Caught Red-Handed

I think Caught Red-Handed is wrongly designed weakness. The effect commonly make the player angry. Why? This has two main effect:

  1. Ready each enemy at your location or a connecting location.
  2. Each hunter enemy at a connecting location moves 1 location toward you.

However, the discard condition only refers "second" condition. Even if the first condition met, Caught Red-Handed is returned to the deck after making all enemy ready. Notice that it's very easy to meet first condition; whereas it's rare to meet second condition.

Finn has free evade action. Thus, it's very common that he has Pickpocketing. After he evade an enemy, he trigger the Pickpocketing, and draw card. What if that card is Caught Red-Handed? Just evaded enemy is ready! In general, no hunter enemy moves so that Caught Red-Handed is returned into his deck. Now, Finn wasted evade, card. However, the weakness is still in deck.

elkeinkrad · 500
You’re right if you ignore the existence of this card. A smart player should consider enemy positions and draw effects before starting his turn. Either position an enemy so this card is discarded or don’t draw during your turn — Django · 5116
Whenever we start to manage this weakness, it's obvious that Caught Red-Handed is one of the most powerful signature weakness. I write this review because I has feel that many of user overlook that. — elkeinkrad · 500
Agree, it' — CHA · 9
Agree, it's a horrible weakness and a bit of bad design. Really brings down an investigator that should be fun but has weak deckbuilding and a bad weakness. — CHA · 9
Correct me if I'm wrong - and I probably am wrong. — Snjuer · 1
But the way I read this weakness it means "choose your location or a connected location", then ready all enemies at the chosen location. So let's say I'm at location A with an disengaged exhausted enemy. At a connected location B there are no enemies at all. I choose location B, since it's connected to my location and then ready all enemies at that location (none). Then I can choose the same or another connected location and move all hunter enemies there. Again I could just choose a location without a hunter enemy. — Snjuer · 1
@Snjuer When an effect presents you with a choice you always need to make the choice which changes the game state. Since choosing an empty location doesn't change the game state its not a valid choice. — nikee40 · 4
@nikee40 "In the absence of the word "must" while choosing among multiple options, any option may be chosen upon the resolution of the effect – even an option that does not change the game state." This is from the rules reference book (page 16, "must"). I still somehow feel that I'm wrong or misinterpreting something... — Snjuer · 1
As I understand it, here we have just a bad wording. Word "or" implies there is a choice involved, but in fact it means that you need to ready all enemies that are situated in your or a connecting locations and "or" here means "and" actually. — chrome · 60
Captivating Discovery

Captivating Discovery is one of the fascinating card which is spoiled in scarlet keys. This provides the 6-cards searching effect, which helps to trigger the Astounding Revelation. In addition, this gives the 2/4/6-card drawing effect among 6-cards, which is powerful search/drawing ability. Someone might think that dropping the clues is expansive cost. Unlike other clue dropping cards such as Forewarned, however, the player can easily control the timming of the playing Captivating Discovery because the drawing effect is independent to the location. Thus, you could select the location to drop the clues. You may drop the clues at the location with low should value. You may drop the (unnecessary) clues at the location with non-victory location. It means that the cost of "dropping the clues" for Captivating Discovery is commonly lower than that for any other cards.

elkeinkrad · 500
Arcane Barrier

Just going to drop the Additional Cost ruling here. In particular :

Additional costs do not have to be paid when a Forced effect or mandatory instruction (such as in the Campaign Guide, or on the back of an Act or Agenda card) requires an investigator to resolve an effect.

So if you were torn away forcibly from or to the location with the barrier, you just go. You are not forced to test, and therefore you cannot get to the discard/milling/cancel movement clause. e.g. You cannot use this to your advantage to purposefully fail the test and choose "cancel the effects of the move" to refuse to go/move away. (I did that in one play, kind of amusing the investigators are holding onto the barrier that was harming them earlier, lol)

5argon · 11020
Grievous Wound

Disclaimer: Pre-Scarlet Keys release review.

Another niche card that is a bit hard to understand for now. Tactic is one of the least interesting Trait since it only matters for Mark Harrigan but he already accesses 0-5, Chuck Fergus (so "Skids" O'Toole) but it's already fast and doesn't involve a test, Directive - Red Tape but again it's already fast and Sleuth but it's probably one of the least interesting 3-class talent.

So, why would you ever use this card??

The main issue is "At the end of the round", meaning after the enemy phase.

