Lucky Cigarette Case

Lucky Cigarette Case

How good is this card in a regular build that doesn't include something like Lockpicks?

Let's do some math:

On Standard in The Innsmouth Conspiracy, there are 20 tokens in the bag to start. Let's assume that only +1, 0, and will trigger this (since you're trying to be at +2 for all checks). By my calculation, you have a:

  • 36% chance if you make two tests per turn
  • 48% chance if you make three tests per turn
  • 59% chance if you make four tests per turn

I think assuming two tests is fair since you'll be using actions to Play and Move. You might also get tests during the Mythos Phase but you probably won't be at +2 for those checks. If we assume that the scenario is 15 turns long, you'll net 5.4 cards if you play it on turn 1 but only about 2.7 if you play it mid-game. That's not great. Preposterous Sketches will get you three cards immediately for the same cost and not take up your Accessory slot. Obviously, this card starts to look better if you can take more actions per turn (thanks to something like Leo De Luca) or if you routinely test at above +2.

GeneralXy · 41
It is important to note how fast the tides turn: if your testing even 3 up, your chances come out to 45% if you test twice a turn, 73% if you test 3 times a turn, and 83% if you test 4 times. Likewise, if you test at +4 even once a turn (ex: you are running Streetwise, Well connected, have Picks, or are Winnie), you jump to 65% on that one test assuming your able to turn half of the symbols positive. Finally, Insmouth is an unusually bad campaign for LCC due to its unusually dense collection of symbols, and in almost every other campaign released your looking at something more akin to a 70% chance (!!!) to get a card by testing twice at a mere +2, which would come out to +5 cards mid game and +10 if you were to drop it early. — dezzmont · 220
Err, not 70%, 45%. Still, the math swings more dramatically on going even +3 in those campaigns, or if you take 3 tests as well (on turns you spam 3 actions at +2, your getting a card 58% of the time). It really comes down to 'counting cards' to make LCC work out for you. — dezzmont · 220
It's interesting that you might trigger the Cigarette Case *more* often on Hard. The Pit of Despair's chaos bag asks you to go 3 up on tests in order to have a similar pass-chance as going 2 up on Standard — this is fairly typical. But your chance to trigger Cigarette Case testing thusly is significantly greater: 49% at 2 tests a turn; 64% at 3 tests a turn; and 74% at 4 tests a turn. (Or, to be precise, the probabilities are 24/49, 218/343, and 1776/2401 respectively). — Spritz · 69

Soul Sanctification

Soul Sanctification

There aren't a whole lot of good healing cards, and it doesn't seem worth 6 XP just to take some otherwise bad cards and make them good (you could just play the good cards to begin with). Still, this seems like it will get real value out of the occasional healing card that was already playable. Obviously this should be strong in Carolyn Fern and Vincent Lee. Some other examples for the not-healing-focused investigators:

  • Book of Psalms was already a reliable blessing enabler with healing as a side effect. This will provide significant utility to a blessing deck.
  • Hallowed Mirror is arguably the best dedicated healing card at 0xp. Soothing Melody doesn't cost any resources or cards; two healing for one action is actually a pretty good rate. This lets you benefit (maybe even more than normal!) when you don't have anything to heal.
  • Empty Vessel, like most of these, heals you while also doing something powerful that you wanted anyway.
  • Deny Existence, while expensive in terms of XP, was already one of the best dodges in the game. Again, a substantial improvement on something you weren't really playing for the healing.
  • Lily Chen's Discipline. The active effect is already quite potent and reusable, and guardians can end up with periodic downtime to use it.

What most excites me about it, though, is that it might kind of bail out Shrewd Analysis. Two of the otherwise stronger Researched cards have healing upgrades which are basically duds (Ancient Stone and Strange Solution). Now, if you get one of those, you can spend some of the XP you saved with Shrewd Analysis to turn them into playable cards. All three Ancient Stone upgrades seem actively good now, and all four Strange Solution upgrades seem at least playable (Strange Solution is still obviously the best). I still don't think Shrewd Analysis is optimal, but I still like to see it get some indirect help since it's a lot of fun.

amalcon · 1
The critical thing to remember is that Soul Sanctification is a permanent, meaning that you can think of it as replacing the text of every healing card with 'gain +2 on a future test.' Through that lens, a lot of bad healing cards don't just become better, but become extremely potent engines that can carry your entire deck, because the main reason things will not work out for you in Arkham horror is failing tests. Pretty much anything that can heal 2 damage for 1 action per-activation becomes overwhelmingly strong. It is the equivalent of gaining 4 resources for an action in a hypothetical deck running 2 'pay to boost' cards, which would essentially mean getting the ability to play hot streak every turn for the rest of the game. — dezzmont · 220
One of the most interesting use of it so far has been with Spirit of Humanity in curse based decks. — Valentin1331 · 75633
Works pretty well with surgeon’s kit + painkillers. Allows your painkillers to generate 2 “uses” on soul sanctification and draw 1 card at fast speed If you put the horror on an ally/asset or generate 1 use and draw a card if u put the horror on yourself. 2x sugeon kits in play makes each painkiller activation even better — Daerthalus · 16

Stupor

Stupor

Bit confused how this works: example: I take an investigate action does it mean I can’t take another investigate action or does it mean I can’t now take another investigate action nor a parley or draw action?

Oldmike · 2
The latter — Nenananas · 258

Suggestion

Suggestion

I'm not a big fan of stats+stats asset cards in general. too big number felt like a overkilled on standard. but somehow this card is alright to me. maybe evade is not my favorite action I guess.

my favorite part is on second ability, the x3 auto Dodge . pushed me through a lot of impossible deadend and give me heroic moment several times. allows you to tank some big hit , do action through AoO , engage and save teammate etc.

Is this card broken? almost, but with the exhaust give good balance to it. and most importantly, game tension.

when I got this card I felt more confidence and play a bit more ballsy. 1 breezy evade per turn. but if that evade fail somehow you know it would turn upside-down. that's alright balance and some tension for a card.

I would say it is a fair and fun card. not the like of Cyclopean Hammer even after taboo. bleh

Pawley · 31

Stylish Coat

Stylish Coat

This card has been translated into my language in a way that indicates that another player must use the gain resource effect. Is there any official rule or explanation that effect should be read "another player card effect" and not "another player card effect"?

Zepps · 29
In English, the latter would be 'another *player's* card effect', so since it isn't that we can assume it's the former. — SSW · 214
In German it says if an effect from an other card, which is not an scenario card, gives you ressources you can activate the reaction. — Tharzax · 1
It's actually not that in German. It just builds a compound noun of "playercardeffect", which is quite common in German. So yes, this is also an indication, that these are linked together, but not the another. But, like mentioned by SSW, the English original text indicates as well, that it's not another player, and that is the canonic text to reference in case of a doubt with a translation. From FAQ: "Unless errata for a card appears below, the original English product printing of that card and all of its information is considered accurate, and overrides all other printings. This includes translated cards, promotional or organized play cards, and printings which may appear in alternate products." — Susumu · 372
Besides, an annoying new translation mistake, of where the English original would override the German version, would be "Word of Command" and "Power Word", which are both called "Machtwort" in German. So by the rule, you should only be able to add two copies by name to your deck. But the English version overrules that. — Susumu · 372