"Eat lead!"

"Eat lead!"

Not the most efficient use of XP. Compare this to Time Warp; both allow you to draw an extra chaos token, but "Eat lead!" only works for Firearm attacks, and forces you to spend ammo on top of that, and has to be played in advance (before you know whether you'll need the extra token or not).

Now, you can get even more tokens from "Eat lead!" if you so desire—but how many tokens do you really need? There’s major diminishing returns here, as each chaos token pulled after the first contributes less and less to your odds of success. Furthermore, ammo is precious. Even spending 1 extra hurts quite a bit, let alone 2 or 3. This really limits the effectiveness of this card with Shotgun or Lightning Gun, since the ammo is just so precious. It's a bit better with the .32 Colt, but I don't think I'd rush out and spend my XP on that.

I’m not saying this card has no place at all. "Worse than Time Warp" is not the same thing as unplayable. A janky Double or Nothing/Shotgun/Extra Ammunition deck is probably pretty excited to see this card. And with Stick to the Plan, for which both Extra Ammunition and "Eat lead!" are valid targets, these elaborate multi-card combos are more achievable than they first appear. But generally speaking, this card isn’t that powerful for 2 XP. That’s disappointing, since Firearms could have used a stronger buff than this.

CaiusDrewart · 3200
The difference between this and Time Warp is that you can draw the same token twice with time warp, since the token you pull goes back in the bag as part of the reset. Your odds are like, 1/34 to do so, but that's a non-zero chance, which this card avoids. — SGPrometheus · 849
Right, you avoid the chance of autofail -> Time Warp -> autofail. But that so statistically unlikely that it has to be a very minor consideration, and surely can't outweigh the many other disadvantages of Eat Lead. — CaiusDrewart · 3200
I just think the ability to literally guarantee an attack is worth 2xp and 1 ammo. In an extremely tense scenario, the difference between "this will hit" and "this will probably hit" is huge. — SGPrometheus · 849
It's an interesting consideration. I agree that psychologically, the difference between guaranteed and very likely feels huge. In terms of maximizing your odds of winning the scenario, the difference cannot be accounted that big. Still, I don't disagree that this is a viable use of 2 XP down the line. Like I said, compared to other cards that pull extra tokens (you could add Grotesque Statue to the list) it's unimpressive. But that doesn't make it awful. — CaiusDrewart · 3200
I think an important consideration for this card is that, unlike Time Warp and Grotesque Statue, Guardians can actually take it. It's unique as a guardian card as it's their only card that provides that "re-draw a token" effect. — SGPrometheus · 849
@SGPrometheus: Certainly a valid point. Perhaps the designers very deliberately didn't want Guardians to get token manipulation effects as strong as those of other classes. — CaiusDrewart · 3200
I feel that's definitely the case. — SGPrometheus · 849
@SGPrometheus: Yeah, we see the designers do that in other areas. E.g. Clarity of Mind is pretty much just worse than First Aid, and Fearless is pretty much just worse than Inspiring Presence. Clearly Guardians are meant to get better healing cards than Mystics do. I guess it's the opposite with extra token effects. — CaiusDrewart · 3200
Getting more chances of drawing an Elder Sign with Zoey firing the colt and avoiding the auto fail is well worth the price, imo. — Freeman · 5

Key of Ys

Key of Ys

A card poised to take Arkham Horror by storm (get it?).

I don't have to say much. Most investigators will benefit from this, especially if they have any way of off-shoring sanity to other assets (it has been confirmed the "you" is your investigator card).

So if you are a Mystic, Survivor, or Seeker you have assets that can help shield your Key.

Guardians without access to these card pools will struggle, but even they have beat-cops to take a few hits to keep the key around longer.

Rogues also struggle a bit to use this card without those dips due to ally selection, but they have a few things that can work.

Solo, this card is a monster. Multiplayer, you probably will have 1 person who is considering it and is trying to build around it.

Let them. Because once it gets 2 or 3 horror on it, they become hyper efficient.

