Vorteil. Verbündeter

Verbündeter. Zauberer.

Cost: 1.

Mystiker
Health: 1. Sanity: 2.

Erzwungen - Nachdem Eingeweihte der arkanen Künste ins Spiel gekommen ist: Platziere 1 Verderbensmarker auf sie.

Erschöpfe Eingeweihte der arkanen Künste: Durchsuche die obersten 3 Karten deines Decks nach einer Zauber-Karte und ziehe sie. Mische dein Deck.

Xia Taptara
Grundspiel #63.
Eingeweihte der arkanen Künste

FAQs

(from the official FAQ or responses to the official rules question form)
  • When you use the ability to search the top 3 cards, if there is a Spell among them, you must draw it, even if it is Dark Memory. You cannot choose to fail to find what you're searching for if it's there.
Last updated

Reviews

Incredible value here.

1 resource for a 1/2 ally in play seems great already. A note on resources, they are not so easy to come by and decks loaded with assets and events are going to find it hard to play all those juicy cards. It's necessary therefore to pay attention to resource curve. Arcane initiate fits the resource curve requirement.

This enables card draw. In it's best scenario you've added a card to your hand and thinned the deck so you can draw more skills or assets. To maximize this effect you may wish to include 1/3 of your deck of spells (10 total spells). However, I don't think that's necessary. If you miss, no big deal as you can simply repeat it again next round. Spells will help 's through combat.

Finally we'll need to evaluate a doom token. I suspect that doom will be a big deal. So it will be necessary to investigate faster. I firmly believe Arcane Initiate provides self protection against additional doom.

... time will tell.

Azgadil · 34
There's been some chat on Doom tokens on the Arkham LCG Reddit. I dismissed this card originally as the drawback (losing a turn) seems pretty big. But, I hadn't realised Doom is wiped when the agenda advances. So, you can drop her into play the turn the agenda will advance, or even drop her in, use her, then let her soak up some damage from a monster. I'm sure we'll see cards that you can feed your own allies to at some point as well. — unitled · 2238
I very much like how Doom works in this game. Making the usual check during the Mythos step means you always have time to deal with any doom that enters play on other cards. So yeah, this Ally can be timed well. — Kamalisk · 285
Like riding her down the cellar stairs. — MrCee · 9
I think that the Arcane Ini — AndyB · 929
I think that the Arcane Initiate needs to be well timed; adding one doom, losing one round, could be like paying 3 actions per initiate - done badly - or nothing, done right. Losing that many actions is hugely expensive. I'm not convinced about it being easy to play this at the end of an agenda, either; there aren't that many agenda ends to play it at. — AndyB · 929
I'm currently playing agnes in the core campaign. I've had this card in first and second szenario in starting hand and it was no problem to play her in the turn before the agenda advanced. I think in szenario 1, she makes no difference as the players have lots of time. But to maximize victory points in szenario 2, you must be very careful with doom and actions. — Django · 4859

One thing to remember with this card is, if you are playing Agnes Baker, her unique Weakness, Dark Memory, is a Spell card. If it is the only Spell card drawn, you are obligated to draw it.

"When resolving a search effect, a player is obligated to find the object of the search should one or more eligible options be found within the searched area." Rules Reference Guide - Search

Holy crap, I missed that one. Good to know. — Heyenzzz · 6373

I was a little down on this card after Peter Sylvester came out because I think he is a far better ally for Agnes (or Jim for that matter!) than Arcane Initiate and I wouldn't want them to compete for the same ally slot. But then I considered the following- Would I play a 1-resource event that allowed me to search the top three cards of my deck for a spell and prevent the next damage or two horror? Yes. Yes I would, that is an insane amount of value for an action card. I no longer think about Arcane Initiate as competing for an ally slot. She gets one or two activations and then protects me from an attack or something. As long as you're planning on killing her off, the doom counter is manageable and free spell draws is (almost) always good.

Obviously, the above evaluation is a little short sighted. There will be times where playing her is restrictive due to doom or when you already have Peter Sylvester and can't afford to throw him away for one or two activations of Arcane Initiate. But I still think she is worth including in any spell deck. Hitting on it once pays for itself. I recommend you mulligan for her over your "better" ally in your opening hand, getting the value out of her and dumping her at your earliest convenience when you can than play out your Peter or what have you.

I was just building a deck for Dexter and realized this card is PERFECT for him. Firstly, Dexter blows through his assets very quickly and is constantly looking for his "next trick" to pop into play. The Arcane Initiate is the perfect assistant to ready the next spell in your never-ending magic show. And when the agenda is about to flip and the initiate's time is up, Dexter can instantly discard her as a free action in order to put yet another asset in play. This way, you don't have to frantically find a way to murder your initiate in fear of the doom counter; when the time has come, you have a surefire ability to discard her on the investigator card itself.

I haven't extensively looked through the Mystic allies before posting this, but as of right now, I would instapick this card for Dexter.

TheDoc37 · 466
I would steer you towards David Renfield, for very similar reasons you listed. — StyxTBeuford · 12917
Most likely Dexter should have both Renfield and the Initiate in his deck (unless you have Molly Maxwell also). The Initiate finds the spells and Renfield creates the economy to pay for them. But Dexter is a great investigator to use them since there is very little danger from the doom on them. As far as other Mystics I think the Initiate is almost always a good choice for them as well. I initially underrated her when I started playing but she is incredibly strong in Mystic. — The Lynx · 952
Initiate is a really good card, but she makes you realize that some great Mystic events aren't spells D: Like Sacrifice or Premonition, for example — Zinjanthropus · 223