Hey guys, just a heads up, this is still a fine card.

I have a hard time spending XP on purely defensive cards, but in terms of sheer HP tank value you can get in a single action Bulletproof Vest is undisputed champion.

Many powerful heals require 2+ actions, First Aid for example which gives Bulletproof stiff competition takes 5 actions to get full use out of (and is limited). Bulletproof is 1 action for a whopping 4 more health to work with, there is no other card in the game that nets you so much health in so little time.

The action efficiency is important, lots of characters scramble for actions. In solo, actions are your most precious resource. If you're trying to multitask clues and combat in a team, you definitely don't have actions to spare! In a team where you're the key performer in a particular role (the only killer, the only cluer). Bulletproof Vest is a go-to card for the characters who have health trouble but no actions to spare.

Obviously the exact same is true for Elder Sign Amulet and horror.

Leather Coat costs 2 less resources and prevents 2 less pain, I don't see either card as being better, being free makes the card better in certain decks, worse in other decks.

The only card that completely overwhelms the Vest is Deny Existence, where preventing any trigger of 2 damage effectively nets you as much tanking as the Vest would but for 0 actions and no cost while also being there if you have trouble with other stuff.

I completely agree with Bronze, who said:"I don't think that these protective cards are getting enough love." Just take a glance at this happy detective bragging in the office how closely he escaped a domestic dispute with his wife, and you know what i mean.

Alongside Bulletproof Vest, only two other assets are worn on the body. But the other vestments are cheaper in xp and play cost. The question emerges if and when the investment of 2 resources and 3xp pays off. For the sake of simplicity, i do not count any sanity bonuses in the ongoing comparison.

A look at the competitors for the body slot discloses the vest's shortcomings:

• Leather coat protects 2 health lesser for 2 resources less.
• Fine Clothes protects 3 health lesser for 1 resource less. And grants you a special ability.

Of course, there is the strategy of reallocating damage to other assets, so Bulletproof Vest has to be evaluated against...

• Guard Dog protects 1 health lesser for 1 resource more. Grants an additional trait.
• Hired Muscle protects 1 health lesser for roundabout the same cost as the vest. Grants an additional trait.
• Beat Cop(2) protects 1 health lesser for 1 resource more. Grants an additional trait.
• Leo De Luca(2) protects 2 health lesser for 3 resources more. Grants an additional trait.

You can play other assets to heal damage....

• First Aid heals 1 health lesser for the same cost. Requires 3 additional actions to spend.

...or events...

• Emergency Aid heals 2 health lesser for 2 resources less. Can be used on others, too.
• "I've had worse…" heals up to 1 health more for 2 resources less.
• Dodge prevents up the the same health for 2 resources less. Can be used on others.

To sum things up, under the key aspect of health protection, Bulletproof Vest is the second to best economical choice for permanent health protection available. On top, it can be combined with all other methods of health reallocation/protection/recovering. If your investigator has a low base Health or suffers from severe physical trauma, Bulletproof Vest is the card for you!

Non-body-assets in the first place give you additional, powerful abilities to cope with a variety of situations. If you plan to start a killing spree and have to tank away massive hits, the vest makes you fit for survival. It's a tool for a special role and should be valued in this scope only. Guardians can, of course, rely on their more powerful events instead or complementary. Just keep in mind that the vest is permanently there, while events are often bound to certain triggers.

Pros

• Bulletproof vest endows you with the best health bonus available, only one other card, Leather Coat, competes.
• Good play cost.
• Combines well with Scavenging.
• Great click compression, only Guardian events are better.
• -icons can alternatively boost skill tests.

Cons

• Protects the wearer only.
• Should be played before enemies appear, during a fight it's useless.
• Pretty tough xp cost, viable only for special decks.

An extremely simple yet powerful card, Bulletproof Vest remains at the pinnacle of efficient defensive options in terms of cost, value, and flexibility. As a 3xp card, this can easily be slotted into any investigator's deck without much thought:

Need a way to circumvent Azure Flame (5) from burning your Father Mateo? Take Bulletproof Vest and watch those self-destructive flames turn to ashes. Your Norman Withers took a bit too much Physical Trauma over the campaign? Slap on a Bulletproof Vest and watch his effective health nearly double in one action.

In terms of action efficiency, Bulletproof Vest is a simple 1 action, 2 resource card, with no setup needed other than simply drawing the card and having a body slot open. For Mystics, this slot competes with Robes of Endless Night (which is only for Spell-Mystics), and Astral Mirror (for Arcane-Mystics), neither of which are highly used even in their own respective archetypes. As for Seekers, their alternative tends to be Lab Coat, which is a possible +1 on skill tests and is good if your Seeker tends to be doing more skill tests that are closer to DC match.