Card Reviews · ArkhamDB

Grimm's Fairy Tales

This is one of the better horror healing cards at level 0, provided you have the hand slot available. Agnes Baker especially likes it since each horror healed potentially translates into an extra damage to an enemy. A fully spent Grimm’s Fairy Tales combined with Forbidden Knowledge gives +2 resources and 4 direct damage for 2 cards and 2 actions— not bad!

5/5/20

jmmeye3 · 632

If you fail 4 times... — MrGoldbee · 1492 8/4/20

You leave out the 4 actions where you need to fail a skill test by 2, so it's 2 resources and 4 damage for 2 cards and 6 actions. Now Maybe the failed tests are in the Mythos Phase or something, but it's not quite as cheap as it seems. — LivefromBenefitSt · 1084 8/31/20

Agreed. You not only need to fail the tests, but fail them by a large margin. A very below average card. — ratnip · 68 9/15/20

I always play with at least 2 investigators since I play with a friend, so failing by 2 happens every 1-2 turns without fail. But I guess if you're playing solo on easy mode it might be limited. — jmmeye3 · 632 9/26/20

If you're already running a fail-forward deck then all those extra actions are ones you'd be doing for card draw/resources anyway. This card adds on some horror healing on top. It's not great in a vacuum, but it's a nice addition to the fail forward suite. — Jaysaber · 7 6/16/21

I think having to fail by 2 really hurts it, but it could be interesting in an Agnes deck that has Drawing Thin (which combos really nicely with Deny (5)) and some other fail cards. — Zinjanthropus · 230 8/10/21

Actually, with Granny Orne (0) you don't really have to fail by 2 any more, so I take that back. Also, why not run LWIF (2) and Dumb Luck (2) in Agnes? Get stuff done while healing horror! — Zinjanthropus · 230 8/21/21

Lockpicks

There's 2 synergy I found

(Test with Status: 10) Play Finn Edwards or Winifred Habbamock. Use Lola Santiago while holding Lockpicks
(Test with Status: 9) Play "Skids" O'Toole. Use Lockpicks with Reliable
Other Rogue can use this combo but not so effective as above

This would allow rogue to get clue recursively.

5/5/20

AquaDrehz · 204

Old Keyring

I need to wait so long until Stella Clark released. So I afraid someone would discovered this synergy first.

First you need to be Preston Fairmont (Recommend) or Jenny Barnes (less effective)

Use this Old Keyring and upgrade the Lola Santiago
Trigger Old Keyring to investigate with -2 shroud
Trigger Lola Santiago to get clue and pay her -2 resource from above
You would always failed investigation so the Old Keyring never ran out

Infinity and cheaper efficient Flashlight !

Note

You can use Take Heart, Rabbit's Foot or Rabbit's Foot (3) to fail more efficiently.

5/5/20

AquaDrehz · 204

There's a step missing here. Why does the test always fail? If it is high enough to make Jenny consistently fail (5-6 shroud) then this isn't particularly great and you'd be better off with an Intel report. — DAAAN · 1 5/13/20

Agreed. It is guaranteed success on Shroud 1-2, and even Shroud 3-4 will sometimes be a pass for Preston (and fairly often for Jenny). — Death by Chocolate · 1489 8/29/20

The other issue to this combo is that it costs you an action to fail the test and reduce the shroud by 2. You would probably be better off just buying the clue with Lola and including an additional economy card in your deck (at least for Jenny). I could see Preston using the Old Keyring to get clues from 2 shrouds anyway. — The Lynx · 993 9/5/20

This doesnt work. At all. — JeremyL · 1 10/18/21

The -2 for the shroud only applies to the particular investigation. You can tell by the Investigate keyword and the fact the text says -2 FOR THIS INVESTIGATION. You cannot use Key Ring or Flashlight to somehow reduce the cost for assets like Lola Santiago — JeremyL · 1 10/18/21

@ JeremyL: it is possible, because there is a lightningbolt window in every test before and after commiting cards. During either of these you can trigger Lola's ability, while the shrowd is lowered. — Susumu · 381 11/8/21

Add in Drawing Thin to guarantee failure and generate cash for Lola. (^_~) — 4649matt · 7 1/17/22

Unbound Beast

Summoned Hound is set aside when Unbound Beast is drawn, but nothing indicates a way for the Summoned Beast to re-enter play. Does that mean that the Summoned Hound reappears once the Unbound Beast is subdued or is it effectively removed from the game?

5/5/20

unremb · 254

The summoned hound is removed from the game. As you say, there's nothing indicating that it comes back, so it doesn't. — SGPrometheus · 847 5/5/20

Seems like an oversight. This probably should have said "Otherwise, set an Investigator's Summoned Hound aside, out of play until this card leaves play..." — Othello · 2 5/8/20

I don't think that's an oversight. It's a deliberate design choice. Summoning is dangerous, when the summoned hound gets loose he's after you for daring to control him. So he starts munchin' on his summoner for revenge. And if you or someone else manage to defeat the hound - well, it's gone. — Csys · 1 5/10/20

It's not gone forever though, it's discarded, hence it can come back through deck cycling. — Éole · 14 6/29/21

(it's only a lost draw in that situation though, and an one-off, but still) — Éole · 14 6/29/21

The Unbound Beast is discarded - but the Summoned Hound remains out of play. — unremb · 254 12/28/21

Charles Ross, Esq.

Now, how does this work on Lola? If she is not in seeker role, would the discounts built up prior still usable/apply later? Or does it only apply on seeker/neutral items when she is a seeker?

Stretching it further, what if Ross is defeated/replaced (on Lola, or any investigator)? Would the discount built up still apply? Likely not, but if it does it would be really good, especially for Lola whose Ross easily dies to COI.

5/3/20

petercheungjr · 1

Since it's not an effect that you activate or trigger, I'm pretty sure she gets his discount no matter what role you're in. As for your other question, the discount only exists when he's in play generating it. There's no text indicating that he can affect the game from an out-of-play zone. — SGPrometheus · 847 5/4/20

I don't think it works with Lola. I think she would need to be in Seeker to take the Exhaust trigger. It would be the same as Beat Cop (one damage to an enemy at your location) imo and I doubt Lola can exhaust him to gain that damage. — The Lynx · 993 5/4/20

@TWWaterfalls, the op is asking about the scenario where they are a seeker, use Charles Ross' free triggered ability, then change to, say, Guardian and play a Guardian item. Is it discounted because Charles Ross was triggered by Lola the Seeker. For my 2 cents I think it works. — NarkasisBroon · 11 5/4/20

To complete my response I think SGPrometheus is correct on all counts. Except that his name seems to reference and inferior deathtrap of a starship, and should clearly be SGDaedalus — NarkasisBroon · 11 5/4/20

Yes, I agree with that. I wasn't thinking that far ahead. — The Lynx · 993 5/4/20

@NarkasisBroon I'm really just a fan of Greek mythology, but I get that a lot. — SGPrometheus · 847 5/4/20

If it ain't FAQ'ed, it plays as presented. That is, you can't stack the discount. — Blitheharrow · 51 11/27/24