Card Reviews · ArkhamDB

True Survivor

Since Stella Clark came out, this is IMHO one of the candidates for a taboo list. Her signature card, already pretty strong when combined with (red version of) Grisly Totem and True Survivor ... laughs at any test-based treachery the encounter deck throws at her ...

4/15/21

TomLady · 10

I dont mean to sound critical, and I’ve been guilty of doing this too, but I kind of want reviews on this site to pivot away from taboo v non-taboo and just talk about the cards more generally. I agree this card is very good in Stella because of her signature, though it’s worth remembering you can also Resourceful for them since they’re non-neutral, whereas you’d need this for Silas if you ever end up not pulling back Nautical Prowess. This card is honestly not all that broken just because Survivors have quicker and cheaper ways to recur powerful skills. — StyxTBeuford · 13049 4/15/21

Neither Rain or Snow in itself is very strong due to the fact that it cancels all effects of the failed test. I do agree, that when activating Grisly Totem, it may sometimes quite difficult to fail (4 wild icons!), but once in a while you do anyway (and even so, still freaking NOTHING happens!). Thus if you have 2x True Survivor and the Totem, you are almost guarranteed to be able to play NRNS 9 times at least. The card is not broken per se, but with Stella, I dare claim it is. — TomLady · 10 4/15/21

What's the meaning of Grisly Totem? There are no combo with Grisly Totem & NRNS. Also, True Survivor is 3 cost event, which is quite expansive. I think that the main problem is not true survivor, but powerful economy source such as Drawing Thin, or Totem with Take Heart. — elkeinkrad · 501 4/16/21

There is ... Grisly Totem adds another wild icon to NRNS for a total of four and if the test fails, you get it back (and still no negative effects of the failed test occur). Granted, it's once a round as you exhaust it, but still... and yes, with Drawing Thin, the 3 res cost is a non-issue for getting three amazing skill cards back from the discard pile. — TomLady · 10 4/16/21

Can you get NRNS back though? Grisly Totem's bounce is an effect of the failed test, and NRNS cancels all those. I don't think you get to pick and choose which effects to cancel and which to keep. — TheNameWasTaken · 3 4/16/21

Well if someone can put a proof to the contrary, it could prove me wrong, but as of now I wonder why couldn't you? The NRNS cancels the effects of the test, not the test itself, doesn't it? Grisly Totem is just a reaction trigger. This could really use for an offical ruling. Even though it wouldn't work this way, I still maintain that NRNS + True Survivor is too powerful. I think if Stella had just two copies of NRNS, she would be just fine. — TomLady · 10 4/16/21

Anything with "If this test fails" is considered an effect of the failed skill test, it does not matter that if it comes from a triggered ability. — toastsushi · 74 4/16/21

Considering similar case with Take Heart (which has been FAQ'd), you can choose the order of resolving GT and NRNS, since they both take effect in the same step, right? The result of the test is still a failure even though its effects have been cancelled. The test itself still took place, hasn't it? — TomLady · 10 4/16/21

However, NRNS also cancels totem's fail effect, so that you cannot return NRNS if you want to cancel the failed effect. — elkeinkrad · 501 4/16/21

Basic totem effect is reaction ability, but after you trigger that ability, it remains delayed effect, "If that skill test fails, return that card to your hand — elkeinkrad · 501 4/16/21

thus, the ability of returning skill card is "failed effect" and will be canceled by NRNS. sorry for posting splited by 3:) — elkeinkrad · 501 4/16/21

Elkeinkrad is correct, if you Grisly NRNS and the test fails you can choose the order to resolve Grisly and NRNS, but if you resolve Grisly first, NRNS is no longer in the test so you can't resolve it, and if you resolve NRNS first, Grisly's effect is cancelled because it's an effect of the failed test. So it's one or the other — NarkasisBroon · 11 4/16/21

Don't get me wrong, I really have no intention of being annoying and would admit I might be mistaken, but I still don't see how it couldn't work. The test still occurs and it has failed, right? Only the effects are discarded: such as nasty thing on a treachery or some consequence of pulling out a particular chaos token, right? How is the card reaction ability part of an effect of the failed test? Once again, I am NOT trolling you, just would like a elaborate explanation, because it seems unclear to me and could use an official FAQ. — TomLady · 10 4/16/21

