Well, i have the time so i'm going to do one of these. The cards that interest me are ones which have new mechanics and weird interactions, ones where I can look at it and see a lot of untapped potential for new strategies. Ones which look and play like existing cards usually bore me.
Disclaimer: most of these cards aren't mine, etc...
Sky Diver
$4 - Action
+$2
+1 Buy
Discard a Copper, or reveal a hand with no Copper. If you did discard a Copper, +1 Card, +1 Action.
More cards which can be terminal or cantrip/village would be interesting, but this doesn't really give you a choice. I guess its okay.
Othello
$6 - Action
+1 Action
+1 Buy
+$1
Reveal cards from the top of your deck until you reveal an Action or Treasure card. Put that card into your hand. Discard the other revealed cards.
Eh its fine.
Centipede
$6 - Action
+$3
--
While this is in play, when you gain an Action, Treasure, or Victory card that you have not gained this turn: +1 Buy, +$1.
I believe the clause here is to prevent someone spamming coppers to get infinite $+1 and deck bloat. I think it would be fair if the player wanted to buy a curse for that extra $1.
Asteroids
$5 - Action-Attack
Choose one: +$3 or +3 Cards.
Each other player chooses one: they trash a card from their hand, or draw a card and discard a card from their hand.
Choose one: +1 buy and each other player gains a Copper; OR trash a card from your hand and each other player with four or more cards in hand discards a card.
A whole lot of choices. It would be fine if they all interacted together in some broad scheme, but i don't see it, making the card seem tedious.
Egg Catch
$3 - Action-Duration
+2 Cards
Set aside any number of Treasure cards from your hand face up on top of this card.
During the buy phase of your next turn: +1 Buy and play the set aside cards in any order.
Scoop up a whole bunch of cards and use them next turn. Opening this card/silver would allow you to hotshot to platinum by turn 4/5. Probably needs a rethink.
Millipede
$4 - Action
+1 Action
+1 Buy
+$1
Trash one or three cards from your hand.
Salvager works with +buy because you can sometimes generate alot of coin with it. This one not so much, I don't like +buy on this.
Pole Position
$5 - Treasure
Choose one:
If this is the only Treasure you play this turn, choose 2. Otherwise, choose 1: +$1P; OR +$2; OR +$1, +1 Buy.
The timing of this cards effects given subsequent treasure plays is awkward and can be fixed with wording. Hey, if i need potions or buys, its there.
Dig Dug
$4 - Action-Duration
Now and at the start of your next turn:
+1 Buy
+$1
--
While this is in play, when you gain a card, you may trash a card from your hand.
When you consider that merchant ship is simply +$2 now & later, this seems too strong for $4. Its a worthy $5 to me. Gaining cards happens almost every turn, so the mechanic only becomes interesting (very strong) when you start adding gainers or extra buys into the equation.
Pengo
$3 - Action
+1 Buy
Reveal and discard the top three cards of your deck. If all three are identical, +$4. If exactly two are identical, +$2. If there are no duplicates, +$1.
I'm not a fan of the luck involved in this card as an opener. Even when you refine your deck a bit, ehh its okay.
Mario Bros
$2 - Action-Duration
+$3
+1 Buy
At the start of your turn: +$1.
--
During your Clean Up phase, place [This Card] in play for the player to your right.
The pass around effect is overall neutral and adds some luck into the game. I'm open to a card which get passed around, but this particular card isn't it.
Combat
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
--
While this is in play, whenever you play an Action, +$1.
+$1 is worth a fair bit on cantrips. Reminds me of king's court; if you draw it with the right components before your opponent then it explodes and you usually win. Not a fan of those types of games.
Space War
$2 - Action
+1 Buy
You may trash this and another copy of [This Card] from your hand. If you do, gain two differently named cards costing up to $6, placing the card with the lowest cost on top of your deck.
+Buy lets you get some more of these, but lack of coin doesn't. It would be interesting to see if spamming these is in fact a good way to start up your deck.
Outlaw
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
+1 Buy
--
When you buy a Treasure you have not yet bought this turn, +$1.
Definitely good for museum. Seems fine but not super exciting.
Pac-Man
$4 - Action
+1 Action
+3 Buys
+$3
--
If you have unused buys at the end of the turn you play this card, trash this card.
Like a few other cards around here, its very strong with some alt VP (gardens). Problem is this is also very strong and kind of a no-brainer pickup in the majority of decks. Not a fan.
