Spectral Razor

Spectral Razor is great and provides exciting flexibility for Mystics who want to handle combat but don't want to stack up charge-based assets. My favorite experience so far has been running a single copy in Father Mateo as a tidy little insurance policy for when the Serpents of Yig eventually show up. And I built a Patrice Hathaway deck for a friend that included two copies of the whole cycle (this + Read the Signs & Ethereal Form).

There two major rules points that are important to playing this card correctly, and which sent me frantically googling the first time my group tried to resolve one.

First: the consequences of "add your value." As other reviewers highlight, Spectral Razor is different from many previous cards because it adds rather than replaces the base skill being tested. The most obvious effect is that you're able to get big fight values very easily -- adding and can get you to totals of 6, 7, or 8 very often. But it also changes how you can further boost that skill value. Specifically, you can't boost this attack with pips on committed cards (like Guts), because according to the) rules for skill checks, players can only commit "cards with an appropriate skill icon" which are "[ones] one that matches the skill being tested, or a wild icon," and doesn't match Fights. However, you can boost your with many actions like those on Arcane Studies. The timing) rules of skill checks give windows before and after committing cards in step ST.2, and the final value isn't calculated until ST.5, when you "apply all active modifiers" to the base skill...that's when you add your . And, as the FAQ to Lockpicks makes clear, there's nothing stopping you from boosting a skill other than the one technically being tested.

Second: interaction with Aloof. There seems to be significant disagreement about this in previous reviews, but as I read it, Spectral Razor can be used to attack and engage an unengaged Aloof enemy. The difference comes down to the difference between Fight, which is an Action Designator, and "attack" which describes a mechanical operation that is a part of the Fight Action, but can also be triggered in other ways (for instance, Enemies "attack" investigators without taking Fight Actions). In the rules) for Fight, it states: "An investigator may fight any enemy at his or her location..." and it is the specific) rules for Aloof that intercede: "An investigator cannot attack an aloof enemy while that enemy is not engaged with an investigator." The difference in wording between "fight" and "attack" in these two lines implies that one can trigger a Fight Action against an unengaged Aloof, but simply couldn't resolve the attack portion of the Fight Action. This is where Spectral Razor's wording comes into play, allowing the Fight Action to start and then engaging the enemy in question "immediately before" the rules would prevent the actual attack.

Rules questions aside, this card has over-performed for me, and is a great option for asset-averse builds!

mistakes · 66
Good review! Interesting insight on attack versus fight. It does seem strange that one cannot attack an aloof enemy, but one can fight them, and yet here we are. I like the card too. I think it's a very powerful one shot, especially because you're liking boosting your willpower as a mystic with stuff like holy rosary and whatnot so the check should be relatively easy. The obvious downside is that you only get a single cast and it's weaker against bosses. — LaRoix · 1645
Seems super great for the upcoming Sister Mary who starts at 7 and may likely bring boosts for Combat, Willpower, or both. — Death by Chocolate · 1485
It is a will and combat skill check so you can commit any card withnthose icons. It is like saying that you cannot boost agility while fighting with ornate bow. — Baker · 4
Also, you cannot attack an aloof enemy if you are not engaged with it even with this card. — Baker · 4
Sorry, I wrote it too fast. You are both right in your points. — Baker · 4
Yeah just to clarify- you cannot use combat icons to boost a Bow test. You cannot use will icons to boost a Soectral razor test as it is a fight test (however your modified will is added to it, so Rosary or David for example still apply). — StyxTBeuford · 13028
It is a *combat* test, there — StyxTBeuford · 13028
But I am sure you cannot commit cards like "Heroic rescue" or "Taunt" since they have a "fight" skill icon, and use their "will" icon as well. Same if they have a wild icon. — ChesterBlack · 1370
You can commit them, but only their combat symbols matter. This is not a will test so the will from those cards wont be added, only your static will is (base + any modifiers) — StyxTBeuford · 13028
I put this in a lot of my decks. Lately I tried a Punching Nun Sister Mary deck (with "Into the Rabbit Hole"). Spectral Razer works with Boxing Gloves' +1 bonus and with both Vicious Blow for reliable damage. — Miroque · 25
Grisly Totem

The totem gets better with any upgrade of Dream Diary, as it gives the equivalent of Unexpected Courage or better for free each turn. This fixes seekers (who are not minh) problem that they don't have cards to commit for the totem every turn.

Combining that with Dream-Enhancing Serum means you can hold on the first copy of other cards for longer, having a bigger chance of triggering the serums reaction. The totems draw effect also makes it more likely to trigger the serums draw.

In total these assets are pretty expansive ressource wise. So you should also facter in some economy cards like Emergency Cache, Crack the Case or Astounding Revelation (if you have search effects).

