Syzygy

My take on this set: The two cards in this set are very different in terms of their effects, but they share the ability to affect multiple players at once. One card is this cycle’s version of Ancient Evils, like other variants or replacements we’ve seen before it adds Peril but offers some alternative options. The other one does a bit of extra flooding, helping out the Rising Tide encounter set. This is a solid set of cards, fairly straightforward. Both cards come with only 2 copies and the encounter deck of In Too Deep is pretty big, so they are not a large presence (at least at two players).

What it does: Syzygy forces the investigator drawing it to make a choice between three effects that affect everyone at the table. Either everyone loses 3 resources or 2 sanity or a doom token is placed on the agenda with a chance of advancing.

My take: This cycle’s version of Ancient Evils offers investigators a choice of taking other punishment instead. Doing so is going to be worth it often, especially late in the game when resources are not as important anymore as they are in the first couple of turns. Note that as long as even a single player has 1 resource to lose, picking that first option is legal.
Should the resource option not be available, either due to everyone being broke or due to drawing this way early in the game when the resources are still crucial for setting up, then the other two come into play. Both are pretty bad and the choice between them is much more situational. If everyone can afford to lose two sanity, that can be an option to squeeze another turn out of the scenario, but it’s not going to be a feasible option all the time.

Threat level: High. One of the options can often be “an easy way out”, but this can still hurt a whole lot. Especially in larger teams.

Dealing with it: If no cancel is around (the card does have Peril, after all), then mitigating whatever effect is chosen is what’s going to be important. One thing that can be done to prepare for this card is spending your resources instead of hoarding them. As long as at least one resource remains on someone, the first option can be picked, if everyone already spent most of their money the impact of this card can be severely reduced.

What it does: The player chooses a location with at least one investigator at it. Everyone there is dealt one damage. Also, the flood level of that location is increased. If it can’t, Tidal Alignment surges instead.

My take: No matter if Tidal Alignment surges or not, it will always deal at least one testless damage. Usually increasing a flood level will be preferable to drawing another encounter card, so the location should be picked accordingly.

Threat level: Low to Mid in full groups, Low otherwise. Increasing the flood level has shaken out to be a relatively minor effect so far. So i would evaluate this purely on its ability to possibly damage multiple players and, in a worst case, surge.

Dealing with it: If everyone is standing at the same spot, this will not only maximize the damage done, but it will also remove the player choice from the card that helps preventing it from surging. So consider having not everyone occupying the same location. And if you have to, at least make it one that can have its flood level increased.