Ever Vigilant

Event

Tactic.

Cost: 0. XP: 4.

Guardian

One at a time, investigators at your location, as a group, may play up to 4 assets in total from their hands, reducing the resource cost of each by 1.

He had to give Logan credit:
the man knew how to gear up for Armageddon.
Mauro Dal Bo
The Scarlet Keys Investigator Expansion #39.
Ever Vigilant

FAQs

No faqs yet for this card.

Reviews

It's a weird upgrade in a way.

Its predecessor Ever Vigilant (1) is an entirely selfish card. Three assets, three resources saved, all yours. Very good value for a 1 XP card. But while sitting with 3 assets on hand and the resources to play them is doable, the step to 4 assets is a lot tougher. Spending three additional XP on the potential of one action and resource saved is a luxury most campaigns won't allow.

What we're really paying all that additional XP for is the multiplayer aspect. Which means that the type of player who wants Ever Vigilant (1) is not the person who wants Ever Vigilant (4). That's what makes it a weird upgrade. With (1) you're getting your own assets out quickly. With (4) you're steamrolling your party's tempo. Often instead of your own. It's however very effective at that. Slap it on a Stick to the Plan and the rest the investigators at the table will be doing puppy eyes at you every setup. And you'll realize that it's worth delaying your own setup so that the cluevers can hit the ground running.

TSK had a lot of multiplayer focused cards for Guardians (which I liked as a direction). But while I think that this card is very strong as a multiplayer card, that is not what its predecessor was about. Another card that would have fit this design space better is Teamwork. A Teamwork (2) that gave every investigator at the location a to play an asset with a lower resource cost would have been great, followed the theme of the card, and helped with its original purpose.

Droll · 18
The other main thing you get for 3xp which you haven't really touched on is guaranteed value. Suppose your opening hand has 2 assets. With ever vigilant (1) you wonder "should I ever vigilant now, or should I wait and see if I can find a 3rd asset at a good price". With ever vigilant (4), in a team of 3 or 4 it's very likely that 2 other players have an asset they want to play, so the team will get the full value of the card, 3 actions, 4 resources, almost every time, without you having to do anything weird to set it up. — NarkasisBroon · 10
That's true. I omitted some of my thoughts to make it more concise but that's one of the factors that really show that the type of player who wants (1) is not the same who wants (4). If you include (1) in your deck it's because you've got a lot of assets to play out. But when you include the (4) version its purpose is to crank out *other* investigator's assets. The last three scenarios of TFA I got the full value of Ever Vigilant (4) every time. But only one out of 12 assets we played out was mine because it was so much more efficient to snowball the cluevers. I had one copy of (1) and one copy of (4) in my deck, and they felt like completely different cards. — Droll · 18
For the 1 XP card, I was often quite happy to use it just for 2 assets, like a Beat Cop and a Machete, on turn 1, better then delaying to play EV to turn 2 to get an extra asset out of it. Playing three assets was sometimes alligning right, but not mandatory for a good use. You don't stuff extra chaff into the deck to get extra value from EV (1), that you might do for "Geared Up". — Susumu · 366
I actually had the opposite experience with EV (1). There are zero enemies out on turn one so if you're the dedicated monster hunter there's no rush to play EV (1) at all. And even if someone pulls an enemy during the first mythos, the great advantage of EV is that you go from zero to hero immediately. I did use EV (1) for just two assets sometimes when I drew it in the middle of the game, but for the one attached to my SttP I could always delay until I got full value. A better use of my actions in turn 1 was to play out Motivating Speech, Stand Together (3), and the E-C (2) attached to SttP. (E-C 2 apparently has a bad rep but attached to SttP you effectively start with 6 cards instead of 5) — Droll · 18
Thats a fine take, but it still depends on how many assets you have in your deck, and how important they are. In a scenario without Crypt Chill (or a similar treachery) you are often fine to play just one weapon and one ally. (And maybe another weapon later in the scenario, when you are out of ammo.) In an asset heavy deck, you might likely use EV (1) for full value, but there are other decks, where you often won't, and which still likely find spending the 1 XP for that card beneficial. These decks should have more incentive to further upgrade it to level 4, but it does not mean, they have no interest in the level 1 version. — Susumu · 366
To say it in another way: If you play EV (1) for full value, it nets you 2 actions and 3 resources. Of course, that's amazing. But to play only 2 assets, you gain 1 action and 2 resources, which is still absolutely worth it for a 1 XP card. In particular, if you plan on purchasing SttP for other reasons, which you likely do. That's why I think, the type of Guardian, who does not want EV (1) does not really exist. EV (4) is sure more of a nieche card, because the XP-cost is a thing, not every EV (1) user will find it worthwile. But I don't see it the other way round, that a buyer of EV (4) would not consider buying EV (1) first. — Susumu · 366

