INWO Deck: Revenge, Part 1

by Bill Kavanaugh

Premise

Anybody that's played multi-player INWO (or Illuminati) more than a few times has been picked on at some point. Perhaps there is someone in your playing circle that dumps on you more often than anyone else at the table. Perhaps you want to make a new enemy, or just flex your muscles. Maybe you had a bad day and want someone to play lightning rod. This deck is designed for those occasions.

The Deck

Illuminati

Servants of Cthulhu

Groups

Resources

Plots

Strategy

This is not a subtle deck. The concepts here is to kill, destroy and maim (why else would you be the Servants?). The Criminal Overlords goal cards are in the deck to make it easier to win, but that's not really the intent of this deck. This deck is for revenge!

Lead

The selection of the lead group should be determined by the other Illuminati groups playing in the game. If the Gnomes are in the game, then the CFL-AIO is a good lead. If Bavaria is not in the game then New York is a good possibility, although it's in the deck more as an agent than anything else. Otherwise, lead with either the CIA or the Mafia. Personally, I would choose the CIA, particularly if Discordia is not around (or if the Network is).

Play

New York, Japan and the Nuclear Power Companies are in the deck as agents cards. Be sure to play Nuclear Accident (if possible) before taking out the NPC. Soften Japan/New York up with a disaster before destroying them. If the Adepts of Hermes (and/or, to a lesser extent, Discordia) are in the game, get the Tabloids out ASAP. Use the Tabloids to attack the Adepts' secret groups. He cannot match your raw power. If Shangri-la is in the game, bring out the KKK. If the Network is in the game, bring out the Phone Phreaks. Prioritize bringing out the SLA if Bermuda is in the game. Cycle Gangs and Men In Black are in the deck for their bonuses to destroy. The Men in Black is a useful card if the Clone Arrangers (another target for Tabloids) are in play. Cyborg Soldiers are probably unnecessary but can be combined with New York, the Mafia or CIA to make a formidable lead power group.

The plots are pretty basic. The NWO cards are there more for defense than offense, though after a couple turns Solidarity can really slow your opponents down. 4 disasters and 2 assassinations (+CIA) are in the deck for obvious reasons. If someone in your play circle really likes the NPC then Atomic Monster can be swapped for an additional Nuclear Accident.

Most of the rest of the cards are temporary power boosts. There are also 4 plots for negating other plots. Censorship will take out a key media group. Savings and Loan Scam and the Big Sellout are for that last big push to win the game.

A couple of brute force decks (like this one) will set your opponents up for the subtler decks which involve guile and deception. Get them expecting brute force and they will ignore you when you don't seem to be threat.

This deck pretty much ignores Discordia, though they can be pushed around with the Mafia and CFL-AIO. Also, unless you play New York, you will have no cards vulnerable to instant attack (not an accident!). It will be power on power, which favors you, especially if you can make just 1 alliance.

There is enough power in this deck to take out whole wings of an opponent's power structure, particularly if you have several of the bonus to destroy cards out (SLA, Cycle Gangs, Men In Black). The Phone Phreaks will help you arrange your opponent's power structure to make it easier to knock out lots of groups at once (if they lose 1 group and have 3 or 4 more go back in their hand then they're dead meat).

Have fun!

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