Money Talks

EDIT: I was wrong about that, see the comments below. I leave the review still unaltered.

I wonder, if the first bullet point of the FAQs on this site is still relevant, or if it had been ruled otherwise in the mean time. It reads:

Q: Can skill icons be committed to a resource skill test as triggered by Money Talks? A: It appears that icons can be committed to any skill test, regardless of which skill is being tested, and regardless of whether or not a skill is even being tested whatsoever. From the RR, Skill Test Timing, ST2: "An appropriate skill icon is either one that matches the skill being tested, or a wild icon. The investigator performing this test gets +1 to his or her skill value during this test for each appropriate skill icon that is committed to this test."

This reason seems to make RAW sense and the RR has not been altered, however there is a paragraph in recent versions of the FAQ, added in 'Game Play', point 1.9 and quoted in the online version of the RR on ArkhamDB, which in my opinion absolutely contradicts it:
A Wild (?) skill icon on a player card may be used to match any other skill icon for the purposes of both card abilities and counting how many matching icons are committed to a skill test. When using Wild icons for the purpose of resolving a card ability, a player must state which icon the Wild is matching at the time the card is used.

Wild icons committed to a skill test are considered "matching" icons for the purposes of card abilities. (Bold emphasise mine).

How could you state the wild matching a "resource icon", as there clearly is not such a thing in the game? And if you state it to be any other icon, it ceases to be a matching icon. It sounds to me, this paragraph had been added to address the weird situation of wilds "matching" a resource test. But then, the ST2 definition probably should have been reworded as well?

Susumu · 381
My thought is that the skill test is not the purpose of resolving a card ability; thus, a player don't need to state which icon the Wild is matching. During the skill test, the wild icon is just "matching icon" or "appropriate icons" stated in ST2 & ST5. As I know, bold emphasised state is for the ability that requires icons directly, such as Passage Car or Jerome. — elkeinkrad · 501
That might be the reason behind it, but abilities are what make cards interact with the game, so in my understanding an event like "Money Talks" should also have a constant ability, that makes it possible to test resources instead of the tested skill. (While the card is in play, so during the test.) — Susumu · 381
“For the purposes of both card abilities and counting matching icons”. Nothing about Money Talks depends on you committing wilds for its ability. Therefore no declaration is required. — StyxTBeuford · 13049
The quoted sentence is about when a card ability *directly* asks you to count the skill icons on a card (usually one it's making you discard, but not always). Committing cards to a skill test is committing them to a skill test and not using them for a card ability, regardless of whether the test was initiated by a card ability by a basic action (those two things being the only way skill tests can be initiated), or even if the test was modified in some way by another card ability (like Money Talks changing the skill used to "resource"). — Thatwasademo · 58
In short, when you commit cards to a skill test, the thing you are actually using the icons for is *always* the framework steps ST.2 (to show that the card is legal to commit) and ST.5 (to add to your skill value), not the ability initiating the test or any abilities modifying the test in any way. — Thatwasademo · 58
Thank you both. That all makes sense. — Susumu · 381
Does "Grit your teeth" ("You get +1 to each of your skills for the remainder of the round.") count for Money Talks? — Miroque · 25
The Hierophant • V

These new Tatort cards seem to be pretty strong for sure if they are released like currently perceived in the pre-release teaser over on fantasyflightgames.com. Honestly, this card adds a whole new dimension to the Relic Hunter. Relic Hunter does not take up deck space, so adding this card and Relic Hunter will give a Mystic a total of 5 slots usable as arcane- or accessory slot as the mystic needs it. With this the Mystics who want to wield the Enchanted Blade like Diana Stanley or Akachi Onyele can do so, you can have 3 active spells at the same time, 1 fight, one clue, one evade. The possibilities are huge and up to this point you had to give up hand slots for cards like Sign Magick to gain just 1 arcane slot, now you can more than double these slots, if required, by combining a permant and a tarot card. It is a 12 XP expansion to a Mystic though, but XP well spent in the right situation I assume.

thakaris · 199
"Relic Hunter" was already a very good card for Akachi, because she can put to great use "Decorated Skull" (3) and "Empty Vessel", as well as the classic rosary of course. Not sure, if I would like the blade on her. With a base fight of 3, she has to put more work into it than with the relyable "fight with willpower" spells, but the flexibility of this card might actually make a 2xRH deck reasonable for her. — Susumu · 381
By the way, this "Return to" box comes with new Tarot cards. "Scene of the Crime" was from TFA. Fun typo, I guess your "Smart" phone was in auto correction mode? ;) — Susumu · 381
@Susumu, I have read my review a 3rd time now, and I don't get it. I didn't say anything about "scene of a crime", but this pesky auto-incorrect never guesses what I am trying to say, I give you that. — thakaris · 199
So this could max you out at 7 slots for either arcane or accessory assets (running Anna Kaslow to have 2 in play, or Moon Pendant if you don't mind using one of them for Moon Pendant. Does anyone want that? I definitely like the concept of running 7 accessories. You could be like Rex in the card art for Token of Faith. For some reason I imagine Agnes doing this. lol. — Zinjanthropus · 230
@ thakaris: check out the third word of your review. You (or your phone) wrote "Tatort" instead of "Tarot". ;) — Susumu · 381
The Star • XVII

