Followed

Followed is a weird card because it's good for builds since they can carefully dictate their damage, yet it's also decent for offensive builds like Tony, Mark, and Leo because it doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. I don't think there's yet an investigator who adores this card since they can probably get by with off-class tech, but the card itself has great theatrics, and does it's job pretty well all things considered.

Compare with a few other cards of similar effect at lvl 0, each granting 2 clues:

, , , :

  • "Look what I found!": 2 cost, Fast but skill value and token have to be in close proximity, 2 icons.
  • Scene of the Crime: 2 cost, 1 action (protected from AOO), test-less but Bold traited.
  • Read the Signs: 2 cost, 1 action (unprotected), + your 's , ignores location hazards (or DttF).
  • Deduction: 0/skill, 1 action (unprotected), +1 . (or WaH but it's no help for the 2nd clue)

:

  • Intel Report: 4 cost (or 2 for 1 clue), 1 action (unprotected), test-less and flexible but expensive.
  • Eavesdrop: 1 cost, 1 action (disengagement needed), uses enemy value which makes for inconsistent difficulty.
  • Followed: 2 cost, 1 action (protected from AOO), +X where X is how much pulp beating you're doing.

I took it in my Sefina deck on a whim because I wanted something to pick up a few spare clues (and naturally I wanted an event), but we already had our cards stretched pretty thin between Akachi and Luke in our Dream Campaign. Eavesdrop wasn't going to fly because of Sefina's piss poor and obviously Preston wanted Intel Report, so you could say I was stuck with Followed. How did it fair?

Pretty well honestly. Fighting in an evasion deck usually means dishing out incremental damage. Hatchet Man, Sneak Attack, Delilah O'Rourke, Coup de GrĂ¢ce, and even Backstab deal a specific amount of damage that is test-less (you typically need to evade but that's easily handled with Suggestion or Stealth - Blinding Light in my case) and easy to control (as opposed to erratic damage like .41 Derringer, or overkill, ala Shotguns). This is useful because for one, I'm already planning on evading the enemies anyway, and for two, I can get their damage right up until that last HP before I play Followed. Typically I get +3 for the check for two resources. This is preferable over something like Streetwise because with Followed, you get an extra clue. Eavesdrop gives you no bonus and as others have pointed out, an unknowable difficulty test (though evade values seem generally lower on the whole but I could be wrong).

It's not like you aren't planning on fighting enemies or getting clues, and any worth their salt should have an ample cash flow to pay a measly 2 resources. Eavesdrop might be cheap but it's only good for characters with high , while Followed is good for any or build. Jenny, Preston, and Sefina can easily afford it, and Finn is the king at evading. Tony Morgan likes it because he does get a free engage/attack, and let's not forget that Followed does NOT provoke attacks of opportunity so he doesn't need to bother with an evasion. Skids is the only one I can see not wanting this because the man's always broke. If he's going to pay for something, it better be test-less like Scene of the Crime. As for off-class s who might like it, I could see Wendy, Leo, Mark, and maybe a jank Rex who could use it to grab 3 clues and then play "I've got a plan!" to deal the full 3 damage. It's not like he needs the bonus so it's really the extra clue and the protection from attacks of opportunity he's looking for.

But I digress. The question remains, why not just get the clues with your off class faction? You're correct, just do that. But Jenny, Preston, and Finn all either have a limited number of off class support, or they have more than enough cash to play this. Why bother with taking up Jenny's precious 5 off class cards or Streetwise when you're going to have to make the skill test anyways? Intel Report is great, but if you really want to maximize it, you're going to need an obscene amount of resources. That's fine, but it will hurt the bank eventually. Lockpicks are good, but this way you can carry a two handed weapon around and nab clues while you're mowing down enemies. Like I said, it's doing lots of good work for Sefina. If you're goal is to be a passivist, then this card isn't going to help you. To me, it's about equal with most of the other 2 cluing cards, most of which cost you 2 resources and/or require a skill test. Plus, I gotta say, it is pretty satisfying to beat these eldritch monsters into turning tail.

