Bandolier can be used by:

• All 5 guardians : Roland Banks, Zoey Samaras, Mark Harrigan, Leo Anderson and Carolyn Fern
• All Dunwich investigators: Rex Murphy, Jenny Barnes, Jim Culver, "Ashcan" Pete
• Joe Diamond
• "Skids" O'Toole
• William Yorick
• Diana Stanley
• Lola Hayes

I think this card has received inappropriate disdain and mostly overlooked, wrongly in my opinion. In fact, Bandolier (0) is a quite solid card.

When looking at this card, one would probably think "why would I want an additional hand slot? I already have my guns!". Well, guardians love spending their experience points in two-handed weapons such as the Lightning Gun, the Shotgun, or the M1918 BAR. The problem becomes quickly apparent when playing regularly with these weapons: you will either have to use your precious ammo on trash mobs (and be empty when the nasty guys spawn), or you will need to refrain from playing your big weapon as much as possible, meaning that the turn you will need it, you will:

• Need to spend 1 action to play it, reducing your number of attacks
• Face an attack of opportunity if the baddy has spawned on you
• Not be able to improve it right away (e.g. with Extra Ammunition)
• Have to discard your current cards in your hand slots

The more the player count, the more enemies will spawn, and the more you will need to use backup weapons to be able to keep up with the killing. Even if you keep your Shotgun for when the big baddy spawns, several scenarios throw so many hard enemies at you that you'd wish you didn't discard your Machete. On a side note for solo, though there are much less enemies, you probably want to keep running a Flashlight during the scenario, and Bandolier once again helps you for this.

In other words, Bandolier (0) will maybe not shine in your 0XP deck, but it is an investment that will pay off as soon as you upgrade a two handed weapon. Conversely, I don't think Bandolier (2) is that much of a good card because 2 additional hand slots is just overkill, though the +1 is nice.

One real issue is the severe indirect nerfed it received recently due to the introduction of the Flamethrower, arguably the best weapon in game. Though the body slot necessary for Bandolier (0) used to be mostly irrelevant due to the thin competition for that slot, Flamethrower changed this. Obviously, you may still prefer the Lightning Gun, with which Bandolier stays relevant.

As for non guardians as well as Carolyn Fern, Bandolier (0) is a more dubious card. Except "Skids" O'Toole, who may really like having an additionnal hand slot if he plays Chicago Typewriter or Ornate Bow, other investigators should probably skip this card.

This is a very interesting addition to the Strange Solution family of cards. At first glance, I think I like this variant, but we have to compare it to the three existing versions in addition to looking at it on its own.

By itself, it's a card and a resource (along with the setup required with the L0 Strange Solution card) and four actions for 6 resources and 3 cards. While trading six-for-nine may not seem like the best economy, the advantage here is that you can spread the resources and cards around in a multiplayer game. This could lend itself quite well in a Minh Thi Phan support deck.

Strange Solution and Strange Solution set aside, the version most people take is Strange Solution (the version). With fewer players, and at a lower difficulty, I think the combat version will still shine. But at higher difficulties, or in a team with one or more combat-focused characters, the ability to pass around cards and resources could trump the need for powerful attacks.

Something to think about before automatically reaching for Strange Solution...

(This review brought to you by the words Strange and Solution!)

So correct me if I'm wrong: Carolyn has only one eligible option when upgrading Ancient Stone: Unidentified and that is Ancient Stone: Minds In Harmony. When I upgrade the stones for which I spent 2 exp. (1 each), I spend 3 exp. and get free 3 exp. upgrade, since like the card says, Minds In Harmony is the ONLY eligible upgrade.

SPOILER ALERT: Very minor spoilers for The Path to Carcosa.

I've played Deciphered Reality now in what is often considered the optimal deck for it, a Rex Murphy deck in a Carcosa campaign. I purchased the card early, and two copies of it, specifically to see if it would see any use prior to the last scenario. Unfortunately, it didn't get played even a single time. It didn't even get committed for the skill icons, as I was often better off keeping it in my hand instead, and using resources to fuel Higher Education.

The unfortunate thing for this card is it relies on several things:

• Four resources (which I'm often spending on Higher Education, playing Dr. Milan Christopher, and other events to advance the group's progress).
• Many locations revealed (which, other than the 8th scenario, we tended to explore conservatively, and stick close together).
• At least one clue on all revealed locations (between Rex Murphy's ability to scoop up clues, and Archaic Glyphs's ability to combine with Higher Education to scoop up all the clues, there weren't often spare clues left behind).
• The card in hand when the above three stars are in alignment (this was the least difficult to pull off, as I'd purchased the upgraded No Stone Unturned).

All of the above being said, in the final scenario of Carcosa, I did use one of the copies to scoop up eight clues. But, because of the nature of that scenario, it's better to focus on collecting all the clues from a single location.

Verdict? I feel I wouldn't buy this card again.

The first ever interesting upgrade for survivors is...(drumroll)...not that good. Well it's good until it's not, then you're in a lot of trouble (barring a reliable self-eject button). I'm still holding out for a chainsaw. They have to make it eventually, right? And it would be for survivors. But that could jam too.