Opener of the Way

Opener of the Way

Painted

Opener of the Way {CW-F1} is a faction released with Onslaught One. It focuses on gate manipulation and upgrading units.

Components

Faction

Setup
After all other players have set up: 8 Power, 6 Acolytes, and a Controlled Gate in the empty Area of your choice.
Unique Ability
The Beyond One (Action: Cost 1): Select one of your Units with a cost of 3+ in an Area that contains a Gate and no enemy Great Old Ones. Move that Unit, the Gate, and any Controlling Unit to any Area on the Map that does not already have a Gate.
Spellbook Requirements
There are 8 Gates on the Map.		There are 12 Gates on the Map. In a 2-3 player game, only 10 Gates need to be on the Map.
You have Units in at least 2 Areas containing enemy-controlled Gates.		Lose 1 of your own Units in Battle.
Your Great Old One is in the same Area as an enemy Great Old One.		Awaken Yog-Sothoth.
Spellbooks
	Channel Power (Battle): After rolling Battle dice, you may pay 1 Power to reroll all dice which were not Kills or Pains. You may do this more than once.
	Dragon Ascending (Once Only): Once during the game (at any time), set your Power to be equal to the current Power of one chosen enemy Faction. Flip this Spellbook face-down after use to indicate you cannot use it again.
	Dragon Descending (Once Only): Once during the game when you perform a Ritual of Annihilation, you receive twice the normal Doom points. Flip this Spellbook face-down after use to indicate you cannot use it again.
	Dread Curse of Azathoth (Action: Cost 2): Select an Area and roll 1 die for each Abomination and Spawn of Yog-Sothoth in play. Apply any Kills and Pains to enemy Factions in the Area. You choose which Factions receive which results, but they choose which of their Units receives each result. No Battle-type abilities apply. You choose the Area into which each Unit is Pained, ignoring normal Pain rules.
	The Million Favored Ones (Post-Battle): After Pains and Kills are resolved, replace any or all surviving Acolytes with Mutants, Mutants with Abominations, and Abominations with Spawns of Yog-Sothoth. You can replace a Spawn of Yog-Sothoth with as many Mutants as are in your Pool.
	They Break Through (Ongoing): You can Summon Monsters at enemy-controlled and/or Abandoned Gates. You do not need to have any Units present in the Area.

Units

Cultists
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Spellbooks
File:Acolyte (Classic) - Opener of the Way (Painted).png	Acolyte	6	1	0	The Million Favored Ones
		Availability: [Classic] Opener of the Way {CW-F1} (x6), Opener of the Way {CW-F1-O3} (x6), Acolyte Blister Pack {RPG-CG-A} (x2) [Alternate] Alternate Faction Acolytes {CW-U12} (x6), Cultic Set 1 {EHP-4} (x6)
		From his ancient tome he intones the words of power. Beware, sane world. The realm of madness awakens at his command.
		The alternate sculpt units replace the classic sculpt Acolytes, and were originally developed for Evil High Priest.
Monsters
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Spellbooks
	Mutant	4	2	1	The Million Favored Ones
		Availability: Opener of the Way {CW-F1} (x4), Opener of the Way {CW-F1-O3} (x4), Mutant Blister Pack {RPG-F1-V1} (x2)
		The first stage of degeneration from human to Outer God larva. How long can it hide its true nature?
	Abomination	3	3	2	The Million Favored Ones Dread Curse of Azathoth
		Availability: Opener of the Way {CW-F1} (x3), Opener of the Way {CW-F1-O3} (x3), Abomination Blister Pack {RPG-F1-V2} (x1)
		A dreadful hybrid of an Outer God and humankind. What terrifying powers does he manifest?
	Spawn of Yog-Sothoth	2	4	3	The Million Favored Ones Dread Curse of Azathoth
		Availability: Opener of the Way {CW-F1} (x2), Opener of the Way {CW-F1-O3} (x2), Spawn of Yog-Sothoth Blister Pack {RPG-F1-V3} (x1)
		The time is nearly ripe. The cosmic cyst within the body of this human/Outer God hybrid will someday bring about the cosmic doom that its birth portended.
Great Old Ones
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Spellbooks
	Yog-Sothoth	1	6	*
		How to Awaken Yog-Sothoth: You must have a Spawn of Yog-Sothoth on the Map. Pay 6 Power. Replace the Spawn with Yog-Sothoth.
		Combat: Equal to twice the number of enemy-controlled Faction Great Old Ones in play.
		The Key and the Gate (Ongoing): Yog-Sothoth counts as a Gate for every purpose, except for the Beyond One ability. Yog-Sothoth is not Controlled by any Cultist, and he can exist in the same area as another Gate.
		Availability: Opener of the Way {CW-F1} (x1), Opener of the Way {CW-F1-O3} (x1), Yog-Sothoth Blister Pack {RPG-F1-V4} (x1)
		Yog-Sothoth is the Way. Yog-Sothoth is the Gate. All is One to Yog-Sothoth.

