Untimely Transaction

Untimely Transaction

Untimely Transaction + Teamwork = Corruption

Basically spend extra 2 actions to get 100% credit cash back on the item regardless how expensive it is.

Challenge is you and your partner in crime slot need to be free while committing this shenanigan.

Pawley · 26
Is that easier than 2 copies of Ecache? — MrGoldbee · 1442
well, you got the point. — Pawley · 26

Short Supply

Short Supply

Allow me to offer a thought exercise to help you consider this card. In case you weren't aware, if you ever can't draw, you take one horror to reshuffle.

Think about what would be different if this card said "discard the BOTTOM 10 cards of your deck." Doesn't feel as bad, does it? Statistically, this is the exact same effect until your 16th card draw, which for most games is very late anyways. Sure, it's a bummer to see your signature card in the discard, but is that actually different than that card being in the last 10 of your deck normally? Where this gets worse: cards that search your deck like Research Librarian or Old Book of Lore. Where this obviously gets better: Scavenging or any of the many discard searches survivors have.

The biggest benefit here other than scavenging items is that of information.

NoSleepTillHippo · 30
Totally agree. The benefit of knowing that you aren’t going to draw your signature as, say, Bob is useful-you won’t waste actions or effort drawing hard to try getting it. Knowing ten cards you aren’t going to draw… and even/especially if they are good cards it’s useful to know. If you have loads of card draw then maybe it is costly as you might not get that signature card even after drawing from your deck 35+ times. But if you have that much card draw, you’ll probably get your card in the end anyway. — Phoenixbadger · 197
"The biggest benefit here other than scavenging items is that of information." - Great summation! What Phoenixbadger says about knowing where your sig is is how I feel about knowing where your weaknesses are. Outside of a rapid-draw deck, most games have you feeling you may or may not get your weakness, and wondering whether to play safe by planning for it, or risky by ignoring. Short Supply basically lets you know on turn 1 whether or not your weaknesses will appear- if they got milled, you can play aggressive with minimal risk; if they didn't, you can start preparing without risking that preparation being wasted. — HanoverFist · 711

Art Student

Art Student

This and Mysterious Raven need to be reconsidered with Charlie Kane. The biggest knock against this card (takes up an Ally slot for a one-time use) is not an issue, as Charlie has 4 slots. And unlike other investigators, Charlie can still use Art Student after it's played as a +2 boost. Furthermore, there is no opportunity cost for doing so—unlike say Lola Santiago where if you exhaust her for the boost, you can't use her ability.

The other consideration is that Art Student and Raven are cheap. As much as I'd like to dream of an all-star Gené/Grete/Lola/Peter lineup, that's a lot of resources and Charlie's going to need some cheap allies in his deck to balance (and shield) the more expensive ones. For that purpose, an ally that automatically picks up a clue when played isn't bad. And nothing says "Politician" more than a person who uses interns to do his dirty work (and as shields against monsters attacking him).

MindControlMouse · 40
Calling in favors is really good with these type of cards. — Therealestize · 69
It does seem like seeker/survivor will be hard to beat. AS and MR are only further enhanced by A Chance Encounter. Might even be worth running Short Supply, though that's trickier to say. — Maseiken · 1
Remember that he can run allies of all classes. You don’t have to choose seeker for the students. — Django · 5057

On Your Own

On Your Own

Just a quick heads up from the rules for visibility:

(Added in FAQ, section 'Game Play', point 1.18) If 1 or more cards are forcibly removed from an investigator’s deck and returned to the collection (such as when a card is exiled, or when a campaign effect forces an investigator to remove cards from their deck), that investigator must purchase cards so that a legal deck size is maintained. When purchasing cards in this manner, that investigator may purchase level 0 cards at 0 experience cost until a legal deck size is reached.

This rule also applies if an effect alters an investigator’s deck size, deckbuilding restrictions, or deckbuilding options such that 1 or more cards must be removed from or added to their deck as a result.

Leilasaida · 8
A great way to sneak Perseverance in Wendy Adams deck — ambiryan13 · 177

Baron Samedi

Baron Samedi

"Well now, we had a deal. You get to sing songs sweeter than ice tea on a summers day and I...I get you."

A weakness that is true to the character, a deal that seems amazing (you get Mystifying Song) that turns out to be not even close the price of purchase. Mystifying song, in a vacuum is an extremely powerful signature card, especially paired with arcane initiate but by god, is Baron a DEVASTATING weakness.

I would be so bold as too say that he has to be one of if not the WORST personal weaknesses amongst investigators to the point that he has played a large role in Marie's lack of play-ability. The jankery you need to include and draw in your deck to handle this weakness is absurd. If your lucky (scenario pending) you can handle this in the first 3-4 turns, if not...You're screwed.

, · 546
It is brutal. A lot of the time you wouldn't even want to try and get rid of him, because getting getting caught by the myths phase resets your progress. — Maseiken · 1
I think this guy feels a lot more dangerous than he actually is. It's actually surprisingly easy to get rid of him as Marie as long as there isn't a very tight agenda, and a single of her elder signs is basically an instant discard. Once you have a charisma or two there's no risk of him booting out important allies, and the damage thing might mean you have to leave a partner for a turn and maybe pack a little soak, not much more. It's understandable that he's intimidating, and he's definitely not in the category of free weaknesses, but I've had a lot more trouble with weaknesses that initially seemed tamer. — SSW · 209
"If you spend 3xp, he sometimes isn't bad" — MrGoldbee · 1442
That's the catch with dealing with him. When we look at other investigators, I'll use my two favourite, Luke & Finn, their weaknesses become non-issues with 3xp. 3xp to only deal with ONE PART of the weakness is brutal. Also makes certain scenario's devastating. Another tech you can bring to counter this is The elder sign commit. so for 8xp and good draws, you can destroy this weakness, but that's a LOT to commit to it. — . · 35
No weaknesses are truly devastating if you carefully plan for ways that deal with them. But, yes, for me Mr. Samedi is the most depressing personal weakness in the game. He makes you second thought before picking Marie and he makes her a character not for beginners to play with. Second to Samedi, I would say it would be Ursula Downs's weakness; it itself is not super powerful but simply eternally annoying and doesn't goes away, although Ursula is such a delightful investigator to play. Agnes Baker's weakness should also be at the top of the list; it's just that Agnes' super power is so damn strong that even her Dark Memory can't match up with it. — liwl0115 · 41
He's actually more helpful than not if you play with only Arcane Initiates and David Renfield (and no Charisma). One more way to kill them off before their doom becomes an issue, and Samedi allows you to add doom on demand to activate Marie's ability, and leaves before it becomes an issue unless you tempt fate when Ancient Evils is in the encounter deck. Mystifying Song also helps with getting that third doom on him safely if the agenda is tight. Of course, it could be argued that the actual weakness then shifts to you not being able to build a deck with non-expendable allies... All in all, I found Marie to be quite strong back in the day due to being able to use her intellect, seeker cards and hand slots to investigate, and her usual mystic suite for combat and utility. The doom jank is just icing on the cake. Now that Gloria and Norman have muscled in on that niche, Marie arguably isn't the best option for that approach anymore though. — Sorden · 1
Mystic also has some tools to offset the baron's challenges, like ward of protection to cancel bad timed ancient evil, deny existence to avoid damage, Ethereal Form so you dont take OAs,... — Django · 5057