Money Talks

Since no one has written a review on this interesting card yet, I'll give it a look.

For 2xp, you get 3 upgrades with this card compare to the lv. 0 version of Money Talks.

  1. a ? icon to commit. This means that talking about money is no longer irrelevant even if you're not yet rich, although adding a ? icon isn't going to wow anyone, and so you still want to be rich. Just note that Money Talks is now not a dead card in a Crystallizer of Dreams build.
  2. You can now money talks for any investigators anywhere on the map now! This is I think the strongest effect for this upgraded card. Just shout louder and if you're rich you can basically auto pass a test for anyone. This effect can be life saving to another investigator across the map. Just don't draw the auto fail token.
  3. Draw 1 card. This is "mildly" good; like Lucky! lv. 2 good. Card draws add pace and consistency to your deck.

To sum up: for 2xp this card adds flexibility to what you can do and add a bit of consistently to your deck. Is it worth it? I think for rich people, why not? I like it. The #2 effect is especially strong. This may not be first thing a rich rogue want to upgrade. (You want to make sure you can get rich consistently and fast first.) But nevertheless for all the rich guys in the game it's worth a good look.

To maximize the potential of Money Talks? Save xps to Double, Double it, since it cost nothing, and will likely pass two test for anyone and you will also get to draw 2 cards. Now that is a pretty sweet deal, although the combo more so speaks to how strong Double, Double can be (and how expensive it costs).

-- Update: I've asked FFG. This is how Money Talks interact with Double, Double

To answer your question(s): "The only thing that would happen if Double, Double were activated after Money Talks (2) is that an extra card would be drawn; the skill test could only be made a resource skill test once, and the condition for testing that skill test wouldn’t change."

liwl0115 · 41
You cannot trigger Double, Double for two different test with single Money Talks. With Double, Double, the only thing you can get is drawing one more card, maybe; or, cannot be triggered. — elkeinkrad · 483
Since you can play this card only if a skill test is initiated, you can't combine it with double double since there is no way I know to do so in the time window of the reaction of double, double — Tharzax · 1
You finish the process of playing Money Talks, and thus can trigger Double, Double, while you're still at the "when" timing point for the skill test being initiated, so I'm pretty sure you can actually use Double, Double on this, but you can't affect multiple skill tests. The second time you play Money Talks, you'll just change the resource test to a resource test again and draw a card. — Thatwasademo · 56
(contrast events like this which change a skill test to events which initiate their own skill tests -- those don't finish resolving until after the skill test they initiated ends) — Thatwasademo · 56
But when is the effect resolved? When you have changed it or when the changed test is over? The only other card which produce a similar effect I know is the asset mind's eye. — Tharzax · 1
It's just like any effect that changes any aspect of a skill test (most such effects just increase your skill value), it's "done resolving" immediately, but creates a lasting effect (see "Lasting Effects" in the rules reference). — Thatwasademo · 56
In Arkham Horror things happen one at a time - if something needs to happen in the middle of something else, it makes a nested sequence (see FAQ 1.4), and has to finish resolving before whatever was interrupted can continue. So the original skill test would not be able to proceed if Money Talks wasn't done being played. — Thatwasademo · 56
There are a few exceptions to this, mostly about drawing multiple cards, but none of those exceptions apply to Money Talks. — Thatwasademo · 56
Well, let me again send a question to FFG game rule specialist on how Money Talks interact with Double Double. I'll update FFG's reply later — liwl0115 · 41
Update: I've asked FFG. This is how Money Talks (2) interact with Double, Double. "The only thing that would happen if Double, Double were activated after Money Talks (2) is that an extra card would be drawn; the skill test could only be made a resource skill test once, and the condition for testing that skill test wouldn’t change." — liwl0115 · 41
Delve Too Deep

Still a staple for me in Dunwich - lord knows the xp is most welcome in that campaign...

(Now to find a way to make this 200 characters. If I dream big enough, there's some kind of chance that this might do it.)

Krysmopompas · 363
Money Talks

I don't like this card.

