Card Reviews · ArkhamDB

Lab Coat

This can be read to be a +1 on any skill tests performed on Seeker cards which is solid since there are a lot of seeker events and assets that request skill checks. It doesn't help with any of the "For each point you succeed by" effects though.

Also, while an FAQ entry is yet to come out, I believe that assuming the difficulty of the test is 1 or 0 this will protect against even the autofail token. The autofail token sets your result to 0 and says you fail. Then this reaction kicks in and you succeed instead. Probably best use of that would be it means guaranteed success on Alchemical Distillation.

10/19/22

kamiidude · 65

Are there many Seeker assets with skill checks, though? I like this card but I feel like the tricky part is that many Seekers' most common action is to investigate with a basic action with a couple static boosts from Mag Glass or whatever. — housh · 171 10/20/22

#Cryptographic Cypher, #Fingerprint Kit, #In the Know, #Otherworldly compass, #Pocket Telescope — kamiidude · 65 11/3/22

This does not save you from auto-fails. In fact, even if you perform a difficulty 0 test, an auto-fail will still result in failure. — Novenae · 1 12/14/22

(that was my first comment on a review, I accidentally posted it without finishing my message, so here goes) An auto-fail token makes you fail. It then *also* sets your value to 0, for the purposes of calculating how much you failed by, in case the test cares about that. IT's not like an auto-fail causes you to fail by setting your value to 0, which then *probably* fails, except if the difficulty is 0. You just fail. The 'set-to-zero' part is only sometimes relevant. — Novenae · 1 12/14/22

I agree, the autofail says you fail regardless of skill value. This card says when you would fail (so after the autofail token has already resolved) you succeed instead. — kamiidude · 65 12/24/22

In my opinion, I think Lab Coat may work with auto fail. According to Eucatastrophe, the triggering condition of Lab Coat is satisfied; I want to note that the timining of Eucatastrophe is earlier than this, so that our skill value is already zero. — elkeinkrad · 501 2/2/23

Also, "instead" may replace the failure from the auto-fail. Of course, it is possible that Lab Coat cannot replace the failure from auto-failure effect, but I think it can do. — elkeinkrad · 501 2/2/23

Geared Up

Now that we know the Aug 22 erratum updated the text to "One at a time, play..." And this enabled Backpack to work (you can play the found items). Does this allow fast events, specifically Well-Maintained, to be used between each played event.

Logic train:

Geared Up uses the word Play (treated as a play action, but you'er not getting an play "action").

Rules for Effects

Suggests 'play" would be treated as an action using the Framework event detail. Specifically 2.2.1

Rules for 2.2.1 timing

indicate there is a player window before (and after) each action ( in our case, a played item).

Rules for fast

Indicate I can play Well-Maintained in this player window.

Am I missing anything? Any exception overlooked?

If i'm correct, you can attach Well-Maintained to Backpack before it's discarded, discard it, triggering it to return to your hand instead, and play it again.

This would also be true with Ever Vigilant as wording is similar.

10/19/22

Calprinicus · 6337

Playing a card due to a card ability isn't the same thing as taking a play action. I don't think Geared Up brings you through the player window before 2.2.1 at all. — Thatwasademo · 58 10/19/22

Agree with Thatwasademo: you have a player window before and after the play ability of "Geared Up", but not in between, because you take no action. Similar with "Ever Vigilant": you take one Play action (playing the event), but don't have any Player Window after playing the first or second asset. — Susumu · 381 10/19/22

I have seen that many users were confused between "play" and "play action". When you resolve an "play action", you can "play" an (non-fast) asset or event. Some effects allow we to play a card without an play action, and this is NOT a play action. Geared Up is this case. There is no player window among playing assets by Geared Up (or Ever Vigilant). — elkeinkrad · 501 10/20/22

But you do have a player window at the end of the geared up turn where you could play well maintained and similar fast events and assets (it’s still your turn). — Django · 5155 10/20/22

