Fire Axe

The Fast keyword saves an action, playable in various player window, and ignores Attacks of Opportunity. For this expansion plus the Revised Core Set, all Survivor weapons can abruptly disappear from hand (Baseball Bat, Pitchfork, and Hatchet.) If the fight hasn't ended you may have to fight barehanded or with events, or have others take the heat while you re-setup. Two of those are 2 handed so you cannot setup an another sub-weapon to use when it disappear. So this seemingly lazy addition actually has some synergy going on. I was quite surprised at its ability to "upgrade" the original Baseball Bat and made me want to continue keeping that in the deck.

Many times I want to attack-pickup-attack with the Pitchfork to deal required damage but can't take any more AoO, if I play Fire Axe (2) in its place and finish the job then Pitchfork can be passed on to your friend. With Hatchet equipped Fire Axe (2) is also good to have ready on hand because you are not sure of enemy's HP and what it'll do with your Hatchet. If Fire Axe (2) is not yet in your hand, if you can get draws mid-fight like Overpower or Rabbit's Foot (or even Upkeep Draw while you still have enemies) it can come into play right away. In any cases where you are hiding Fire Axe (2) on hand, you are also ready to commit to anyone.

There is also a little in-box combo with Hunting Jacket where you may get the axe back after taking hits and you can immediately setup with it to fight back.

The action saved by Fast can be used with Double events in this box like Elaborate Distraction.

5argon · 10702
Crowbar

Very interesting card that will definitely find use somewhere. At the time of release this is only the second card that lets you investigate with (the other being a telescanner upgraded Hyperphysical Shotcaster ) and unlike the shotcaster, it's level 0.

Crowbar does only grab one clue, so it's not Scene of the Crime; but it's another way that the fighter can help get clues when there aren't enemies on the field, and if you're completely solo, one clue is usually enough anyway.

I think Mark Harrigan probably benefits the most, getting +3 skill for the test compared to using Although he may want a Bandolier later in the campaign so he can still wield a 2-handed weapon.

jericho · 648
Since it's a tool you can use tinker on it to free your hands too — Tharzax · 1
You missed mention of Tool Belt, which would be my preference as it costs the same as Bandolier but isn't susceptible to specific treacheries such as Polar Vortex. Agree Mark is a good user, but Daniella can use this very well too. Lily I would say is usually better off using spells to investigate, and Nate loves Boxing Gloves too much. — HungryColquhoun · 8251
Tool Belt is an option if your 2-handed weapon is a tool yeah, but Mark usually doesn't get built with tools, which is why I didn't mention it. Tinker is a great call too. — jericho · 648
I'm now thinking about fine tuning, but as a 1xp seeker card the investigators who can take it have better options. — Tharzax · 1
@jericho I would say Tool Belt is still useful even if you're not using a tool weapon, as then you can run two Crow Bars in tandem (though you can also do that with lvl 0 Bandolier if using a one-handed weapon, but as mentioned it is susceptible to some treacheries). For me two Crowbars is the way to go, I'd rather just run different coverage for clues if just running one for one clue per turn (if that, as it doesn't come with innate boosts and if you draw auto-fail or a large negative that's your single test over with). Wolf Mask is a good combo card to this for this reason I'd say. — HungryColquhoun · 8251
Just another comment to add Occult Reliquary can also be a solution to this problem, depending there's a blessed or cursed item you want in your hands in addition to your Crowbars. — HungryColquhoun · 8251
Easy Mark

This used to be an auto-include for me, even would use it as 1/3 of my ITTOI experience if I wanted to have something with more ceiling potential than E Cache. The problem I've been finding is that it can be dead weight late in a campaign because it's so many card slots. This makes me think that there are some cases where you wouldn't want this card, weighed against the times you definitely will.

Surprised no one has talked about how good it is with Bewitching, but here you go, now someone has.

I suppose my last warning is that if your play style involves your ending deck bearing little resemblance to your starting deck because of all the new cards you put in as you rack up the xp, be careful about putting 3x of a Level 1 card in. It can feel great overperforming E Cache in the first half, but then you have to face the decision of whether to cut cards that you paid for to make room for new ones. For example, Easy Mark might look a little silly in a deck that will eventually leverage Pickpocketing (2) or some other type of card that provides both cards and resources in a more efficient fashion.

acquavaa · 4
For 1XP, it's worth it, even for a few scenarios! — MrGoldbee · 1470
Mauser Tankgewehr M1918

This card is yet to see play, but so far I like it.. and also find it really weird.

