This is the first of two cards that is useless to a solo Ranger. As a solo ranger, when you rest, the round is over and all cards refresh. So exhausting beings when you rest has zero benefit.

This card is intended for multiplayer so that the Shepherd could rest earlier and make the other Rangers’ lives easier. In a group setting, it would be quite helpful!

Riri is a powerhouse. Being able to place harm with no test and without using any tokens (as with some gear weapons) is a fantastic way to ping down beings over the course of a few turns.

The test is what really sets Riri apart. It is an inexhaustible source of scouting with no upper limit since the test is based on your effort. You can Scout as far into the deck as your effort allows.

Riri’s only downside is that the 1 harm threshold leaves it vulnerable to effects that deal harm to beings.

The second card that is useless for solo play. As a solo Shepherd you are going to have Oru, which allows you to move a being. It is unlikely that you will have to move two beings in a single turn, and that A Gentle Nudge comes at the expense of 1 progress makes it impossible to justify in a solo deck.

For multiplayer you are basically gifting the move ability to your fellow rangers, but I still don’t see great value in it.

It seems like a great idea to pile progress on Riri via Oru then dumping it all to clear a feature, all without taking a test and drawing a challenge card. But for some reason I’ve found this card hard to play. Maybe it’s the cost. Or it’s that I’m not accumulating progress on Riri because I’m using Oru to clear and move around unfriendly beings.

Whatever the reason, you don’t need two copies in your deck. Swap one out for a reward or another Moment when progressing your deck.

This is a decent card to have around. It only takes one gear slot and will save you from 3 unlucky card draws if you get overrun by predators (ahem Reclaimers, ahem Hydraworms). It is also a gear that you don’t need to keep in play for the entire day. You can keep it around until the predator of concern has been cleared, then discard it.

It has its limitations though. It is far superior in multiplayer because a) you’ll see more predators due to path draws and b) it can apply to any Ranger. Also, in my experience, it tends to sit unused for a long time while you handle predators by other means. Many predators have injury effects that key off the size of your fatigue stack, so if you simply handle your fatigue, you can avoid most injuries as well.

This suffers the same problem as Homeward Bound in that you first have to accumulate progress on a being. If you aren’t drawing beings from the path deck and have Riri and Oru in play, no problem. You can stack up a bunch on Riri to redistribute.

Another limit to this card is the 2 FOC it takes to play. Many solo rangers will use FOC as the dump stat, leaving this card out of reach.

That aside, I actually prefer this to Homeward Bound. You can add progress to the location and to other beings, not just a feature.

Healing Touch is one of the few ways to heal an injury in the game and, as such, is worth including a copy in any deck. It also gives you a sneaky way to clear beings with progress. Use Riri to place harm, play healing touch, and exhaust Oru and you’ve dropped 5 progress in a turn without a single test. If you can refresh Oru, you can get to 7 progress, which will clear most beings in the game.

Not a tremendously useful card. Losing the predator trait might matter for some path card interactions that key on predators, but it won’t prevent that predator from trying to inflict an injury on you (which is strange, since you supposedly calmed it). That means Paratrepsis Whistle won’t work and the challenge effects from friendly beings that allow them to take a hit for you also won’t work. Sure you can cancel the effect yourself, but wouldn’t you rather just preserve your progress on the card to clear it instead?

I’ve said enough about Oru already, but sure I’ll say more. Isn’t that little backpack so cute? What a technologically savvy cute good dog you are? Barking at and herding animals around, helping me get to know them. Yes you are a good dog, and it feels so relaxing to pet you and cuddle you. You’re the bestest friend a Ranger could ever hope for.