.45 Thompson

So I quite like this card for it's ability on Standard to largely supplant Beat Cop (0). Don't get me wrong, he's a good guy but he doesn't perfectly solve the problems of each fighter at level 0.

6 is usually enough for all but the most dangerous of checks on this difficulty, and while it prevents you from keeping your off-hand free for Flashlight to help on clues there are alternatives. You can also just play some Perceptions if you have >3.

If you're at 4 like all Guardians (at this time) besides Carolyn Fern and Mark Harrigan, here is your one card answer to getting up to that magical break-point.

I like it in Zoey who doesn't just grind her economy to a halt by playing it, but I've grown quite fond of it already for Tommy. Becky is cheaper but requires more hoops to get the remaining 3 bullets, and is already a 2-handed weapon. There's not quite the same level of considerations other Guardians face when deciding if they should commit to a 2-handed weapon at 0 XP.

Also for these two it sets them free from the binding chains of Beat Cop, Zoey has amazing options in Leo De Luca and Peter Sylvestre, while Tommy can use Guard Dog to great effect. Like Leo Anderson he can also use Alice Luxley to help out on clues since you're not bringing a Flashlight.

It's not quite the set and forget ace that Enchanted Blade (0) is--mostly due to the ability to get +1 even when you don't need to spend a charge--but it's a fantastic stand-in until you grow up big and strong into a Flamethrower or some other nonsense.

Swekyde · 69
Yes, a nice card. On higher levels the innate +2 is even more useful. Of course, there you'll likely want to stack that bonus alongside Beat Cop's, if possible. — CaiusDrewart · 3254
Narcolepsy

EDIT: The card works as intended, read the comments.

FOR POSTERITY: So this card doesn't seem to work as it was probably intended!

The multiplayer-only nature of the card makes it seem like it is intended for other investigators to come and wake you up when you fall asleep. In that case, the should have the added text, "Other investigators at your location can take this action." You can't wake yourself up after all (since Narcolepsy prevents you from taking actions), and as written that action cannot be used at all.

The_Wall · 290
Other investigators can interact with cards on your threat area. It doesn't need to be specified. In fact there are several other weaknesses that other investigators can resolve for you, such as hospital debts — Weirdmarine · 3
Weirdmarine is right here. The card works as intended — Difrakt · 1356
As a follow-up, i feel like this card was printed specifically to draw attention to the fact that other investigators can interact with cards in your threat area, as it's not well known. — SGPrometheus · 861
Entombed is one of my favourites for demonstrating this interaction. Love the image of multiple investigators working together to get you out of the rubble — NarkasisBroon · 14
So, in case anyone else ends up going down the same damn rules rabbit trail as me, the reason you can use the action on this card is because a triggered action (like the activate action arrow), can be used by any investigator if it is (as ONE of the options, at least) "A scenario card that is in play and at the same location as the investigator. This includes the location itself, encounter cards placed at that location, and all encounter cards in the threat area of any investigator at that location." Now, weaknesses are a special type of card (aren't they always <__< ) in that , if they are an "encounter cardtype" (enemy/treachery), they are player cards when in the deck and encounter cards "while they are being resolved, and once they have entered play.", which includes the threat area. Since in your hand is "out-of-play", I assume that if a card had a revelation effect that ended with it sticking itself in your hand, other investigators would not be able to take that action; however, I don't know if this would be considered "still resolving" in this case. But whatever, as far as this card is concerned, there's the reasoning. — TheDoc37 · 468
Why is does this obviously wrong "review" still getting likes? It should be removed, it's horribly misleading — ratnip · 79
Vantage Point

Luke Robinson loves this card. In conjunction with his Gate Box/Dream-Gate, it functions essentially as a second version of Working a Hunch, except that it's one resource cheaper and can grab a clue from literally any revealed location.