Django · 5108
Notably, if you use Grisly Totem on Essence of the Dream, you're effectively netting a card rather than just replacing it. — Zinjanthropus · 229
"I'm outta here!"

I love this card.

At first I figured I would just play it for the boots. But then, while playing a game, swarmed by monsters, some with really high agility, I was like, "man! I am screwed!"

And then, as if by fate and chance, I discover a Resign card on the board. The very goal to the game. And then you realize just how amazing this card is in a pinch. It costs nothing and you don't have to pull a coin. You just get out! That's an alive and fine investigator.

Wanna do some last minute clean-up, take an extra risk? This card let's you do that. You can spend your turn trying to milk XP or just try crazy stuff, and then get outta dodge.

10/10. Love this card. I would run 1 and just hope I can draw it when the situation calls for it.

I agree it's a good card, but I think the trouble is the competition for cards that fill similar roles. Manual Dexterity is the first obvious choice since that gives you the same double boots, however, that one will net you a card to replace it. But if you have decent card draw, a resign option is comparably equal in terms of usefulness. The other option is to take Elusive which is a 1 boot and 1 book so not as good icon-wise, however, for 2 resources, you could simply warp to the resign location (for fast) which is probably better since Rogue's aren't usually poor. It's a preference thing though at the end of the day. — LaRoix · 1645
It's an absolutely perfect card for Adaptable, you can certainly say that for it. There's a huge amount of variation across scenarios in how important resigning quickly is, and Adaptable lets you use in scenarios where it's a big deal and take it out for ones where it isn't. It does do two things elusive doesn't FWIW- it lets you resign where the resignation spot has enemies and it lets you resign via resignation abilities that aren't on locations. So, (vague-to-avoid-spoilers) , it can get round some limitations and conditions on resignation that elusive can't. Sooo, I think it is one of the most situational cards in the game, but within its niche, it's pretty powerful.. — bee123 · 31
Thermos

While this card is too inefficient to consider in most circumstances, it shines when you are trying to nurse a traumatized investigator through multiple campaigns. I currently use this card to manage a Mark Harrigan deck with four mental and physical trauma. In a three-player game, you can usually spend a turn healing after this card hits the table. When used as part of a broader horror/damage mitigation strategy (i.e. Elder Sign Amulet, True Grit, etc.) it can be quite effective for scarred investigators hoping to save the world one last time.

Also nice for Carolyn fern if Calvin is around. — Django · 5108
It's a cool idea to make a trauma campaign with investigators like Mark, a mystic with arcane research, and Calvin. Definitely take See You In Hell and other cards that toy with the trauma/defeated mechanic. As others have stated though, the extreme cost of the card, and huge tempo hit can take away from the fun. In general, I think the main issue Arkham Horror has with healing is not so much the cost, but Doom. If there's Ancient Evils in the deck (which is common), then spending all those actions and resources to heal feels wasteful. — LaRoix · 1645
Seeking Answers

I’m shocked no one has mentioned one of the most obvious upsides of this card: you use the shroud of your current location rather than the one you’re pulling from! This is great for clueless connecting locations, or at least snatching the last clue from a high-shroud location. It may also, rarely, save you a move action If you’re getting the last one.

Still far from an auto pick due to the fact that it’s an event, so its advantage is fleeting, but not a bad filler card at all.

livebyfoma · 20
It's true, it's not a bad filler card, but if you are looking for filler cards in seeker you either don't have the complete card pool or are doing something very weird — NarkasisBroon · 10
Yeah, the issue is that you’ve spent a card to get 1 of the clues off of the high shroud location - but you still need to find a way to get the rest - and most options seeker has to get the rest are sustainable enough that you didn’t need this card in the first place. I could see this being used in solo, perhaps when there are a decent number of high shroud 1 clue locations that you’ll expect to see. — Death by Chocolate · 1485
You could get additional clues if you are Rex, commit Deduction, or have some other means of getting a bonus clue. Seeking Answers I think is a great card on cardboard, but it is oddly situational. — LaRoix · 1645
Was also going to mention that many Seeker cards reward you for investigating. If you're location is empty of clues, it might be worth while to spend a resource, net a clue elsewhere, and use your other cards to make the effort seem less situational. Dr. Milan will pay for the card, whereas Practice Makes Perfect or Perception could be useful to help dig up useful cards in the deck, helping you maintain tempo. I think waiting for the ideal situation for Seeking Answers is not likely to present itself too often and that might be where people gloss over it. — LaRoix · 1645
Sorry LaRoix, neither Deduction nor Rex will get an additional clue from the connecting location. They both specify the bonus clue is from the investigated or current location respectively - neither of which is the location you are pulling a clue from with Seeking Answers. So you end up getting 1 clue from each of your current and the connecting locations. — Death by Chocolate · 1485