LaRoix · 1645
Hopefully trish, with an evasion-investigation focused statline and a rumored enemy-on-the-board-sideeffect ability will make this card shine — niklas1meyer · 1
Any time you're looking at the family of 2-clue events, I think you also need to consider Working a Hunch. It only grabs one, but its fast, so you can just spend the action on investigating if need be. Compared to Followed, it is only worth it if you A) need to grab 2 clues without provoking AoOs or B) need the int boost it provides. But the simple Working a Hunch also has basically no conditional elements unlike many of the other options. Rogue doesn't really lack for skill boost, so the 'not provoking AoOs' might be the most stand-out part of Followed. — Death by Chocolate · 1485
Nice evaluation and consideration of what this card can bring vs. off-class alternatives for Rogues... I find it easy to forget that evaluation sometimes of "how is this better than what I already have available". It seems like it would pull some good weight on an offensive Finn & Jenny who have other plans for their shoestring-budget of off-class cards, or an Ornate Bow Wendy.. — HanoverFist · 739
I suspect Trish to like it, but the one thing about the card that makes it lean into a combat build rather than evasion is that protection from AoO. Good point on Working a Hunch, I added it back in because you're right, I forget it saves you the action so you could just take a basic investigate for your second. And thanks, glad you liked the write up! — LaRoix · 1645
Ancient Stone

Drawing encounter cards does not trigger this effect, also see FAQ from Dr. Henry Armitage.

  • Filler for 200 characters
  • Filler for 200 characters
    • Filler for 200 characters
    • Filler for 200 characters
Django · 5108
Ancient Stone

Drawing encounter cards does not trigger this effect, also see FAQ from Dr. Henry Armitage.

  • Filler for 200 characters
  • Filler for 200 characters
    • Filler for 200 characters
    • Filler for 200 characters
Django · 5108
Oppressive Mists

Drawing encounter cards does not trigger this effect, also see FAQ from Dr. Henry Armitage.

Filler for 200 characters. Filler for 200 characters. Filler for 200 characters. Filler for 200 characters.

Django · 5108
Ancient Stone

Let's say i have this and the damage Ancient Stone in play. I draw 3 cards. Can i use this one to move 3 to an enemy and then use the damage stone to kill it?

Drawing encounter cards does not trigger this effect, also see FAQ from Dr. Henry Armitage

As for the review: While this card has a nice effect, it has several problems:

  • has other move effects like Pathfinder, Shortcut or Pendant of the Queen
  • It occupies a hand slot, so it conflicts with many other great hand assets, like the damage stone or any dream diary

Strategies:

  • You can enter unrevealed locations. If you draw enough cards, you could reveal all locations for "free", to locate victory locations plan ahead which ones you need to clear (lowest shroud).
    • This allows you to play Deciphered Reality
    • Some locations have effects on reveal or enter, so be careful
  • Once all secrets are used up, play another hand asset (like damage stone) to replace it
  • Depending on your the stone's 2 give you a decent chance at evading
Django · 5108
You can stack the triggers in any order you like, so you can move first and then do damage if you have both stones. — SGPrometheus · 821
If you're Minh, you don't even need to take Versatile for Scavenging. — Zinjanthropus · 229
Rex also doesn't need Versatile and was already aiming for the succeed by 2 anyways. — Death by Chocolate · 1485
Perhaps a minor thing, but this combos with Deciphered Reality. Zoom around revealing all the locations and then grab a clue from everywhere. — khoshekh · 5
I have a question. I think I know the answer but I will ask anyway: does this trigger when you draw encounter cards? My guess would be no because even if you are technically drawing a card, the rules reference for drawing points out that if you are instructed to draw a card you always draw from your deck. Also, for reasons of consistency of card texts, I guess that it would be mentioned if encounter cards were included. — dr31ns5mf · 1