The team play feature is not just good for sharing the love of assets, but also allow others taking the play quota to skip Attack of Opportunity when playing those assets. Making this a great card for soak, Firearm, Spell users looking to refresh Asset even while in the mess of fighting. (The one who take play action to play Ever Vigilant (4) does have to deal with one AoO.)

If you are coming to rescue someone from enemies, you might not even have to engage it or risk friendly-fire. Instead just play this card. They might have just the asset that help dealing/evading that enemy on hand, only if they are Fast... well Ever Vigilant (4) is going to grant them that dream. It's like an uber-one-off-Fence comes flying to them : Works with all traits, no setup, and get both Fast and -1 discount! This allow team to recover from unlucky setup turns and make a come back even if enemies are already sticking in their threat area.

Since this card is looking to be the strongest at the start of scenario where you are all together, you may wish to communicate if you managed to mulligan into this card or not to influence mulligan decision of the other players in your party. (Or use Stick to the Plan)

Mulligan occurs in player order, the with this card as the lead may allow more efficient setup. Especially that it is "4 assets in total" as a group, you need to talk about how you share this quota. Below are relevant rules for reference.

Appendix III: Setting Up The Game

  • ...
  • Choose one of those investigators to be the lead investigator for this game.
  • ...
  • Draw opening hands. Each player draws 5 cards. Each player, in player order, may mulligan once at this time.
  • ...

In Player Order

If the players are instructed to perform a sequence "in player order," the lead investigator performs his or her part of the sequence first, followed by the other players in clockwise order. The phrase "the next player" is used in this context to refer to the next player (clockwise) to act in player order.

5argon · 10212
That's good and fine, but would you really like to mulligan for this card? You would need a second copy, which is just 2 XP cheaper than a "Stick to the Plan", and gives you much less than that. I think, in most cases, you will just get 1 copy of level 1 EV+SttP, then upgrade it to level 4 afterwards. It is a great upgrade, for sure. Even the level 1 version gets sometimes played for only 2 play action, say you want to get Beat Cop and Machete online without a resource action, and don't have an additional asset, that cost 0 or 1 in hand. This makes it a given, that no potential of the card gets wasted, at least in multiplayer. — Susumu · 366
Of course, things might change, if they ever come up with an investigator, that can take up to level 4 Guardian events (or Tactics), but no level 3 Guardian assets, but for now (unlike the level 1 EV obviously), nobody can take this card and not SttP as well. — Susumu · 366
Also conflicts with digging for your weapons, or if your really looking to run support focused Stand Together. Definitely a good card but I think if you take it your taking it specifically because your team benefits from 100% knowing it will be there for rollout. — dezzmont · 214
Carolyn can SttP and not take this, actually. Which is a real shame. — Lailah · 1
And now here we are with Parallel Pete! L0 Guardian, L4 Tactics. The first who can take this but not SttP, and therefore might consider 2 of them! ... And I don't think he really wants to, since he's all about events and already has money for days. He needs draw a lot more than he needs actions or cash. But he IS a monster hunter, he does need some assets, and in a 4P could do some nice favors for people by playing this, so who knows? — HanoverFist · 722