The Mound Omen of Cthulhu: Best Starting Loadouts

In the new extraction horror epic, The Mound: Omen of Chthulu, your starting loadout can be the difference between getting out of the jungle with a huge haul and becoming corrupted by the mania that has the entire island in a stranglehold. 

You need to prepare well and give yourself the best chance of survival, and that tends to change depending on what you plan to do during your expedition. 

So, to help you plan ahead, and hopefully get you out alive more often than not, here are some starter loadouts that you can run, geared towards certain goals you might have during each outing. 

How To Set Up Your Loadout 

When you select an expedition and sign the contract aboard the ship, a series of items will appear behind the ship captain, and players will be free to load up on any gear to fill their inventory slots. Of which they will have 6x to begin with. 

It is worth noting that, when aboard the ship, you can take as many things as you like in the wagon chest, as well as on your person. So, there is no reason to leave anything behind. Mainly because in the early game, those additional items will automatically get you closer to your gold goal to complete the mission. 

That said, you don't want to be constantly in need of the Ox Cart to swap items, as you'll want to explore beyond the paths it can take. Plus, the thing has a mind of its own sometimes. So, we want to show you some loadouts that are good to go without chopping and changing. 

Survivalist/Medic Loadout 

First off, if you're working as part of a team of four, I would highly suggest that you have at least one person who is going to act as a healer of sorts. Someone who isn't going in all guns blazing, stays with the Ox Cart, and has items on hand to keep folks alive. 

Here is a rundown of what that might look like: 

• 1x Ammonia Salts
• 1x Food Rations 
• 1x Bandage 
• 10x Charges 
• 10x Arrows 
• 1x Sailor's Knife (or stronger melee weapon if available) 

Offensive Expert Loadout 

Next, you'll probably want at least one member of the party that is fully stocked with firepower to take out enemies from up close and from range. This allows you to have someone up front leading the party. 

Here's what that Loadout might look like:

• 1x Sword or Axe Variant 
• 1x Sailor's Knife 
• 10x Charges 
• 1x Aged Flintlock Pistol 
• 1x Aged Crossbow
• 10x Bolts 

Navigator Loadout 

Your third-party member should be set up as the party's navigator. A key role in a game where there is no dedicated map, it's very easy to get turned around, and there are lots of mana-based mechanics working behind the scenes to work against you. 

Here are the sorts of things you should be bringing with you to serve as the gang's navigator: 

• 1x Medallion 
• 1x Torch or Oil Lamp 
• 1x Map 
• 1x Sailor's Knife (or better Melee weapon if available) 
• 1x Food Rations 
• 1x Ammonia Salts 

Low Profile Loadout 

Lastly, you should have one party member who is going out of their way to keep a low profile and remain unaffected by the madness mechanics at play. As they just might be able to get you out of a bind or get the payload back to the ship when the chips are down. 

Here is what you'll need to bring along with you to play this role: 

• 1x Oil Lamp
• 1x Longbow or Aged Crossbow 
• 10x Bolts or Arrows 
• 1x Food Rations 
• 1x Crucifix 
• 1x Mask of Nyarlathotep