Fox Mask

If you’re looking for an additional reason to run this card in Dunwich, consider Whippoorwills and the Pit Boss. They have both Aloof and Hunter keywords.

They will help keep this item topped off with charges during 5 of the scenarios… hopefully just before your group’s fighter defeats them.

Deep Knowledge

While good, I think that Deep Knowledge is overrated. Apart from drawing the cards for other investigators, this card effectively gives 1 card for 2 curses. Why? Because it costs a card and an action, which is equivalent to two cards. You could skip adding this to your deck and have another card instead, then use basic draw action for the second one. Reminder that basic draw is a very inefficient way of cards in seeker. This, at it's best, leaves one card for two curse tokens as the evaluation for Deep Knowledge.

Compared to Faustian Bargain which gives an effective 3 resources for 2 curses, you can see how much Deep Knowledge falls behind.

zxql · 1
Unless you want curses. :) — MrGoldbee · 1510
But it's not. There is just no level 0 card draw event that is better than this one. Preposterous Sketches (lv 0) is a no thank you after this came out. — liwl0115 · 52
Tommy Muldoon

Q: Can Tommy kidnap an ally discarded by an other player, via "a Chance encounter" & Calling in a favor ? First card brings the Ally into his play area, the secound brings it into his hand. So, the condition of "a chance encounter - At the end of the round, if that asset is still in play, discard it. - did not applies. Feels very alien, but follows the wording of the cards.

There is a rule that if cards leave play to an out-of-play area, they go to the respective out-of-play area of their owner. So instead of shuffling into Tommy’s deck, an ally he took from another player will be shuffled into the deck of its original owner upon usage of Tommy’s ability. — Eudaimonea · 6
Similarly, when you call in favors, the ally returns to the owner’s hand rather than Tommy’s. But the trick of A Chance Encounter + Calling in Favors certainly works. It just doesn’t need or really benefit from Tommy. — Eudaimonea · 6
Sound Support

Why isn't this card like Bandages? For example: After an investigator at your location takes 1 or more damage or horror, exhaust Sound Support: Heal 1 of that damage or horror?

It would make more sense being a Talent, the name of the card, and the artwork. You're not stepping in front of bad thing and taking it yourself. You're consoling them after they suffered a bad thing, so why is the card not an after trigger?

However, since it's not I'm about to rant a bit because I actually think this card is good for non-Medics for the same reason it isn't good in Medics like Carolyn/Vincent because it suffers from five key problems:

1) It can't take damage/horror assigned to Allies

2) It can't take damage/horror investigators away from you

3) It doesn't trigger their abilities

4) It's 3 exp

5) It doesn't trigger abilities of investigators who care about damage/horror being placed on them

Individually they wouldn't be a deal breaker for the Medics as many healing cards have a variety of those issues, and they still run them. It's them collectively together where it becomes an issue. Because at 3 exp both Carolyn/Vincent are teetering on better options to include in their deck that do many of the points this card fails on (cough Girish Kadakia).

Like if you really care about team soak support that covers the Medics as well why not run an ally deck with Tetsuo Mori/Brother Xavier and Charisma? There's already lvl 0 slot-less asset soak with Something Worth Fighting For or True Grit which are meh cards to include with the Medics because they run into the same issues as this card and they have better options.

But the biggest sin of this card is problem 5), despite the artwork hinting to new players the good combo of characters of Carolyn and Agnes... this card doesn't trigger either of their abilities... As Agnes needs the horror placed on her which comes after the assignment step of taking damage/horror, and Carolyn only grants resources if a card heals an Ally/Investigator card. Congratulations you spent 3 exp not helping Agnes deal free damage and Carolyn give free resources, but you sure ignored that damage/horror! Maybe they thought that triggering abilities was too strong for 3 EXP, which definitely is more on the auto-include side for the Medics.

Yet many of those problems go away for the other investigator types that can include it such as Warden. As William Yorick, Nathaniel Cho, Carson Sinclair, and Hank Samson like the slot less protection (especially Yorick who can play it from a Short Supply discard pile). And it is much easier slotting in a great team healing/soak card than something like Spiritual Resolve and Solemn Vow.

