Deny Existence · ArkhamDB

Outright the most insane defense card in the game. Very good. If your deck didn't have space for Deny Existence at 0xp then absolutely grab Deny Existence if at any point you're overflowing XP.

The thing that makes this card so good is that it is such an end-all solution to so much pain. Scenarios tend to throw a limited amount of pain your way (a scenario is only going to last so long, you'll only draw so many treacheries and face so many enemies), cards that single-handedly solve a defensive problem are very strong, for the reason that they are very effective for their slot. First Aid for example (probably) completely negates your risk of death from damage or horror (or both), although it will cost you 4 actions and 2 resources. Hallowed Mirror does the same with some slot restrictions and the need to draw the cards, but completely solves either damage or horror as a problem for that investigator or a friend.

Deny Existence not only saves you pain, it removes it! An effect that deals you 2 horror, heals 2 horror instead. This is a swing of 4 horror! Often enough to get you out of the risk-zone for the rest of the scenario. Also this is just a fairly average scenario, the crazy crap that starts to happen when you're negating the loss of resources, instances of 3 horror or damage ETC it can get brutally good. Also note that those other cards are generally doing this in 3-4 actions, Deny Existence is free to play and "fast".

This is the very best emergency button card in the game, barring perhaps only Ward of Protection in the instance where it discards a big enemy.

9/12/19

Tsuruki23 · 816

Ward of Protection cannot discard enemy cards, only non-weakness Treachery cards. — Ezhaeu · 17 9/14/19

I think he meant to link to Ward 5, not Ward 2 — StyxTBeuford · 437 9/14/19

Yup :P — Tsuruki23 · 816 9/17/19

Not a review per say, just a pre-emptive question...

What if you draw a treachery where it is "Lose all resources"

What is the opposite of "all" in this instance, for the purposes of this card technically reversing the effect

Easy if it is something like, lose 3 resources, because it becomes gain 3 resources

Might need a FAQ on this one ASAP

5/16/19

Kire · 2

Adding to this: What about "discarding all but X cards from your hand"? — trazoM · 1 5/16/19

My assumption would be, if it asks you to lose all resources, then "all" = the number of resources you have. So, if you have 5, and it asks you to discard all, it's asking you to discard 5. So, in this case you would gain 5 instead. — Eschaton1 · 1 5/16/19

The opposite would be to gain ALL THE RESOURCES, so you should take every available token. — Azriel · 1 5/22/19

Crap, that previous comment was a joke, and I wanted to skip a like and ended up posting it. In all seriousness though, I think it's best to not overthink it: if it says to lose all resources, just count how much you would have lost. If it says to discard every card except one, just count how many cards you would have actually discarded. I can't see any other way to make this card work with these wordings, so it kinda has to be this. — Azriel · 1 5/22/19

Carolyn is able to play this card, right (but not the 0 xp version)? — Django · 2027 6/13/19

@Django I'm not sure. The looser interpretation is that yes, this card heals horror (even if it's unlikely to do so), so she can take it. A tighter interpretation would say that this card doesn't specifically have the "heals horror" wording mentioned in Carolyn's deckbuilding requirements. Personally, I interpret Carolyn as, "if it heals horror, she can use it," so I'd say yes. — SGPrometheus · 167 6/27/19

But it DOES specifically say " — CSerpent · 73 7/3/19

(fat fingered) it DOES specifically say "heal horror". But I agree anyway -- it can heal horror, she can take it. — CSerpent · 73 7/3/19

@Django Carolyn can take the level 0xp because she can take 0-1 Mystic card. — Cyiel · 1 7/6/19

What happens if you are supposed to lose say, five resources, but you only have one and you play this. Do you gain five resources? Or just the one resource you would have lost? — The1Aaron · 1 7/17/19

I emailed Matt Newman and he confirmed Carolyn can take Deny Existence lvl 5. — Cyggie · 1 7/19/19

@The1Aaron: The effect allows you to perform the opposite of what the encounter card asks you to do. So if the encounter card asks you to discard 5 resources, you do the opposite: gain 5 resources, regardless of how many resources you have in your resource pool. — rednar · 22 8/19/19

Nier l'Existence