Myriad · 1226
Yeah, I agree with you, which actually brings up my one issue with it: is it okay for a card to be good (or great) in literally every deck? I fell like it kind of waters down class identity, but I'm not the one making the cards. — SGPrometheus · 849
@SGPrometheus: I agree. I think a neutral XP card this powerful was a mistake. The individual strengths and weaknesses of classes and investigators--some of the most interesting parts of this game--become less meaningful if literally anyone can take the Key and become godly. — CaiusDrewart · 3200
It's a 5XP card, that does nothing, when it hits play, and might continue to do nothing, if you do not find a way to get horror on you... — Adny · 1
Well, in the second half of the Carcosa campaign you can simply say "Hastur" a few times. Even in other circumstances, it is generally really easy to take a couple horror in this game. — CaiusDrewart · 3200
@adny: The very fact that it changes horror from something you avoid into something you're seeking is game-warping. Horror is one of the ways the game punishes you, and this card makes it useful to you. Agreed though, 5xp is a hefty price tag, but if it does nothing all game, then you probably won the scenario super hard and didn't need it. — SGPrometheus · 849
After seeing this card absolutely dominate in three separate campaigns by completely different investigators, I would really appreciate witnessing a game where Key of Ys 'does nothing'. — ratnip · 68

Infighting

Infighting

Seems too situational and expensive to be worthwhile. The icons are good, but I don't think I would pay for this in any deck.

It is usually a worse dodge... keep that in mind.

It might get better in a scenario with a crapton of enemies.

Until then, skip this.

Myriad · 1226
A worse Dodge (and I’d agree with that assessment) for 3 XP is pretty rough. The Survivor XP cards not named Peter or Will to Survive continue to disappoint. — CaiusDrewart · 3200
Can this be good? Are the icons good enough to warrant an include in some decks? For 3xp, I doubt it. I can't imagine a survivor deck where your aim is to engage as many enemies as possible, which is where this would really shine. Obviously in solo it's extra bad, but even in multiplayer it's uncommon to see multiple enemies, let alone in one location, let alone being engaged by the survivor. — SGPrometheus · 849

Newspaper

Newspaper

Its Newspaper 2.0.

If you loved Newspaper you will love this.

If you hated Newspaper, you will hate this.

Its great in Solo. Weaker in multiplayer and probably best for Survivors who cannot take seeker splashes.

But it does have some cool synergy with look what I found and drawn to the flame.

So... there is that?

Myriad · 1226
I think this is an amazing solo card I think, and means you can investigate with Duke on 6 and get 2 clues with Pete.and in say Yorik in multiplayer it could get some good use, there are often times 2 clues is enough to advance the agenda or the game in some manor — Quilzar · 6

Seal of the Elder Sign

Seal of the Elder Sign

Expensive. I think this card is waiting for an investigator who can take it who has a bomb elder sign.

As is, I can't really think of many reasons to take it, outside of multiplayer. 5 for a (probably) auto-success is okay?

Very team comp dependent. Some investigators love it, some of your buddies will love it. I think it is waiting for its moment to shine.

Myriad · 1226
I'd say Akachi qualifies as an investigator who has a bomb Elder Sign. This is pretty terrific for her. (Though she probably wants to grab some upgraded spells first.) — CaiusDrewart · 3200
I think this card is great. 5xp is a lot, but I place a lot of value on knowing that a test will succeed, and the added bonus of an elder sign effect is icing etc. — SGPrometheus · 849
>Father Mateo?:] — Pleechu · 1
Combos with someone who is running Deciphered Reality or the Seeking Stones, big-time (throw in a Double Or Nothing while you're at it) — Low_Chance · 14
Just noticed this is a spell; Arcane Initiate can fetch it. Awesome. — SGPrometheus · 849
I think Diana Stanley is that investigator as it helps her not only pass a skills test but recur her Dark Insight which is super powerful. — Snakesfighting · 94
Can Minh's elder sign ability return this card to it's owners hand before it goes out of game? — Malfean · 1
#Malfean im guesing it could but ... effect from this card is applied same time as hers. You will be forced to removed it regardless you will trigger to hand transfer or not. Remember there is no instead keyword on her ability so it is not overriding any other triggers on cart it self. — Bany · 14
but it is not Forced ability so ... tbh you could theoretically choose order of triggers ... someone need to clarify this :) — Bany · 14
From rules “ A card that has been removed from the game is placed away from the game area and has no further interaction with the game in any manner for the duration of its removal. If there is no specified duration, a card that has been removed from the game is considered removed until the end of the game.”. So you can’t remove it from the game and then take it back, because you can’t interact with it once it is removed — Phoenixbadger · 199