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Author Topic: Combo: Scheme/Trading Post  (Read 6902 times)

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Young Nick

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Combo: Scheme/Trading Post
« on: January 11, 2012, 06:42:02 pm »
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I just had a game (link included below) that featured Scheme and Trading Post. Laboratory helped move things along (when does it not?), but I felt like the core aspect of Trading Post and Scheme was fast enough in its own. Basically, the goal is to grab a Trading Post ASAP, even if it is after the first reshuffle. Grab schemes when you can and then proceed to playing Trading Post every turn, turning your deck into a bunch of Silver. The Laboratories helped make sure I had at least 4 Silver in hand, but felt unnecessary. Once the Coppers and Estates are cleared, any terminal Silver could be used so that it can be top-decked every turn. This game saw me grab 6 provinces in 16 turns. Additionally, the opening didn't go as planned - I opened with a Nomad Camp to try to get an early Trading Post, but failed to reach $5. If I had just opened Silver/Silver or Silver/Scheme, I probably would have been faster.

I have never done a combo or game log thread, so cut me some slack. Maybe it isn't as fast as I would imagine.

http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201201/11/game-20120111-153342-8de769c3.html
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jonts26

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Re: Combo: Scheme/Trading Post
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2012, 06:57:25 pm »
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I did this trick in a familiar game once, and it worked wonderfully. Normally trading post is a very interesting card. As an opener it's absolutely fantastic. It drops to decent on turns 3/4 and usually falls into a bad buy after that. I think what makes it good is that you need to use it often early in the game but after a few shuffle's the benefit is minimal to nonexistent. Scheme is a nice workaround to it, letting you get more of those early critical plays.

While I think this combo (if you could call it that) demonstrates the power of early Trading Posts it really shows the power of scheme. I've been thinking of writing up a proper article for the card because it's become one of my favorites.
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rod-

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Re: Combo: Scheme/Trading Post
« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2012, 08:25:22 pm »
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I didn't think that scheme/silver would be that great an opener, but i've run about 8 tests and never failed to get a 2nd shuffle TP (...SEECC and ECCCC, with a copper on bottom, would be the only possible outcome, i suppose...)  I've failed to draw that TP in the 3rd shuffle about 3/4 of the time, but the schemes make that not matter too much in the grand scheme of things.  Missing 2 turns then hitting every turn instead of missing 4 and then hitting every 2.5 turns is a huge difference.

I ran into problems making 6 provinces in 16 but never before i already had 4ish provinces.  It's a solid one.
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jonts26

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Re: Combo: Scheme/Trading Post
« Reply #3 on: January 11, 2012, 08:32:03 pm »
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I don't think you would ever want to open scheme/silver any more than you'd open throne room/silver even if you really wanted to eventually throne room things. Open Silver/Silver, get the trading post, then get scheme with your next <$6 hand.

EDIT: OK scheme/silver wouldn't be as bad as TR/silver since you are still pretty likely to hit $5, but less so than Silver/Silver, so it's still probably inferior. You also increase your odds of turns 3/4 being a 5 or 6/2 split. Without a good $2 on the board, you waste a turn. The silver/silver open gives very good odds of a Trading Post/Scheme turns 3/4. And really that scheme you bought turn 1/2 isn't doing anything 3/4 anyway.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2012, 08:38:48 pm by jonts26 »
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DG

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Re: Combo: Scheme/Trading Post
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2012, 09:27:02 pm »
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I think the linked game is a classic example for scheme and trading post. The trading post can deliver all the treasure you need for your provinces when there is sufficient drawing to collect it up. The scheme lets you play your single terminal action every turn and that's better than having the second trading post in the deck. After the trading post has completed its work you can partner the schemes with the labs and this transfer is also a good use of the scheme.

For something more complicated you can go with quarry/scheme or nomad camp/quarry. This opens up quite a few more options.
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Young Nick

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Re: Combo: Scheme/Trading Post
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2012, 10:08:22 pm »
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The problem with Nomad Camp in this specific game is that unless I intend on picking up a Festival, it will collide with the Trading Post. The +Buy that Nomad Camp or Festival would have offered would have been helpful with the Quarry, yes, but I would have been relying on the ability to top-deck both terminals and the Festival every turn. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if opening Nomad Camp/Quarry and going for a Festival and massed Schemes (with the TP, obviously) outperformed my more basic strategy in the long run. It just seems like a very complex strategy requiring lots of cards and thus less likely to set up successfully.
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DG

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Re: Combo: Scheme/Trading Post
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2012, 10:53:18 pm »
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Yes good point, schemes will inevitably force your terminals to clash. Once you've bought the nomad camp on turn 3 though and have four coins to spend on turn 4, the quarry looks like the best option.
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ackack

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Re: Combo: Scheme/Trading Post
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2012, 10:27:22 am »
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While I think this combo (if you could call it that) demonstrates the power of early Trading Posts it really shows the power of scheme. I've been thinking of writing up a proper article for the card because it's become one of my favorites.

I agree - thus far I still have a 100% gain rate on Scheme. I haven't been following the huge card list thread too closely, but I did feel like Scheme was being somewhat undersold there. Much like Fishing Village, it's a card where the main strength is that it makes other cards better.
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RisingJaguar

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Re: Combo: Scheme/Trading Post
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2012, 12:07:24 pm »
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This is great usage of two cards and their synergy.  Trading post's problem is the lack of speed other trashers provides because you trash two cards and gain a decent card back (thus clogging the deck).  Scheme speeds up the whole process. 

I know this isn't the point of the thread... but I will say that your first $8 buy should have been a Expand on turn 10.  It would have turned trading post into a province anyways and would have been left with a province and a better terminal action (as trading post is useless).  Also would've given you ability to speed up games if needed (expanding province to province) and double province turn (expand labs to provinces + buying province).

Well done though.
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