Jungle Hunt
$3 - Action
+2 Cards
+1 Action
+1 Buy
Reveal and discard 2 cards. If both cards discarded were Actions or Treasures, +1 Card.
It would be okay at $4, but +buy with a card which reduces your handsize (or buying power if you discard treasures) isn't very good.
Krull
$5 - Action-Duration
+1 Buy
+$1
On your next turn: +1 Buy.
Choose two non-empty piles from the supply. Place a Plus token on one and a Minus token on the other.
--
While this is in play, cards from supply piles with Plus tokens on them cost $1 more and cards from supply piles with Minus tokens on them cost $1 less (to a minimum of $0). When this leaves play, remove one Plus token and one Minus token from supply piles.
--
(Rules clarification: The maximum change in price is $1, even if there are multiple Plus or Minus tokens on a pile. If there are both Plus and Minus tokens on a pile, there is no change. If you play this card with a multiplier such as Throne Room or King's Court, there will be tokens left on piles once [This Card] leaves play, but if nobody has one in play, the tokens will do nothing.)
Using cost changes to hurt an opponent and help yourself. With a computer doing the work, i wouldn't mind trying this card out. In live games, there needs to be a way to tell which cards correspond to which tokens if there are multiple Krulls flying around. Love the idea but needs work.
Battlezone
$4 - Action-Duration
Set aside a card from your hand. At the start of your next turn, return it to your hand and gain +1 Card, +1 Action, +1 Buy.
--
When a player plays an Attack card, they may discard a Treasure card. If they do not, players who have a [This Card] in play are unaffected by the attack.
A halfway house between a number of cards. This basically works out to both improve and preserve your next hand. Mitigates chain attacks and luck, which i like.
Breakout
$6 - Action-Duration
Now and at the start of your next turn:
+$3
+1 Buy
--
While this is in play, cards cost $1 more.
This is interesting enough. When you finally get around to putting a couple of these in play they can stop a BM or alt VP opponent dead in their tracks. I actually like it, but the effect could get too out of control (stalling the game) and probably needs a limit.
Casino
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
+1 Buy
Reveal the top card of your deck. If it is a Ruins, Curse, or a Copper, put it into your hand.
Theres a material difference to vagrant in that its a lab+buy in a copper deck. This only makes it a little less dull.
Phoenix
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
--
While this is in play, Action cards you buy are immediately played.
--
(Rules clarification: This would allow you to play action cards during the buy phase, but only those you are purchasing. This is not optional and does not require leftover actions.)
It seems absurd that you could play treasures then buy a watchtower and regenerate your hand. Not any more absurd than black market but still, this type of effect requires rigorous playtesting.
Secret Quest
$3 - Action
+1 Buy
When you play this, +$1 per Buy you have.
Quite niche. The way it should be played is quite obvious. Diadem has similar issues. Overall its meh.
Adventure
$4 - Action
Look at the bottom card of your draw pile; you may discard it. If you do, +$2 and +1 Buy. If you don't; put it back on bottom, +2 Actions, and +1 Card.
The two choices being tied together is awkward and unintuitive. It would be completely fine without the bottom card mechanic.
Night Driver
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+$1
You may discard up to 2 Cards. +1 Action and +1 Buy per card discarded.
Super hamlet/market hybrid. Probably fine, nothing new.
Obelix
$4 - Action
+$2
+1 Buy
--
When you discard this from play, if you gained at least 1 Treasure card, 1 Action card, and 1 Victory card this turn, draw an additional card during this turn's Clean-up phase.
Very situational and the bonus isn't a big deal. Doesn't really capture my imagination.
Crossbow
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
+1 Buy
+$1
Discard a card.
--
When you gain this, if at least one supply pile is empty, you may put this on your deck.
These markets are beginning to blend together in my mind. Topdecking one or two of these is probably fine, too many and you're begging for a draw up to something.
Defender
$3 - Action-Victory
+1 Action
+1 Buy
--
Worth 1 VP
--
When you buy this, if this is the first card bought this turn, +1 Buy.
I look at this and i'm indifferent. Hey, if i need buy or points, its there.
Surround
$4 - Action-Duration
+1 Buy
+$1
--
At the end of your Buy phase, set aside one card from your deck for every unused buy face down. At the start of your next turn, put them into your hand.
