Card Reviews · ArkhamDB

Stealth

This card is going to have a second life with Kymani, the evader’s evader. The tricky thing is, this card isn’t for the first evade you do a round; it’s for the second. That one doesn’t matter if you exhaust an enemy, because they’re exhausted. Combined with the police whistle, it might feel that the grappling hook becomes secondary in many cases. (It really depends where clues are versus enemies on the board.) Still, a +2 and a free action for something you want to do almost every turn of the game in multiplayer, hard to beat.

(There’s also a combo using stealth on your nemesis weakness or the Guardian of the crystallizer, because those enemies won’t engage anyone else, even if you leave them in a room with three other investigators!)

9/22/22

MrGoldbee · 1443

I see no real value of the Riot Whistle in Kymani? They has (have?) any number of free engage built into their ability, as long as they are exhausted. Sure, they could engage enemies off other investigators or aloof ones, but that seems not enough value to me. — Susumu · 361 9/22/22

Depends on the team really, if they are primarily an enemy manager in group with 3 seekers, they will probably be taking an engage action most turns. If they are solo clearly it's all but useless. Most games will be somewhere between those two extremes — NarkasisBroon · 10 9/22/22

Many of the people that you want to discard but can’t kill are aloof. The best example is probably silver twilight lodge members. — MrGoldbee · 1443 9/22/22

Fair, that sounds like sick deck tec for "For the Greater Good". I can see now including the Whistle for certain scenarios with Adaptable. But I think in most cases, Kymani will have better cards in that slot. — Susumu · 361 9/22/22

I think both opinion are good. That's your preference, and I think either is not bad. — elkeinkrad · 483 9/23/22

Here, I add one more opinion. Kymani could evade any enemy in their location using Breaking and Entering; then, they can engage for free. Morever, Breaking and Entering (2) will be released, so that they can play it for each round. — elkeinkrad · 483 9/23/22

Enemies exhaust after they attack you during the enemy phase, so you can actually use this as Kymani to kill them for 0 actions in the enemy phase, though you eat an attack for doing so. — belphagor · 8 10/20/22

The fast trigger for Stealth (3) only works during an investigator's turn so you can't activate it during the enemy phase, except through Honed Instinct (with the taking damage/horror trigger) shenenigans, and I'm not sure if that works because the true meaning of "as if" still eludes me. — koaexe · 29 11/1/22

Mist-Pylon

I am wondering can it cancel Sophie’s direct damage by Mark Hurrigan? Since there is no such constraint that this effect can only be activated once per turn, Mark may have infinite skill value. Do I understand the effect correctly? Or maybe the direct damage from Sophie cannot activate this effect?

9/21/22

wzh719 · 1

You can, but you won't get + 2 skill value, because taking damage from Sophie is a cost, so when you cancel damage, cost won't be paid, and effect from Sophie won't resolve. — Kryha30 · 17 9/21/22

Compare the rule for canceling. There is written that canceling something the effect is not initiated. This means you don't initiate the payment and therefore can't use the card effect. — Tharzax · 1 9/21/22

Just to be contrary. While "if you cancel the costs you cancel the effect" is common in ffg rpgs, and could perhaps be inferred from some rulings. It's not written anywhere in the rules or faq. The closest thing is when it comes time to pay the cost if you cannot pay the cost the effect is cancelled. That's in the advanced initiation sequence which is in the faq iirc — NarkasisBroon · 10 9/21/22

*lcgs not rpgs — NarkasisBroon · 10 9/21/22

That being said the section on cancelling in the rrg only says that you can cancel effects, so it could easily be argued you can't cancel costs at all, the word cancel doesn't even apply to costs — NarkasisBroon · 10 9/21/22

You can also argue that the active wording of taking damage is not covered from the pylons description which implies that the damage is dealt — Tharzax · 1 9/24/22

Toe to Toe

I just wanted to add a little note of great value here, since the other reviews here already cover it nicely: when an enemy attacks, they exhaust and do not attack again in the enemy phase. They do stay engaged. Exhausted enemies do not make attacks of opportunity.

Imagine you go toe to toe with an enemy, then you you become besties for the rest of the round because they stick with you even when walking!

It’s weird an I like it. Please correct me if I’m wrong! See rules for enemy phase for the exhaust rule.

9/20/22

Weges · 86

The enemy does not exhaust due to Toe to Toe. The enemy exhaust only if they attack during eneny phase 3.3. All other attack does not cause exhaustion. — elkeinkrad · 483 9/20/22

It seems that another review covers Daniel's ability, but it's not common case. — elkeinkrad · 483 9/20/22

Yeah, it would make Daniela's ability to evade totaly moot and AoO much less of an issue, if the enemy would exhaust when attacking outside of enemy phase as well. Note, that they semi-erratad "Watcher's Grasp" in the Return to Box, because this card let the Watcher exhaust, because it attacks, as if it were the enemy phase. — Susumu · 361 9/20/22

Research Notes

This card is insane. Why? Because you can have two of them out at the same time.

