Mateo's investigator ability is one of the most impactful in the game, because it will change the way your group plays, and even what cards they may put in their decks.
Every now and then, you will come across tests which you cannot afford to fail. Suppose someone draws Rotting Remains with 2 sanity left, or the guardian has one last action to take out a monster with doom. Some particularly nasty agendas have tests that add a weakness to your deck on failure. Normally, you can buff your skill test up to the point where you would pass on every token except the , and hope for the best. Mateo allows you to guarantee that test will succeed. And he can do it from anywhere on the map (except when he's napping).
It provides a similar benefit as cards such as "Eat lead!" and Grotesque Statue. However, unlike those cards, his ability
- does not need to be declared before the test. Can be used to pass retroactively.
- can be used on any investigator's test, even those not at your location.
- is available right from the start of the game. Costs no resources to use, and no actions to install.
- Costs no XP
- not a card, so you don't need to draw it. Cannot be forced to discard it from hand.
- cannot be blocked by cards such as Whispers in Your Head (Doubt) or A Baleful Welcome, although Stubborn Detective and Self-Centered can.
- depending on the investigator, often gives a nice reward for drawing the
The first point is crucial - if you succeed on the test (and if you threw everything at it, it's very likely that you will), Mateo's ability does not get used up, and is available to use on the next test. Even though it is a once per game ability, it really protects your team all the way until you need to use it, and saves your defensive cards like Ward of Protection and "Let me handle this!" for when they are truly needed.
Mateo also enables the group to perform riskier strategies by making high leverage tests safe, such as grabbing multiple clues using Deciphered Reality, or gathering multiple enemies together to unleash a Storm of Spirits. Your guardian can now Shotgun the monsters without accidentally murdering the seeker. Notably, cards that becomes stronger the more you succeed by benefit the most. All In is now safe to play without risking your entire investment, and Archaic Glyphs becomes repeatedly abusable.
The fact that Mateo starts off with his ability ready to use shouldn't be overlooked. Even Seal of the Elder Sign, the ultimate combo card, requires you to both draw the card and be at the same location.
Of course, there are a couple of reason why he doesn't steamroll over every scenario - namely, boosting to pass every token in the chaos bag is expensive, and eventually, you will draw a that you can't accept.
Remember that his ability is a reaction, not forced - so you don't have to trigger it if you don't want to.
Deckbuilding
Mateo's relatively balanced statline makes him less reliant on using his willpower for everything, although you can certainly go that route if you want. Personally, I like St. Hubert's Key which buffs his willpower and lets him handle the lower shroud locations, freeing up the seeker. Shrivelling is a mystic staple, but if you have a guardian on your team to tackle tougher monsters, Enchanted Blade works very well too, with a fully charged stab having a good chance of taking out Serpents of Yig. It is also cheaper and has no risk of self damage. With his 3 , Manual Dexterity will get him out of most scrapes.
If the team is relying on Mateo to pull off his miracles, it makes sense to take cards that let him continue to do that. Seal of the Elder Sign is worth the two copies, and Premonition and Time Warp complement this role.
Mateo has access to Blessed cards. There aren't too many of them, but the stand out one is Alter Fate. The combo with Dayana Esperence is extremely powerful, and only accessible to Mateo and Marie Lambeau. If you want to abuse it, pack in Enraptured.
Other than Dayana, Arcane Initiate is a good ally choice, for fishing out the high XP spells.
The Codex of Ages is a good card that you will probably end up keeping it in hand until you need that , because the seal effect is too painful to keep up, especially in multiplayer. It's a little expensive, but part of the cost can be made up for by either of Mateo's abilities. Playing it triggers an attack of opportunity, making it not so great for monsters, but excellent on mythos cards like Locked Door or Entombed. Keep in mind that Serpents of Yig prevents you from playing the Codex (although the reverse is not true).
