You're paying 2 resources to automatically succeed a test in the future. It cost 1 action to play & you'll get that action back as part of Mateo's ability.

You don't wanna hold on to it for long, maybe a turn or two, as removing the hurts your team. This is exponential with more players. It's also better played at towards the end of the scenario when skill tests become harder & more important.

Mateo does have access to Shrine of the Moirai to return the codex to his hand potentially getting the 4x in a scenario!

This is completely nuts with parallel Jim Culver. The more I play with it, the more I think it's the best card in the set.

Beyond the synergy previous mention about using the player window for a Eye of Chaos, Armageddon, & Shroud of Shadows:

• It can choose a non-elite enemy anywhere!

• It's , so as long as there is an enemy, there is no reason not to use it.

• It's easy to trigger & triggers often!

• You choose the rot & they have amazing utility.

• You can apply multiple rots with a single use.

• Abyssal Rot - MVP. Removes the main threat of most enemies. Choose wisely, there is only one.

• Virescent Rot - locks down hunters, patrollers, & elusive enemies often neutralizing them.

• Scarlet Rot - Helps rid monsters that spawn far away, are aloof, or ones with doom on them.

• Putrescent Rot - Helps other Investigators with monsters engaged on them.

• Aember Rot - Least used, but free resources! Pair with scarlet rot.

Two must includes are Favor of the Moon & Dawn Star! Favor can get a guaranteed trigger & dawn star can kill additional monsters when swarmed.

My personal best is 17 damage in a single attack, killing 3 enemies.

• Fight with Armageddon.
• use Rod of Carnamagos during skill test (revealed 2 curses)
• used both Favor of the Moon to reveal 2 more curses + 1 curse pulled from the chaos bag after.
• Spend both Dawn Star to negate the modifiers & deal +5 damage each.
• 17 damage = 7 Armageddon + 5 per Dawn star + 2 rots!

EDIT: This original review contained misinformation about the spirits you could attach to The Beyond. After reaching out to FFG, I have added some of their rulings about the card.

Official rules response from FFG:

• Q: Do Jim Culver's spirits attached to The Beyond count towards ”synergy” traited cards like Close the Circle?
• A: Yes; Jim controls The Beyond and any spirits attached to it, so they count for Synergy cards such as Close the Circle.
• • Alex Werner, FFG Game Rules Specialist

While the name suggests otherwise, I find it hard to help others when only being able to commit either this card or another, not both. I think they should have added an exception for the "commit one card to other investigator's skill tests" rule here, because this one doesn't do anything by itself.

Of course, you can commit it to your own tests to have more control over it, or instead use existing combos (which there are some, like Anything You Can Do, Better, etc.), but personally I am still disappointed not being able to pair Helping Hand with another skill as a support-committer.

About The British Bulldog: Bianca is not an enemy. Don't build your entire strategy on failing parley tests on Bianca to play the bulldog, because that does not work. Writing this here because I got caught into "wow here are 2 cards released in the same cycle with an obvious combo between them but actually no.)