As a side note: hypothetically, if NSNR said "ignore" instead of "cancel" (otherwise retaining the same wording), would GT ability kick in, according to you? — TomLady · 10 4/16/21

Anything that follows "If that skill test fails" or "If you fail" or any similar wording is a consequence of a failed test. Cancel or Ignore would make no difference. — suika · 9511 4/16/21

It doesn't matter if the effect is beneficial or harmful. All effects are canceled. The way it works with Take Heart is that you resolve Take Heart first, then resolve NRNS, which then cancels every other effect of the failed test (except Take Heart, which has already resolved). — suika · 9511 4/16/21

To add to suika’s explanation, this is the same game mechanics that causes Double or Nothing to double ALL effects of a successful test - both the original effects of the test itself and any additional effects tacked on from skills etc. — Death by Chocolate · 1489 4/16/21

(I will refer you to the Skill Test Results and Advanced Timing (added in FAQ, section 'Game Play', point 1.7) — Death by Chocolate · 1489 4/16/21

"ST.7 Apply skill test results. The card ability or game rule that initiated a skill test usually indicates the consequences of success and/or failure for that test. (Additionally, some other card abilities may contribute additional consequences, or modify existing consequences, at this time.) Resolve the appropriate consequences (based on the success or failure established during step ST.6) at this time. If there are multiple results to be applied during this step, the investigator performing the test applies those results in the order of his or her choice." — NarkasisBroon · 11 4/17/21

Grisly Totem (red) and NRNS are examples of things which "contribute additional consequences or modify existing consequences, at this time.). Anything that gets applied at step 7, is just as much an effect of the failed or successful test as discovering a clue or taking horror. As others have said, Grisly Totem's reaction doesn't take place in step 7, it takes place much earlier, but it sets up a lasting effect that triggers in step 7. It is just that lasting effect (return to hand) that is an effect of the failed test — NarkasisBroon · 11 4/17/21

Eye of Chaos

I thought I should just point out the differences from the L0 version because it took me more than one second to notice.

+2 willpower to the test
Bonus effect triggers FOR EACH curse revealed, rather than just once.
Extra willpower icon

I haven't played with Curses enough to know whether this triggers twice enough to make it worthwhile, but it seems like it'd require a full bag of curses to get good value out of it. I think I'd generally be happier with the extra clue from Rite of Seeking or Clairvoyance, despite their downsides.

4/14/21

Lovetann · 3

The big difference is if you're able to keep generating curses and keep pulling them, then you can charge them up essentially infinitely. Probably less of an issue with someone like Akachi or Dexter, but still a very big consideration for a team that works with curses. — SSW · 217 4/15/21

Having done a Leo+Rex ALL the curses strategy I can say if you prepare for it you can totally just keep the bag full of curses and be basically fine. — Zerogrim · 295 4/15/21

The rub with blurse is that filling the bag with bless or curse is way easier than almost anyone anticipated. So yes, you can definitely stack curses on this thing, and what’s more, the failure or success of the test has no baring on the curse effects. So even if you fail, you could pull several curses and get tons of clues on adjacent locations. — StyxTBeuford · 13049 4/15/21

I am currently working through a 3p campaign with Gloria using Eye of Chaos (4) and Favor of the Moon for clue-finding. I think the +2 Willpower is excellent for helping handle the curse -2 modifier. — SocialPsientist · 148 4/17/21

Purifying Corruption

While normally trading one encounter card only allows the ability to swap an especially bad treachery for a random one, another potential use case for this card is when the group has mythos scanning such as Alyssa Graham and wants to be able to give the top encounter card to someone who isn't first player. E.g. the lead investigator is a Guardian or Rogue and the other investigator is a mystic who sees Rotting Remains on top of the deck.

4/14/21

madhatter152 · 8

Or give Roland a foe to bop. — MrGoldbee · 1492 4/14/21

Purifying Corruption

So first off I don't think this card is very good. 4 cost 4 xp is extremely high and most people would rather not take 1 and 1.

However there are two different decks which may be interested?

