On a Heist (Guide)

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On a Heist Summary
Locked Limited-Length Activity
Setup Progress End
1 A 3++ A 1 A
Progress

Details

Raise to 5 before hits 0.
Items Inputs/Outputs
Start-up
  • 5

And for some Heists also:

Boosting

10 CP:

5 CP:

On the Heist

Outputs
Raw EPA 4.53 Raw SPA -

See On a Heist (Guide)/Cards for a breakdown of the cards you encounter during the heist

This Guide will cover the mechanics behind heists, which are available from the area of The Flit. While on a heist, you draw from a unique deck of opportunity cards and attempt to raise to at least 5 without reducing to 0.

Heists are part of the section of the Making Your Name storyline, and are also a means of obtaining a variety of useful items, including some that are much more costly or difficult to obtain elsewhere.

Preparation[edit]

Preparing for a heist involves choosing a target, raising , and purchasing advantages (optional). Depending on the heist, you might also want to equip items to boost certain stats, or have certain qualities.

Choose a target[edit]

You can choose from the available targets at Planning a Heist. Depending on the target, you'll encounter different levels of .

  1. Shuttered: Cards contain Luck challenges and opportunities to use advantages. Experienced players may not need extra preparation.
  2. Triple-bolted: Some no-risk cards are replaced with Luck challenges. It's probably a good idea to bring some Inside Information for everyone, just in case.
  3. Well-Guarded: Additional replacement of cards with more difficult ones, including options with challenges above 100. You'll probably want extra preparations.
  4. Perilous: More replacement cards, now with challenges requiring advanced (MAGCATS) skills. Don't do these heists unprepared.

Certain opportunity cards will only appear when the target is a particular security level. Additionally, some targets require Favours or other items in order to attempt. If you're after a specific reward, you'll also want to check the Loot section below.

Available Targets
Target Requires Security
The House on Cubit Square Shuttered
The offices of Baseborn & Fowlingpiece Triple-Bolted
The Balustraded House in Elderwick Triple-Bolted
The Circumspect Envoy's Townhouse No Triple-Bolted
Making Your Name: the records office in Concord Square exactly 5 Triple-Bolted
The home of an Admiral's Widow Well-Guarded
The mansion of an Unsympathetic Landlord 100 Well-Guarded
The Museum of Prelapsarian History (Heist) Well-Guarded
The townhouse of a Discerning Deviless

Perilous
The shaded estate on Hemlock Row

200

Perilous

Build up Casing[edit]

To embark on any heist, you need to build up to at least 5. Building up more Casing will enable you to purchase advantages, which can help you avoid failing the heist or unlock advantageous options.

There are a variety of ways to raise Casing under Preparing for a Big Score, but Casing you raise in other areas can also be applied here. Consult the Casing guide for a full list of sources.

Ideally, you don't want to build up more Casing than you need, as it will be reset when you start the heist. You only need 15 CP (required to start any heist) + however much you want to spend on advantages. Refer to the Casing guide to determine how best to get the amount of Casing you want without wasting actions.

Purchase advantages[edit]

Once you've raised Casing to 5, you can Get ready for your Heist!, which gives you a chance to purchase various advantages. If purchasing any of these options causes your Casing to drop below 5, you'll need to raise it up again before you can actually embark on the heist.

  • Purchase Escape Routes (): Lets you escape from the heist at any time without getting caught. However it unlocks the bad card A Nosy Caretaker which forces you to lose the route (but make 1 Burglar's Progress) or risk a loss of Cat-Like Tread. You might want to purchase one of these the first time you embark on a heist so you have breathing room while you're learning the mechanics, but purchasing them for subsequent heists is suboptimal.
  • Purchase Inside Information (): Unlocks advantageous options on a number of cards. This is a good purchase, and 2 should be enough to finish a job successfully unless you draw very unfortunately.
  • Purchase a copy of an Intriguing Key (): Similarly to Inside Information, unlocks advantageous options on some cards. As there are fewer cards that use those, it is generally more useful to purchase Inside Information instead, but purchasing a single key can be worthwhile as some of the card results from using this key result in bonus loot (generally Diamonds).

How many advantages should I purchase?[edit]

Generally as many as you feel comfortable with; which for most players is from 3 to 5; as the consequences of getting caught are quite harsh. Another factor to consider is whether or not you're going for , if you are then purchasing 5 advantages virtually guarantees that you'll get the 7 Burglar's Progress needed no matter how badly you draw.

All in all, for normal heists the most action optimal option is to purchase 3 advantages; either or and .

