Hold Up

Hold Up

Given it costs 1, you'd have to succeed by 4 in order to save 3 resources and break even w/ E-cache. You'd also need to have an item that costs at least 4. You'd probably also want to have the resources to pay for it even if you only succeed by 0 or 1.

You do save 1 action and avoid attacks of opportunity so there is value in that, but it may not be enough to make it worth it when looking at it purely in regards to economy. Where it could be good is using it in combination with events/skills that have additional non-damage effects.

"Throw the Book at Them!", Act of Desperation, Cheap Shot, Grievous Wound. All of these could be good events with this.

Stunning Blow can still evade. Long Shot says "does 1 damage" not, "deals +1 damage" so you can still get some.

Zeal being used for the automatically success means that you can ensure your item is heavily discounted.

kamiidude · 66
Hold Up + Zeal = Puss in Boots? — MrGoldbee · 1513
Now that you mention that you want the resources to pay for the item, I notice that the text doesn't say that you "may" play an item if you succeed. So if you succeed by 0 or 1 then wouldn't that mean that you have to play the item anyway? If you don't have the resources I guess you just whiff? — Nephthys17 · 1

Blade of Yoth

Blade of Yoth

They may just forgot to add a force ability to make it set aside out of play when its discarded. Now it will go to your discard pile and deck and , eventually, you hand to be a dead card. Hope to see a FAQ to fix that. 200200200200200200200

OnThinIce · 28
i've been wondering about when you are using akachi and you change to the blade, does it get an additional charge? — brkndevil · 19
no, it dont have a word with “use(charge)” — OnThinIce · 28
I have no idea how they missed that: if it was intentional that it could still get discarded, it should have a cost to be (re)played. I am pretty sure Wish Eater doesn't have the same issue, because the moment it gets discarded, it loses all charges and the forced effect triggers. — HeroesOfTomorrow · 78
Since it says "Search your bonded cards for Eyes of Valusia and swap it with Blade of Yoth", doesn't that mean that the Blade is going into your bonded card area, since it's switching places with the Eyes? — RiftArkham · 1
Yes, and they have added errata to the rules with Bonded cards alongside the taboo lists I think.. three cycles ago? — broccolio · 3
Taboo cycles, I mean, not expansion. Although I guess the expansions are not called cycles anymore anyway. — broccolio · 3
It won't always work, but you can just use the Skill Test player window to swap it before it gets discarded. In your example, Crypt Chill opens the Skill test ST.1 or ST.2 to swap it before the effect resolves. This won't save you from some testless encounter cards that make you discard/shuffle a card from play into your discard pile/deck, but I have another solution for you. Events/card effects that let you play cards from your hand can be used to put cards without a cost into play. One card that comes to mind is Sleight of Hand. I don't think this works with cards that modify the cost of a card, like False surrender, but if it only says to put it into play or says "ignoring all costs" it should be fine. — Robax · 1

Elaborate Distraction

Elaborate Distraction

I slotted this in thieves kit Wendy and it paid off immediately. Even in two player, Elaborate Distraction can do wonderful things. Not only did it kill the rat I was engaged with without a skill check, it damaged a nearby foe, the enemy engaged with my guardian, his weakness The Thing That Follows (which was catching up), and tapped an annoying aloof enemy. Preston, who also has a lot of money to throw around, should consider slotting two of these, especially if you can afford Leo Deluca and is working with four actions per turn.

Obviously Rita loves things that evade, and automatic evasion at adjacent locations puts this above some of the two XP events that came out early for her. The best-case scenario is you get your elder sign during the mythos phase and can damage and tap many many enemies.

Three cost is going to be iffy for most survivors. For survivor dippers, it could be extremely fun for Minh or an excellent guardian control for Tommy. Any of the Dunwich set can use it as discount dynamite.

MrGoldbee · 1513
Nuts in Dreamlands to clear swarms. I'd have to re-read the Scarlet Keys rules to check, but I think this allows pulls everyone out of the shadows? — OrionJA · 1
That'd be my read. — MrGoldbee · 1513
@OrionJA i don't think it works with concealed mini cards. the rulse say: — 11zxcvb11 · 3
"Only one concealed mini-card may be exposed per effect unless explicitly stated. (i.e., an effect that deals 3 damage to each enemy at a location does not expose all concealed mini-cards at that location; only one.)" — 11zxcvb11 · 3
It actually does work for each concealed mini-card. The rule for "for each" effects state that "if it cannot be resolved simultaneously (for example, if it has multiple steps or other dependencies), each instance should be resolved as a separate effect" — AvatarRubix · 1
"A concealed mini-card can be attacked or evaded "as if it were an engaged enemy", but for all other effects, it is not considered an enemy at the location. For example, if Trish Scarborough discovers a clue at a location with a concealed mini-card but no enemies, she is unable to trigger her ability because the clue was not discovered at a location "with an enemy." Additionally, card effects that require an investigator to "choose an enemy", such as Expose Weakness, cannot be used to target a concealed mini-card.” — csokismiklos · 1
Does this mean that concealed mini-cards are not valid targets for Elaborate Distraction’s ”for each enemy at your location” and thus cannot be targeted? — csokismiklos · 1

Prophesiae Profana

Prophesiae Profana

I'll keep this review short and sweet since so many people have said great things already, but I just want to point out that if you're able to take this into Fortune and Folly, you may have a pretty sweet time with the final act. Fortune and Folly is also a scenario where you're likely to have more than enough resources to pay for this, so definitely a card with a ton of value even after its taboo.

Giffdev · 85
I used the Packet delivery story to get is without even paying it. I almost felt bad to run over this scenario like this. Almost. (We also got Eye of Ghatanothoa which destroyed the scenario...) — sewako6850 · 1

Pelt Shipment

Pelt Shipment

If you’re trying out the new combo of Hunting Jacket + Dark Horse, this card is an easy addition. While parked on the jacket it’s not reducing your hand size, and you can free XP (like Mystics!) at the end of the scenario.

An alternate use case is with Scavenging, helping you to exceed your hand limit to shunt Items to the discard pile. Janky, but can surely it help to earn free card draw while grabbing clues. Even if you discard the Pelts in such a build, it’s an Item itself that can grabbed late in the game for the free XP…

An_Undecayed_Whately · 1377
It sounds like a nice combo indeed, but I dont like the wording on Pelt that says " the experience cost of the next NEW card". It does not work for upgrading, just for buying new ones — Wittebaard · 337
I wonder if you could play Pelt Shipment, e.g. for making money with Joey... — AlderSign · 447
I am quite certain it does not work since no costs to be paid are defined. BUT it can be put into play via Sleight of Hand :) — AlderSign · 447
I mean. You still need to kill hunting jacket late game. assuming it hasn't already died to soak before then. But its a good way to hide the card and just pick it up the round before you intend to finish. — Rolandironfist · 38
Even given that it doesn't apply to upgrades (which I believe it does not) I would add that upgrading is optional. So, I think the pelts should work just fine for for replacing a level 0 card with its level 2+ version. This should render it close to being reliable +XP outside of "Don't spend" situations like Innmouth has. — RichardPlunkett · 12