Helping Hand

Helping Hand

Disclaimer: Pre-Scarlet Keys release review.

This card is quite niche as it requires you to:

  • Want to overcommit (play in Hard/Expert or wanting to oversucceed)
  • Commit other cards to the same test

Who would be interested in using this card?

Quite a balanced lvl 0 card that is not the flashiest but that will see play in some specific Decks.

Valentin1331 · 77659
What do we think about the interaction with [Grisly Totem](/card/05119)? Would this card double the added symbol? — PreacherJamie · 1
Yup — Onetribe · 343

Kymani Jones

Kymani Jones

I honestly cannot understand why this investigator gets 5 bonus XP.

Their ability is very strong, you often can remove hard-to-kill enemies very easily. It'd said that using 2 actions and 2 tests to remove an enemy is 'inefficient', but removing 3+ health enemies usually takes 2+ actions anyway even with cards/ammo/resources/etc. When their ability costs nothing, I cannot agree that it's inefficient. With Stealth (3), it doesn't even cost 2 actions; only one action suffices.

Yes, their deckbuilding is not that great. But Ursula Downs or Winifred Habbamock exists and they do not get that bonus XP, and I do not believe they have much better front ability than Kymani. I think Kymani would feel a lot 'fair' if they did not get that 5 XP, as I think they feel a bit overpowered as currently is.

Bires · 24
I think its more for flavour than mechanical balance. Kymani literally has already stolen stuff before the game begins. — Zerogrim · 295
Stealth don't work with his ability, because the enemy don't exhaust — Tharzax · 1
It doesn't work for the first evade, but works for the second to discard the enemy — guy · 6
It doesn't work for the second to discard. "When you attempt to evade an *exhausted* non-elite enemy..." the enemy is not exhausted. Stealth(3) does not exhaust the enemy you've evaded. — MrButtermancer · 56
No, @guy is correct. Kymani's signature ability triggers when you attempt to evade an exhausted, non-elite enemy, and Stealth (3) allows investigators to evade a chosen enemy at Fast speed (in exchange for preventing that enemy from engaging you again until end of turn on success rather than exhausting the enemy). The fact that Stealth(3) does not exhaust an enemy upon success does not affect the "Succeed by X" condition for Kymani's signature. — Telosa · 68
You cannot trigger the ability unless you are evading an exhausted enemy, so it absolutely affects the "Succeed by X" part of the ability. But there is nothing stopping you from evading regularly, re-engaging that enemy, and then using Stealth (3) so it only takes 2 actions, since you cannot Evade and unengaged enemy. — Xenas · 7
Basic evade (1 action), enemy is now disengaged and exhausted. Engage the exhausted enemy using the free trigger, then evade it again with Stealth (3). You've now defeated an enemy with just 1 action. You're also testing at 7 with -2 evade for the enemy (without other static bonuses). Even if you draw a standard -2 against a 4-Evade 3-Health enemy, you defeat it with just 1 action and no additional resource or card costs. — gendrkheinz · 3
because LGBT characters are op in this game — sedlak87 · 4
I think it is because Kymani struggles to actually get exp: look at their stats and ability. They have awful Intellect and Combat, which are the main ways to obtain victory by getting clues and defeating enemies, and their ability makes them discard enemies instead of defeating them, so they cannot use it to get victory points either. They can make up for it by using cards that substitute or add their very high agility to their awful Combat and Lore, but that requires them to get those cards first too. Giving them exp helps her unlock tools early on to be able to gain victory a bit more easily and smooth the early game hell. — HeroesOfTomorrow · 58
Wondering why it feels like this investigator feels better than other. I feel like most of us know the answer, but we don't need to talk about it. Appreciate it, ignore it, leave it for the next generations to wonder. It is what it is. The times we live in. — MarTom · 2
The reason Kymani gets bonus xp is that investigators restricted to a single class are usually compensated with either bonus xp (Mateo, parallel Roland) or a 1-point skill boost (Mark Harrigan, Rita, Akachi). Ursula is the exception rather than the norm, perhaps because Relics were felt by the designers to be very powerful (which is my experience playing Ursula). I'm not sure why Winifred/Nathaniel/Harvey/Jacqueline/Stella break this rule but I suspect it's because the pack they come in + the Core Set allows for a lot of deckbuilding options, whereas if a player bought only the Core Set + Scarlet Keys then Kymani's deckbuilding options would be more restricted without bonus xp. — lunaticfringe · 3
What is MarTom talking about? Is this some sort of hateful dog whistle? — spiderlocmtgo · 3
Sure sounds like it ^ — Kiriri · 1
Something that has no place here (or anywhere). @lunaticfringe: The starter deck investigators come with more health/sanity (15 or even 16). — AlderSign · 387

Kymani Jones

Kymani Jones

I wonder why devs needed to give Kymani +5 starting xp.

  • Their statline is one of the best among rogues. Compared to Winifred, they lose 1 Intellect&Combat and gain 2 Willpower. I think it's an amazing deal. While playing Wini, you can't depend on your intellect or combat without specializing on them anyway, and you may want to use your Agility instead on them with cards like Backstab/Pilfer/Lockpicks/Ornate Bow etc. However each point in Willpower actually matters, because it is the primary defensive statline (along with Agility), everyone's going to test it from time to time. Having two more Willpower could mean 1 or 2 fewer cards lost from hand against certain treacheries for instance, even if you don't outright pass them.

