Soul Sanctification

There aren't a whole lot of good healing cards, and it doesn't seem worth 6 XP just to take some otherwise bad cards and make them good (you could just play the good cards to begin with). Still, this seems like it will get real value out of the occasional healing card that was already playable. Obviously this should be strong in Carolyn Fern and Vincent Lee. Some other examples for the not-healing-focused investigators:

  • Book of Psalms was already a reliable blessing enabler with healing as a side effect. This will provide significant utility to a blessing deck.
  • Hallowed Mirror is arguably the best dedicated healing card at 0xp. Soothing Melody doesn't cost any resources or cards; two healing for one action is actually a pretty good rate. This lets you benefit (maybe even more than normal!) when you don't have anything to heal.
  • Empty Vessel, like most of these, heals you while also doing something powerful that you wanted anyway.
  • Deny Existence, while expensive in terms of XP, was already one of the best dodges in the game. Again, a substantial improvement on something you weren't really playing for the healing.
  • Lily Chen's Discipline. The active effect is already quite potent and reusable, and guardians can end up with periodic downtime to use it.

What most excites me about it, though, is that it might kind of bail out Shrewd Analysis. Two of the otherwise stronger Researched cards have healing upgrades which are basically duds (Ancient Stone and Strange Solution). Now, if you get one of those, you can spend some of the XP you saved with Shrewd Analysis to turn them into playable cards. All three Ancient Stone upgrades seem actively good now, and all four Strange Solution upgrades seem at least playable (Strange Solution is still obviously the best). I still don't think Shrewd Analysis is optimal, but I still like to see it get some indirect help since it's a lot of fun.

amalcon · 1
The critical thing to remember is that Soul Sanctification is a permanent, meaning that you can think of it as replacing the text of every healing card with 'gain +2 on a future test.' Through that lens, a lot of bad healing cards don't just become better, but become extremely potent engines that can carry your entire deck, because the main reason things will not work out for you in Arkham horror is failing tests. Pretty much anything that can heal 2 damage for 1 action per-activation becomes overwhelmingly strong. It is the equivalent of gaining 4 resources for an action in a hypothetical deck running 2 'pay to boost' cards, which would essentially mean getting the ability to play hot streak every turn for the rest of the game. — dezzmont · 213
One of the most interesting use of it so far has been with Spirit of Humanity in curse based decks. — Valentin1331 · 70692
Works pretty well with surgeon’s kit + painkillers. Allows your painkillers to generate 2 “uses” on soul sanctification and draw 1 card at fast speed If you put the horror on an ally/asset or generate 1 use and draw a card if u put the horror on yourself. 2x sugeon kits in play makes each painkiller activation even better — Daerthalus · 16
Stupor

Bit confused how this works: example: I take an investigate action does it mean I can’t take another investigate action or does it mean I can’t now take another investigate action nor a parley or draw action?

Oldmike · 2
The latter — Nenananas · 257
Suggestion

I'm not a big fan of stats+stats asset cards in general. too big number felt like a overkilled on standard. but somehow this card is alright to me. maybe evade is not my favorite action I guess.

my favorite part is on second ability, the x3 auto Dodge . pushed me through a lot of impossible deadend and give me heroic moment several times. allows you to tank some big hit , do action through AoO , engage and save teammate etc.

Is this card broken? almost, but with the exhaust give good balance to it. and most importantly, game tension.

when I got this card I felt more confidence and play a bit more ballsy. 1 breezy evade per turn. but if that evade fail somehow you know it would turn upside-down. that's alright balance and some tension for a card.

I would say it is a fair and fun card. not the like of Cyclopean Hammer even after taboo. bleh

Pawley · 29
Stylish Coat

This card has been translated into my language in a way that indicates that another player must use the gain resource effect. Is there any official rule or explanation that effect should be read "another player card effect" and not "another player card effect"?

Zepps · 23
In English, the latter would be 'another *player's* card effect', so since it isn't that we can assume it's the former. — SSW · 213
In German it says if an effect from an other card, which is not an scenario card, gives you ressources you can activate the reaction. — Tharzax · 1
It's actually not that in German. It just builds a compound noun of "playercardeffect", which is quite common in German. So yes, this is also an indication, that these are linked together, but not the another. But, like mentioned by SSW, the English original text indicates as well, that it's not another player, and that is the canonic text to reference in case of a doubt with a translation. From FAQ: "Unless errata for a card appears below, the original English product printing of that card and all of its information is considered accurate, and overrides all other printings. This includes translated cards, promotional or organized play cards, and printings which may appear in alternate products." — Susumu · 366
Besides, an annoying new translation mistake, of where the English original would override the German version, would be "Word of Command" and "Power Word", which are both called "Machtwort" in German. So by the rule, you should only be able to add two copies by name to your deck. But the English version overrules that. — Susumu · 366
Katja Eastbank

Background: I played Katja Eastbank in a Stella Clark deck with emphasis on Dilemmas. We played a two-player campaign of Path to Carcosa and Stella joined the campaign after the Asylum. My partner played Joe Diamond.

Katja Eastbank was a great addition to the deck. Stella Clark's character ability offset the action cost of Katja Eastbank when accessing cards beneath her. We were able to put dilemmas beneath Katja when the situation was not favorable and activate them later on. However, Katja was even more useful when drawing situational cards such as a second .18 Derringer or Old Keyring while the first one was still healthy. Here, Katja Eastbank basically saves that card for later and provides you with an additional draw.

I think Katja Eastbank is particularly good in decks which include strong but situational cards. "Situational" cards are not limited to high-impact Dilemmas such as Fickle Fortune but may also be cards such as End of the Road, assets with expendable charges for later use, and Alter Fate, just to name a few. Stick these cards to Katja Eastbank, building up a strong selection of cards for later use, and draw into your economy, skills, or general-use events earlier.

One thing everyone seems to have overlooked here is Katja's ability to speed up card draw, and her usefulness in discarding those cards when she departs for the great esoteric repository in the sky. Simply stuff your deck, then Katja's raincoat with improvised cards and the Moonstone then Tetsuo her out to improve resource expenditure, card draw, tempo, and test successes as all those cards are discarded. — Blitheharrow · 38