ClownShoes · 162
I might be missing something here, and Luke's ability is kind of complex to think about, but I'm not sure I follow how this becomes Working a Hunch. Would you mine going through the process in depth? — StyxTBeuford · 13100
Nevermind, I see it now. Put Dream Gate in play, move a Clue to it from anywhere, it gets -1 Shroud so it's almost guaranteed to succeed if you investigate it. That's very neat. — StyxTBeuford · 13100
You'll still need an action to investigate, which Working a Hunch doesn't, but yes, this combo is neat. — TheNameWasTaken · 3
I think overall I'd rather have Working a Hunch. more expensive, but it doesn't require me to use a charge on the Gate Box if I don't want to and it's fast. However if I want more easy clues outside of Hunch and Drawn to the Flame, this could be the next item on the list. Definitely worth checking out. You'll retreat to Dream Gate at some point, so you might as well get a clue while you're at it. — StyxTBeuford · 13100
Would it remain there if you're not at the Dream Gate ? — Sassenach · 190
@Sassenach: The Dream-Gate leaves play at the end of the investigation phase, taking the clue with it, and Luke is the only investigator who can enter the Dream-Gate. So you'll want to grab the clue with him as soon as you play Vantage Point. — ClownShoes · 162
Yeah, I thought so. I think I just misread what Styx was saying though and assumed he meant that you could move the clue there and then grab it whenever is convenient. — Sassenach · 190
Of course, the fact that the clue disappears along with the Dream Gate means that this tactic is not devoid of risk. If you have a particularly unlucky couple of pulls on your investigate checks you could be removing a clue entirely from the game. — Sassenach · 190
Yeah I meant investigate it on the same turn, which you would want to do anyway as Shroud is 0. But yes, let's not have a clue fizzle out of existence if we can avoid it. If you can get three pulls, it's a very high chance at least one of those isn't autofail. — StyxTBeuford · 13100
There are usually more clues, than you need in a scenario, so not to have to grab a clue for that Victory point is also neat — Adny · 1
There are also scenarios that only care about emptying locations but not where the clues go (e.g. Essex County Express), in which case you don't even need to spend an action to get the clue. — ak45 · 475
It's also quite good mitigation for Detached from Reality. If you play this to add a clue when you enter pointless reality, you not only make it easier to f — Simonandduncan · 1
-lip the location, buy you also make the investigation itself not pointless. — Simonandduncan · 1
It works best for Luke if he can set up a combo with Seeking Answers - lowering the shroud here to 0 to pick up this clue and then investigating any connecting location also at a 0 shroud. — Time4Tiddy · 254
Also if you have a Hawk-Eye Folding Camera out: go into your Gate Box, snag a clue, investigate on Shroud 0 (or hoover it up with Working a Hunch if you're feeling frisky), add 1 to your cringe compilation. — supertoasty · 40
Unlike what was stated above, Vantage Point does not work well to mitigate Luke's signature Weakness. Vantage Point can only be played on a locatation that is revealed or entered play during an investigator's turn. Detached from Reality will usually be drawn during the Upkeep phase, which means no player has a turn and Vantage Point can't be played. — WingedKagouti · 1
Tony Morgan

Tony Morgan is a very exciting Rogue. Not a single Rogue until now has has a higher than 3, which is strange when you consider than the class has had combat support since the core set (.41 Derringer, Hard Knocks). Before Tony, the most consistent way to build a combat Rogue was to take either "Skids" O'Toole or Jenny Barnes, upgrading into Chicago Typewriter and investing tons of resources into actions for the Typewriter or directly into Hard Knocks. Even more interestingly, Tony is the first Rogue with a stat of 5 in anything. This means the "succeed by X" suite of cards (Lucky Cigarette Case, Switchblade, "Watch this!", Quick Thinking) can trigger way more consistently in his Fight tests. And as if that weren't enough, Tony's an action economy Rogue. He gets a bonus action for fighting or engaging an enemy with a Bounty on it, which if you're conservative with your bounties will not be hard to keep up all game. Not only does that directly help with Chicago Typewriter, but it gives him the opportunity to run Colt Vest Pocket or Lupara even without holding Sleight of Hand all the time.

All of this is to say that Tony's suite of Rogue cards is fairly unique compared to his friends. There's a few Rogue staples that still work well with him, but you're not trying to turn your into damage. No Backstab, no Sneak Attack, no Ornate Bow, you get the idea. He might not be as versatile stat/test wise as Mark Harrigan, the other 5 investigator, but if you build him right, he can take incredibly long turns, fight really well, and get massively paid doing it. So with that, let me draw your attention to a few cards worth considering when building any version of Tony:

  • Switchblade, Mauser C96, Colt Vest Pocket, .41 Derringer, Knuckleduster - These are probably the top starting weapons for Tony. I generally find Tony prefers one-handed weapons because of his Long Colts. Switchblade has the advantage of being fast and cheap, and is a good way to kill something with low fight and high health while saving ammo for important fights. The blade also acts as a good sacrifice to Crypt Chill while you have another weapon out. Colt Vest Pocket is sort of like a half as expensive .45 Automatic, and even if you only get half as many shots out of it before it leaves, it'll still save you in a pinch. Knuckleduster is another solid melee option for more damage/action, but with higher risk of failure, so maybe go Survivor Tony for some extra luck. .41 Derringer can be used on enemies with only 1 Bounty on them that don't benefit as much from Tony's .38 Long Colt, or to set up damage for a final Long Colt shot. Mauser C96 is my top choice for him, as he can easily succeed by 2, and you can either take a resource and follow up with another weapon or just get another shot in. Not a great Sleight of Hand target, but otherwise an incredible choice at level 0.