With two of these out, every clue you drop gets you 2 free-ish clues that you can discover off of any location, ignoring shroud values.

All you do is alternate between using one research notes, and then the other, so you're always using the one with the most evidence on it. So having two of these out is sort of like having a permanent The Skeleton Key, that makes shrouds 0 instead of 1, lets you pick up as many clues as you pass by, and doesn't have to be moved from location to location... provided you can generate enough evidence.

The limiting factor here, then, is in how many clues you can drop per turn, to fuel your Research notes. Thankfully, there's a few strong repeatable clue dropping effects you can utilize:

Quick Study is by far the best option. You can have two of them in play, letting you drop 2 clues per turn, and it gives you skill boosts on your research notes, allowing you to hit such high values that you could clear out a location in a single test late in the game, regardless of what token you draw.

Dr. William T. Maleson lets you drop an additional clue each turn, at the cost of taking up your ally slot. Given that the Research Notes action isn't an "Investigate" action, you can't use Dr. Milan anyways, so this isn't a huge deal.

Captivating Discovery lets you "prime the pump", so to speak - just slam it down once you have both research notes in play, drop 3 clues, and you can get a total of 6 evidence in play, which should be enough to keep you going the rest of the scenario. The fact that this card also draws 6 cards for you on top of that is ridiculous, and also lets you dig for key cards to enable your combo if you aren't quite there yet.

Forewarned only lets you drop a single clue one time, but treachery cancellation is an incredible effect, and this deck turns its downside into an upside. At only 1xp a pop, this is an auto-include.

The only question, then, is what investigator to use this combo in. All of the key cards are level 2 or lower, so you have a TON of options you can use. Personally, I like this card in a Geared Up Parallel Daisy Walker deck. You can use Backpack and Schoffner's Catalogue to fully set up your combo on turn 1, and then just... get to discovering clues! Plus, since Research Notes is a tome, one of your actions discovering clues each turn is free!

Honestly, I suspect this card might be get taboo'd, sooner rather than later. Being able to discover almost all your clues by testing 0 instead of a location's shroud is kinda bonkers... at level 0, no less! But I'm definitely looking forward to at least ONE completely broken playthrough with this card...!

9/19/22

Neofalcon · 17

Vincent can also run this alongside Geared Up and Schoffnwr's Catalogue. He has less synergy with tome actions and raw Int tests, and his Bonesaw would like a hand slot, but he has interesting options to consider as well. — Death by Chocolate · 1428 9/20/22

oh, and for even more consistency, yeah it may only be a level 0 tome, but it is an absolute build around, so maybe it's worth running Raven Quill to find your second copy, boost your test for more success, ready other assets (such as Quick Study!) and/or save a hand slot. — Death by Chocolate · 1428 9/20/22

You should probably also consider arcane enlightment for additional tome handslots — Tharzax · 1 9/21/22

There's actually a number of great choices for additional hand slots now. You have Arcane Enlightenment, yes, but you also have The Raven Quill, which can make one of your Research Notes slotless, while also helping you tutor for it, or the new Astral Mirror if you aren't putting anything in your arcane slots. — Neofalcon · 17 9/21/22

Get around Haunted! — MrGoldbee · 1443 9/21/22

With 2 Press Pass, you got a super solid engine… 100% going to try that out — Valentin1331 · 66770 9/25/22

I think this is probably busted with Amanda. Skip all the geared up nonsense. Just drop perception 2 under your card and start hoovering up clues. — DAAAN · 1 10/27/22

I would house rule this card as 'limit 1 per investigator' and limit the trigger to the owners' cards. — Weges · 86 1/17/23

Glimpse the Unthinkable

Glimpse is useful for putting your skills back in the deck for practice makes perfect, and drawing cards again for the dream serum. You can also put your research cards back in, if you threw them during upkeep instead of discovered them during search. If you play this as Harvey, whose deck this came in, it automatically draws you two cards, while letting you put things in your deck that you can’t afford and hopefully getting things that will help you now. Combine with calling in favors to replace your damaged Miskatonic friends. Or try and draw your weakness while someone has Delay the inevitable or dark insight ready.

Plus, even if you have the perfect hand, two book icons will always be useful as seeker.

9/19/22

MrGoldbee · 1443

Also good in Roland. — MrGoldbee · 1443 10/11/23