Daring Maneuver

Maybe I'm missing something but this is pretty terrible card. Just take unexpected courage which always gives you +2 so you can at least succeed instead of failing. And if you happen to pass, you get +2 anyways.

The only benefit of daring maneuver is like Lucky!, you can play it after the fact to get guaranteed value. Unexpected courage gets wasted if you draw the auto fail token or you fail because your skill even with unexpected courage was just too low (should be somewhat rare).

fates · 53
Compared to "Daring Maneuver", "Unexpected Courage" gets also often "wasted", if you draw a -1 or other good token, you would not commit it too, if you would have known it in advance. It depends on the test and the over success effects you want to trigger. If it is just, that you don't want to break a lockpick and trigger LCC (0), you likely have wasted the card. Also, if with the modifier, you would have already maxed out on the damage, you could have done with your Sawed-Off Shotgun. Like you said, it's a "Lucky!" for Over-succeeding, and hence serves a different purpose in a deck, that would want to take it. Not that I'm saying, every Rogue deck should take it, even though in Survivor you most likely will take "Lucky!".. — Susumu · 366
This card has to be considered in its pool of cards. One of the main archetype of Rogues is the « succeed by » clause. You can now commit opportunist 2 on every test since you have a security net. Same for the upgraded pilfer, backstab, Lockpicks 0 and almost every weapons. I am not saying it’s an auto include but definitely a good addition to many decks to mitigate the risk/improve consistency — Valentin1331 · 69812
I like it in combination with shotguns since it allows you to scale the damage up if needed. — LaRoix · 1643
First Aid

Its been years since first aid came out, and I was thinking of giving it another look now we have shiny new core set and examine the problems with it and see how things may have changed, a lot of people agree on a few key points.

Cost: Guardians for many years were the poor class, they had very little economy and the stuff they had wasn't completely reliable, but now we have stand together level 0 and even clean them out as source of cheap fast injections of cash, so the 2 price is less relevant today.

Limited Use cases: this seems to still be a big mark against it and one that doesn't seem like it will ever be able to be worked around, you can only heal investigators, only at your location. the fact that it is completely slotless is a huge upside but not enough of one to overcome such a minor use. (that a lot of other healing cards don't share)

Action Sink: the big bug bear of the card is that 3 actions for 3 points of healing is rather slow, even if you get first aid into play fast and free you still only max out at spending a turn to get a sizeable chunk of damage/horror off people, hardly worth the two extra actions from not using a healing event to gain that extra 1 point of healing. (again in the best possible case)

Fair to say first aid has only really improved one of its drawbacks (or to say it's less relevant today), and in that time we have had a huge tidal wave of healing effects that do incredibly well in the two area's it can never overcome. it is however the best possible counter for the edge weaknesses (it can heal both types, over any number of turns and from up to three people), but that only really matters if more than one player has one, otherwise you'll be much better of just taking a healing card that specializes in the type they need healing for.

The sad proclamation is that first aid remains very useful to the game in its true position, being a floor no healing card will ever dip below, and still may see some minor play due to edge weaknesses and down the rabbit hole.

Zerogrim · 292
I can think of a healing card, that dips below the floor, though for thematic (and fun!) reasons. Infirmary from "The Unspeakable Oath"! Though you might still argue, it surpasses "First Aid", because it does not require a play action and 2 resources. (Still likely a move action!) And it also covers all Edge weaknesses. — Susumu · 366
healing words and clarity of mind in Level 0 are both strictly worse than first aid. same costs, same icon, same effect, but each take a slot and are limited to either damage or horror healing. the spells are only better for their spell trait and If you play cards that synergize with arcane slots. and yet, Despoten being better than These two cards, first aid is still miserably bad — PowLee · 20
being spell tagged is worth a lot, so many things combo with spells, I'd say they are more valuable than first aid jut because you can get their upgrades even cheaper, but they are hardly fighting over a taboo list spot are they. — Zerogrim · 292
I stand with what I wrote in my "Clarity of Mind" (3) review: For Carolyn, CoM is likely better than FA. For others, I doubt it. The Arcane slot is a high tax for the benefits you get from the Spell trait. And "Arcane Research" can be spend on better spells for most investigators. — Susumu · 366
Old art is also gross — MrGoldbee · 1454
I actually like the old ard. Would wish, there would be more of it in the game. The theme is horror, not some boring super hero flicks. — Susumu · 366
* "art" and "more of that kind" not "more of itself" — Susumu · 366
Snipe

This is similar to "Eat lead!", but this costs an action and can let you pass if your skill is low and happen to draw a special token. Eat Lead costs 1 more EXP, costs an ammo (which is usually somewhere around 1/4 of the cost/action of a gun) and is probably more helpful if your skill value is decent/high.

I think its a fair exchange, maybe slightly leaning towards Eat Lead but neither are that great. This would've been a lot better if it was Fast (we may see a level 2 or 3 version at some point for that?).

fates · 53
Does this work with the free attach from the gun holster? — Django · 5072
I suppose not because that isn't a "fight action" (sigh). — dscarpac · 1011
Why wouldn't it work with the holster? That's definitely a Fight action with a Firearm. — Hylianpuffball · 29
there ambiguity if it means an action "one of three actions spent by a player" or an action "a bold word designating an action modified by card text" — Zerogrim · 292
For some reason this one has shotgun written all over it — LordWolfen · 1
@Django: It's very similar case whether triggering shortcut(2) is counted/considered as an action or not. As I know, it is counted/considered when the ability states specific action such as "fight action" in Snipe but not when it just states "action" like Haste. — elkeinkrad · 486
Enchant Weapon

I had no idea how 'enchant weapon' works with Enchanted Bow or other willpower-weapons, so I asked FFG. This is the response I got:

“Enchant Weapon” adds its owner’s willpower value to the attached asset’s combat value for the attack. Because “Enchanted Bow” does not use combat when taking a Fight action, it would not get a bonus to the skill value being used (willpower or agility). It’s worth mentioning that “Enchant Weapon” would at least grant “Enchanted Bow” +1 damage to the attack.

This is not at all what I expected. It seemed like these two would have a really cool synergy, but instead, it turns out it's just a very expensive way to do 1 extra damage.

Achire · 520
I mean... while this may be disappointing, it shouldn't be unexpected. This is what the card says it does. it adds your willpower to your combat - not to the skill value for the test. — Death by Chocolate · 1453
But the additional damage will help to kill 4 hp enemies without taking a AoO. Might be a good option for the second card if your guardian already got the first for himself. — Tharzax · 1
I think it is antithetical to the intent of the card to not have it boost the bow. “Skill value” would’ve been a better choice but I suspect FFG didn’t think of it at the time but doesn’t want to revise every card just to make them all work with each other. On the other hand, +1 only might create some interesting considerations? — LaRoix · 1643
Personally, I find it flavorfully consistent that putting an enchantment on an already-enchanted weapon does... very little. — Hylianpuffball · 29
Nine of Rods

I have been using this card more and more, but not as mentioned by the other comment, to dodge monsters, but rather to... attract them. A kind of On the Hunt (3).

Both William Yorick and Silas Marsh want to face enemies to take the best out of their Decks. In Yorick especially, the more enemies, the more shenanigans you can do and this card basically double the chances to find an enemy when needed, while also helping you not to get too overwhelmed at some point.

Valentin1331 · 69812
Every Trial a fistfight. — MrGoldbee · 1454
I just noticed that no one on this page, in 3 years, has mentioned Ancient Evils. Am I wrong in thinking this doesn't cancel it?/ — SemiSecretSquirrel · 127