Expansion Units

Cultists
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Spellbooks
	Acolyte	1	1	0
		Availability: CW Onslaught 3 Stretch Goal Box {CW-E20} (x1)
		This unit is used as a Handicap Acolyte.
File:High Priest (Alternate).png File:High Priest (Alternate) (Painted).png	High Priest	1	3	0
			Unspeakable Oath (Ongoing): At the end of any player's Action (even if it is not your turn), Sacrifice your High Priest (return him to your Pool) and gain 2 Power. This may also be done during the Gather Power and Doom Phases.
		Notes: The High Priest is a new type of Cultist, it is Recruited like an Acolyte. Each High Priest generates 1 Power during the Gather Power Phase, can Create and Control a Gate, and can be Captured. Each Faction has only a single High Priest available. This unit may also be used as one of the Unique High Priests.
		Availability: [Classic] High Priests {CW-U3} (x1), High Priests {CW-U3-O3} (x1), High Priest Blister Pack {RPG-U3-HP} (x2) [Alternate] High Priests {CW-U3-O4} (x1), Cultic Set 1 {EHP-4} (x1), Cultic Set 3 {EHP-6} (x1)
		He leads the rites of old. It is time to awaken the great old ones! Iä! Iä!
		The alternate sculpt unit replaces the classic sculpt High Priest, and was originally developed for Evil High Priest.
File:Brain Cylinder Figure - Opener of the Way (Painted).png	Brain Cylinder	4	0	0
		Availability: [Token] Yuggoth Map {CW-M3} (x4) [Figure] Shining Trapezohedron {CW-E15} (x4), Shining Trapezohedron {CW-E15-O3} (x4), Shining Trapezohedron {CW-E15-O4} (x4), Brain Cylinder Blister Pack {RPG-E15-10} (x1)
		This helpless human, reduced to a mere living brain by the surgical and mechanical skill of the aliens, can now only communicate through electronic devices. What wisdom or warning can he relate?
		See Brain Cylinders for rules. The Brain Cylinder figures replace the Brain Cylinder Tokens.
File:The Dark Demon - Opener of the Way (Painted).png	The Dark Demon	1	1	0
			How to Obtain the The Dark Demon Loyalty Card: In the Doom Phase, when it is your turn to perform a Ritual of Annihilation, you may pay 2 Doom to obtain this Loyalty Card and then place the Dark Demon matching your Faction's color anywhere on the Map. If you wish, you may also perform a Ritual of Annihilation. Each of the other Factions permanently loses an Acolyte from their Pools (or from the Map, if all are in play) and then adds to their Pools a Dark Demon of their Faction's color.
			The Summons (Ongoing): Any Faction with a Dark Demon in its Pool cannot take any Action other than Recruiting the Dark Demon. (You can still choose to drop your Power to 0 and take no more Actions this Action Phase instead). Metamorph (Ongoing): Dark Demons are a new type of Cultist and are treated as Cultists in every way, but they produce 0 Power during the Gather Power Phase. They are Recruited rather than Summoned, so a Controlled Gate is not needed to bring them into play. Dark Demons may Create and Control Gates, and they are worth 1 Power when Captured. They can be targeted by any Spellbooks or abilities that reference Cultists, but not Acolytes.
		Availability: Masks of Nyarlathotep {CW-U10} (x1), Dark Demon - green Miniature STL {U10-N4}
		Nyarlathotep is infamous for his multiple shapes. As the Dark Demon, this pig-like humanoid is terrifying to behold, but the horror it leaves in its wake is far worse.

Buildings

Buildings
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Spellbooks
File:Gate - Opener of the Way (Painted).png	Gate	1	3	N/A
		Notes: Used for Colour Out of Space
		Availability: Colour Out of Space {CW-U7} (x1), Eldritch Gate Pack {CW-U9} (x1), Eldritch Gate Pack {CW-U9-O3} (x1)

Other components

Other components
Image	Component	Quantity	Notes
	Faction Card	1
		Availability: [Cardstock] Opener of the Way {CW-F1} (x1), Upgraded Cardstock Items {CW-E11} (x1), Ultimate Errata Pack {CW-E26} (x1) [3mm] 3mm Die Cut Faction Card Pack {CW-E10} (x1), 3mm Die Cut Faction Card Pack {CW-E10-O3} (x1), Opener of the Way {CW-F1-O3} (x1)
	Faction Token	1
		Availability: Opener of the Way {CW-F1} (x1), Opener of the Way {CW-F1-O3} (x1)
File:Power Marker - Opener of the Way (Painted).png	Power Marker	1
		Availability: Opener of the Way {CW-F1} (x1), Opener of the Way {CW-F1-O3} (x1)
File:Doom Marker - Opener of the Way (Painted).png	Doom Marker	1
		Availability: Opener of the Way {CW-F1} (x1), Opener of the Way {CW-F1-O3} (x1), Upgraded Cardstock Items {CW-E11} (x1)
	Custom Dice	5	Used for Dread Curse of Azathoth
		Availability: Custom Dice Pack {CW-E14} (x5)
	Battle Dice	20
		Availability: Battle Dice - Opener {CW-U18} (x20), All 200 Battle Dice! {CW-U24} (x20), ALL 240 BATTLE DICE {CW-U24-O4} (x20)
File:Neutral Unit Identifier.png	Neutral Unit Identifier	6 (25mm) 3 (40mm) 3 (50mm) 3 (60mm) 1 (80mm)
		Availability: Neutral Unit Identifiers {CW-U26} (x16), Neutral Unit Identifiers {CW-U26-O4} (x16)

Strategy

Faction strategy

Elder Sign Acquisition - Opener of the Way is very likely to have the fewest elder signs in every game they are a part of. Their faction has no way to gain them apart from the standard 1 ES for your GOO when performing a Ritual of Annihilation. You must focus on Gate Control and an opportune moment to use Dragon Descending to win.

