The Cats of Ulthar

“The cat is cryptic, and close to strange things which men cannot see. He is the soul of antique Aegyptus, and bearer of tales from forgotten cities in Meroë and Ophir. The Sphinx is his cousin, and he speaks her language; but he is more ancient than the Sphinx, and remembers that which she hath forgotten.”
  –H.P. Lovecraft, “The Cats of Ulthar”

In The Dream-Eaters deluxe expansion for Arkham Horror: The Card Game, you are pulled into an investigation that defies all logic after an occult author claims his latest work is not a piece of fiction. He tells of unexplainable things: impossibly long staircases, pillars of fire, trees from the moon, and talking cats. But when you set out to discover what is truth and what is merely fiction, you find yourself pulled into a world beyond anything you could have imagined, with more questions than answers.

You do know one thing for certain, though: in the city of Ulthar, no man may kill a cat. 

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to offer you a closer look at the new feline Allies you may add to your investigator’s team in The Dream-Eaters deluxe expansion for Arkham Horror: The Card Game—now available for pre-order at your local retailer or online through our website with free shipping within the continental United States!

Your Guide to a New World

While this new adventure in the Arkham Horror Files universe challenges you to leave your world behind for another, stranger and more dangerous, not everything in the Dreamlands should be met with dread. All you need is a guide to help you navigate these vast and diverse lands. In Ulthar, you will find noble talking cats who may act is invaluable escorts to newcomers, if they decide you are worthy of their assistance.

But as every citizen of the Dreamlands knows, cats can be wary and distrusting creatures. If you wish to gain the help of the clowder, you will need to convince their leader to join your cause. Miss Doyle (The Dream-Eaters, 30) is imprinted on each of the other unique cats of Ulthar, and they all have the bonded keyword to link them to her card. After Miss Doyle enters play, you search your bonded cards for the three cats who loyally follow her lead. From there, you randomly choose one of them to act as your Ally immediately, while the other two are shuffled into your deck. Beyond this, Miss Doyle may suffer up to two damage and horror on your behalf, but you may not wish to use her as a shield. Rather, you would be wise to protect the Cat General of Ulthar as her fellow cats are loyal to her, not you. If Miss Doyle leaves play for any reason, you must find the other three bonded cats and remove them from the game.

Which cat you wish to add to your team will largely depend on the obstacles you face in any given moment. Every cat of Ulthar is unique, with their own name and gifts. These otherworldly felines do not have a health or sanity value, nor do they take up an Ally slot. They do not even cost an action to bring them into play, each bearing the Fast keyword that allows them to effortlessly jump between realms.

The first of the three cats you may keep at your call is Hope (The Dream-Eaters, 31). If Hope is ready, you may either exhaust him to evade with a base agility of five. Alternatively, if you discard Hope to have him run in and distract your enemy, you may automatically escape. Similarly, if Zeal (The Dream-Eaters, 32) is on your team and ready for a fight, you may either exhaust her to set your base combat to five. If Zeal is only exhausted, you may keep her around to help with another encounter, but you can discard her, you automatically succeed in your attack. Then, last but certainly not least, is Augur (The Dream-Eaters, 33). Augur can help you with an investigation by exhausting to set your base intellect to five. And if you choose to discard her, you automatically succeed.

You can only have one of these bonded cats in play at a time, but they have remarkable synergy between the three of them. If you discard a cat to help you with a test, instead of sending them to your discard pile you can shuffle them back into your deck to bring another cat into play from the discard pile. As long as Miss Doyle is safe, she can have her allies pass between your play area, deck, and discard pile as easily as an earthly cat would walk through an open door. No matter the challenge, the Cats of Ulthar will do whatever it takes to defend their home. Are you ready to do the same for Arkham?

Into the Dreamlands

There is no telling what nightmarish terrors await you in the Dreamlands, but with the cats of Ulthar at your side, you will be better prepared to find your way through this strange world and prevent the great calamity that threatens both this world and your own. Gather your allies, learn the ways of the Dreamlands, and prepare for the adventure of your dreams!

Pre-order your copy of The Dream-Eaters (AHC37) at your local retailer today or online through our website here!