  • Daniela Reyes can automatically evade an enemy with her . Trigger it with the Mechanic's Wrench and attack with it, applying the wound. Since your turns are often a bit empty, applying a DoT to an enemy and leaving to engage another one is potentially really good. And on top of that, lvl 0 cards are not so hard to slot in her.
  • Survival Knife (0) if, for some reason, you are already considering getting some hits, you can now do so with a 3-hp enemy and kill it after you get attacked. It's not great, but if you planned on taking the Survival Knife already, then it's worth considering.
  • Butterfly Swords allow you to perform the first attack on an enemy and the second on another one. So you could technically do the smaller attack combined with Grievous Wound on a bigger enemy and the 2-damage attack to defeat a 2-hp enemy and evade the wounded enemy. That is a veeeery niche situation since it requires you to have 2 enemies in play, one that justifies this and that you are able to evade after... Let's see what other cards come in this pack. As of now, I see an opportunity here, but not enough yet for something viable.
  • As suggested in the comment by @Veronica212, "Skids" O'Toole could be somehow a bit interested, as he is more able than others to evade and leave the DoT behind. Cheap Shot (2) is a good way to add 1 damage and exhaust, and Switchblade, Enchanted Blade without using a charge as suggested. It doesn't save you much time unless you can change location and the enemy is not a hunter.
  • In the same vein, William Yorick could see use with Stunning Blow, attacking with a Gravedigger's Shovel, Fire Axe without going down to 0 resources, Meat Cleaver without spending the Horror, etc... The problem is that you need both Stunning Blow and Grievous Wound in your hand at the same time, which can be complicated with the little Draw ability of Yorick.
  • Honorable mention to Trusty Bullwhip would have been nice with this since you can attack, exhaust to evade and apply the bleeding.

Conclusion: As of now, except for Daniela Reyes, I wouldn't really consider this card yet, but that may change in the near future!

Valentin1331 · 75633
Hey Val! Appreciate you doing all these reviews. One thing I think you missed for this one is that in lower player counter, especially solo, I could see this in Skids? Stab an enemy with your unempowered Enchanted Blade, then evade them and leave them to bleed out slowly. Cheap and relatively efficient way to deal with a big-health enemy. — Veronica212 · 299
Since it is an event and trigger at the end of the upkeep phase he could easily deal 2 damage. The main problem might be the melee weapon — Tharzax · 1
I mean of course Nathaniel Cho. — Tharzax · 1
It's for foes who explode or go Aloof on you. — MrGoldbee · 1477
The main problem with both these both types and this card is that you usually engaged with the enemy and most guardians will have problems to escape them. — Tharzax · 1
Counterpoint: Tactic is the MOST interesting guardian trait because it lets you stash one under Stick to the Plan for guaranteed availability. Is that useful for this card in particular? Probably not. — Death by Chocolate · 1487
Our friends from Undimensional and Unseen will love this card: https://arkhamdb.com/card/02255. So now it would be as easy as dealing a single wound to big guy and watch (two of them, one per card copy) die. — bugiel_marek · 24
It’s worth noting Skids can use this with Dirty Fighting to deal with 2-3 hp enemies in one action. — MaximilienQC · 1
Now that Parallel Lines Pete came out, this card is quite insane on him. It's a recurrring vicious blow that doesn't work on Elites, but deal damage over time: Pete can watch them slowly die while he makes them dance with his guitar to heal horror or gain resources — HeroesOfTomorrow · 55
One in the Chamber

Disclaimer: Pre-Scarlet Keys release review.

This is quite a niche card. For it to work, you need a Firearm, of course, but also to be spending your latest Ammo, while still having at least one fight action to take.

That being said, I believe that we can all agree on the fact that Vicious Blow is a must-have lvl 0 card for any main fighter Deck that has access to it. So if you pack at least 4 Firearms in your Deck, meaning you will use One in the Chamber at some point, how do these 2 compare?

Vicious Blow is simple: +1 , +1 damage on success, since you add it to another Attack.

One in the Chamber is fast, adds 1 Ammo, to your gun, which means at least +1 damage to an attack that would have been performed with bare hands, and +3 .

Results: Vicious Blow saves you one action only with enemies that have odd health, when One in the Chamber helps better (more ) with 4-health enemies and bigger, or if you are playing with 3-4 investigators and there are higher chances that you have to deal with more than 1 foe at the same time.

Compared to Extra Ammunition, you obviously get 2 less Ammo, but it is fast (meaning no AoO), and gives you a significant boost for the next attack, provided that you attack the same round. I see One in the Chamber like a great placeholder for Extra Ammunition for at least 2 thirds of the campaign.

The Firearms that are happy to have One in the Chamber are:

The happy users are: Leo Anderson/Tony Morgan/"Skids" O'Toole that have access to the "Succeed by X" guns or tend to also purchase massive Firearms. After that, any that is tempted to run the Shotgun like Sister Mary, Mark Harrigan, Holy Shotgun Tommy

Conclusion: Fair card, will see use in certain Decks that plan on using the Shotgun, or the set of Succeed by X Firearms. This will most likely be a placeholder for Extra Ammunition, which makes the upgrade a lesser priority.

Valentin1331 · 75633
probably also Joe with his colts if he wants to kill an enemy and recycle an insight event in his hunch deck — Tharzax · 1
I'd add that rogues can use Double double on it for 1) get 2 ammos and 2) get a +6 for the next attack. — AlexP · 257
Autofail on your last action and last ammo is really bad cause you need to play a new gun or ammo event while engaged next round. This card combined with galvanise will save you. — Django · 5116