Challenge #45: Unruin the LibraryMake a card that gives a vanilla terminal +1 CardThank you all for taking on this unusual challenge. I appreciate all of the effort you put forth to make such a bizarre concept work.
Safe by Doom_Shark http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811111#msg811111A while back someone suggested adding +1 Card to Secret Chamber as a way of making it not completely terrible. It’s a decent idea overall: if you draw a dead Action card, you can just discard it for $. This is like that but with Coffers, which is a good choice for a benefit. The big problem with Secret Chamber was that it turned out to be generally not worth bothering with for the little amount of $ it gave you. Coffers, though, seem just useful enough to be worth it. However, I do think the one-for-the-price-of-two ratio nerfs this enough to kick it back down to $2. Overall, a solid if not terribly original idea.
Abbey by King Leon http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811112#msg811112I definitely like the idea of trasher with +1 Card. A trasher is something you want at the beginning, which is also when you’re least likely to draw a dead Action card. The card itself is absolutely going to be a powerhouse in the beginning. You get the same trashing as Steward, plus additional cycling, and you’re almost guaranteed to have $3 left over, which can at least get a Silver. Unfortunately, I feel for that reason that the card will play kind of boringly. It will be used to trash and that’s it. The Reaction seems like an odd add-on. It’s a nice way to clear your hand of the card when you’re done trashing, but connecting it to Attacks doesn’t make much sense to me, though it will explicitly help against junkers.
Copier by NoMoreFun http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811113#msg811113This is in the top 5.This is definitely different. At the same time, the +1 Card fits everything else pretty well. It does seem like a needed buff to what would probably be a weak card otherwise. It doesn’t increase your handsize overall, but it does give you one more card to choose from. If you draw a dead Action card, you can just copy it instead of playing it. And then the copy goes on top of your deck, so you’re not really missing anything. And then you can draw it with another Copier! Definitely a well-made card.
Reservoir by popsofctown http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811129#msg811129This is in the top 5.Saving cards for later is a decent way around the problems with +1 Card. At first glance, this looks like just a more convoluted version of Gear. However, the ability to set aside any number of cards is a real game-changer. It maybe compares more to Tactician with its ability to set up a powerful next turn at the expensive of this turn. It’s also like Church, but you have the powerful ability of choosing which cards get set aside. The +$1 and +Buy feel sort of tacked-on, but other than that it looks fun.
Escort by Kudasai http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811130#msg811130One of those frustrating cards that depends on you having a discard pile in order to do anything. This feels particularly swingy because it’s terminal, but could have a strong effect depending on what’s in there. It also feels like it’s not worth the price. Maybe I’m missing something here, but it’s hard for me to think of a situation in which I would actually want this. If you’re drawing your deck, it’s useless. If you’re not drawing your deck, it’s probably full of junk, so your targets won’t be very good.
Respite by Aquila http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811136#msg811136This is similar to Reservoir, but you have to set aside your whole hand. You also get a nice +$3 to spend this turn. Gaining a $5 card is really the main strength, but this ability feels tacked-on with respect to what the rest of the card is doing. I think I’d prefer playing with Reservoir because of the neat flexibility it gives you, but I do like that this card gives you a solid $ bonus up-front (maybe if Reservoir gave +$2 instead?)
Madrigal by spineflu http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811165#msg811165I’ve seen at least one other fan card with the same top part as this. But hey, it’s a cool idea: a Peddler that’s trickier to play. I’d try a different bottom part, though. This one feels lackluster, honestly.
Sledgehammer by grep http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811187#msg811187This certainly looks fun to play with! Though it’s unfortunate that you won’t get to use the chain reaction effect much. This card will outlive its usefulness fast, but the explosiveness might be worth it. I do like that you found a way to make the +1 Card more useful by being able to double it. If you draw a dead Action card you can Sledgehammer it to Throne a same-costed Action card, which is neat but doesn’t seem like it would usually be worth it.
Reform by Fragasnap http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811200#msg811200So it’s sort of a double Mine/Rebuild thing. It can’t gain to hand like Mine, but upgrading 2 Coppers at once is enough to still make it better. In the end, though, I’d prefer to trash my Coppers than turn them into Silvers. The Rebuild option is even worse, useless unless there’s tfb around. Upgrading an Action card doesn’t seem worth it either unless there are Looters. Overall, I don’t find this terribly exciting and the +1 Card doesn’t feel needed.
Shanty Library by majiponi http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811203#msg811203So the first one you play is generally either a Village, a Laboratory or a Smithy. On its own such a card should be at least $6, but of course the other ones you draw will be worth $0. This makes it difficult to estimate the price, and even more difficult to actually play with. This is also completely broken not only with Page but also with Peasant and Lost Arts. Overall, I suspect this won’t work as a card. Though for what it’s worth, I found the name amusing.