Equipment[edit]

When you're on a heist, you won't be able to change your outfit. Make sure you're equipped to handle the challenges in the heist you've chosen (by referring to the cards associated with that level of Target Security). Some general tips:

  • For triple-bolted targets, you may want a modified of at least 100, not for challenges, but rather because having unlocks options that you otherwise cannot take, for triple-bolted and below your equipment should focus on maximising instead of . For Well-Guarded and Perilous targets, modified shadowy up to 200 is an advantage as you start to receive actual challenges at this level.
  • If you have Dreaded equipment, this can be helpful on the card A Burly Night-Watchman (you'll need 3 to attempt it, and 10 to 100% the check). If you own an , you can deploy that instead (without needing it equipped), so there's no need to worry about your Dreaded.
  • Having 20 opens a good option on A Talkative Cat.
  • Having an exit route unlocks a bad card, meaning it's not a good idea to get exit routes if you don't need them.
  • On Perilous heists, The Sleeping... Dogs? card requires either 12 to 100%, or 8 and Inside Information.
  • Also on Perilous heists, the card An Intricate Lock has an option to either use up an Intriguing Key, or attempt a Glasswork challenge (needing 12 to 100%).

The Heist[edit]

(cards)
View all the cards available while On a Heist

During the heist, you will need to raise to 5 (or 7, if targeting Baseborn & Fowlingpiece and attempting Mr Baseborn's Papers), without losing all 3 of your initial . You do this by drawing from a unique opportunity deck of non-discardible cards; consult that guide for a full list of available cards and some strategy tips for what to play when.

There are three ways a heist can end:

  • Winning: After acquiring 5 Burglar's Progress, you will draw A Prize Achieved! with ubiquitous frequency. You usually need to draw around two cards until you get it. This and Fleeing will later send you to After the Burglary which removes heist-related qualities and items and gives and . Check the page for details.
  • Fleeing: Either by using your or certain options on cards, you can end the heist without loot but also without...
  • Getting Caught: Without any points of left all cards and storylets are disabled but one where you try to get Up and away! Here you will get 4 CP to or instantly gain Suspicion 9 in an either way luck challenge. This usually means you would go to prison, but you can avoid this by having another player accept already sent requests to cover for you before clicking onwards. Imprisoned or not, you do not gain anything but infamy.

The Loot[edit]

Options on A Prize Achieved! depend on what place you decided to burgle.

The records office in Concord Square[edit]

Once only, as part of

The House on Cubit Square[edit]

The offices of Baseborn & Fowlingpiece[edit]

Note: The estimated odds for a rare success at the Sealed Archive have changed. With the current odds of getting a Searing Enigma apparently around 18.24%, the Sealed Archive version of this heist is worth E 27.752 on average: (8 x 2.50 x 0.8176) + (62.50 x 0.1824). This is closer to the value for Mr Baseborn's Papers (E 27) than it has been in the past; therefore, the Sealed Archive is likely to have a better EPA (as it requires less Burglar's Progress).

The Balustraded House in Elderwick[edit]

Both options yield 10 x 0.50 + 25 x 0.10 + 12.50 + 12.50 = E 32.50.

Option Rewards
Keep her secret. It's only fair.


Expose her


The Circumspect Envoy's Townhouse[edit]

Sets quality to 1, 2, 3 or 4 depending on the chosen prize, which can be traded in at After a Heist: The Trade in Secrets for one of several varieties of items, each totaling E 30 Echoes (or E 27.5 Echoes and a Favour):

Option Rewards
Deliver to the Glass: any Paperwork

Deliver to the Brass Embassy: Paperwork 1–3

Trade with the Ambassador: Paperwork 1 (scrolls about the Kingdom of Vesture)
Trade with the Ambassador: Paperwork 2 (a series on the succession laws of Arbor)

Trade with the Ambassador: Paperwork 3 (the vellum book on the Rosers)

Trade with the Ambassador: Paperwork 4 (a set of wax tablets, inscribed with ancient treaties)


The Vault of Impounded Contraband in Concord Square[edit]

  • , sets to 3

The home of an Admiral's Widow[edit]

One is needed to Buy your way in to your own Lab (along with other requirements) at . Certain other endgame content requires them as well. The total sale value of the items for this heist, minus the coins, is E 25.60 Echoes. This Heist requires .

The townhouse of a Discerning Deviless, where she keeps her souls[edit]

The mansion of an Unsympathetic Landlord[edit]

The hiding-place of a precious treasure[edit]

The Museum of Prelapsarian History[edit]

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