Yikes. Shuffles back in if it doesn't hit. Can set you back a billion actions. Can make your dedicated killer helpless in the most critical of times. This card totally screws Mikey's engine of many guns out, pew pewing with each one of them. A weakness that can hit 3+ cards, totally 10+ resources, 3 play actions, 3 card draws worth for a total of 16ish "points" is beyond bad (granted some of those may be partially used up).

Even defending this weakness by calling it a free reload is not compelling. You are always drawing to find new guns. This just increases the chances to find those guns again in your undrawn cards. You're better off arguing that it proc's ETB (and LTB) effects.

This card is atrocious. Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder

Pros:

• Provides 1 additional XP after each scenario (duh).
• Doesn't kill you outright after being defeated unlike Charon's Obol.
• Is a Science asset, so can be taken on Kate Winthrop alongside the usual Mystics and investigators with level 0 Mystic access.

Cons:

• If you're defeated once, you get Homunculus'd - meaning you can't change your deck, you get a load more basic weaknesses, and your statline will make you want to cry.
• Two strikes and you're out, if you're defeated again you're killed.
• May encourage cheating: "If I hadn't drawn the I wouldn't have been defeated, so let's ignore it!"

Deckbuilding Tips:

• Pairs well with Arcane Research and Down the Rabbit Hole - synergising by offering more XP.
• In the Thick of It is less worth it, as in 3 scenarios you'll have earnt that XP back from the Great Work, and the trauma puts you at risk of Homunculus-ing (I know Arcane Research provides trauma as well, but Arcane Research has a much greater pay-off).
• For Dexter, Sefina, Charlie and Lola, it pairs well with Charon's Obol - as realistically the Homunculus is annoying enough that death may be preferable!
• Transfiguration can un-Homunculus you for a scenario. Obviously you need to buy this before you Homunculus as you can't change your deck at that stage. Charlie and Lola are good Transfiguration abusers in particular given their wide card pool.
• You'll want to consider how many upgrade points there are in your campaign, and so how much bonus XP you'll be earning. I usually use 8 scenarios with 7 upgrade points as my rule of thumb for XP-boosting cards (with some luxury XP upgrades in your back pocket if the campaign goes on longer).

I just posted a Dexter deck today using both this and Charon's Obol (on the 1st April no less...). Generally as mentioned above you should think out your upgrade path for a Great Work deck before starting a campaign, as analysis-paralysis is common if you're awash with XP. It's also good to think about your backup plan should your investigator die (Ascetic decks are a good tool for this, I posted an Ascetic Kymani deck in the past month with the goal of replacing killed investigators). That's all there is to say really - watch out for the Homunculus!

This card feels too good to be played.

A thought that itches my mind is the following: can it search for investigator exclusive cards? After all, it specifically says: even if it does not meet your deckbuilding requirements.

This card is insane in Mystic Agatha Crane.

If you've met the condition for Agatha's ability in your first two actions, you just play this as your third action and add 10 curse and bless tokens to the bag. Then your turn ends, you play it again from your discard, remove all 10 curse and bless to heal 10 horror from cards at your location.

This can be investigators, allies... even cards that can't normally be healed like Keeper of the Key.

All for 0 resources, 1 action, and 3xp!