Ancestral Crypt by LibraryAdventurer http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811206#msg811206This is the same a King Leon’s Abbey, but it’s more expensive, it doesn’t have the Reaction, and it gives Coffers for trashing expensive stuff. Unlike Abbey, this will remain useful after all your junk is trashed, which makes the strategy more interesting. However, a Coffer per $2 in cost doesn’t give you much overall if you’re trashing expensive stuff for Provinces. Mostly this will be used for the powerful trashing effect like Abbey.
Manuscript by mandioca15 http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811216#msg811216So, this can potentially turn the +1 Card into a Lab, which is certainly useful. However, the big problem with this is that you don’t know for sure whether or not it will be terminal when you play it. You can get around this through having a bunch of spare +Actions, but that won’t always be possible. Relying on this for draw seems a frustrating prospect indeed as your engine could sputter at any time.
Pioneer by naitchman http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811377#msg811377This is in the top 5.Another neat way around the +1 Card problem, letting you pick which card you’re going to draw and also giving more deck inspection tricks. It has the potential to be strong in the opening as it will be at least a Silver altogether and also lets you control your cycling pretty well. I do very much like this idea, but I'm not sure it's that much of a useful card overall. The best comparison I can think of is with Navigator: It gives +$, it's terminal and it inspects your deck. The flexibility does make this better though.
Masked Witch by grrgrrgrr http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811419#msg811419So it’s a Curser, which is something you usually want even if the rest of the card sucks. So hey, that’s a way to make a Ruined Library desirable. But then, of course, it can take one of 5 forms. It’s very good with Ruined Library and Ruined Village, because those make it a regular Witch and a Familiar, respectively. Hey, a situation where Ruined Village is good! With Survivors it’s also pretty good, since you can then discard the Curses you’re getting. With Ruined Mine it’s not so good, and with Ruined Market it’s usually pretty bad. I feel for this reason it’s going to be fairly swingy, especially with the Familiar option. Familiar is already pretty swingy, but with this there’s extra luck needed to chain a few Cursers together. One lucky Ruined Village can easily make it gg. I do like the new currency you came up with, though
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Scrap Village by pubby http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811449#msg811449At first glance it looks neat. The first one you play you get to trash something, then if you can play another you’ll get the +2 Actions. And as I said before, +1 Card isn’t so bad if it comes with trashing. Towards the end you might be forced to trash something good, but the trashing with this is slow enough that you might be able to avoid that if play it right. Looks fun to play with overall. I do think $2 is too cheap, though. Other than that I like it.
Gremlin by Fly-Eagles-Fly http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811452#msg811452This is in the top 5.Like the card above it, this gives you different benefits depending on how many cards are in your hand. The first play is just a Smithy, then it becomes a Curser if you can play more. I really like how the +1 Card seems needed here: You need it to keep the handsize benefit you got from an earlier play, but it has to be terminal to keep the power level in check. I guess my main beef with this is that it plays pretty similar to Witch in the end: you increase your handsize and give everyone else Curses.
Augur by Gazbag http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811519#msg811519And Gazbag wins this week’s laziness award! No seriously, this actually plays very differently than Seer despite the small change. The terminality means you need a different strategy, and as it was pointed out, this can draw copies of itself. It’s unlikely to turn over 3 cards you can’t draw, but even if it does it’s nice that it at least draws something. I actually like this a lot on first glance, despite the stolen concept.
Rabbits by anordinaryman http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811610#msg811610This is in the top 5.Wow, bonus points for trying something really crazy! The comparison to Beggar is very apt; it’s also a $2 card that can give you a massive benefit this turn in exchange for ruining your deck. Very creative way to make a Ruined Library valuable, and it looks very fun when it’s useful. My main concern is how you can empty the pile on a single play. It’s not something you usually want to do, but I can imagine all sorts of edge-case abuse. Imagine, for instance, gaining the whole pile, then buying Triumph and Donate. I would definitely put some sort of limit on the amount you can gain in a turn.
Travel Stop by mail-mi http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811613#msg811613So, you need other Villages in order for this to be a Village itself, as well as a fair amount of non-Action cards. But if you run out of Actions when you play this, at least you can get $ for each dead Action card in your hand. A decent idea overall.
Common Property by ShadowHawk http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18987.msg811721#msg811721This is another card with the problem that you don’t know whether or not it will be terminal when you play it. Even if you have spare +Actions, that will often discourage you from playing it. I understand the big bonus of +2 Cards for your opponent is to encourage them to give you good stuff to play. But +1 Card is such a bad effect for you that I’d still be tempted to give you junk anyway. I imagine this will play very differently 2-player games than in games with more players. In 2-player you can guarantee your opponent’s Common Properties will suck by just giving them junk every time, but in multiplayer you don’t know if your opponents will give them something good to get the +2 Cards, and you might want to get in on that. I suspect this is unbalanced as a result, but I don’t know for sure.
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Well, this was a tough choice and you guys gave me a lot of cool cards to look through. In the end, though, in terms creativity and making a terminal +1 Card work, I have to give First Place to:
Copier by NoMoreFunwith
Rabbits by anordinaryman as the runner-up.