Tommy with Spiritual Resolve might be interested in three instances of 1 and 1. Same with anyone who has Peter Sylvestre and Jessica Hyde out -- that turns this card effectively into "skip the next three encounter cards you draw", which is very good.

I personally can't see why you'd ever want to activate the fast ability. Maybe there's something I'm missing here. I guess Tommy or Calvin can use this combo to just take 1 and 1 whenever they want, since nothing exhausts. Not exactly a mind blowing combo but it's something?

4/13/21

KasaiAisu · 41

I was just thinking about this card recently, so I'm glad to see your review asking some questions about it. :-) I think I'm seeing three questions in your review: (1) Is taking 1-and-1 worth it to cancel a treachery for most investigators? (2) Why would you want to use the fast action? (3) Is this card worth 4 resources and 4 XP? I haven’t played with it yet, and here are my answers in this moment… (1) Taking 1-and-1 is likely worth it for some of the worst treacheries, especially those that add doom or make you lose critical assets/cards. Many investigators have allies they are happy to sacrifice to cancel treacheries. (2) The fast action lets you use this card like William T. Maleson if you want to. You can cancel a bad treachery for 1-and-1, then choose to draw a new one to heal 1-and-1. The net result is you traded a known bad treachery for an unknown encounter card that may be easier for you to handle. (3) This is the hard question for me, especially not having played with it myself. — SocialPsientist · 148 4/13/21

The fast ability is also a great way to use the card as an "I'm outta here!" by instantly "resigning" via investigator defeat. — suika · 9511 4/13/21

Using the fast action is better than maleson because its denying a bad treachery now for a random treachery at a moment of your choice, I feel like that may be worth something just on its own, 4r 4xp is a hell of a price though. — Zerogrim · 295 4/13/21

What if you're Roland Banks (or otherwise relying on having enemies to fight), and you use this card both to cancel the treacheries you can't handle and to summon enemies? — Thatwasademo · 58 4/14/21

For Why you want to activate the fast ability, I can think of two reasons. — Hulahoop12 · 1 3/29/22

1. Timing of draw. If we scout the encounter deck and place cards that last the round on top, this would be a great time to activate before round is over. E.g. Furtive Locals from Innsmouth, Or a lot of the hazards from edge of the earth. There is potential synergy with Quick Learning Too (-2 to difficulties during a treachery test? Great. although there is a risk of drawing enemies.. have a plan).. The other case is when you have treachery cancellation cards but need specific window to use (think Patrice). 2. The healing option can be a secondary combo with dmg/heal options similar to spirit of humanity, triggering effects based off heal, e.g. carolyn. Overall, i think most of the time, this will be used for free cancellation of treachery at the cost of 3 health/sanity, and the secondary ability will be ignored. — Hulahoop12 · 1 3/29/22

Someone recently built a deck that uses the zappyboi to draw through the entire encounter deck in order to fail theoretically unlimited skill tests in order to get theoretically unlimited actions from Lifeline, so that's something. You could also use it to draw theoretically unlimited elder signs in Mateo. — Zinjanthropus · 230 11/15/23

As I understand it Diana can snatch it under her before it leaves play with 3 or more corruption (and get it back later with her dagger). — AlderSign · 395 6/20/24

Dream-Gate

Is Dream-gate an encounter card? Seems like it function like one when in play. I asked and Maxine clarified for us:

Greetings,

Good question! In this case, I would say that while Dream-Gate is in play, it is an encounter card, since it is a location and location cards are generally encounter cards. However, while it is set aside and out of play it functions more like a player card, for deckbuilding purposes and the like. So if Gate Box moves you, that is a player card effect moving you, but when Dream-Gate moves you, that would be an encounter card effect moving you.

Hope that helps!

MJ Newman (she/they) Senior Game Designer

4/12/21

ArtémisoftheHunt · 31

This is how I have always thought it functioned, as MJ said, locations are encounter cards. most obvious side effect of this is that if you have deny existence in hand, the bad side of the dream gate really just means you have to spend a turn doing rig maintenance, and then discard deny at the end of your turn to escape without taking horror — NarkasisBroon · 11 4/13/21