  • Sleight of Hand - Not a requirement, but heavily recommended if you plan on taking Colt Vest Pocket, .41 Derringer 2, or Lupara. If you're not playing with Taboo then you can use this to fire off Tony's .38 Long Colt shots to net yourself an extra bounty, as well as level 4 and 5 guns like the Sawed-Off Shotgun.

  • .41 Derringer 2, Lupara, Chicago Typewriter, Switchblade 2, Timeworn Brand - These are the strongest weapon upgrades for Tony. The Derringer can lead to even more action economy, Lupara is great burst with Sleight of Hand, the Typewriter is the closest thing he has to Lightning Gun (hey, it gets one extra shot too!) while also being able to eat the extra actions for solid reliability, and Switchblade 2 is just a fast, cheap, ammo-less .41 Derringer. Timeworn Brand is also another solid choice for Tony, though the XP investment might be too much if you're opting for a heavy Action Economy. Be mindful of your hand slots, as Tony doesn't have Bandolier access.

  • Lola Santiago, Decoy, Intel Report, Small Favor - Clue getting with 3 isn't terrible, but Tony's in class clue getting is otherwise quite limited. Intel Report will get you some of the way there, but what you really need is a resource sink for all the bounties you'll be taking. Lola will let you turn kills into fast clues. The other Favor cards are also quite nice. Even Small Favor is a great way of dealing with Aloof enemies.

  • Quick Thinking, Borrowed Time, Ace in the Hole, Leo De Luca - Action economy in Tony is already pretty solid, but you can take Leo and Quick Thinking at level 0 for even crazier economy. And Borrowed Time is amazing with Pay Day, as once it's filled it'll count as 3 deferred actions every round (aka +3 resources easy).

  • Lucky Cigarette Case, Crystallizer of Dreams - If you're running Favors, the Crystallizer of Dreams can hold them once you play them, turning all of your dual icon favors into better fights, investigates, or evades (or encounter card tests). The associated weakness Guardian of the Crystallizer is also not hard for Tony to deal with as long as he has a spare Bounty. Otherwise, the Cigarette Case is a solid way to draw 2 cards a turn instead of just 1, as long as you keep up the fighting.

  • Lonnie Ritter, Smoking Pipe, Tennessee Sour Mash - It's up to you how to counter Tony's low sanity and low . Smoking Pipe is an easy way to turn horror, especially direct horror, into damage which can easily be placed on yourself or an ally. The Sour Mash is solid for "fail by X" treacheries like Rotting Remains, and the upgraded version gains fast and another . Of course, Lonnie is the best... tailor?... in town, and she can mend your fur coat and keep you sane in the process.

  • Another Day, Another Dollar - Fantastic upgrade if you're having trouble setting up expensive assets like Leo De Luca and Chicago Typewriter.

Phew! That's a lot to go through. But wait, there's more! Tony gets to pick between Guardian , Seeker , or Survivor as an off class, from which he can take up to 10 level 0-1 Skills or Events. The temptation of course is to go straight to Guardian and maximize his combat potential. Let's go through a few cards for each subclass that I think are worth looking at (note any double icon card also benefits well from Crystallizer of Dreams):

With so many choices, the hardest thing about Tony is pinning down a direction. If you're playing in a group, it'll be easier as you'll just take the path most open to you. One final tip: bring some way to track your remaining actions. You will very easily lose track otherwise.

