Timely Intervention

Timely Intervention serves the exact same role as Lucky!, a dedicate that you play retroactively when you're about to fail a test, thereby freeing you to take multiple tests with less risk rather than overdedicating on a single test to make it less likely for you to fail. For the low cost of a card and no resources in your hand (or in Isabelle Barnes' case, a single point of sanity since you can retroactively dedicate Timely Intervention from your discard pile), you have a floating +2 on all Agility and Will tests, and a +1 for everything else.

Who would complain about a 3rd or 4th copy of Lucky! in your deck?

Telosa · 81
Izzie cannot retroactively commit timely intervention from her discard — Olimarrex · 6
Sleight of Hand

This card pairs extremely well with a Remington Model 1858. Play it cheaply and shoot with it three times, then shoot a fourth time when it reenters your hand (8 damage). Melt bosses with a combo that only needs two cards in hand to execute.

Even better, with the Remington Model 1858, shoot five times in a turn for 10 damage. And you get to keep your valuable 4 exp gun to play again next turn!

Note that taboo limits the item level to 3. — AlderSign · 462
Only 6 damage with Remington level 1 (2 bullets + free shot when it leaves play) — Ramun · 1225
Pilfer

This card alone is enough to take Rita from enemy management to flex. It should be relatively easy for her to pass the check with her track shoes and a +agility ally. And if you draw the auto tail, there is survivor tech that lets you retake a test. You'll need to have a good economy (Same old thing, Easy mark, "I'll Pay You Back!", Grift) but in two to three players, this going to make a massive dent in your team's clue-finding needs.

MrGoldbee · 1542
To solve your economy problem you can also use assets like crafty from EotE or the hunting jacket from FoHV. — Tharzax · 1
Yeah, Crafty and Easy Mark fund Rita well enough for Pilfer. Hunting Jacket might be good as well, but I have no experience with it, as I played her (full cluever) before Hemlock Vale, when "Shed a Light" was still 0 XP. I also published a "Pilfer in Bright Light" deck for her here. — Susumu · 388
The 0 difficulty clue era was great for recursion survivors. — MrGoldbee · 1542
Breaking Point

This is Thrice-Damned Curiosity or Shell Shock redux; it’s a pacing weakness to make sure you aren’t playing your gimmick to the hilt before you draw it. Isabelle wants to team up with Dr. Fern the way Agnes did. But the payoff is even better in chapter 2; horror healing isn’t just a financial sideline, it’s a great source of clues.

Probably an ethical problem. (“Hey, this reminds me of something you said in therapy…”)

MrGoldbee · 1542
"For my next trick..."

Molly was a lot of fun (especially if you’ve found ways to heal her or call in favors); this is the best signature in the CH2 core box, because it’s a copy of your best in-deck card. That means it’ll usually be as good as the best XP card Dexter can take (but two dollars cheaper). If mystics get exceptional cards, this is balanced to be worth 10 XP. Not sure the Barnes’ pistols can keep up with that.

MrGoldbee · 1542
This is also a spell, so the good old initiate can find it. — Tharzax · 1