So this is basically a deadlier and costlier Ornate Bow, which uses Strength, almost guarantees hit and one-shots most of the enemies in the game. And, for 5 XP, it should serve as your main big weapon.

Yet it has this weird "Hunter, Veteran, Warden only" restriction. Most of this guys are guardians or guardian-ish, and... they honestly don't need this gun.

Full guardians already have decent Strength so big boost don't really matter to them. And they have strong in-class competitors, which lack "endless" ammunition, but at least they can reload it with guardians cards, as with Bow.

Guardian-ish greens who can take it (Tony Morgan and upcoming Michael McGlen) also have 5 Strength. I guess they can fit in more actions to reload this thing with their tech, and use 10 to-hit on Expert Bag? But they also lack tutoring for weapons Guardians have.

So. Investigators that want this card the most are: ones with no comparable in-class weapons, low-to-mediocre Strength so they'll appreciate boost and with readiness to dedicate hands to holding an anti-tank rifle. Which, among all investigators with Hunter, Veteran or Warden traits leave us with exactly one option! Sole hero, for whom this card is intended to be given. Some might even say it was godsend.

Enter Father Mateo, The Priest, Believer, Warden. Who needs holy books that take away your Elder Sign when you can have Tankgewehr? Mateo even got XP to spare at start of the campaign!

Yeah, it's a weird card.

Ragos · 2
It also works for dexter, who may actually enjoy pulling this out of a hat and turning it into something else instead of reloading it. — Spamamdorf · 5
Who's gonna use 5xp and both handslots for a gun you're not reloading? — MrGoldbee · 1470
It feels like they want to fix their past mistake of making the uses of Ornate Bow "ammo". But that's exactly why I don't like this card. It's worse than the bow in almost every regard. — AlderSign · 309
All true from an efficiency perspective. But from a "have fun with an absolutely ridiculous gun" perspective, I'm going to love playing this card! — acotgreave · 865
Especially flavorful in Horror in High Gear ;) — AlderSign · 309
I’m going to put in my deck and just use it on a swarm of rats >:) — Therealestize · 73
Please play Relentless before you do that. — AlderSign · 309
I'm of the opinion, that if they want to make this weapon so insanely restricted, then the Ornate Bow must receive an Errata, not taboo, Errata to say, (1 Arrow) and change any words of "ammo" to "arrow". Then hopefully print some sort cards specifically for "shells", "arrows", or the stranger, rarer weapons you don't want to work with the Ammo packages. That's fine. Having the Ornate Bow exist as is, and the Tankgevehr M1918 beauty, in the same existence is painful. It don't work. I'm likely gonna just hostile it until it hopefully gets Errata or change. — Quantallar · 8
I agree. It's also a shame the Mauser Tankgewehr M1918 doesn't work with Michael McGlen's ability for the same reason, although he could take it :( — AlderSign · 309
I thought about investigators some more and discovered that I forgot about Hank Samson from FoHV, who is also a Warden. I guess he could use this to some effect. Being main class survivor he chooses between this and Old Hunting Rifle (3) or Chainsaw (4). All solid choises but not immediately outclassing anti-tank rifle as Guardian's toys do. Hank doesn't need all +5 to hit, but whatever. And he has access to Spirit events, so can effectively fight while Tankgewehr is on reload. — Ragos · 2
Flux Stabilizer

If a game card has no text describing a test and is just an ability, does that mean the Flux Stabilizer has no effect in the game? If that's how it works, it makes me a little sad about this investigator.

Sasuken · 31
I'm not sure if I read the question right, but you can still trigger the ability as long as you are able to pay the cost, since that changes the game state. — AlderSign · 309
Not sure i understand the problem. As a card it interacts with Kate's character ability so it does have an effect? and the card is a way of keeping track on whether its active or inactive by which side it is flipped onto. If you are sad because that means Kate doesn't have a proper signature card, then don't be sad - effectively its Aetheric Current... a card that can shuffle enemies into the encounter deck, or exhaust them and move them to any location. — Phoenixbadger · 198