Refine

hey just noticed you can put this under Stick to the Plan. Nice to be able to reduce to one of these in a deck if you're going Carson (or whomever) upgrade path on Customizable cards. 200 characters here I come.

Krysmopompas · 360
Another one of these "I read, what trait a card has, and now I must come up with 200 characters to write a review" reviews. "Refine" might be good under SttP, because you can play it only once per game, but would rather put 2 copies in your deck for consistency otherwise. On the other hand, XP excelleration is at it's best in the early stage of a campaign, and SttP costs 6 XP, so you likely will only profit from this combo for a few scenarios. Unless you are parallel Roland with "In the Thick of It", it will take you at least a scenario or two until you get SttP, and mid- to late campaign you will likely cut "Refine". — Susumu · 372
I would also cut it likely quite early, compared to a D2D, because 3 resources and 2 actions is quite expensive for 1 XP for 1 investigator. — Susumu · 372
Do you still spend xp for this effect? Can you get upgrades with this that the owner does not qualify for? — Django · 5116
Of course not. What makes you believe either, Django? It is a "free" (XP wise) check on your card during the game, but the card(s) imediately might rise in level, once you do that. And deck building rules have to be regarded at any time. So you can never tick an 11th box, making the cards level 6. (Or a 9th, if you are restricted to level 4 for that card. Or even a 1st, if you are Carolyn with "Runic Axe".) — Susumu · 372
I havent opened my copy of TSK yet so i don't know the exact upgrade rules. This card doesn't say that checking the box needs to be legal. Might be similar you ignore any costs when you "put an asset into play" instead of playing it. Though it would be very OP if anyone could add any upgarde card to their deck with versatile and then upgarde it with with refine. — Django · 5116
Even if you would read it that way: as soon, as you check a box, it is not a level 0 card anymore, it is level 1. So if you can't have the card at level 1, you are violating the deckbuilding options, and have to remove the card. — Susumu · 372
You’re welcome, @Susumu! Happy playing! — Krysmopompas · 360
Так а эта карта что два действия тратит? — Zanofar · 1
I don't think you'd remove the card mid play actually. There's no process or rule for that, and deckbuilding requirements aren't checked during the actual game. I'm pretty sure it's just as legal as if someone teamworked it to you, and you'd remove it after the scenario. Extremely Niche but might be useful. — Lailah · 1
I'm still looking for an official answer to Django's question. So far, from reading the rules, I can find nothing that says it is illegal to play Refine on a card that is otherwise at maximum level for the deck it's in. Regarding "expending xp," the rule says you must observe the restriction "while purchasing new cards." Nor can I find any rule requiring removal of a card that finds its way into a deck that is otherwise illegal. — qbeam2 · 1
Stray Cat

I have just recently played with Will to Survive and many times I wished I brought Stray Cat. I don't want to spend Move or anything that does not have a test inside my Will to Survive chain, I want to start my turn with all the works around me. But, also I don't want to "stay" with Hunter enemy or having to move and evade it from the prior turn, just so I can have full actions to Will to Survive on the next turn.

Stray Cat let you stay with Hunter enemy walking into you by activating the Evade on the window after Hunter enemy move but before it attacks. Now you can do other work instead on the prior turn, next turn can be fully devoted to fighting it. It's a core set synergy that I just realized this far into the game.

This applies to a deck without Will to Survive as well, it changes the usual move-fight-fight Hunter elimination tactics to just fight-fight-fight until you win. If it has 3-4 HP and you can do 2 damages a hit, the cat adds 1 test that you can fail.

Recently played Vincent Lee and it is also such a good use of his splash to counter his 1 .

Cat is a very powerful card the more you know the pain of Evade. (Have to engage first to evade, game is throwing high enemy challenge at you, how many cards you can benefit from exhaustion, how many nasty effects are turned off if not ready, etc.) Ally slot is the biggest cost, but think of the cat as build around card instead of dismissing it due to being in popular slot. Find boosts and soaks in the other slots or perhaps invest in Charisma, and you will be rewarded with extreme flexibility of the cat.

5argon · 10996
Soul Sanctification

I reached out to FFG through their form regarding this card and got the following, the latter half being specific to Soul Sanctification.

Q: Can you play a card or use an action to heal while at full health/sanity? I.e. Playing Soothing Melody to draw a card while at full health/sanity.

A: No, you cannot normally heal a card that is at full health/sanity.

Q: While you have Soul Sanctification in play, can you play a card or use an action to heal your investigator while your investigator is at full health/sanity?  For example, can I play Emergency Aid on my full health investigator to generate two resources on Soul Sanctification?

A: Yes—Soul Sanctification makes a specific exception to the rule I stated previously. With Soul Sanctification, you are able to "heal” your investigator even if you are at full health/sanity, and place any excess points healed onto Soul Sanctification as an offering. Emergency Aid would place 2 offerings on SS.

gByakko · 4
So the card does what it says it does? Who would have guessed? — SSW · 214
Oh, be nice, the card is complex, and it's not like there was never confusion around Charles Ross, Lonnie Ritter, and Geared Up; explicit clarification is helpful. — Hylianpuffball · 29
I've seen some debate on whether you could heal a full health/sanity investigator while Soul Sanctification was active so following the grim rule, my group opted for "not able to" until we got an official answer. I'm glad we can. — gByakko · 4
So you assumed the card doesn't let you do the thing it explicitly lets you do, making it completely worthless, and then played with it anyway? — SSW · 214
This clarification was needed because the card does not explicitly let you heal full health/sanity investigators. You can't initiate abilities unless their effect can change the game state, and that check is to be made without evaluating interactions with other abilities. — TheNameWasTaken · 3
And the card wouldn't be completely worthless without that clarification because it would still allow you to do two healing on an investigator with one damage to pick up one charge. — Gfo1979 · 1
Hello! Can you share and forward the official ruling email (including questions and answers) you received to drawntotheflamepodcast@gmail.com? This is the mailbox of Frank, the official FAQ maintainer, and he will update the verdict you received into ArkhamDB! — Jacksonsu · 1
Done! — gByakko · 4
Arcane Insight

Updated for the Scarlet Keys.

