Note that this card does not require that you are performing the skill test, or even that it's at your location. As a result, in a multiplayer game it can trigger almost every turn, keeping you sane even while playing mystic cards and occasionally helping out your fellow investigators.

Don't forget that it works with Jim's elder sign ability. Usually there's no real difference between +1 and 0, so as long as skulls don't have some terrible extra effect, it's safe to turn your elder sign into a skull and enjoy the healing.

Initially this card seems kind of useless. Honestly I can't really comment on its applicability to your typical investigator but I do know of two investigators who can benefit a lot from it.

Zoey and Jenny can both get really screwed by their weaknesses if they drop in the last few rounds of the game. Zoey can get caught traveling all the way across the map in order to kill some jerk monsters and Jenny searching for Izzie in far off lands. This can be especially problematic in large maps or ones flush with monsters. If you only have a couple turns left in the campaign before the final Agenda procs you may not have that many actions to spare, and especially for these weaknesses they are on-par with being defeated anyway (which is significantly worse than any other investigators weakness penalty). In this method you can almost halve the number of actions required to fulfill these without screwing over your win condition.

It's not a perfect fix, but I'd consider a 1-of for these investigators to help them out alongside action-investments like Police badge or action-compression items like Cat Burgler.

Three is fantastic. I love the restriction, it feels thematic and inline with other cards like Lucky!, Oops! and "Look what I found!". When it works it is incredibly helpful however I have found it a bit of a dead card often sacrificed to Wendy Adams ability. It's probably better including Unexpected Courage and other skill cards with more versatility rather than risk having a dead card in your deck.

What is action compression, what is action investment? Why is this card so damn good?

For 1 resource (something you almost always start your turn with one of) you get at least one engage action with this card. This is the lowest value you get for this card and honestly even at that level it is deceptively good.

Here's the thing: not all actions are made the same. Say you have an enemy engaged with your fragile Daisy flower one stop over from you, if the enemy has 2 health and you have a .45 then it takes you three actions to move, engage and kill that enemy no problem. However if the enemy has 3-4 health you're now in trouble. If there are two enemies at 1-2 health you are similarly guaranteed someone has to take damage (unless your daisy has a plan)

With Taunt you now have that action you need to cut through the chaff and save everyone. Wonderful! For 1 banked resource you saved someone 1 damage and 1 horror probably.

Where Taunt breaks the game is if you're a certain nutty chef. As Zoey you can:

• run into the room
• wave your cross at a horde of rats
• cap one 2 health enemy with your .45
• hack another 2 health enemy with your machete

And make 2 damn resources for your slaughter.

Does it usually get that efficient? No, but since it's minimal efficiency is trading one resource into an action (which is a good trade) it's never a bad card. As soon as there's two enemies in a location fire away and reap the rewards of action economy!

DO NOT PICK HIM! Use the Librarian instead because here comes the hate.

Hand's down Rex Murphy is the WORST investigator in the game (through Blood on the Altar). First of all, Rex's Curse is absolutely brutal. I cannot overstate how crippling his unique weakness is. You will doubt every decision you make while it's out, and it never really goes away. This transforms your turn into a painful and tedious experience, rather than a challenging risk/reward analysis. If you do manage to get rid of it (strategically failing?), then the likelihood of you drawing it again only increases as your deck gets thinner and thinner. Not being able to add fortune cards is just a slap in the face. Secondly,hHis investigator's ability is rarely triggered and is only useful at locations with multiple clues. Thirdly, "Oh hooray! I drew the Investigator Token! +2 or autofail to draw three cards?" Sheesh.

But what about his special card, Search for the Truth? Sure, it has three skill icons, but look at that ability. It only works when you stockpile clues - the exact opposite thing you want to do in this game. And you only get one use out of it! It's almost as if Rex was an inside joke at Fantasy Flight. Rex "Resign or Die" Murphy.

I thought I'd be getting into an exciting challenge by playing as Rex in standard solo mode, but I can't even get past Midnight Masks with him. I dare you to play him solo in The Midnight Masks scenario. If you can complete that scenario with more than half of the available victory points, then please please please post your deck. I've given up on him.