"Let me handle this!" in asset form. I think it's pretty good for the right characters that are aiming to tank for their team.

Most guardians have good agility and will so they're moderately if not good at defending against the encounter deck. The only downside is that they have low sanity...but this provides some protection on that front.

2 health and 2 sanity soak for 2 resource is pretty reasonable. Accessory isn't particularly in high demand for guardians, the immediate comparison for me would be Holy Rosary. Both cost 2 and give 2 sanity soak, but this also gives 2 health soak, let's you take other players encounters and gives +1 to all skills instead of just will. On the flip side, it costs 1 more exp, you can't actively use the willpower outside of mythos, and you don't have a chance of getting bless tokens. Seems like a fair trade off.

You could probably use this in a variety of investigators but someone like Tommy, Zoey, Roland, Carolyn or Mark would probably be most interested in it. Zoey can get resources for engaging enemies, Roland can kill enemies for his passive, mark gets stuff for wounding his assets and Carolyn can heal herself up easily.

Just here to note that location card is also considered an encounter card, which may contains a Revelation test. Though, hazard that triggers when going in/out/staying at the location that is not in the Revelation clause cannot get a boost.

Also, to get an encounter card is usable if it has nothing to do with Revelation ability or no skill tests. It is just that you don't get a boost. (e.g. if you have no clues, take some damage/horror) You can now tank with this card or Obsidian Bracelet.

Rule reference : "Encounter Cards" vs "Scenario Cards" : These two terms are used interchangeably to mean any non-player card used in a scenario, such as the contents of the encounter deck, locations, acts, agendas, the scenario reference card, etc.

So this works like Taunt when another investigator draws a monster?

Seems very good in two player if that is the case.

Blah blah is this two hundred characters yet?............apparently not, but maybe it is now?

Since this is an "armor" asset, you can add a Hidden Pocket to it to give you an additional hand or accessory slot for an "illicit" asset.

If you bring any item in with I'll Take that, making it illicit, you can essentially get a free slot for almost any item in the game. Cheaper than a three xp cost Relic Hunter.

An awesome card that the previous review gave me the idea to play alongside Purifying Corruption, Deny Existence and Ward of Protection in a Lily Chen deck, a combo also available for Zoey Samaras, Carolyn Fern, Sister Mary, Lola Hayes, Carson Sinclair and Amina Zidane. As i have to admit that i don't think it would be good to much of them, especially Carson and Zoey, i'll say that i didn't really study all possible combos with those guys, so maybe there's something to make of it?

As for this Lily deck, i also included Girish Kadakia, Spiritual Resolve and Hunter's Armor which in our four-player setup made wonders, and even more knowing one of my pals was playing Shrine of the Moirai regularly allowing to take back some useful thing, like Deny Existence, Resolves or some Drawn to the Flame who were rendered totally inoffensive as soon as the combo was set. Damage and horror points were drowned in the amount of life healed without losing any actions, Ancient Evils and other usually bad news were ignored for the most of them, and enemies were still pulverised by the rest of Lily's capacities (in this place, a combo using Dragon Pole with Enchant Weapon and the echanted upgrade of the armor)

The way it helped Lily be more that the monomaniac fighter that she usually is was all alone a good enough reason to play it.

With the upcoming Collector permanent card, allowing any investigator to add a Relic/Charm asset of level 0-3 in his deck, i'm curious to see if and how it can be included in many other combos in the next months, and how much worth it can be.

Edit 12/03/26 : As Eudaimonea points under this, the combo between this card, Ward of Protection and Purifying Corruption, may be non-applicable due to "when" and "after" timings. As we don't agree about it, you shall not consider too much this review until we get an official ruling on it.

Update 30/04/26 : I got a ruling ! FFG answered as follows : "No. Martyr’s Vambrace can be used “after” an encounter card is drawn, while Ward of Protection and Purifying Corruption’s abilities can be used “when” a treachery is drawn. “When” abilities have timing priority over “after” abilities with the same triggering condition, meaning Martyr’s Vambrace is only usable past the window of opportunity for the other cards."

That makes it clear that the combo i proposed with Purifying Corruption and Ward of Protection isn't available (about cards drawn by other investigators only). Tho, even if it's a bit weaker than previously, i still think it still is pretty strong. After all, we're just taking about 2 ways of denying the encounter card. There's still a lot to work with (Deny Existence, Girish, Spiritual Resolve and Hunter's Armo, notably). Only real downside is Ancient Evils being as annoying as ever, i guess.

I think the most interesting candidates for this card are investigators who also have access to the Mystic class.

As of the Scarlet Keys, this means : Carolyn Fern, Sister Mary, Lily Chen, Amina Zidane (remember, Vambrace is a charm), and to a lesser degree, mystic Carson Sinclair and Zoey Samaras. Unfortunately just out of reach for Diana Stanley...

Low-level mystic events offer awesome possibilities for dealing with the encounter deck's treacheries (Deny Existence and Ward of Protection are staples for a reason). You can now redirect a dangerous card drawn by a teammate to yourself if you can deal with it (it has probably happened to some/most of you that your friend drew an Ancient Evils while you were the one holding the cancel...)

Compare the 2 xp cost to upgrade to Ward of Protection (2) VS the 3 xp cost of this accessory, that grants a similar benefit to multiple cards, on top of good soak and a bonus to ALL skills against revelation effects. This brings these characters' average-to-good Willpower (except Carson Sinclair...) to interesting levels, and shores up their Agility/Intellect defenses as well.

Of course, Ward of Protection (2) has the advantage that it can be used at any location, while the Vambrace encourages you to stick with your fellow investigators.

Lastly, as Guardians / Mystics, most of these characters can be built as enemy-managers, and the Vambrace can redirect an enemy to yourself, potentially saving you an "engage" action and/or preventing the sudden appearance of an enemy on your teammate from messing up your team's activation order.