TLDR: Consider it for your Warden investigators for individual/team soak. Honestly, I would shower this card with praise if Hank was the guy on the card and was named something like "A True Hero" to match with similar "assign me the damage/horror" cards like Heroic Rescue or Something Worth Fighting For. As that's the better theme and actual effect of the card.

McJames · 281
Wild how bad this is compared to Girish. — MrGoldbee · 1510
Girish is one of the best allies in the game in my mind, but yeah, I'll always consider tacking on Charisma + Girish before using this card for the investigators who can, the 5 additional experience spent are so incredibly worth it — aurchen · 321
Apparently people started playing a version of Arkham where Investigators only ever take 1 Horror each round at most. I wouldn't say this a priority upgrade, or the best card to be used on Carolyn (or Vincent) given it does have some anti-synergy with them, but saying it is bad is absolutely nonsensical. This alone turns the 2 horror Agnes would have taken into 1, which is what she wants, as the waitress rather take 1 horror at the time to squeeze in as many uses of her ability as possible, and Carolyn herself doesn't want to heal more than one horror at once from an Investigator either because she doesn't get, or give more resources. Like this a great damage reduction tool on both Carolyn and Vincent, and being worse than Girish means you are still pretty damn good! — HeroesOfTomorrow · 75
This card tanked soooo much in our plays and essentially saved our butts. I don't get the hate either. — AlderSign · 440
Even if o didn't played it yet, this card don't seem bad. Having the option to heal damage and horror over time without actions ist quite good. Even if assigning damage/horror don't trigger abilities on investigator or allies is not that problem. Or why is Peter such a good ally for Agnes? — Tharzax · 1
Peter counts as "You" for agnes because she's the one running him. That's why he's good. If Agnes was able to run this she would like it but she can't. — Spamamdorf · 5
"After 1 or more horror is placed on Agnes Baker" is her trigger. He can't deal damage for her. — MrGoldbee · 1510
Caro has Ancient Stone: Minds in Harmony for actionless heal. Or The Key of Solomon, Spirit of Humanity... — MrGoldbee · 1510
The point again for this review is that the card is bad for the Medics for the EXP. It’s a good card for the EXP for other folks who can run it… If we’re talking 60 EXP then sure get Sound Support with the Medics, but if I’m Carolyn and Agnes is taking 2+ horror in the early-mid scenarios I rather get heal/support cards that can heal Agnes back all of that instead of only preventing 1 of it or improve the consistency of getting to those cards. — McJames · 281
To add on: just felt a bit silly as Hank playing Sound Support “a medic card” when it’s mechanically similar to his Tank ability. — McJames · 281
I’ll confess ignorance because I haven’t played the card, but I agree with the review and can’t find a home for this myself. I’m trying to understand from the card’s defenders: which investigator or build wants this? — Eudaimonea · 6
The argument comparing it to Peter is a solid one IMO. — AlderSign · 440
It's a slotless Peter + Jessica that can tank for other investigators. If that doesn't sound good to I don't know what does... — AlderSign · 440
More precisely, it’s a slotless Peter + Jessica that 1) gives -1 combat, -1 agility, and -1 will compared to them, 2) soaks -1 damage, -1 horror compared to them, 3) heals -1 damage/horror compared to them, 3) does not proc any of the abilities on Carolyn, Vincent, or most of the other characters who like to use them, 4) costs the same XP as the duo. I’m just asking who wants it. — Eudaimonea · 6
Someone who does not want to buy Charisma, tank for others, save deck slots, and be flexible with the ailment the want to tank. That's a lot of investigators to me. As has been said, the ones that specialize (really only Carolyn and Vincent) don't need it. — AlderSign · 440
I’ll take your word for it, I guess. So like, I’m making a Minh Thi Phan deck—typical clue gathering and splash of support. Would you buy this with your first 3 XP? Or get core clue stuff to do your basic job better for the first 15-20 XP and then treat this as a luxury upgrade? Or same question for Nathaniel Cho. Do I stop after the upgraded Boxing Gloves? The Brands of Cthugha? The Stand Togethers? Stick to the Plan? Beat Cop (2)s? Sorry, I’m not trying to be difficult. I’m just not clear who you’re saying wants this and how bad. — Eudaimonea · 6
Well this card is VERY GOOD in Forgotten Age. Also in those campaign scenarios that where you stay will be either flooded or on fire. . . — liwl0115 · 52
Eudaimonea: No worries about being difficult, since the power level of most cards is relative without context, each discussion is potentially difficult :) Despire my defending this card, I would indeed treat it more as a luxury upgrade. I simply had a very positive experience with it when we were playtesting a standalone of mine and my friend ran this card. After we started playing, very soon I though "uh oh, is rains wayyyy to much damage here, this will be over soon" - but then Sound Support dropped and saved our lives so hard it felt overpowered. — AlderSign · 440
I still think this is also good on Vincent and Carolyn to help the reduce a big hit that would be harder to swallow: if you take 3 damage/horror, this cuts it down to 2 and so forth. Also, Carolyn doesn't have access to Jessica and Vincent can't upgrade Peter, so this help surviving against what they are more vulnerable. Granted, Carolyn probably still has ways to heal damage and Vincent will probably run manners to heal horror as well. Still the fact it is slotless is totally worth the lack of extra utility and higher exp cost that card has, has it only has to compete for deckspace, not slotspace. — HeroesOfTomorrow · 75
Vengeance Awaits

