The Red Clock
Broken but Reliable

Asset. Accessory

Item. Relic.

Cost: 2. XP: 5.

Rogue

Exceptional. Uses (0 charges).

Forced - After your turn begins: You may take all charges here, as resources. Place 1 charge here. If it has exactly...

- 1 charge, you get +4 skill value for your next skill test.

- 2 charges, you may move up to 3 times.

- 3 charges, you may take 2 additional actions this turn.

Robert Laskey
Edge of the Earth Investigator Expansion #58.
The Red Clock

FAQs

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Reviews

The lower level version has had some more attention since it was revealed earlier, and at level 2, has a lot more people able to take it, including any subclass Rogue, Akachi and Ursula. At 5, even Finn misses out on it, poor guy.

At 10 exp for one copy, it's hard to say what would be worth that. Even the Key of Ys doesn't really feel worth it at 10. But The clock does have one big advantage over the key; it can be upgraded from a 4xp card. So really, it isn't so much a question of "is it worth 10xp to buy?", but "is it worth 6xp to upgrade?", to which I think the answer is yes, if you can find the time, or afford it.

Compared to the level 2 version, it's the same cost, adds an icon, and all the numbers on the effects go up by one. +4 instead of +3, move 3 times instead of 2, and take 2 extra actions instead of 1. None of those are bad at all, but certainly wouldn't be worth 6xp, let alone 10. The big, hugely important change, though, is the timing point of removing charges. Instead of choosing to take or place, then checking, you get the option to take the charges, then always place. This means it ramps up to every effect one turn faster after the first cycle, and gives you an effect the turn you take its resources. These are pretty huge changes.

The Red Clock (2), if used for each climbing effect is essentially: Turn 1, get a +3, Turn 2, move up to twice, Turn 3, get an extra action, Turn 4, gain three resources. In comparison, this version is: Turn 1, get a +4, Turn 2, move up to three times, Turn 3, get two extra actions, Turn 4, gain three resources and get a +4, and continues so on. So if you use both in the simplest possible way, this version will give you a lot of extra value over longer games by simply getting the turn 3 and 4 benefits together. Is that alone worth the 6xp upgrade? Well, maybe. Generally would depend on how early you can get it into play, since you aren't actually getting much value on the first cycle, other than increased numbers.

However, the timing point changing offers a more versatile way of using the Red Clock. Instead of ramping it up, you could simply take the resource every time, giving you a guaranteed resource every turn, and +4 to the first test you make every turn. That's a very solid effect by itself. Or, you can intend to do that, and then on turns where you aren't likely to make important tests but need to move, take the move. Then after that, you can check whether you need resources and a test bonus, or extra actions. The point is, it's a lot of versatility, and you can pretty much always use one of the abilities.

Of course, there's also the argument that the real exp cost is neither 10 nor 6, but 13 (or 9), since Relic Hunter is a very important consideration for the class with such great accessory slots, some of which you'd want to try and get the Red Clock as early as possible anyway. But then we can say it actually costs 19, since you want two Cigarette Cases alongside the Relic Hunter, and that's a whole Rabbit Hole I don't want to go down. (Speaking of which, it doesn't even save exp since you pay 5 then 5 instead of 4 then 6. How sad.)

SSW · 206
Really interesting! And potentially worth 10XP for a deck that can be sure to get it out each round. You could also possibly sit at 5 actions each turn by siphoning charges with Eldritch Sophist or something. — housh · 151
I was gonna touch on that in the review but I'm not sure it's worth the extra exp for the Sophist trick - all you get from it is one extra action a turn, without the resource benefits or the +4s, the charge just gets moved to whatever spell/pendant you have that can hold it, just like with the level 2 version. Extra six exp just for one extra action when you're fully set up doesn't seem fully worth it to me, personally. Especially when it also requires Versatile outside of Jenny/Trish, and is unreachable for Ursula. — SSW · 206
If I have this card in a Preston deck, do the charges go to his resource pool and become resources or do they first become resources and go to family inheritance? I've been looking for an answer and can't find anything. — PrecariousSleuth · 18
@PrecariousSleuth I would argue that you keep the resources in your pool, since Red Clock instructs you to "take" the resources and Preston only cares about "gaining" resources. — Whimsical · 28
In a Preston deck, the extra token is a nice bonus, even if it goes on his inheritance, not directly to him. The real value of the Clock to Preston is a +4 each turn — Xelto · 6

Just a small review to say how good this card is in Jenny Barnes.

• Get an additional resource at the beginning of every round if you decide on taking it each time as you can collect the cash before placing the Charge.

•• It brings you rather easily to +4 resources each turn with Lone Wolf, making you as rich as Preston Fairmont, but with a 3-3-3-3 stat-line instead of 1-1-1-1.

• Get a +4 to your first Test each round, which brings you to 7 at least at any skill.

•• This is the equivalent of 4 resources sinked in one of your test boosters like Hard Knocks, Arcane Studies or Physical Training.

• Collect a second Charge to get 3 move actions (so no AoO if you trigger it), which is amazing to go Searching for Izzie

If you have that card in your collection while playing the Dilettante, give it a try, you won't regret it!

Valentin1331 · 55065
And only 10 xp! — MrGoldbee · 1390
Preston earns +5 resources each turn though, although I agree having Jenny's stats and flexibility to spend it whenever you want is a huge boost. — Nenananas · 242
But if you want to use the clock as a resource-generator and not that much for its bonuses just take the 4xp variant. It gives you a lesser bonus but you can spent 6 more xp on other things — Tharzax · 1
I know MrGoldbee, what a discount right?? — Valentin1331 · 55065
And to Tharzax, in the 4xp variant, you either place the charge or collect it, so you eventually get 1 resource every 2 turn, when this ones gives you 1 resource every turn. So the 4xp variant is of course leading to this one, but the 10xp one should be the end goal. — Valentin1331 · 55065
Good catch but even then I'm not sure if I would spent the additional xp since you still get 3 ressouces every 4 rounds. — Tharzax · 1
Should take a pull: for 10xp, will you take this or the Key of Ys? Which one is stronger? — liwl0115 · 40
Good question, I personally never played the Key of Ys because I consider it broken. The Clock also offers more flexibility, especially when Searching for Izzie — Valentin1331 · 55065

This card can help a lot a parallel "Skids" O'Toole "rich" deck to start a scenario . The The Red Clock first gives a bonus resource, then Skids spends 3 resources for his capacity and tests at 7 against 3 to get 3 additional resources. In case of success he now has 4 more resources so an increase of +1 to the bonus given by Well Connected.

Of course the +4 from the Clock would be more interesting for a test that gives you something that advances the scenario but if you use it on your resource generation for a couple of turns you get faster a great Well Connected boost (and so a total of 3 great boosts per tun.

AlexP · 243
I played P-Skids with this, The Black Fan and Well Connected (3) in a 19xp standalone a year or so back and it was great. — Krysmopompas · 350
Could you use haste after two movements? — IntoxIcatIon · 1
@Intoxication no as they are not Move actions. — screamingabdab · 85