I continue to be shocked at how underrated Conspirator is. It's a key card on the vast majority of boards.
Without the stuff that's above it, it's just a $4 Duchess.
That's like saying that Smithy without a village in an engine is like a dead card (hey, Conspirator is at least a terminal Silver!). There is always a risk of failing to match engine components.
I also don't get the Comspirator hype. It's just decent payload. Sure it's cool that it can be sort of a cheap double Peddler or whatever, but this isn't remotely gamebreaking. Throne Room is a Village and payload multiplier and so much more all in one card.
Nobody is arguing that Conspirator is overpowered or whatever. But to see it below Mining Village, a weak village plus one-shot, is pretty weird as Conspirator is, after Grand Market, the best payload in an engine after Grand Market.
I agree though that Throne Room is better as it is more versatile.