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[binbag420]

Weekly Design Contest #163: Cleaning The Banlist

Design a card to replace your least favourite card (or a disliked card).

It should keep at least some aspect or idea from it the same, like Explorer being replaced by Pirate. It doesnt need to be a widely hated card, just one you personally dont like for whatever reason and think you can improve the concept of.

Keep the mechanics to the set you're replacing the card from. For example you cant replace an intrigue card with one that gives horses. And please tell me the card youre replacing with your submission.

Im mainly judging cards on how much I think I'd enjoy it, and how well it replaces the terrible one. I dont mind complicated submissions but im more excited by simple but effective ideas.

Judging ends about a week from now (midnight 18th September BST).

[MrHiTech]

Voodoo Doll, replacing Possession

[Augie279]

Replacing Envoy. It's a promo so it's not likely to get replaced but replacing it anyways.

[xyz123]

Upcycle
Action
$5

+2 Cards
Trash a card from your hand. Gain a card costing up to $3 more than it, that it shares a type with.
Discard 2 cards.

Notes
- Replacement for Rebuild
- My objective to to stop the card having a monolithic strategy. To do this the card is now terminal and now trashes from your hand instead of digging through your deck. It now behaves more like the more traditional remodel family members.
- To keep the spirit of Rebuild, the price gap is still $3 so you can still turn Estates into Duchies and Duchies into Provinces, etc.
- To give something back to the card and to open up the scope of its use, it no longer just trashes and gains Victory cards. That restriction is now that the trashed and gained cards must share a type.

** Following feedback I have added some sifting ability which also fits with Rebuild.

[NoMoreFun]

Fanatic
Action - $2
Choose one: +1 Card, or trash a card from your hand for +1 Card per $1 it costs.
_____
When you trash this, you may play it

A replacement for Cultist.

[majiponi]

Marionette
cost $6P - Action - Duration
If the previous turn wasn't yours, take another, at whose start your left player puts their deck in their discard pile and reveal all cards there, and you may play one of the revealed Action card, leaving there.


A new Possession harms little to your left player.

[Gubump]

Upcycle
Action
$5

Trash a card from your hand. Gain a card costing up to $3 more than it, that it shares a type with it.

Notes
- Replacement for Rebuild
- My objective to to stop the card having a monolithic strategy. To do this the card is now terminal and now trashes from your hand instead of digging through your deck. It now behaves more like the more traditional remodel family members.
- To keep the spirit of Rebuild, the price gap is still $3 so you can still turn Estates into Duchies and Duchies into Provinces, etc.
- To give something back to the card and to open up the scope of its use, it no longer just trashes and gains Victory cards. That restriction is now that the trashed and gained cards must share a type.

From the Allies Secret History: I also had an Expand that required the gained card to share a type with the trashed card. It only cost $4 and still wasn't exciting most games.

[Augie279]

Marionette
cost $6P - Action - Duration
If the previous turn wasn't yours, take another, at whose start your left player puts their deck in their discard pile and reveal all cards there, and you may play one of the revealed Action card, leaving there.


A new Possession harms little to your left player.

Needs Outpost's "If this is the first time you've played a Marionette this turn" clause.

[CaptainReklaw]

A card to replace Harvest. Cornucopia is my favorite expansion, but wow Harvest was a dud.

[Xen3k]

Pirate Map - $4
Action
+$2
+1 Buy
You may trash a Pirate Map from your hand, to gain 2 Golds onto your deck.

Replacement for Treasure Map. It's not so much I hate Treasure Map itself, more I hate how many times I have naively gone Treasure Map. This version is at least a Woodcutter. To make up for it, the payload for matching two of them is only 2 Gold onto your deck. Was thinking of having it still trash both, but was not sure that was necessary. Feedback is appreciated.

[Builder_Roberts]

Replacing Minion

Minion's an attack, and I'm not partial to attacks. It was simply the easiest to remove the Attack portion from.
I like going all-in on minion, but I hate when the other player does it. This makes it so we can simply compete for Henchmen without hurting each other.