I suppose if you got enough of these, and enough villages, you would end up with a wharf-style engine. Turning buys into something has potential. Its better than most.
Xenophobe
$6 - Action
+1 Buy
+$5
Discard 3 cards or 1 [This Card].
This could be the money piece of both a draw engine (if you can redraw the discarded Xeno over and over) and a draw up to engine. Its fine, but could do with being more flexible.
Street Racer
$2 - Action
+1 Buy
All players (including you) reveal a card from their hand. All cards revealed this way cost $1 less this turn, but not less than $0.
--
If you did not buy any copies of the revealed cards, you may put this card on top of your deck.
I'd get frustrated trying to keep track of everything when multiples are played, which seems to be what you want with bridge type cards. Concept has potential.
Road Runner
$5 - Action
+2 Actions
+3 Buys
--
In games using this, when you trash a Fool's Gold, you may gain an [This Card].
--
Setup: Add Fool's Gold as an extra Kingdom card pile.
There's no guarantee you'll have fool's gold available. Better to extend the effect to more piles.
Star Raiders
$2 - Action
+1 Action
+1 Buy
--
While this is in play, when you buy a card, gain a card costing exactly $2 more.
--
When you discard this from play, trash it if you have any unused Buys.
$2 +buy with the potential for some explosion ($5/KC, $4/gold, gold/prov) if you can pull it off. Its ok.
Quadrun
$6 - Action
+1 Buy
Trash any number of differently named cards from your hand. +$2 for each card trashed.
Its fine, better at clearing ruins than other junk. It has similar problems to forge. It could very well be fine at $5.
Space Invaders
$6 - Action
Reveal an Action card from your hand, play it up to three times.
If you play it once: +1 Buy, +$3.
If you play it twice: +1 Action, +1 Card, +$1.
If you play it thrice: trash the Action card.
A whole bunch of choices, similar to KC, not particularly inspiring and falls into spice merchant territory as far as being a source of buy.
E.T.
$5 - Action-Reaction
+1 Card
+1 Action
+1 Buy
--
When you buy a card you may discard this. If you do, +$3.
Ok, fine. The reaction is a little awkward given its a cantrip, works okay if you already played one. You'll need to know more about the top of your deck when using this.
Missile Command
$3 - Action
+1 Action
Choose one: +2 Cards and discard 2 cards; or +1 Card, +1 Buy.
Hey, it works. But not interesting.
Galaxian
$4 - Action
+2 Cards
+1 Buy
Discard 2 cards. Reveal your hand. If you have 2 or less treasures in it, +$3 and gain a silver.
Cantrip and draw up to engines will clog up when using this. Decks which want lots of cards or to hit $5 consistently will love this. Add gardens or duke and this is very strong. Maybe too strong?
Moon Patrol
$3 - Action
+1 Buy
Discard any number of cards. For each card discarded this way, +1 Card, +1 Action.
Jokes
Human Cannonball
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
+1 Buy
Choose one: Put a Coin token on your [This Card] mat; or remove any number of Coin tokens and get +$1 per removed token.
One of the better market ideas. However, when you're saving up a whole bunch of coin, you're not using the buys that a string of these will generate. I suppose the same could be said with regular markets, but you can happily grab just one or two of those. For this one, you want to play it quite often.
Gravitar
$3 - Action
+2 Buys
Gain a Silver.
--
While this card is in play, when you buy a Victory card, +$3.
Mostly an awkward and not very useful terminal. This card probably dominates in alt VP, as you can get $1 gardens/silk roads or $2 duchys, and those decks want silver. So situational it suffers, and could be more interesting with some tweaks.
Ikari Warriors
$5 - Action-Attack
+1 Buy
+$3
Discard one card; if you do, each other player gains a Curse card.
--
While this is in play, if you buy an Attack card; play it immediately.
This is stronger than already super strong $5 cursers without the on-buy effect. Keep in mind a slog like that will usually have an estate or curse to discard.
Joust
$4 - Action
+1 Buy
You may put a Victory card from your hand on top of your deck. If you do, +$3.
Its okay, maybe a bit weak. I find mandarin to be much more interesting.
Vanguard
$4 - Action
+1 Buy
--
While this is in play, when you buy a card, gain a Gold if you have no Treasures in play. Otherwise, gain a Silver if you have no Golds in play.
I agree with the others, its exploitable.
