Dr Zhukov - Is he really this bad???

[Wasteland Jack]

All,

I play more ATOE than FANG, but I broke it out this weekend. When choosing characters I got stuck with Dr Zhukov (again). Let me preface this with, I have only played the basic game and only about 4 or 5 times so far and for some reason I keep ending up with Dr Zhukov, and I keep losing horribly, like 15 fortune to 3.

Not only can I not win the game, (competitive mode), but I barely even made it through a simple adventure. Only once in my most recent game did I get a *puzzle* danger, other than that it was all Lore or Agility. Am I missing something? Is the advanced game better weighted for him? I really felt like the other characters (this case Jake Zane & Alexander Cartwright) had much better abilities.

Thoughts?

[mqstout]

We've experienced Dr. Zhukov being a little weaker than the rest when playing a normal competitive game. He's pretty good in a cooperative game though. Also, he gets stronger when you have all the rules out -- his "cunning escape" helps him a lot then.

[Wasteland Jack]

(09-11-2012 06:38 PM)mqstout Wrote:  We've experienced Dr. Zhukov being a little weaker than the rest when playing a normal competitive game. He's pretty good in a cooperative game though. Also, he gets stronger when you have all the rules out -- his "cunning escape" helps him a lot then.

Thanks for the heads up. I think I'll take him out of competitive games prior to choosing. I've only played with him and Dudley, it would be nice to play someone new for a change of pace.

[Wasteland Jack]

Ok, just this past weekend I played, and guess who I came up with yet again.

That's right folks, the incredulous Dr. Zhukov. We were playing coop versus the nazis.

Ok so I tried to optimize his abilities, but never did I get any puzzle tests nor did I get Cunning tests. I kept getting agility (chases) or Lore tests. I got shellacked. The only saving grace was I did pull an ally on a random event card which helped with agility (damsel) eventually, but too little too late. The nazis had raided two temples (10 & 8) and got 2 other artifacts by them. Plus they had the Dark Rituals card in play from early on.

I wonder how many puzzles/tech keywords there are to warrant his scientist a truly good benefit. The whole Academic 5+ for fight dice really cripples him I think, and so you can easily escape, what's the point you don't get the glory. I don't know, but I think I am going to start leaving him out of the deck.

[midnight rider]

I played solo this past weekend with him, the martial artist, and Dudley. He hung around Russia pretty much the whole game because of artifacts popping up in the area. I recall one puzzle danger, and he handled himself ok in a fight, because he still gets 5 dice, plus a revolver. I don't think I'd play him as a solo adventurer however.

[MoonSylver]

As opposed to ATOE where I can run 1 Hero solo with no problem, I usually feel better in FanG if I run 2. Having a partner who excels in areas the other Hero is deficient in, not to mention the ability to exert, really helps out.
---MS

[Wasteland Jack]

When you play with him, do you have him go on the same adventures as other heroes?

We typically split up to gain more ground. Especially when the villains are placed at the two highest valued artifacts.

I'll have to try doubling up heroes on adventures, I have never tried that.

[MoonSylver]

(11-08-2012 02:39 PM)Wasteland Jack Wrote:  When you play with him, do you have him go on the same adventures as other heroes?

We typically split up to gain more ground. Especially when the villains are placed at the two highest valued artifacts.

I'll have to try doubling up heroes on adventures, I have never tried that.

I have. He makes a great sidekick for a more "action" oriented Hero. There are a couple of good "teams" like that (I'm fond of Jake & Shelley). Main reason I tried it was:
A) I got stomped a few times in a row,
B) It's frustrating somtimes to keep getting tests you're not equiped for &
C) when someone pointed out to me that a Hero on the same Adventure NOT taking the test can still exert EVEN IF NOT ON A CLIFFHANGER TO ADD EXTRA DICE (pg 23) I was sold.

As I said, in ATOE I have no problems going it Solo w/ 1 Hero, but in FANG, my own personal preference is to run 2 working as a team.
---MS

[gamerguy]

We played last night and a new comer played as The Doc, he got the rifle early on and we found it helps make a huge difference.