  • Their deckbuilding option is a bit limited. But with each expansion, this means less and less. And again making a direct comparison against Winifred, Kymani beats her on this matter too!

  • Their ability is also amazing. Yes, it's not action efficient (usually 2 successful tests to discard an enemy, and your second test needs to succeed by X), but it's totally free otherwise. No resource/xp/deck slot cost attached, means that you can specialize more on clue getting and become a... master-of-all? If you are afraid of losing victory points because this ability discards enemies instead of defeating them: 1) Most enemies with Victory X are elites anyway; 2) Just don't use this ability on them. Comparing Kymani's ability to Wini's not as easy as comparing their stats and deckbuilding. I'll just say that Wini also has an amazing ability, probably more powerful but also a bit worse from another perspective because it forces her to include a lot of skills in her deck.

TL;DR: Kymani could be the best "blank slate" to pull off whatever Rogue shenanigans you want to, if you don't need a specific off-class access. Also please give Wini 5xp too :)

Aesyn · 585
I’d push back on Wini not being able to use her 3s. Because you’re always committing 2 cards per test with her, her 3’s are more like 4’s. Honestly, I think Kymani and Wini occupy very very different archetypes, and that’s a good thing. I think Wini cares much more about the succeed by archetype, while Kymani plays into the evasion/dirty fighting archetype. — StyxTBeuford · 13043

Kymani Jones

Kymani Jones

As far as solo play goes (and maybe group play) Kymani Jones seems pretty overpowered once their Grappling Hook is in play. Add Gené Beauregard and Eon Chart and I wonder just how bad things could ever get for them in AH LCG. At this point, I don't think there's much of a threat! Aside from OP concerns my only 'complaint' about them is their title - "Security Consultant". Not a very 1920s term at all. I have a feeling KJ is going to be a very popular choice for investigator especially solo.

Krysmopompas · 366
Also you can start with an upgraded backpack to find that Hook (if you don't have something even better in mind for your free xp)) — Timlagor · 6

Kymani Jones

Kymani Jones

I don't like to write this type of review, but I have no patience with writing this. Kymani Jones is one of the most powerful investigator in AHLCG.

Statline is good: 5 for means they could do many things via rouge card effects like Backstab, Pilfer, Lockpicks. Unlike other rouges, they have 3 ; it means that they have good encounter resistance. One problem is that with no cards, nothing can do due to 2 & 2; they is not recommand to the beginner.

Ability is powerful: Someone may think Waylay. Here is huge difference, however. Waylay requires 2 action & 3 resources. Kymani's ability requires 2 action only. Moveover, Stealth (3) makes this ability 1 action-only discard ability.

The common support card make Kymani very powerful: Stealth (3) + 2 Pickpocketing + Lucky Cigarette Case. You can discard most of the enemy only with one action earning 3 cards (and 2 resources with high level pickpocketing). Moreover, you may perform 2 times if you setup two Stealth. In general (for normal difficulty), first evade may have some trouble (if, commit or boost), but Stealth test don't have trouble since -2 difficulty and +2 skill value.

Someone may think that discarding the enemy is the penalty since Victory enemy doesn't go into victory area. However, if you prepare some other fight method such as Backstab, it does not matter. Instead, discarding enemy detours Vengeance and Swarming enemy. Very powerful in some campaign. (If you discard Vengeance enemy, they do not go into Victory area, so that they do not contribute to the Vengeance points. You can discard host of swarming enemy even if there exists any swarm enemy, and all other swarm enemies goes out of play.)

Signature weakness is under average: For basic evade action, 5 vs 3 means that -2 token is successful. In standard difficulty, it's not hard work. Of course, discarding with their ability may be hard. You just fine to evade sometime and move to other location. Otherwise, here is Backstab. 5 vs 2 is usually successful.

Tool deckbuilding is not good, but enough: I think that there are few or none of non- tool cards, currently (since spoiler season, not all Scarlet Keys cards are considered). However, 0-5 is enough. They can access all key cards unlike Finn; Stealth, Pickpocketing, Double, Double, Well Connected, Hot Streak...

Starting xp is really cool: The main problem of class (and ) is starting deck is especially worse comparing other classes with high potential. Starting 5XP perfectly solves this problems. You may start with Stealth (3) for single action enemy discard + Charon's Obol. You may start with In the Thick of It + Double, Double.

elkeinkrad · 500
My goodness, Kymani Jones + signature Grappling Hook feels overpowered enough - add Gené B. + Eon Chart and are we talking really OP, especially in solo? — Krysmopompas · 366
And as in the other comment stealth don't exhaust the enemy — Tharzax · 1
Stealth is for the second evade, on the exhausted enemy — guy · 6
@Tharzax: their ability requires "evasion attampt" and "succeed by X or more". That's all. Although Stealth doesn't exhaust the enemy, it is still evasion attampt (since it has evade designator), so that it works. — elkeinkrad · 500
Unless you get the elder sign token. Then the special ability sucks... — Laerthes · 1