No reviews in several years. But this card is really good. If you're a flex, I don't think there is room for this card in your deck. But man, if you're a primary goon, this card can be amazing. If you split up from your cluever for some reason, this can allow you to snipe an enemy off them without taking a move action. Sure this is just fine in primary guardians, but oddly, I think this is better in off-class guardians who use firearms or ranged assets. And as of Hemlock Vale, there are really only 2 who care about it; Skids (especially if using the bow and by the same reasoning, Lily) and Tony Morgan. Tony loves this card. Sure tony can pick 1 of 3 sub classes, but as primary goon, going guardian sub-class makes sense. He gets vicious blow, the new Strong-Armed, and this.

Especially for Tony Morgan, this card neutralises his weakness. Now you don't need to spend additional actions getting to your quarry's location, and engaging. Even in someone with an extra action every round realistically, saving 2 actions on average for 1xp and 2r is great. Not to mention the other times this could come in handy. Using this on any normal gun acts as a vicious blow already, hitting that sweet 3 health spot, able to deal with most things statistically. But especially, the aloof ignoring is super useful if you know the campaign, or your allies. The man in the pallid mask? Great. Kohaku's signature weakness? great. There are plenty of examples, but man. In Tony especially, this card can do some WORK.

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.