The final agenda card in the core set is . . . confusing. This is doubly so for players who want to have a blind playthrough of the campaign. Having just completed the Midnight Masks with its fantastic reveal, why would anyone want to spoil the finale? That's a problem because this card is easy to misread:

Forced - When this agenda advances:

  • If the investigators are at Act 1, put the set-aside Ritual Site into play and spawn the set-aside Umôrdhoth there.
  • If the investigators are at Act 2 or 3, discard all enemies at the Ritual Site and spawn the set-aside Umôrdhoth there.

The key to understanding the flow of the finale is understanding that "When this agenda advances" means the forced action happens after the 5 doom threshold is reached and not when this agenda card is revealed. For people who read this correctly the flow is sensible:

  1. Agenda 3a is revealed giving investigators 5 doom to either stop the ritual (R1) or prepare for Umôrdhoth's arrival.
  2. After 5 doom, make sure the Ritual SIte is in play and only has one enemy: Umôrdhoth.
  3. The Devourer Below replaces both the Act and the Agenda. It's no longer possible to stop the ritual, but the investigators can defeat Umôrdhoth by either by giving it 6 + 4 per investigator damage (R2) or sacrificing Lita (R3). There's no time limit, but Umôrdhoth is massive (engaged with all investigators if not exhausted) and dishes out 3 damage and 3 horror so the fight will be pretty quick.

So what happens if you misread the card?

  1. As soon as Agenda 3a is revealed, the Ritual SIte comes into play with Umôrdhoth.
  2. If the investigators are somehow able to stop the ritual with a massive enemy taking attacks of opportunity, they can still get R1. This is unlikely unless they have made significant progress before Agenda 3a has been turned.
  3. If the investigators sacrifice Lita, they can get R3 instead.
  4. If they somehow survive 5 doom, The Devourer Below replaces the act and agenda. If Umôrdhoth has been defeated they get R2 but are defeated if Umôrdhoth is still alive when the card flips.

Of course this makes an already difficult scenario even harder. If you read it right the first time, you might wonder why anyone would think the game would be so aggressively mean. One reason might be that The Ritual Begins adds unmotivated obstacles:

  • enemies are stronger after the previous agenda spawned a monster with doom on it and
  • a very difficult will test that will put a madness from the player's collection into their hand.

A 5 doom timer to kill the big baddie seems like more of the same.

The solution, of course, would be to put the Forced action on the back so that it's only revealed when the agenda actually advances. That would fit with how the rest of the core scenario agendas work. My guess is that this wasn't done because the artwork on The Devourer Below side is so awesome.

At any rate, now that I know how this scenario is supposed to end, I'm going to try it again. Up til now I've just ignored the entire finale as unfun and unfair.

Ichthydion · 15