Grisly Totem

Grisly Totem

More of a question, really. I feel like this shouldn't work, but I can't find the rule as to why. Grisly Totem used on the card beneath Amanda Sharpe, once the test resolves it should theoretically lose it's extra icon, but I can't find what rule indicates this. Those of you who are rules gurus please help!

Metius · 12
I honestly dont think it does as written. I think it keeps the extra icon for the round. — StyxTBeuford · 13029
After the test is over the card returns to its location under Amanda, which is an out of play area. Persistent effects on cards going OOP expire, so no this doesn’t work. (Id considered this with torrent of power) still a good card for Amanda tho — Difrakt · 1317
The problem with that reasoning is that the card never enters play, so it's not going out of play either. Also there's no such thing as a "persistent effect" as defined by the game. There are "lasting effects", but they all have a defined duration. Grisly Totem is lacking this duration, so it's an odd case that isn't covered by the current rules. — eapfel · 6
But it does enter play when you commit it to a skill test. Normally you would discard it, but it is placed underneath Amanda instead, so I think it works just as Difrakt says. — PowLee · 15
I'm pretty sure the card below Amanda is considered out of play. Otherwise, say you if you had — Django · 5108
an item below Amanda and fail crypt chill. I'm pretty sure you can't choose to discard the card below Amanda in that case. (Sorry for double post, i accidentaly hit Enter). — Django · 5108
@PowLee Do you have some rules evidence to back that up? There' s no "in play" area that holds cards being committed to a skill test as far as I know. — eapfel · 6
"If a lasting effect affects in-play cards (or cards in a specified area), it is only applied to cards that are in play (or the specified area) when the lasting effect is established." — NarkasisBroon · 10
Never mind. Misread my own quote :-P — NarkasisBroon · 10
Given that Minh Thi Phan specifically states that the icon is added "until the end of the test", it further confuses the issue as to whether it's intended for cards like Grisly Totem and Torrent of Power to also have that duration. Obviously there's no way to track the card when it gets shuffled back into your deck, so it's not intended to be permanent, but I think the cards either need to have the duration added as errata, or something should be put in the rules regarding effects on a card when it moves from one out of play area to another. — eapfel · 6

Close Call

Close Call

With the upgraded Dumb Luck now in play, I wonder if this card will get less use? Sure this one requires you (or someone) to pass an evasion and Dumb Luck (2) requires only you to fail one, but putting an enemy at the bottom of the deck for the same cost and fast action seems better than shuffling it into the deck, at least most times,

Krysmopompas · 360
I think that differentiation matters a lot less than you think it does. Tons of scenarios tell you to shuffle the encounter deck anyway, so the big difference between them is success vs failure. Stella wants Dumb Luck 2 more probably, while Rita wants Close Call more, as an example. Difficulty also factors in here. — StyxTBeuford · 13029
I would also quickly add that Dumb Luck 0 doesn't quite apply in the same way since the enemy only gets shuffled through if the shuffling happens that next mythos phase, so Dumb Luck 2 burying the enemy does matter in some way. — StyxTBeuford · 13029
Also, Dumb Luck (0) isn't actually bad. Think about it, you're getting the equivalent of evading an enemy (don't have to deal with it until the end of the turn) and then avoiding an encounter card during the next mythos (because you're drawing that enemy instead on an encounter). — Zinjanthropus · 229

Sea Change Harpoon

Sea Change Harpoon

So at last! The harpoon! Commit yer Resourcefuls, yer Inspiring Presences, anything you can and ponder real hard on if you want em back in exchange for three resources and an action. Probably do. Getting more resourcefuls is like hard drugs. Do it. 100% won't regret it.

ironbrw · 17
What a powerhouse weapon. Silas got a major boost from this. Even without replaying it just to keep your skills, which I don't think you'll do that often, it's basically Machete. — StyxTBeuford · 13029

Shadow Agents

Shadow Agents

Fastest ways to deal with this (assuming you don't want to test versus 5 or spend ammo):

  1. Decoy
  2. Pendant of the Queen, though it's much more likely for you to find this enemy before the three segments.
  3. Let a friend engage it, then simply discover a clue at the same location.
  4. If your deck has Obfuscation you just investigate through the attack and wave goodbye.

Edit: I thought it was an extremely mild weakness at first glance (well I still believe so), there's just one situation where it is quite annoying: when you draw it in upkeep in a location with no clues. Then you have to actually overcommit to an evasion or move with the agents. So just try to make sure to anticipate this.

Erdjo · 327
Cryptographic Cypher also works well. — Xenas · 7
Even Faster: Draw it in the middle of an investigate action with Mr. "Rook", Lucky Cigarette Case, or Eureka! before you discover the clue! — Death by Chocolate · 1487
Don't forget Narrow Escape — StyxTBeuford · 13029
Disc of Itzamana. As the Beatles sang... "Hello, Goodbye" — Laerthes · 1
Does e.g. Perception while investigating kill it? (for the same reason Mr. Rook would work) — krzhang · 7
Letting a friend engage doesn't work.... you can't evade an enemy that you aren't engaged with. — tasman · 1
@tasman I can't believe your comment has been sitting here for a year, and nobody has corrected you. You can evade enemies you aren't engaged with. You can even evade enemies at other locations if a card lets you do so. You can't perform an evade ACTION with an enemy you're not engaged with, however. — eapfel · 6

Cryptographic Cipher

Cryptographic Cipher

So the other review did not mention that this card combos so well with The Skeleton Key. This isn't my idea but I saw in a deck guide that Skeleton Key sets the shroud to 1 and you can use the fast action on this card and not have to add 1 to the shroud of the location.

Rohanna · 7