Daniela knows how to use a tool

Daniela Reyes is a survivor-guardian focused on soaking damage, killing enemies with her Strength, and effortlessly sustaining Will tests. On the other hand, she is pretty bad at discovering clues through Investigation, as well as not good for Evading.

The weak aspect of Daniela is that she can't access level 1-5 Guardian cards, discouraging the classic guardian playstyle. But the interesting part is that she can access level 1-5 Survivor cards! This transforms her into a very flexible and fun investigator.

Her signature ability allows her to deal damage to enemies (or evade them) whenever they attack her. Because of this, she wants to take attacks as frequently as possible while having ways of soaking damage (so she can take more hits!). Cards like Guard Dog, "Get behind me!", Dodge, Toe to Toe, and Daring have great synergy with that ability.

That said, this build does not focus exclusively on that aspect. This deck is designed as a flexible and fun build based on the idea that Daniela is a Mechanic, and therefore, she must know how to use a tool. Thanks to having access to both guardian and survivor cards, there are great tools at her disposal, and even better ones as we upgrade the deck.

The Tool Mechanic

This guide proposes a thematic tool deck for Daniela. Two cards that rise to the occasion are Tool Belt and Tinker. While these cards may not be top-tier competitive, this deck works remarkably well and is incredibly fun to play in a way that is both viable and thematic.

Both of these items allow Daniela to have multiple assets in play at the same time:

• Tool Belt: Store tools so they don't use up your hand slots (even two-handed tools and accessories!), and take them out just when you need them.
• Tinker: Attaches to tools in play so they don't take up a hand or accessory slot. (Tip: Since some tools end up being discarded, it's better to attach Tinker to items that do not use ammo or charges.)

Thanks to these items, the plan is to have tools in play for every occasion, allowing Daniela to fight, evade, and even investigate whenever necessary.

Note: Geared Up is a great way to start the game with your board filled and at a small discount.

Hand-Assets

• Flashlight: A classic tool. At level 0, it lets you gather clues from shroud ≤2 locations.
• Crowbar: Fight with a +7 (hitting almost anything) or investigate with a +5. Versatile, but a good candidate to upgrade later due to cost and exhaust limit.
• Sledgehammer: Reliably deals 2 damage per attack. As a two-handed weapon, it can be tricky, but we can upgrade into better one- or two-handed weapons later.
• .32 Colt: Not a tool, but still an Item that synergizes well. Provides much-needed level-0 firepower (6 ammo, 2 damage per bullet).
• Mechanic's Wrench (Signature): Forces enemy attacks to trigger your passive, hitting with a +7 and dealing 2 damage.

Upgrades

Since Daniela is the primary guardian of the group, upgrading weapons is a priority. Without level 1-5 Guardian access, we miss out on some classic big guns, but we can master Survivor tools!

• Fire Extinguisher (3): A reliable, one-handed way to deal 2 damage with no ammo needed. Synergizes perfectly.
• Chainsaw (4): If you liked the two-handed Sledgehammer, this is your apex upgrade. Dealing 3 damage in a single action is impressive (one copy is usually enough).
• Old Keyring (3): No mechanic works without their keys! Use this alongside Flashlight (3) or Gumption (1) to drop difficulty to 0. You'll be amazed at how many clues a 1-intellect mechanic can get.

Resource Tip: With so many tools at our disposal, the talent Crafty (3) is a fantastic addition to support your economy.

Accessories

Accessories for a guardian/survivor usually focus on survivability. However, to keep the tool theme alive, we use two excellent Guardian options that can stay in the deck even without upgrading:

1. Riot Whistle: Saves action economy, especially in multiplayer.
2. Cleaning Kit: Keeps your items "clean" by supplying charges/ammo. This fuels the .32 Colt, Bandages, Smoking Pipe, or the Chainsaw (4).

Upgrades

There are great Accessory upgrades, but sadly none are tools. Keep the starting items and spend your XP on more relevant slots.

Allies

Allies work well with Daniela due to great soaking options. But since this is a tool-thematic deck, we save our resources for our gear.

Our only starting ally is the Guard Dog. It makes perfect sense for a workshop to have a guard dog. It synergizes beautifully with Daniela's ability and the Bandages we carry. Dealing 1 damage (or 2 with Daniela's passive factored in) every time we are hit means enemies die without us spending actions.

Upgrades

The dog's downside is its inability to take horror—Daniela's main weakness. While we have the Smoking Pipe or "Get behind me!", heavy-horror campaigns might require bringing in allies like Peter Sylvestre (2) or Aquinnah (3).

Events and Skills

We rely on the classics. They work perfectly with Daniela, either by soaking damage or forcing the enemy to attack us (giving us a win-win scenario).

Honorable Mention: Right Tool for the Job is a fantastic, recently published card that digs through the deck to find the exact tool or weapon you need for the situation.

Upgrades

While the default events and skills are great, Survivor upgrades are incredibly flexible. Cards like Lucky! (2), Salvage (2), Gumption (1), or Blood Will Have Blood (2) will allow us to draw cards, generate resources, and pass tests for a very low cost.