Preparing for a Big Score

A player-created Guide is available for this content: Bundle of Oddities (Guide)

A player-created Guide is available for this content: Casing (Guide)

How are the above links here?

Spoiler warning! This page contains details about Fallen London Actions.

Now you've settled into the Flit, it's time for a big score. You will need to prepare for such a daring robbery.

Game Instructions: Increase your Casing... to 5 to begin unlocking options.
As your Casing... quality rises, you may attempt more difficult and lucrative jobs.

Unlocked with A Name Whispered in Darkness 4

Locked with Opening a Bundle of Oddities

Storylet appears in The Flit

Summary of possible results

Option	Actions	Difficulty	Success	Failure
Look for the targets	3	74	+6 Casing... (Rare: +8)	+3 Suspicion
Examine the target	3	76	+6 Casing...	+1 Suspicion
Criminal assistance	3	78	+6 Casing... +30 x Whispered Hint	-2 Casing... +2 Suspicion
Scapegoats and alibis	3	80	+9 Casing...	+3 Suspicion
Formulate a plan	3	82	+9 Casing...	+1 Suspicion
The decoy	3	84	+9 Casing... A Bundle (1-38)	-3 Casing... +2 Suspicion
Well-planned villainy ( PoSI)	5	-	+15 Casing...	-
Set your gang of hoodlums to business ( PoSI &  GoH)	5	100	+18 Casing...	+3 Casing...

Summary of redirects

Option	Actions	Requirements	Redirect to
Dealing with Suspicion	0	A Name Whispered in Darkness exactly 4 Casing... 5, 2, 50 x	Dealing with suspicion
The Big Score: choose your target	0	Casing... 5	The Big Score: Choose a Target
Begin your heist!	0	Casing... 5 Planning a Heist:	Begin the Heist
Sell information	0	Casing... 3	Sell information

When should I use what options?

The math to calculate the average value of an option over many repetitions is called "Expected Value." To do this by hand, multiply the numeric value all possible outcomes by the percentage of it succeeding. For example, with "The Decoy" at its base difficulty (boosted Shadowy 84), you have a 60% chance of success (+9 Casing) and a 40% chance of failure (-3 Casing). When you do the math--0.6*9 + 0.4*-3 = 4.2--you see that on average you get 4.2 points every time (and it takes 3 actions, so that's 1.4 points per action), and that it would be more efficient, Casing-wise, to do an easier challenge, even if it only gives you 6 points per 3 actions. Since, at this difficulty, you also have a flat 40% chance of two points of Suspicion, "Formulate a plan" would still be better, since its penalty is only one point of suspicion (and no drop in casing), even if you don't care as much about Casing efficiency.

Likewise, using this math, we can see that "Set your gang of hoodlums to business" is more casing-efficient than "Well-planned villainy," but only if your success chance is above 80%--80% is dead even, but since realistically you don't have infinite actions, at 80% exactly you should use "Well-planned villainy" unless you are also trying to grind Shadowy.

In terms of pure Casing-per-action efficiency, if you can't 100% "Scapegoats and alibis" (the lowest challenge of the +9 casing options, aka 3 CPA) and you're not a PoSI, you are better off trying to Steal Paintings for the Topsy King, and choosing to "Steal a painting from a noted gallery," which gives 3 CPA on success at a much less difficult Shadowy challenge. (This is the same yield at 100% as "Well-planned villainy" and any 100% +9 options, but takes more clicks.)