Fend Off

Fend Off

Handcuffs is a good comparison.

Pros:

  • Takes no actions.
  • Works on enemies other than Humanoids.
  • Testless.

Cons:

  • Doesn't turn off Mysterious Chanting or other similar cards.
  • You pay for it in health and/or sanity. Some enemies are worse than others in this regard.
  • Costs 3 more XP

I think the summary would be that Handcuffs is a fairly specific tech card against scenarios with a lot of doom enemies that can be useful in other situations, while Fend Off is a bit more generically good. I'm personally pretty excited for this one. All or Nothing Skids can also take it!

Zinjanthropus · 230
Your forgetting that unlike handcuffs, this works on non-humanoids. Notably, Your Worst Nightmare and Patrices Watcher From Another Dimension can be permanently disabled for an entire mission. — Thornstromb · 65
The first bullet point should clarify that this card takes no action while Handcufs takes TWO actions. One to play the card, one to use its ability. — Killbray · 12425

Underworld Support

Underworld Support

Cons:

Pros:

Other:

vidinufi · 69
In the Thick of It + Versatile + Underworld Support also nets 1xp. Versatile only costs 2. Pros should also include the same benefit for signature cards as exceptional cards. Especially for very useful signatures such as Bob’s, Tony’s (who still gets two), or Monterey’s. — Death by Chocolate · 1489
I'm conflicted about Parallel Skids. I mean, yeah, 20 card deck! On the other hand, this literally blanks his unique deckbuilding advantage- the ability to have 3-6 copies of certain upgradeable cards. Is this better than that? (Also, if you can tolerate 1 additional card without Skids' drawback: Zoey + Stick To The Plan + Astounding Revelation + Underworld Support == 21 card deck) — HanoverFist · 748
>I'm conflicted about Parallel Skids. I mean, yeah, 20 card deck! On the other hand, this literally blanks his unique deckbuilding advantage- the ability to have 3-6 copies of certain upgradeable cards. — PrecariousSleuth · 19
I'm not so sure that it "blanks" them since they are not considered "part of his deck" — PrecariousSleuth · 19
I mean, Versatile also nets you the additional level 0 card for which you take it in the first place. This can be game changing. — AlderSign · 396

Protective Gear

Protective Gear

This card card can cancel Crypt Chill and Corrosion so if you're an asset heavy guardian or survivor, you know how easily these cards ruin your day. Also works for snake bite and grasping hands which are nasty little agility tests that can be pretty cruel.

AceCloudracer · 5

Toe to Toe

Toe to Toe

Does this work with drawing thin? Is this still considered “initiating a skill test”? If so this’ll be even more amazing with Calvin, because then you can just boost the difficulty of the test to draw cards or gain resources, while still knowing that you will win. Additional plus of using this in conjunction with Counterpunch to just annihilate a monster in a single action.

LilSmac · 8
Yes, this works with Drawing Thin and you could commit Vicious Blow to add damage. This trick also works with Miss Doyle. — elkeinkrad · 496
Wait, where's the skill test you're initiating here? I don't get how this works iwth Drawing Thin, or how you can commit skills — Lailah · 1
There is a bit of ambiguity because the text does not contain the word 'test'. — darkernectron · 8
It's quite late answer... but, I write why Toe to Toe generates the skill test. It's very simple. Toe to Toe states this attack is automatically successful. In this game, what the player success or fail is the skill test. No other game effect do NOT refers "succeed" or "fail". Thus, whenever the effect says "succeed" or "fail", it's always related to the skill test. — elkeinkrad · 496
In addition, Toe to Toe has Fight action designator. There is no statement that you do not skill test, so that you perform skill test like basic fight action. — elkeinkrad · 496

Unearth the Ancients

Unearth the Ancients

The correct point of comparison comparison for this card is Scavenging (2). It's a card that saves you multiple play actions. Although it doesn't recur from your discard, you're a seeker — you too can do "recursion" it the au naturale way, by simply cycling through your entire deck.

The point of the upgrade isn't to play 2 assets although it's a nice option to have if you have two cheap assets, or you're an Amanda with RGM out. Unlike the 0xp version, this one saves an action because it's also an investigate action, one which you can also manipulate the DC of (Ancient Stone anyone?).

Seekers have no shortage of assets they want to play over and over again. Ancient Stone, The Necronomicon, Mr. "Rook", or the new Eon Chart...some of those are even Relic traited, further increasing efficiency. You can use a charge from your Eon Chart to investigate to play a new Eon Chart as a fast investigate!

Unearth the Ancients is not a simple economy card. You can't expect to throw this into a deck like a Crack the Case or Cryptic Research and have it work — it's acceleration for already powerful decks where you'd play it multiple times over the course of the game. Some of the power Seekers have lost to Taboos, they've regained with Unearth the Ancients, though arguably in a much fairer manner as Unearth the Ancients is susceptible to the dreaded .

suika · 9511