[NoMoreFun]

Upcycle
Action
$5

Trash a card from your hand. Gain a card costing up to $3 more than it, that it shares a type with it.

Notes
- Replacement for Rebuild
- My objective to to stop the card having a monolithic strategy. To do this the card is now terminal and now trashes from your hand instead of digging through your deck. It now behaves more like the more traditional remodel family members.
- To keep the spirit of Rebuild, the price gap is still $3 so you can still turn Estates into Duchies and Duchies into Provinces, etc.
- To give something back to the card and to open up the scope of its use, it no longer just trashes and gains Victory cards. That restriction is now that the trashed and gained cards must share a type.

From the Allies Secret History: I also had an Expand that required the gained card to share a type with the trashed card. It only cost $4 and still wasn't exciting most games.

Top decking the gained card would help incentivise using the card for applications other than Rebuild. Agree that it's probably a $4 not a $5, and you might be able to do "up to $4 more".

[Gamer3000]

Circus is an Intrigue card to replace Harem. It can gain Silver and scales in VP depending on the amount of Treasures (other than Copper) you have.

[BryGuy]

This is my first post here so ...

My idea would be to replace Necropolis with
Tent: +1 Action, +1 Buy
an Action & Shelter

[spineflu]

Rest • Event • $0
if you have no cards in play, you may discard an Action or Curse card to gain a Gold.

replaces Quest. more Baths-like flavor on this one.

[Chappy7]

The hope is to replace Tournament and get rid of some of the ridiculous RNG associated with it.  You now get the $1 every time, so other players revealing a province isn't as impactful.  The Duchy gaining is also no longer onto your deck.  The drawback is that you can only gain one Prize using Tournament now. 

No more will your opponent luck into Trusty Steed (in a kingdom with no other villages of course) and Followers (in a kingdom with no other cursers and no trashers of course) and princess (in a kingdom with no other +buy of course) before you even get to one prize.  Yaaaaaay bag of gold and diadem.......and on top of that lovely situation, your tornaments you frantically bought to try to keep those Prizes away from your opponents? They are now duds.  Have fun.

Phew that was a fun rant.  Anyway me no like tournament but Prizes are still a fun idea so hopefully this helps.

[Chappy7]

I mean you still would want first dibs on the prize pile, and your own provinces still nerf the opponents Tournaments or Jousts, so I don't think it "has no tournament flavor".  Those prizes can be big game changers, and I think getting there first is still enough incentive, personally.  I just think the massive, swingy race of OG tournament isn't really appropriate for dominion, and as such this is certainly meant to tone down the race, but I felt that it kept enough of the original theme.

I will certainly think about once per turn though.  It's a good suggestion.

Edit: this looks silly now that the comment I was replying to got removed.  They were waying that this retained none of tournament's original flavor.

[Udzu]

Voodoo Doll, replacing Possession

I think you can simplify this a bit by making it a Command type: "Play a non-Command Action card from their hand, leaving it there. If you didn’t, …".

This also has the advantage of preventing it from playing another Voodoo Doll, which is probably for the best!

[joefarebrother]

Voodoo Doll, replacing Possession

Probably ought to not be able to play durations, since you'll need to track their effects after having removed them from play

[Udzu]

Voodoo Doll, replacing Possession

Probably ought to not be able to play durations, since you'll need to track their effects after having removed them from play

If Voodoo Doll is made a Command type then it's fine to let it play durations, as it itself will stay out (like Band of Misfits and Overlord).

[Udzu]

I hate Adventurer with an irrational passion. Not sure if this fixes it for me though.



Update: tweaked slightly from this.

[emtzalex]

My Submission:

Bal Masqué • $4 • Action - Attack +2 Cards You may trash a card from your hand. If you did, each other player with 4 or more cards in hand discards a copy of it (or reveals they can't).

I really dislike Masquerade, so my submission is Bal Masqué. It has Masquerade's terminal +2 Cards and optional trashing. It also has the potential to mess with other players' hands. But it doesn't take cards out of a players' deck, a mechanic I really dislike.

