Ever Vigilant

Ever Vigilant

It's a weird upgrade in a way.

Its predecessor Ever Vigilant (1) is an entirely selfish card. Three assets, three resources saved, all yours. Very good value for a 1 XP card. But while sitting with 3 assets on hand and the resources to play them is doable, the step to 4 assets is a lot tougher. Spending three additional XP on the potential of one action and resource saved is a luxury most campaigns won't allow.

What we're really paying all that additional XP for is the multiplayer aspect. Which means that the type of player who wants Ever Vigilant (1) is not the person who wants Ever Vigilant (4). That's what makes it a weird upgrade. With (1) you're getting your own assets out quickly. With (4) you're steamrolling your party's tempo. Often instead of your own. It's however very effective at that. Slap it on a Stick to the Plan and the rest the investigators at the table will be doing puppy eyes at you every setup. And you'll realize that it's worth delaying your own setup so that the cluevers can hit the ground running.

TSK had a lot of multiplayer focused cards for Guardians (which I liked as a direction). But while I think that this card is very strong as a multiplayer card, that is not what its predecessor was about. Another card that would have fit this design space better is Teamwork. A Teamwork (2) that gave every investigator at the location a to play an asset with a lower resource cost would have been great, followed the theme of the card, and helped with its original purpose.

Droll · 18
The other main thing you get for 3xp which you haven't really touched on is guaranteed value. Suppose your opening hand has 2 assets. With ever vigilant (1) you wonder "should I ever vigilant now, or should I wait and see if I can find a 3rd asset at a good price". With ever vigilant (4), in a team of 3 or 4 it's very likely that 2 other players have an asset they want to play, so the team will get the full value of the card, 3 actions, 4 resources, almost every time, without you having to do anything weird to set it up. — NarkasisBroon · 10
That's true. I omitted some of my thoughts to make it more concise but that's one of the factors that really show that the type of player who wants (1) is not the same who wants (4). If you include (1) in your deck it's because you've got a lot of assets to play out. But when you include the (4) version its purpose is to crank out *other* investigator's assets. The last three scenarios of TFA I got the full value of Ever Vigilant (4) every time. But only one out of 12 assets we played out was mine because it was so much more efficient to snowball the cluevers. I had one copy of (1) and one copy of (4) in my deck, and they felt like completely different cards. — Droll · 18
For the 1 XP card, I was often quite happy to use it just for 2 assets, like a Beat Cop and a Machete, on turn 1, better then delaying to play EV to turn 2 to get an extra asset out of it. Playing three assets was sometimes alligning right, but not mandatory for a good use. You don't stuff extra chaff into the deck to get extra value from EV (1), that you might do for "Geared Up". — Susumu · 366
I actually had the opposite experience with EV (1). There are zero enemies out on turn one so if you're the dedicated monster hunter there's no rush to play EV (1) at all. And even if someone pulls an enemy during the first mythos, the great advantage of EV is that you go from zero to hero immediately. I did use EV (1) for just two assets sometimes when I drew it in the middle of the game, but for the one attached to my SttP I could always delay until I got full value. A better use of my actions in turn 1 was to play out Motivating Speech, Stand Together (3), and the E-C (2) attached to SttP. (E-C 2 apparently has a bad rep but attached to SttP you effectively start with 6 cards instead of 5) — Droll · 18
Thats a fine take, but it still depends on how many assets you have in your deck, and how important they are. In a scenario without Crypt Chill (or a similar treachery) you are often fine to play just one weapon and one ally. (And maybe another weapon later in the scenario, when you are out of ammo.) In an asset heavy deck, you might likely use EV (1) for full value, but there are other decks, where you often won't, and which still likely find spending the 1 XP for that card beneficial. These decks should have more incentive to further upgrade it to level 4, but it does not mean, they have no interest in the level 1 version. — Susumu · 366
To say it in another way: If you play EV (1) for full value, it nets you 2 actions and 3 resources. Of course, that's amazing. But to play only 2 assets, you gain 1 action and 2 resources, which is still absolutely worth it for a 1 XP card. In particular, if you plan on purchasing SttP for other reasons, which you likely do. That's why I think, the type of Guardian, who does not want EV (1) does not really exist. EV (4) is sure more of a nieche card, because the XP-cost is a thing, not every EV (1) user will find it worthwile. But I don't see it the other way round, that a buyer of EV (4) would not consider buying EV (1) first. — Susumu · 366

Dragon Pole

Dragon Pole

I am surprised no one mentioned the strong synergy with Enchant Weapon before (neither here, nor at the other page). Apart from its own effect, it accelerates Dragon Pole's bonus damage being online via giving it an arcane slot.

Still, it seems to me that it's designed for Lily, but with Dragon Pole being level 0 any guardian can take it with Versatile and enable the combo.

AlderSign · 298
Because while Dragon Pole is a jank but decent 0xp weapon, makes for an absolutely terrible 2xp weapon when you factor in the cost of Reliable. It's simply bad advice to suggest that players take it. — suika · 9461
I didn't get where did the reliable come from. — Gsayer · 1
If you have access to enchanted weapon, I think you should simply take a machete if you can. 2 xp and 5 more cards in your deck is quite bad for a class which has limited draw and search options. — Tharzax · 1

Motivational Speech

Motivational Speech

I used this in a Bark Harrigan deck throughout 4P TFA and I'll say: It's good but unless your deck is built around allies I'd not use this card in solo or duo.

The cost reduction is pretty much always used in full so it's very comparable to an Emergency Cache that gives you one bonus action for playing it. Guardians are always in need of cash so more economy cards is good to have in your deck. But unlike Uncage the Soul the restriction on what you can spend it on really limits you. Unless you plan to play out a lot of allies then Motivational Speech can easily end up being a dead draw in a normal deck.

But the most important factor of this card is that it can be used on other investigators. It's a great tempo piece for the party, especially when other investigators have bought Charisma themselves so that you have at minimum 6-8 opportunities to play it. Don't see this as a worse Emergency Cache #3 and #4. See this as a 0 cost event that gives an ally one extra action and three resources.

Combined with Ever Vigilant (4) and Stand Together (3), Motivational Speech was what I used to make our cluevers start the first round with up to five actions and nine resources saved.

Droll · 18

In the Shadows

In the Shadows

The fast, free disengage is the big seller of this card for most cases, the ability to approach a new enemy without being engaged can be situationally useful, but usually needs some sort of action expansion to really shine so you can do more in that state.

I really liked the theme of this card for a spy like Trish, but felt it was too ephemeral to really tap into that theme. So I designed a deck around having it up all the time: Shadow Ace Trish

MuKen · 125

Cyclopean Hammer

Cyclopean Hammer

Even taboo this card is too strong. Reliable get this card +2 but only +1 other weapon. this is unfair for any other weapon.

maybe give an Exceptional like key of YS will make it less use, however, now it must be a king weapon

plfires · 1
maybe for normal difficulty is enough taboo due to check is not difficult, but for high difficulty, it is much stronger — plfires · 1
I must said maybe hammer is not a problem for balance after i found new card in 10th dlc. Welcome Transforgration, a powerful balance breaker. everybody can use yellow card in future — plfires · 1
You realized, that transformation only allows you to change the front size of your investigator and not your deck building? — Tharzax · 1