This is the only card that I have found that can reduce a location's shroud outside of an investigation test. This opens up cool interaction with two interesting new cards : Power Word and Runic Axe, specifically with the "Confess" and "Elders" upgrade. Both allow you to automatically discover clues, but depend on the shroud of the location, which you can lower via Arcane Insight.

Who could use this / be interested :

For the Arcane Insight + Power Word combo :

-Daisy Walker and Mandy Thompson have access to both (limiting their Power Word to level 2 and 1, respectively), but probably have better ways of getting clues.

-Marie Lambeau has access to Arcane Insight as a spell, can upgrade Power Word to the max and can also take advantage of the lowered shroud by investigating normally. She can also use her extra Spell action on the Power Word parley.

-Akachi Onyele has access to Arcane Insight since it uses charges, gets an extra charge and can upgrade Power Word to the max.

For the Arcane Insight + Runic Axe combo ("Can I axe you a question ?") :

-Akachi again has access to Arcane Insight and Runic Axe because charges, can upgrade the axe to level 4, and has a surprisingly decent Fight.

-Ursula Downs could take the Runic Axe as a Relic, but her low Fight would make it difficult to wield.

-Joe Diamond can upgrade the axe to level 2, and it plays into his strength as a flex fighter/cluever (perhaps for solo ?)

Finally, since you can use this card during another investigator's turn, any Seeker (except Vincent Lee) could do these combos with their Mystic or Guardian buddies.

DrOGM · 25
Breach the Door and Vantage Point can also reduce shroud values outside of an investigation test. — cfmcdonald · 7
Good catch. Hmmm, breaching the door with the axe... — DrOGM · 25
Summoned Servitor

Notably one of the only customizables Charlie can take, and one that has a couple of uses for him. Dominance (2XP) gives him a handy extra ally at less XP cost than a Charisma, Dreaming Call (3 XP) gives him the ability to bounce back Art Students or damaged allies, Wings of Night (1 xp) gives him a ride and potentially a taxi service, and any of the others gives him a bonus action at 4+1 wild for exhausting, which is both a substantial buff and a mini-Leo.

With all of those, you have a 7 XP bonus ally you can move to and leave at hard to stomach locations and still exhaust in mythos for 2 will or investigation phase for 1 ?. Not terrible for late game XP soaks, but probably not the first XP you're spending. For decks that want 4 Summoned Hounds, or just can't deal with that cards more considerable drawback.

Daemonic Influence is more of a trap - it cuts off the versatility of the card and is an obscene amount of XP that needs to be spent on other keystone 5 XP friends.

On other characters, this one's tough. The arcane or ally slot needs to be dealt with to really maximize usage, and Daemonic Influence is probably the breakeven point, meaning that you're spending a full 10 XP to fully kit a monster to eat your Renfield or Acolyte and give you limited extra actions at what will likely be less than your normal values. Might be a decent pick for doom oriented investigators who need to be able to toss assets, particularly the Mystic who comes with it, Amina Zidane.

Of course, once you have one, there's a ton of things about this card that are unique, and I think its position as an immobile action generator is most interesting:

  1. it can be left at hunter occupied locations to evade them endlessly, trivializing some enemies and even some scenarios. Ignoring Alert means its particularly good against Vengeance enemies and a certain forgotten age Snake.
  2. It attacks aloof monsters, and you can add vicious blow to the skill check. It also occupies space, which helps with placement of Acolytes and empty location enemies (although I think you'd prefer to drop Acolyte ON the space)
  3. It can live in hard to reach areas with bad EOT effects, as well as areas that constantly repopulate clues, where it will just get you a clue every turn. Scarlet Keys has a few of these.
Emyriad · 125
Charlie can't even use it well... It's (somehow) not an Ally! — Hylianpuffball · 29
Well, nevermind about all of that then! :p. — Emyriad · 125
But the description says the card has the trait ally. Probably the image isn't actual — Tharzax · 1
Charlie can take it, Hylian? His deck restrictions allow for Ally cards, not cards that take an Ally slot. Dominance removes the slot but not the trait. — acotgreave · 872
The description on ArkhamDB is referencing the Ally slot it takes, not the Ally trait. The card only has the Summon trait. — Hylianpuffball · 29
Hylianpuffball is right. Charlie could take it, and tick up to 4 boxes, if he takes Mystic as one of his classes. It then can occupy one of his additional Ally slots (and an Arcane slot), but it does not count as an Ally for his deckbuilding options. Just like Marie can't hit on (the Avatar in the Ally slot) Baron Samedi while playing "Calling in Favours". — Susumu · 372
Ah - my bad. That's what happens when you read the ArkhamDB UX and not the card itself. I'll get my coat... — acotgreave · 872
Looks like the Ally trait is missing to avoid using it with <a href="/card/03158">Calling in Favours</a> and recovery cards with "Dreaming Call". — BoZo · 1
It's also unique, so the dream of having 4 Summoned Hounds will remain out of reach. — Katsue · 10