If possible, look for neutral units to help you gain Elder Signs. Units like Quachil Uttaus, Dhole, Gla-aki and especially Tulzcha can help greatly.

The Beyond One - This faction ability has huge potential to make your opponents life a nightmare (especially when combined with the They Break Through spellbook). Look for an opportunity to use this on a faction who has already summoned all of their low cost monsters. Once you relocate their gate, they now have to make a tough decision:

• They give you the gate, costing them 3 power (1 for cultist, 2 for gate)
• They summon a monster to defend
  • If they summon a high cost / high combat Monster, simply use TBO again, stranding that unit alone with only regret as company.
  • If they summon a low cost / low combat Monster, you can chance a battle to promote your Abomination to a Spawn, or better yet, your Spawn to several Mutants. (keeping in mind any problematic battle abilities the smaller units may have, such as a Night Gaunt's Abduct spellbook).

It is a loosing battle to try and defend against The Beyond One. If you find yourself on the opposite side of this ability, weigh your options carefully. There may be no good options to deal with it at the time. Try to outlast them in the action phase, since Opener is a power hungry faction.

This ability also has great defensive value. If Cthulhu brings a massive army to take your gate, simply move it!

It can also be used to hobble Great Cthulhu or Windwalker. These factions require Gates in specific locations to Awaken their GOO, so if you can move the gate away you are not only putting yourself in a good position to take the gate, but also either significantly slowing these factions down or making it much riskier for them to use their GOO in combat.

Awakening Yog-Sothoth - Many players are tempted to start with a mutant, and do everything they can to upgrade it via Million Favored Ones to a Spawn of Yog Sothoth, THEN use that spawn to awaken their Great Old One. This can be a very costly, unpredictable, and time consuming endeavor (but sometimes you do get lucky vs an aggressive opponent!). Don't hesitate to summon a Spawn of Yog Sothoth for full power cost in preparation for awakening Yog.

Movement - Moving your army is expensive. If you are attacking a gate, consider moving a smaller army into the area, then using The Break Through to summon reinforcements directly to the battle area. For example, summoning a mutant at your gate in preparation for an assault in an adjacent area wastes 1 power for movement.

It is also likely that you will rarely have to spend power to move your units if you properly utilize They Break Through and The Beyond One. Why go to a gate when you can bring the gate to you?

Spellbook Strategies

• Dread Curse of Azathoth - Although this spellbook takes a while to set up for maximum potential, it can be a great way to kill targets from a safe distance. When you are able to use this spellbook effectively, leaving a Great Old One alone with minimal defense becomes very risky for your opponents. If you are on good terms with the Crawling Chaos faction, have them pain Great Old Ones to areas by themselves with their Madness spellbook. Then destroy them with the Dread Curse of Azathoth. Black Goat can also assist with Necrophagy.
• The Million Favored Ones - This spellbook can make Opener of the Way one of the most difficult factions to combat. Unless the enemy is using overwhelming forces, chances are several of your units will survive and upgrade to a more powerful version. Be careful not to make upgrading your units your primary goal. Many times it costs just as much power to move and attack with your units as it saves in summoning costs, with the risk of actually loosing your units! This is a great defensive spellbook, and a good bonus to your offense.
• They Break Through - In the early game, this spellbook can really put a wrench in your opponents plans. When you summon a monster to their gate, they will likely be forced to abandon their previous plans to address the new threat, especially if an abomination is brought through (able to take the gate away with The Beyond One). Consider using this when an opponent moves to take one of your gates, forcing them to choose (and potentially waste power) between assaulting your gate or defending their own.
• Dragon Ascending - This is a fantastic spellbook to use after summoning Yog Sothoth. Try to perform a ritual the round before and get as close to 0 power as you can in your first action. Then get back into the action with Dragon Ascending.
• Dragon Descending - Your most important spellbook, and the trickiest to use. Do your best to end a round with 5 gates to gain a massive 15 doom point boost with your ritual. Be careful, however, as many players will be very threatened by this sudden surge of doom points. Often times you will be quite a ways behind in Elder Signs, make sure to remind threatened players of your lack of Elder Signs and the potential Doom Track position of your opponents (who have many Elder Signs).
• Channel Power - A great offensive boost. Spending a single power can likely land another kill or two depending on how many dice you roll, costing your opponent several times more in damages. Very powerful when you need just one more kill to take out an enemy Great Old One.