Man, I missed you guys. Glad to be back. I've decided to come back by contributing something meaningful to these forums, rather than a few pithy lines in General Discussion or some wild accusations in mafia. So I thought an article would be appropriate. This is my first strategy article, and what better way to start than with one of my favorite cards in the whole game, Artificer.
Okay, so Artificer. Artificer is neat; nice name, cool mechanics, and not really hated by anyone. But I’m not here to tell you why I like Artificer. I’m here to tell you why I think it is one of the best cards in Adventures. We will start by looking at this versatile card’s many uses, and then talk about when to get Artificer and what to get with it.
Artificer as a Gainer
Artificer’s main strength lies in its versatility. However, the most obvious use for this guy is as a gainer. The topdecking ability means you can just discard 5 Coppers instead of playing them and get to use that Mountebank (or just another Artificer) next turn (or even this turn, if you have more draw). Being able to quickly acquire engine components is vital early game, and often gives you a huge edge on those first few turns.
Artificer as a +Buy
Though Artificer is a gainer, it can also function as a source of +Buy. Say you have an Artificer in play and
from 4 Coppers and a Silver. You can discard it all to topdeck a
, spend it all on a
, or split it by discarding some and saving some for your buy phase. Additionally, with enough draw it’s entirely feasible to discard 8 or 11 cards to land that Colony or Province. Once you start greening, you can discard dead cards to get more VP or keep you engine running by also gaining Action cards.
Artificer as a Sifter/Enabler
The third and perhaps most subtle use for Artificer is a sifter and enabler. Remember, you don’t need to gain anything for discarding. Enabling Tunnels, Menageries, or Coppers for Counting House is useful, not mention that since it says “gain a card costing
per card discarded”, with cost reduction, you can gain stuff without discarding anything, or just gain Copper if you need them. Draw-to-X is also great, and you can even trigger it repeatedly in a turn with enough Artificers.
Case Study: Artificer/Menagerie
While none of Artificer’s abilities are groundbreaking by themselves, it is when they can be used together that Artificer becomes a power card. It’s synergy with Menagerie is a case in point: Discard duplicates to gain Menageries (or Artificers) while enabling you other Menageries to draw more. While any sifter can do this, Artificer has the added advantage of actually gaining the combo components while sifting. Once you draw lots of cards, you don’t need to worry about a lack of +Buy, because Artificer has that base covered, too.
When it’s hot
So when is Artificer good? Since it is so versatile, it’s almost always useful to some extent, but Kingdoms with no gainers or +Buys really let Artificer shine. The presence of cantrips or Peddler variants also boosts Artificer, as you can quickly acquire them and play them.
When it’s not
Regardless, there are circumstances when Artificer is not a good option. It is almost completely useless in Big Money (which is why this article has no section on it), and kingdoms with good trashing mean you have nothing to discard. Likewise, handsize reduction attacks like Goons or Militia really hurt, as it makes gaining those key
s harder with fewer cards in hand.
Summing it up
In conclusion, Artificer is an often underrated but very strong card. It’s worth considering on most boards, and the key card more often that it would seem. It’s versatility ensures that it can perform well in a variety of roles, often combining with other cards to be a real power card.
Synergies
Scrying Pool
Counting House
Menagerie
Tunnel
Poor House
Alms
Inheritence
Cantrips and Peddler variants
Antisynergies
Big Money strategies
Strong Trashing
Opponent’s handsize reducers