Whenever I tried to play a big money rogue, I put two of these in without thought. Not anymore.

1) It is a dead draw in early game. Without your resource engine going on, this is worthless. You can't even commit it for skill icons.

2) It is mostly dead in early scenarios. Big money engines needs some xp to fire on all cylinders. Before that, you won't find yourself sitting on a lot of resources. Don't forget big money decks loves to spend resources as much as they love to amass them.

3) If you struggled through the worst, congratulations: This is now a very strong card, almost an auto success barring tentacles, against any type of test. But was it worth to carry it all along the early scenarios? Maybe pay the 1 xp tax and bring this into your deck later? You'd probably pay 2 xp for the improved version at that point. But since you upped the budget, is going even further to buy Sure Gamble better(I for one would rather have Sure Gamble)? If you are going to pay xp for these, when would you do it? After the third scenario? Sixth?

Therefore I think this card is a semi-trap. Don't get me wrong, payoff is there, but I just think this is another one of Rogue luxuries instead of a big money archetype cornerstone. A weird one that is, at 0 xp. Obviously you can choose to struggle with these early, and reap the rewards later (kinda similar to Delve Too Deep). I just want to point out that it's not all roses.

Amazing Adaptable target though.

Aesyn · 551
Survival Knife

This is a great upgrade! Let's go over what you get for 2 xp:

  • Headliner first: The reaction is changed from "After an enemy attack deals damage to you during the enemy phase" to "When an enemy attacks you during the enemy phase (before resolving that attack)". The other commenter already pointed out how this means that you can avoid taking damage from incoming attacks altogether so long as you kill the enemy, which is indeed great when it lines up, but can be a bit situational. There are two other consequences of this change that make the knife much less situational than it was before. Since it triggers on attack instead of damage, enemies that only deal horror can no longer attack you with impunity! Since it triggers on attack instead of assigned damage, the weapon now pairs well with soak - your allies can take the brunt of the attack and you can stab the enemy back with a vengeance. These changes mean that you can rely on the reaction in a way that you couldn't before, I love it.

  • A second on the activation. Usually this would be the headliner on a weapon upgrade, but since this is usually your offhand weapon it ends up being fairly low impact. But when the draws don't line up and this is all you have, it's a welcome boon - another boost to the weapon's versatility; its worst case scenario is less bad.

  • A second on commit. Not bad, added versatility!

Overall, I really like upgrades that take a situational card and make it feel smooth. The previous knife felt like it had high highs but frequent awkward lows. This upgrade brings up the floor quite a bit and also gives you new highs to explore: suddenly the hunter keyword just saves you the work of moving to them. If you ever kill an enemy without taking a single action or taking a single damage, it just feels incredible.

Never bring a mysterious glowing eyes to a knife fight.

Gws · 69
Ancestral Knowledge

What happens when you purchase this card? I mean your deck size is suddenly increased by 5, so you immidiately lack 5 cards in your deck. Can you just take five lvl 0 cards for free, or do you have to buy them?

Yes you can take 5 level 0 cards for free. This is explained in the faq under point 1.18, or if you check the rules tab of this site look at the Deckbuilding section, the last 2 paragraphs. As a separate point, reviews aren't really meant to be rules questions. I recommend asking questions in the rules discussion channel on the mythos busters discord. They are usually super helpful there ^_^ — NarkasisBroon · 10
I for one love it when arkhamdb has extra explanations on rulings for cards that aren't well explained.What about the your deck must contain 10 skills part. Does it mean you cannot take this card if it does not (and that you cannot later remove cards so that fewer than 10 remain). Or do you get to make free exchanges such that it is compliant (potentially changing 10 cards, not just 5 if you had no skills before)? Or does it not enter play if not? — Kvothe · 2
1.18 in the FAQ also states "This rule also applies if an effect alters an investigator’s deck size, deckbuilding restrictions, or deckbuilding options such that 1 or more cards must be removed from or added to their deck as a result." Therefore it seems to me that you can purchase Level 0 Skills for free in order meet the new requirement, removing non-Skill cards as necessary.. — CSerpent · 126