Margo opens the correct file
Arkham Horror LCG: What Should I Buy Next?
Mark the Core and campaign material you own. The navigator separates a playable next purchase from duplicate cards, incomplete legacy cycles, and attractive boxes that cannot yet reach your table.
MargoThe Archivist Answer first
What this tool solves before the table opens.
Mark the Core and campaign material you own. The navigator separates a playable next purchase from duplicate cards, incomplete legacy cycles, and attractive boxes that cannot yet reach your table.
Buy the foundation before the rabbit hole A complete compatible Core is the only first purchase that turns every later recommendation into something playable.
A table-ready recommendation with the next action and the trap to avoid
Fantasy Flight: Arkham Grimoire and current product environment remains the current authority.
Do this now · about two minutes
Name the one Arkham box that solves your next table problem without buying an incomplete or incompatible product.
Start the tool- 1
Select the exact Core on your shelf.
- 2
Choose what the next purchase must add.
- 3
Set the table's experience, then read the four-part verdict.
You will leave with
A concrete next purchase, what to postpone, why it fits, and the compatibility check to make before checkout.Show me an example
Revised Core + first campaign + more story becomes: buy The Dunwich Legacy Campaign Expansion; wait on its separate Investigator Expansion until the card pool is the actual problem.
Make the call
Tell Margo what is actually on your table.
Margo's current recommendation
Buy Chapter Two Core first
It is the current evergreen entry, supports one to four players, includes a three-scenario introduction, and is the encounter foundation required by future Chapter Two campaigns.
- Do not add a campaign before you own a compatible Core
- Revised Core remains viable for Chapter One play
- The 2016 Core is a collector or bargain route, not the clean default
Need more precision?
Start simple. Add detail only when the table needs it.
The tool above already gives a usable answer. These modes add campaign, serious-table, or expert checks without erasing your work.
Fast, legal, playable
Buy the foundation before the rabbit hole
A complete compatible Core is the only first purchase that turns every later recommendation into something playable.
- Identify the exact Core printing
- Choose story or player-card growth
- Avoid incomplete legacy cycles
Ready when
You own a compatible Core and can name whether the next purchase adds story, player cards, or one evening of play.What this tool assumes
Campaign and Investigator Expansions are separate products. Chapter Two, Current, Limited, and Legacy compatibility must follow the current Arkham Grimoire.Margo's table briefing
The tool has a point of view. The rules still get the final word.
“A sealed box is not a case file until the Core beside it can open the door.”
Margo is the fictional cabinet voice presenting this desk. Robert Pruitt owns the research, source review, and editorial judgment; the linked publisher material remains authoritative.
Physical table kit
The exact products this desk is talking about.
Real product photographs and exact retailer pages from the related Puzzlewick buying guides. Products are optional unless the tool explicitly identifies a required foundation.
Puzzlewick may earn from qualifying purchases, including as an Amazon Associate, at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability change at checkout.
01 · Direct product Arkham Horror: The Card Game Chapter Two Core Set
My default answer for a new shelf. Buy one, play all three scenarios, and refuse every second purchase until the table can name what it wants next.
View exact product on Amazon
02 · Direct product Arkham Horror: The Card Game Revised Core Set
Still excellent, still complete, and not a mandatory companion to Chapter Two. Buy it deliberately rather than nostalgically.
View exact product on Amazon
03 · Direct product Tommy Muldoon Investigator Deck
An Investigator Deck is one character, not an Investigator Expansion.
View exact product on AmazonPuzzlewick field cards
The useful part belongs beside the board.
No Core
Buy Chapter Two Core first
It is the current evergreen entry, supports one to four players, includes a three-scenario introduction, and is the encounter foundation required by future Chapter Two campaigns.
- Do not add a campaign before you own a compatible Core
- Revised Core remains viable for Chapter One play
- The 2016 Core is a collector or bargain route, not the clean default
More story
Choose a complete campaign box
A modern Campaign Expansion contains the complete scenario story. It does not contain the matching investigators and player cards; those live in a separate Investigator Expansion.
- Dunwich is the gentlest Chapter One step
- Carcosa rewards a group that enjoys uncertainty
- Buy old deluxe-plus-Mythos cycles only when every pack is present
More cards
Choose investigator content deliberately
Investigator Expansions widen the deckbuilding pool. Evergreen Investigator Decks are the fastest route to a coherent playable deck without asking a new player to solve the whole card pool.
- A campaign box is not required to use its player cards
- Chapter One cards remain Legacy-compatible
- Current, Limited, and Legacy are deckbuilding environments, not new editions
Short case
Use a scenario pack or small campaign
Standalone scenarios are excellent between campaigns. Chapter Two also introduces three-scenario small campaigns, beginning with Children of Blood.
- Standalone packs can be played alone or inserted into a campaign
- Check the required Core before checkout
- Do not confuse a scenario pack with a full campaign
Keep the useful version
Print it, download it, or send it to the table.
The downloaded field note includes your selections and checklist state. Private notes stay in this browser unless you download them.
Fast rulings before the table
Common questions, answered without the forum fog.
Do I buy a Campaign Expansion or Investigator Expansion first?
Buy the Campaign Expansion for a complete story. Buy the Investigator Expansion for investigators and player cards. Neither modern box contains the other half.
Can Chapter One cards be used with Chapter Two?
Yes, when the current Arkham Grimoire permits that card in the environment you chose. Record Current, Limited, or Legacy before deckbuilding.
Is the Arkham Buying Navigator an official publisher tool?
No. It is an independent Puzzlewick planning aid checked against Fantasy Flight: Arkham Grimoire and current product environment. When the tool and current publisher material differ, the publisher rulebook, FAQ, errata, or event packet controls.
How current is the Arkham Buying Navigator?
Its evidence date is 2026-08-18. Recheck the linked current authority after a new edition, FAQ, points update, rotation, app update, or event packet.