StyxTBeuford · 13100
We finally get a Rogue who can viably run knuckle duster and no mention of it? I take it over switchblade easily as I’d much rather risk retaliate at his native 5 than use switchblade to functionally swing at 3 for the bonus damage. And I’m still fine with the knuckles taking a chill to spare my guns. — Death by Chocolate · 1515
Knuckleduster is solid also, probably a stronger choice than Switchblade on higher difficulties. Thompson is also a solid choice, especially with Act of Desperation. I had to narrow in on a few options. — StyxTBeuford · 13100
I was considering doing an analysis of Tony but this review hits all the key points. I really think that seeker Tony is the best build by quite a margin, between that and some Lola Santiago / The Skeleton Key and he can be useful in any scenario under any conditions. You should mention Drawing Thin in the survivor pool because its the best red card in the game and has synergy with Well Connected and Streetwise; plus you'd want Resourceful to fish back your skill redo cards. Even with the possibly of the Chicago Typwriter I still think that he is yet another investigator who just rushes straight for Timeworn Brand as his first upgrade. — The_Wall · 290
Ah yes I’ll update and mention Drawing Thin, you’re absolutely right. I forgot about it because of the recent taboo, but I should still call it out. Timeworn is also a great Tony upgrade, you’re right. — StyxTBeuford · 13100
Please don’t update to mention Drawing Thin. It’s an asset. — Death by Chocolate · 1515
Jeez, yes you are right. This is why I shouldn't react to comments right as I wake up. — StyxTBeuford · 13100
I'm not expecting it to be an optimal build or anything, but I'm really excited to use the upgraded .41 Derringer with this guy. That is a pretty cool card that has been waiting a really long time for a suitable investigator. — CaiusDrewart · 3254
It's a fun time. Borrowed Time, Quick Thinking, Ace in the Hole, Leo de Luca, Derringer, and then Pay Day just because. You'll never have to worry about chasing your Quarry again! — StyxTBeuford · 13100
Yeah. As others have said don't knock Knuckleduster. IMO it's the #1 companion weapon to his own guns when you have no xp. His default fight value is so high that the retaliate represents fairly minimal risk. And you can use it to take care of or soften up pesky enemies before finishing them off with his own gun. And the ones really tough he can load up with bounties to take care of. — puert · 49
Easy Mark

This is an interesting one. Absent the reaction ability it’s already very close in function to Emergency Cache but with a draw ability in place of one card.

Now the set costs 1xp, the full set (which you will want) is 3 card slots and that reaction ability is pretty crucial. If you do not use the reaction it is effectively 2r for one action and a minor deck thinning. Begin to use the reaction and the card scales, 4r for an action as well as 2c thinning at two cards - 6r and 3c thinning at all three in hand.

Now the statistics are weighed against you if you’re trying to hold out for all three. Frankly you have even odds of even getting more than 1c in the first half of your deck, so that ability is quite unreliable. That’s mildly troublesome, as it means this is an economy card for the late game - generally when you want to be spending resources, not gaining them. The dream of getting all 3 is.... overly optimistic at best.

That being said a thin deck is a reliable deck. In addition this zero-cost economy card combos really well with certain recent additions to the Rogue pool. Double double makes even a single copy into a very potent card on its own, and crystallizer of dreams is happy to snap up extra icons for you.

I think it’s a good addition for an event rogue deck thats running double double and perhaps a bit sketchy outside. Probably pass on Sefina for whom it’s not a particularly high impact event, but slightly better for Tony, Skids, and Wendy.

Bonus points for anyone who get a Wendy deck to infinitely recur this for infinite cash.

Difrakt · 1356
How does Wendy infinitely recur this? Her Amulet puts it on the bottom of her deck (not discard) so it’s not a valid target for itself? That said, you could still play it three times from hand, drop Amulet, and play it three times from discard for a total 12 resources and 6 cards in three actions (minus Amulet cost). — Death by Chocolate · 1515
If you get to the condition where your deck contains 1-2 easy marks, have Wendy’s amulet equipped, and one copy of easy mark in hand you can keep playing the marks as you draw them. It’s actually not as hard to set this up as it sounds, if you get to 1 card in deck and three easy marks in hand it is almost guaranteed to happen. — Difrakt · 1356
Okay, that’s fair. Run enough card draw to rip through your deck and then loop it. Nice. — Death by Chocolate · 1515
Building a deck where I can have Easy Marks, Swift Reflexes and some Lucky!(2)s on the bottom of the deck I can have infinite actions! With Drawing Thin, Pickpocketing(2), Take Heart, Guts, Perception and Manual Dexterity to accelerate the combo. Seems pretty broken! :) — Venti · 1
Oh, that wouldn't work as infinite actions because I can only play Lucky! if I am failing a test. Please disconsider. — Venti · 1
Why would you pass on Sefina when you can potentially paint this 3 additional times? — AlderSign · 462