Disclaimer: Pre-Scarlet Keys release review.

Field Agent is to what Beat Cop (2) is to .

Similar cost, similar static boost and mirroring icons/ability: 1 horror = 1 test less clue. One thing to note is that they come with 1 less activation before being defeated.

Together they form an Agency Backup. While the Agency is cheaper than having both in terms of deck space, resource and XP (since you need Charisma), it is important to note that they do not come with static boosts.

Who would be interested?

• Joe Diamond comes to mind immediately. Add Alice Luxley and you have +2 and a good action compression kit. Add Beat Cop (2), Motivational Speech, Calling in Favors and Hallowed Mirror and you have a solid testless engine.

• Carolyn Fern will be interested for sure since she loves about just as much as healing Horror from Allies.

• Leo Anderson loves non-unique Allies. With Mitch Brown, he can have 2 in play, bringing him to 5 , which is enough to start reliably testing stat vs. shroud.

• Roland Banks is also likely to use his 3 to flex, and the testless clue is good when there is no enemy at his location.

• Tommy Muldoon loves Allies that are able to defeat themselves without any external needs. With 2 Charisma and Beat Cop (2), he becomes a formidable true solo investigator.

• William Yorick as he can cycle Allies and is happy to gain some clue tech for true solo/flex. The icons may be wasted though, unless you also invest in Plucky (3) and some Old Keyring or something.

• "Skids" O'Toole also has 3 and would appreciate a +1 to his Lockpicks and testless clues when needed. It is interesting here to point out that the 0-2 access gives "Skids" O'Toole more and more a flex role rather than a fighty role.

What cards to consider if you want to take the Field Agent onboard?

• Healing tech like Medical Student, Hallowed Mirror, Kerosene, Inspiring Presence, First Aid (3), Call for Backup, and The Star • XVII, Trusted that also increase the uses.

• Some set-up tech: Motivational Speech and Calling in Favors can definitely help.

• Alice Luxley since their abilities sync surprisingly well.

Field agent might seem like the cluevery equivalent of Beat Cop, with one fewer uses, but indeed, she's much better. Forget the boost. It's nice, but secondary. If you build around this ally, you can turn her into possibly the mightiest no-test, no-action clue-gobbler in the whole game (barring the prohibitively expensive Agency Backup.)

That said, she does need some building around. There are a good handful of ways to heal/remove horror from allies, but I'll just mention three, since these do not require actions. With them alone, you can count on 5-6 free clues,and upward of 10-15 in the best-case scenarios, all while never pulling a token, and never spending an action (except to play her).

Trusted: if you have the Field Agent, think of this card as a discounted Working a Hunch, that also heals a point of damage. That's basically how it works out! Trusted can also be used to protect the field agent from forced damage/horror from treacheries (deal one direct horror to each card you control, etc.). That is a concern in some scenarios, since without Trusted she'll often be one horror from death in the Mythos phase.

Inspiring Presence: in the best case scenario, you're using Field Agent almost every turn. This card let's you use her twice in a turn, while only inflicting one horror on her.

Solemn Vow: The other two cards are handy, but this is what takes the Field Agent from good to godlike. Healing horror from investigators is usually much easier than from allies. Solemn vow let's you tap the field agent every single turn by instantly offloading the resulting horror onto an investigator. Of course, not all allies can absorb a per-turn horror, at least not without devoting significant resources to healing. But you know who can? Parallel Daisy. It's routine for her to have a sanity of 13 by the midgame, and not unheard of for her to reach 15 or even 16, way more than you'll ever need. Plus she usually has an ally who can soak a horror or two as well. Since Solemn Vow is fast to play and activated with a fast action, this horror conversion from Field Agent to Daisy is entirely actionless.

If you pull the Field Agent early, and your pal (ideally Daisy or Caroline) pulls a copy of Solemn Vow, your team will be in very good shape. Are you a one-intellect oaf usually engaged with two enemies? Don't let that limit you! With Field Agent, you STILL might be the leading clue gatherer for the scenario.