OFFICIAL ANSWER FROM FFG RULES SPECIALIST: — Calprinicus · 6337 12/7/22

Rules Question: This is rules question for Arkham horror the card game. There are a few cards that give you sequential non-actions: - Geared Up - Ever Vigilant - Nimble My question is can you play fast event cards between the play/move non-actions? Example: Play Well-Maintained on a backpack in the middle or resolving Geared up. Or Play Elusive, mysteries remain, or open gate between the moves of nimble. To answer your question(s): Yes--you would be able to play Well-Maintained on a Backpack while resolving Geared Up, and you would be able to play Elusive/Mysteries Remain while resolving the moves from Nimble. Sincerely, Alex Werner, FFG Game Rules Specialist Rules questions and their answers are reviewed by both the Arkham Horror: The Card Game design team and the Game Rules Specialist. — Calprinicus · 6337 12/7/22

Update from Alex (a.k.a Official Arkham Ruling): I’m sending this email to inform you that we are retracting the ruling made in the email below. The results of the ruling led to consequences that weren’t in line with what we wanted for the game, nor did it follow the actual written rules for playing Fast cards. We unfortunately missed this earlier and we apologize for misleading you. The current ruling to your question is as follows: “’If the instructions [on a fast event card] specify a duration or period of time, the card may be played during any player window within that period.’ Well-Maintained must be played during a player window on your turn, so you could not play it while resolving Geared Up. Similarly, you cannot play Elusive/Mysteries Remain/Open Gate while resolving the movements on Nimble.” Sincerely, Alex Werner & the Arkham Horror team — Calprinicus · 6337 12/22/22

Bestow Resolve

So now, I can commit a Vicious blow (2) to a Shrivelling (5) test ? And a Perception (2) to a Pilfer (3) test ? Excellent card to combine great capacities (to attack, investigate, ...) that normally use different skills !

10/19/22

AlexP · 284

I thought of that as well. Also seems quite wild in a desperate deck. Or combinded with the Heureca suite of skills. I think, this card will get played very often. — Susumu · 381 10/19/22

Treasure Hunter

Thematically, I'm extremely entertained by an ally that exists solely so that your investigator, exploring a spooky arcane temple, can hiss "Asps. Very dangerous. You go first!" and give the greedy tomb raider a good shove forward.

Economically, however, I agree with the previous reviewer that it's pretty hard to imagine any deck that wouldn't benefit more from another use of XP and deck slots.

10/19/22

SleepyLibrarian · 44

The Raven Quill

If I get Interwoven Ink on The Raven Quill, and attach The Raven Quill to Old Tome of Lore, and that Old Tome of Lore is on Abigail Foreman, can I use Old Tome of Lore myself, then use Abigail's reaction ability to use Old Tome of Lore again, and then use Interwoven Ink (reacting to the second Old Tome of Lore activation) to ready Abigail and then use's Abigail's reaction ability to react to the 2nd usage of Old Tome of Lore to use it again, in order to use Old Tome of Lore 3 times per turn for only 1 action?

10/18/22

belphagor · 8

@belphagor I don’t see why you could not. The rules state clearly: « Using a ability in response to a triggering condition does not prevent other abilities from being used in response to that same triggering condition. » So you can use Abigail reaction first, and then use the Raven Quill’s reaction in the same opportunity window. — Portinou · 1869 10/19/22

Can you attach 2 raven quill to the same tome to do this 4 times instead? — Django · 5155 10/20/22

Combine this with forbidden tome secrets revealed to get 4 testless clues and move each time — Django · 5155 10/20/22

I'm afraid the quill is unique. — olahren · 3556 10/20/22

I don't think that should work, because (quoting the 'Reaction'-rules): — Sers · 646 1/2/23

"Each [reaction] ability may be triggered only once each time the specified condition on the ability is met." — Sers · 646 1/2/23

So as far as I understand it, Abigail can't trigger a secod time because the triggering condition would have to be met again for that — Sers · 646 1/2/23

In a similar notion, could I use two old books and ready the first book with a quill, that is attached to the second book? — Pianeko · 1 1/18/23