So, at the time of release in the Dunwich campaign, there's only a handful of cards that this one will apply to:

• Alyssa Graham
• Arcane Initiate
• Blood Pact

... and this card is awesome. It makes Blood Pact actually work. Previously, 1 doom for +3 to a test seemed, well, expensive. This would only leave the 'end of agenda' turn to make use of Blood Pact (when further doom wouldn't hurt).

Now, though, go nuts! Blood Pact all over the place. Just hope that you can draw Moonlight Ritual (or better, already have one) before the agenda advances, and then clear it down.

I really like the gambling nature of this combination. It feels like a Faustian pact. Will I draw Moonlight Ritual? Do I wait one more turn and use Blood Pact one more time, risking Ancient Evils, or do I clear it now and struggle with a test?

Brilliant combo, both thematically, and in play.

This card is generally considered a great card. For almost any deck that can take it, this is one of the first upgrades you can take. It is quite expensive, but it basically gives you a free action/move per turn. When compared to Leo De Luca, its cheaper but less flexible and will not soak damage/horror. But considering that most turns you will be moving, its not really that much less flexible than Leo. For that reason, this is a pretty good card.

But any of these asset type cards have the same drawback, and that's that they aren't worth as much in do or die situations or near the end of the game. If the game is going to be over in 1 or 2 turns, it'd actually be difficult to get value out of Pathfinder. So pathfinder is a value card, but interestingly enough, in Arkham Horror TCG, at the end of the scenario you need tempo rather than value.

• If you have two of these, you can use both on the same test
• However Counter Ritual can only clear one of these
• Permanent cards cannot leave play, so you can't ged rid of the doom by discarding the Bloodletting
• Use Hollow eyes or coffee to spy the mythos deck, to avoid advancing the agenda too early
• Counter spell also works against Ancient Evils
• If the player leaves (defeat or resign), the doom is removed

I played hollow eyes in my caster daisy deck in a 2 seeker game (rex was using the insecticist) and i really like her, for her static boost and ability. Knowing what encouter card is coming and preparing for it can save you.

• Compared to Scrying, activating her is a free action and she does not have charges.
• In multiplayer, you can look at the next encounter card during any player window (if she is not exhausted). So if a player draws an encounter card with a skill test, you can look at the next card. This may be helpful to protect a specific player. However if the player before him does not open a player window, her ability may be wasted for that turn.
• Tr"Ashcan" Pete's smelling salts also work on her.
• Her bonus is a good for Jim Culver's balanced stats, so he saved charges on Rite of Seeking for higher shroud locations
• Her bonus does not help agnes so much, as her is rather low. You can compensate this, with other cards, like Perception, Flashlight, "Look what I found!" or Rise.

Dealing with her doom:

• Moonlight Ritual can remove all doom on her. As a spell, her friend can find it (use Charisma to have both hollow eyes and her friend in play at the same time).
• Her ability does not advance the agenda, so her doom does not matter, if the agenda would advance the next turn anyway.
• If you discard her before the agenda advances, her doom will not matter. However she costs many ressources to play, so this is a waste. Smoking Pipe is a quick way to dispose her or her friend. You can also show her some Forbidden Knowledge to make her run away.

I completely agree with Bronze, who said:"I don't think that these protective cards are getting enough love." Just take a glance at this happy detective bragging in the office how closely he escaped a domestic dispute with his wife, and you know what i mean.

Alongside Bulletproof Vest, only two other assets are worn on the body. But the other vestments are cheaper in xp and play cost. The question emerges if and when the investment of 2 resources and 3xp pays off. For the sake of simplicity, i do not count any sanity bonuses in the ongoing comparison.

A look at the competitors for the body slot discloses the vest's shortcomings:

• Leather coat protects 2 health lesser for 2 resources less.
• Fine Clothes protects 3 health lesser for 1 resource less. And grants you a special ability.

Of course, there is the strategy of reallocating damage to other assets, so Bulletproof Vest has to be evaluated against...

• Guard Dog protects 1 health lesser for 1 resource more. Grants an additional trait.
• Hired Muscle protects 1 health lesser for roundabout the same cost as the vest. Grants an additional trait.
• Beat Cop(2) protects 1 health lesser for 1 resource more. Grants an additional trait.
• Leo De Luca(2) protects 2 health lesser for 3 resources more. Grants an additional trait.

You can play other assets to heal damage....

• First Aid heals 1 health lesser for the same cost. Requires 3 additional actions to spend.

...or events...

• Emergency Aid heals 2 health lesser for 2 resources less. Can be used on others, too.
• "I've had worse…" heals up to 1 health more for 2 resources less.
• Dodge prevents up the the same health for 2 resources less. Can be used on others.

To sum things up, under the key aspect of health protection, Bulletproof Vest is the second to best economical choice for permanent health protection available. On top, it can be combined with all other methods of health reallocation/protection/recovering. If your investigator has a low base Health or suffers from severe physical trauma, Bulletproof Vest is the card for you!

Non-body-assets in the first place give you additional, powerful abilities to cope with a variety of situations. If you plan to start a killing spree and have to tank away massive hits, the vest makes you fit for survival. It's a tool for a special role and should be valued in this scope only. Guardians can, of course, rely on their more powerful events instead or complementary. Just keep in mind that the vest is permanently there, while events are often bound to certain triggers.

Pros

• Bulletproof vest endows you with the best health bonus available, only one other card, Leather Coat, competes.
• Good play cost.
• Combines well with Scavenging.
• Great click compression, only Guardian events are better.
• -icons can alternatively boost skill tests.

Cons

• Protects the wearer only.
• Should be played before enemies appear, during a fight it's useless.
• Pretty tough xp cost, viable only for special decks.