wrong Number-a good offensive Zap, removing defensive Bonuses from groups. Upheaval--when your opponents are getting close to their goals. Don't forget, you don't have enough groups to win without taking over or destroying someone else's groups, if playing to 12 groups.

NWO's and Goals:
I discussed the Goals before. The NWO's are Red, and you can't play them both at the same time. Australian Rules should (if possible) be played when you're about to make a feeding frenzy, because it feeds you plots and groups when you successfully attack. Don't put it there if your opponents will benefit more from it than you. Gun Control is good for many (if not most) of your groups, and increases New York's power by quite a bit (+4!)

Endgame

Well, you've controlled, you've destroyed, you've plotted and you've drank some coffee. Hopefully, this deck has given you the flexibility to meet one of your goals. Hopefully, you've not been Zapped too often with things that prevent you from taking over the groups you need to win. Hopefully, there isn't another Cthulhu or Bavaria in the game that is playing the same deck as you. You should know at some point through the game where you are and what Goal you're headed towards. Don't be afraid to hold a lot of plots during your turn--if you can put a Goal where you need it in your deck, you're ready for a win. This deck doesn't rely on subtlety, but hey--you do what you like. Good luck, and may an eldritch crawling horror aid your victory.

Back to the Deck of the Week.

First posted: May 20, 1997

Last modified: May 20, 1997

Ralph Melton ralph@cs.cmu.edu