This card obviously cries out Tommy Muldoon for sure. It might be so obvious actually that it might not even be worth writing this review in the first place. Sure +1 health and sanity is a nice thing for a couple of allies that do something when placing a damage on it like Agency Backup or the good old improved Beat Cop but with Tommy all those allies net up to +2 Becky bullets or cash, so I would say auto include for Tommy. Improves the quality of every asset with health and sanity though, so this works with Key of Ys or Guardian Angel or also Leather Coat and Cherished Keepsake. Since this is a pre-release review, this might change, but otherwise I see some potential using the tarot slot in a new way.

thakaris · 199
what this also does is throw alot of power into the 1 health 1 sanity cards, if you are running star anyway to boost beatcop fine clothes and ward of flesh both look a lot stronger. — Zerogrim · 295
Butterfly Effect

Here are some combo for this card what I think. Note that this card only works with symbol (, , , , , , , ). If you think combos with /, you may consider Sun/Moon of Favor. Additionally, you always trigger the condition of this card by Sun/Moon of Favor.

  • General usage

    • return important skill card at failure test, which is exactly same as Try and Try Again
    • return over-commited skill card, especially at .
    • commit if a skill test would be failed by 1~3, which is similar as play Lucky!. Note that you cannot prepair the highest Numeric token such as -4 in normal difficulty, so that this card is less robust than Lucky.
    • commit a skill card at success test to gain bonus of the skill card.
  • Card-specific usage (except signature/investigator)

  • Investigator-specific usage
    • Stella: commit Neither Rain nor Snow at , to avoid terrible effect of failure. (encounter test, attack to the enemy engaged with another investigator ...)
    • Minh: commit any skill card at ; then, return just commited skill card by effect.
    • Amanda: return skill card beneath her; then, recycle that skill card for next round.
    • Silas: commit skill card; then, return just commited skill card by his ability. Definance(2) may be a good target for this.

I think there are more combo in world, and I'll add if I find more :)

elkeinkrad · 501
What our group has found Butterfly Effect invaluable for is simply letting us account for nasty symbol token effects. Quite often we’re willing to fish on a test without guaranteed success, or even when we’re aiming to fail (i.e. for “Look What I Found!”), But we are less concerned about the tempo loss of failing than the nasty ‘of you fail’ effect on some of the tokens. Butterfly Effect let’s us take those tests knowing we can avoid those nasty surprises. Sometimes it’s also just a pseudo lucky. Nothing fancy, but it puts in work for 1xp. — Death by Chocolate · 1489
Ambush

The main problem is that you cannot be sure that an enemy is spawned at your location in mythos phase. If an enemy is not spawned, you have to plan that you don't move one more round, or discard 2 resources and Ambush; both are bad. On the Hunt & Let me handle this! may help this work, but both card don't guarantee that a enemy is always spawned.

However, it is another source of damage in mythos phase for Nathaniel. Because Nathaniel has very limited cards which can deal damage in mythos phase, this card always guarantees 3 damages without any loss. The fundamental problem can be solved by Gloria. Gloria can look encounter deck. If Gloria looked encounter deck, you can be sure that an enemy must be spawned. Then, it always works! Also, Gloria usually wants to look encounter deck, this has no additional cost like On the Hunt and Let me handle this.

I think Ambush is good card for Nathaniel & Gloria pair. Also, it's good even if only Gloria exists (of Gloria herself).

elkeinkrad · 501
I wish this card included Hunters in addition to spawning. I have never been able to justify putting it into a deck. I like the idea of 2 untested damage but it is too situational to be useful. — The Lynx · 993
That would be cool for a level 2 upgrade of ambush (maybe also make it fast). As is, it is pretty solidly overshadowed by Disc of Itzema (0). — Death by Chocolate · 1489
This card is handy in scenarios that spawn enemies at set points, like when the Act or Agenda advances. If you bought it after "The Gathering," for example, it could prove clutch in Midnight Masks and The Devourer Below. Also, those enemies that spawn at Act or Agenda advancement are often difficult elites, making free damage all the better. — Mordenlordgrandison · 464
But you need to stay in the location so even if you know that an enemy will be spawn in the location A at some point, you need to stay in this location until the enemy is spawned. — AlexP · 284