Working a Hunch

This is a pretty good card. However, I think Seeker investigators with high might sometimes want to pass on this card to include cards that are more urgently needed.

Getting one free testless clue is amazing. However, this card is in a faction that will often have the best chance of testing for clues, so it's providing a one-time solution to a problem that Seeker investigators can regularly solve anyway.

In my opinion, it is better for Seeker investigators to build an engine to consistently get clues rather than playing one-off cards to get clues every so often (Cards like Dr. Milan Christopher, Magnifying Glass, etc.). When you can usually spend one action to get at least one clue, spending 2 resources and a card to get a clue is a little less enticing.

Roland Banks really likes this card, especially if he is on his own. He often wants to focus on playing cards that support fighting, since he can use fighting as an alternative means to get clues, but this card lets him get a clue even when no enemy is around. He particularly likes using this to crack high-shroud locations which would usually give him some trouble with his base of 3.

I think one of the best uses of this card is in Joe Diamond's hunch deck. Because it's fast and the 2 resource cost is discounted to 0, it's essentially free, and it's easy to play because there's normally a clue around to pick up somewhere.

I think this is a good card. As I said before, a fast, testless clue is almost always welcome. I think that most clue-finding focused investigators may pass on this card to make room for other options, but I think other investigators should give it consideration.

Preston’s ability is called the hunch deck. I don’t understand why you can’t put 10x working a hunch in there. — Django · 5154
@Django I was about to reply with "Because 10 free clues is an amazing ability!", but I think over the course of a scenario, Rex can pull that in. — cb42 · 38
Rex is nothing compared to archaic glyphs + higher education with Milan money with strategic difficulty and double or nothing. 30 clues in one Int test... — Django · 5154
Flamethrower

The 2 reasons this card is surprisingly bad (OK, OK at least not as good as first expected) are the same reasons that Bandolier is surprisingly good:

  1. Two handed weapons make you forgo lots of great non-disposable assets like Machete and Magnifying Glass, among others.
  2. Then, once the mighty Flamethrower is in play, a steady stream of mediocre enemies will make you debate whether to conserve your ammo and use your fists, or waste an ammo.

So how do we get around this and take advantage of the unmatched combat potential of the Flamethrower? As of this review, there is no way around the first problem so you’ll just have to build around the slot-hungry flamethrower. The best way to get around the second problem is to have alternative combat cards outside of hand and body slots. Best at this strategy is Zoey Samaras, who has her Zoey's Cross as well as access to Shrivelling and Mists of R'lyeh. Taunt is a nice addition to ensure all of the enemies are in range of the thrower’s blast.

jmmeye3 · 630
Zoey also has access to Contraband(0), in addition to the various Guardian cards that can put extra ammo on a Firearm. — cb42 · 38
There’s also Beat Cop 2 for the really small enemies. I do think Flamethrower is MUCH better in 3-4 player where (a) you can specialize enough that you don’t need to carry a Magnifying Glass, (b) there are often enough enemies to double or triple up, and (c) in the off chance the only enemy on the map is a relatively weak 2 health enemy, one of the other investigators can kill it without too much effort. — Death by Chocolate · 1489
Strong disagree. The Flamethrower has more ammo than the Lightning Gun, Shotgun, and far superior killing power than either or the BAR or Typewriter. It's completely nuts, well into "too strong" level of power before you even consider the Well Prepared combo that often accompanies it. — duke_loves_biscuits · 1278
Duke, I agree that it’s the strongest weapon in the game. That’s part of the problem when you actually try to use it. Unlike the other super powered Guardian weapons, you can’t use Bandolier to have a backup to handle smaller threats. — jmmeye3 · 630
I think the community rarely runs bandolier? I know I don't in guardian builds right now because there aren't many that are level 0 and 2 handed. The level 2 bandolier is better, but comes at an xp premium. The upgraded Thompson will probably fit in that build. Anyway, Flamethrower is great. Run it in Mark and Zoey and anyone who isn't Roland. — Myriad · 1226
Bandolier and back-up weapons aren't needed. Either run extra ammo cards (like Venturer + Cache3, Extra Ammo etc, + Stick to the Plan) or have a secondary fighter assist on the weenies (eg in 3 or 4 player). Yes, its a lot of XP, but big weapons are generally an All-In build. — duke_loves_biscuits · 1278
I disagree this card is amazing and fun. Playing with Zoey, I took out a pit boss, thug, and a rat using the flame thrower combined with double or nothing. — FractalMind · 44
Re not being able to run Bandolier--what is the point of having other weapons when you have a Flamethrower? — CaiusDrewart · 3183
Kerosene

This costs 3 resources, a card and 4 actions to heal up to 6 (compared with 1 less resource to heal 3 with First Aid). It has 2 limitations, however: it can only be used once per turn, and only after an enemy was defeated. The top contender for this is William Yorick, especially with Aquinnah since each horror healed is worth an extra damage reversal. Insanity prone ’s like Roland Banks may also be interested.

jmmeye3 · 630
I like the idea of this card, but like most healing it's rather ineffective. Most Investigators are better of with soak. For example roland can play all those cheap seeker allies, like Laboratory Assistant or Art Student. — Django · 5154
I wouldn't argue it is ineffective. I would instead argue that it lacks a good archetype outside of Carolyn... It only really justifies a spot in her imho. The healing can become two sanity and a resource or two and the trigger happens regularly in multiplayer. It is a bad solo and two player card. — Myriad · 1226
Curse of the Rougarou

For most investigators, this weakness is very punishing, especially those with low sanity, like most guardians.

However enter the dreamteam, Carolyn Fern and Peter Sylvestre! She complains how she'd like to eat something human or monstrous... dealing him 1 horror. He disbelieves it, heals his horror and pays her for her great jokes. If this isn't a win-win situation, turning this weakness into a great source of income?

Building around these cards, Calling in Favors allows you to search for peter but requires you to have 4-6 allies in total to work consistently. Those cheap seeker soaks work pretty well.

To get the weakness into play isn't as easy, but any seeker card, draw or tutor helps to locate it. As weakness, you don't even need to spend an action to play it.

The accompanying Monstrous Transformation isn't as beneficial for her, as it reduces her to 2. But it boosts her to 5, so she can fight for once. However it's not very likely you'll see this card every game with only 1 copy in your deck and your focus on finding the weakness, so i wouldn't rely on it.

Django · 5154
While Carolyn gets benefit from Peter taking the horror, it’s owrth noting that both Calvin and Preston who benefit extraordinarily from the Transformation can run Peter Sylvestre. — Death by Chocolate · 1489
Similarly, Sister Mary seems like a good choice as well for this. She has supportive options for horror healing (Book of Psalms), she's usually damaging things every turn anyways, and Monstrous Transformation will only penalize her with a 1 reduction in her will, in exchange for a 2 increase to both Agility and Strength. — AdamMal4444 · 12
The Red-Gloved Man

How does The Red-Gloved Man (RGM) interact with Monstrous Transformation? Both set base skill values to a specific value but which one takes priority? The one that entered play last (which will almost always be RGM)?

Django · 5154
The Red-Gloved man *raises* the base value. Whereas Monstrous Transformation *sets* it. AFAIK, *set* takes precedence over pretty much everything. Thus a location with Obscuring Fog and The Skeleton Key still has a shroud value of one. — YorickPlays · 1