Absurdly good in Jenny Barnes, for who this will (scenario fuckery not withstanding) always be ????, or Unexpected Courage on steroids. Also pretty nice for Rogues with low willpower to pass a "brain test". For Winifred especially this seems like an auto-include if you need a plan to deal with those tests, especially since it feeds her ability. Also combos beautifully with cards that boost all stats, like Geas.

A new shiny toy for Big Money Rogue. Preston especially, who is very vulnerable to the encounter deck due to low stats, can make good use of this. I think you want to always pay 4 for the "your deck" change, since not having to deal with an encounter card entirely AND getting a free draw is definitely a huge step up from the regular effect. I don't think you usually use this on your fellow investigators unless something REALLY backbreaking to them gets pulled.

There’s a subtle trap in this card. Notice it takes effect “If your location can be investigated.” At first glance, it seems that this is referring to locations with clues on it. But the rule is that you can perform an investigate if it has the potential to change the game stage. So other scenario cards may permit you to investigate a location, and then you’d be stuck. But some player cards—and I’m looking at you, Archive of Conduits—allow you to investigate some locations without clues. So this weakness would cause you to be stuck until you discovered that pesky ley line.

THIS IS A THOUGHT PROVOKING CARD

edit- added some more(thanks Zerogrim), fixed some grammar

tldr: it is a Daniela card with bandolier, if you use with others, give it card support. That's about it.

Okay, we have a lvl zero splash card that both guardians and survivors can take,for a card, 3 resources, two hand slots and an action,we get...

1 Action - -1 Fight +1 damage

2 Actions - +2 Fight +2 damage

the two printed abilities on the card are interesting, but I won't mention the second action ability first, because if you can't use the first ability, I wouldn't take it at all. There are alot of people that could take this card, COULD, but should stay away, the -1 is not very nice unless you have card help. A few people come to mind tho.

Mark Harrigan COULD with his fight, he could use it effectively, but for the same cost, minis a hand slot, he could have a .32 colt, it use ammo of course, but he is the gun specialist and therefore should use guns.

Natcho COULD with his Fight, but he is better off using his boxing gloves, because it helps him get his spirit events back.

Survivors could take this, but I don't know who would really want to, I had a nice Theory with Calvin Wright... if you put enough damage on him, you COULD use it, but we have the meat cleaver, which is obviously the victor. Silas COULD of course with the skill card help,but that goes against his net and harpoon. William COULD use it, but he is better disposed to playing cards that get discarded and playing them back.

Now, I'm saying that people with pretty decent fight should only take this, but that doesn't mean that others couldn't, if you give it some support, it will perform. The interesting thing about multi-class cards like this, is that depending on who or what class you take it in, will change the type of cards you use with it.

If you take it as a guardian, you have cards like beat cop, or grete to negate the Fight loss, or physical training to pay the difference. This class, especially as you lvl up, is pretty good at increasing the fight value and not much else.

On the other side of the spectrum, survivors don't provide much in fight up options,but they are extremely good with changing the outcome for the best. Lucky! helps with the risky -1, live and learn makes sure you have the best chance when you use the second ability. There are some team work options with opps(2), and as you upgrade, more options open up.

The main issue here, is that you are taking a 2 hand slot weapon, and a bunch of cards to help support it,so you can't do much else. You could take cards that support and help you find clues, but it is clearly obvious that if you use this, you are supposed to fight and just fight, this make it a pretty decent card the higher the team count.

All that said, I'm sure this is a solid choice for Daniela. Our newest guardian. Her 5 fight and 1 Intellect tells us that she is good at fighting, and not much else, she also upgrades into a bunch of really good survivor cards. The issue is that she can,at the same lvl,use the .32 colt, which is frustrating. It also competes with her wrench (unless you use bandolier.)

So is there anything good about it? well, let's say this is a 3 health enemy ,which is common. you could...

• 2 tests with .32 colts 1 bullet and a punch for 3 damage

Or

• 1 test at +2 Fight for 3 damage.

It's the same amount of action, just less test taking. You can also repeatedly use the sledgehammer, as it doesn't expire. beware using the second ability,you could fail, and that's a waste. but if you take this with survivor access, they have ways of dealing with failure.(including the autofail.)

If you take this card, you will and should, commit to fighting, because that's were this card stands, fighting.

(Any other opinions is welcome, I'm sure I missed a bunch)

Dogs are an expensive weapon that takes up the ally slot. Having just 2 dogs out compares compares quite favorably to the .45 Thompson, albeit one that can only shoot once per round. The movement effect is mostly icing — situationally useful, but not what you get the dogs for.

Being able to fight only once per round is bad for a primary fighter, but being such a heavy investment, they're too expensive to run as an off-class combat tool if you don't expect to use them often. Usually events like Occult Invocation and Backstab are favored for those purposes because Seekers and Rogues usually have better things to do with their ally slots. Playing down 2-3 dogs just to use them twice or thrice a scenario is an extremely poor use of resources and actions. The same is true for Mystics have their combat spells, and Guardians just have better weapons. That includes you, Leo Anderson.

Which leaves us with Survivors, who can actually use the dogs quite decently. Survivors have good draw and econ now, but notably poor action compression which the dogs help with. Calvin for example likes the soak the dogs give and doesn't have to worry about managing horror from the Meat Cleaver. If they miss, they have Live and Learn and Oops! (2) to compensate for the miss the same way they would use an Old Hunting Rifle. Tommy can also borrow those tools if he wants to be creative, but like other guardians he's got better weapons when he gets XP.

The other candidate is Lily Chen, who lacks good low-level weapon options due to her Firearms restriction. Instead of playing several mediocre spells just to power Dragon Pole, why not bring a couple of dogs along?