[JW]

Reconstruct
Action - $5
Trash a card from your hand. If it is a Curse, Ruins, Shelter, or Victory card, gain a card costing up to $3 more than it. Otherwise, gain a card costing up to $2 more than it.

Replaces Rebuild, of course! Reconstruct is weaker in Dark Ages than it would be in another set because of Shelters.

[LibraryAdventurer]

I hesitated to post this, partly because the OP never said whether the contest includes events, and partly because it's so similar to the original. I think it's better and different enough from the original, but let me know if this doesn't work for the contest.
(replaces Annex.)

Duk
- Event
During clean-up this turn, after discarding and before drawing your next hand:  Look through your discard pile. Shuffle all but up to 5 cards from it into your deck. Gain a Duchy.

(PS: Does anyone recognize where the name is from?)

[IlstrawberrySeed]

Battlements
____
+1 card
+1 action
If you didn’t ignore the effects of any attack, you may have each player with 4 or more cards in hand puts one onto their deck or discards 2 cards. Otherwise, +1 action
____
When you end your turn, you may reveal this from your hand until your next turn. If you do, you may ignore the effects of any attack card played while revealed.
____
Action - Attack - Reaction
____
(6)

Replaces moat. I personally don’t like that it can be revealed so attackers don’t know if it is going to hit any or which players, nor that such a cheap card can be used (in a small deck or with setup cards) to invalidate several cards at once.

I chose to up the price, but in order for a village to be worth that much, it needs an attack in order to trigger itself. I tried to word it such that if no one played an attack or if you took the hit of 1 attack you can choose to attack.

[4est]

I still don't understand how Bureaucrat survived into the 2E Base, but man that card is so bad, even worse than some of the 1E removals like Woodcutter and Feast, which sure were boring, but at least usable on most boards. Bureaucrat usually just means a 9-card Kingdom.

Since Clerk from Prosperity 2E is already basically a "fixed" Bureaucrat, Scrivener is a more exotic variation as a cheap one-shot Attack with a non-terminal Armory on top (letting you gain more than just Silver) and then Clerk's same half-Ghost Ship attack. Opening with Scrivener kind of allows you to open with two $4s (though one will often miss the shuffle), with a mild Attack thrown in.

And hey, if you ever miss Bureaucrat, Scrivener can even do an imitation by topdecking Silver and forcing opponents to topdeck VP cards, except it's way better because afterwards you don't still have a Bureaucrat in your deck.

[X-tra]

This replaces Tax. Boy do I hate Tax. Don't get me started on Tax!

People on the Discord server helped me tweak this concept, because boy it was not easy to make this work.

FAQ: Set aside cards are part of a player's cards; it's considered "theirs". Set aside Curses and Provinces would count toward end game scoring, for instance.

[Udzu]

I hate Adventurer with an irrational passion. Not sure if this fixes it though.

I don’t think that suffices. The trashing is fairly weak and digging for two Treasures is arguable a $2.

You’re probably right. I forget quite how spectacularly mispriced Adventurer was (though disagree about it being a $2). I might let you choose play or trash separately for each card to speed up the trashing a bit. Also it provides virtual coin, which is sometimes useful. Still not a great card, but at least it’s not as terrible as the original.

[binbag420]

I'll just clarify now, Events and other card shaped things are very much allowed

[xyz123]

Upcycle
Action
$5

Trash a card from your hand. Gain a card costing up to $3 more than it, that it shares a type with it.

Notes
- Replacement for Rebuild
- My objective to to stop the card having a monolithic strategy. To do this the card is now terminal and now trashes from your hand instead of digging through your deck. It now behaves more like the more traditional remodel family members.
- To keep the spirit of Rebuild, the price gap is still $3 so you can still turn Estates into Duchies and Duchies into Provinces, etc.
- To give something back to the card and to open up the scope of its use, it no longer just trashes and gains Victory cards. That restriction is now that the trashed and gained cards must share a type.

From the Allies Secret History: I also had an Expand that required the gained card to share a type with the trashed card. It only cost $4 and still wasn't exciting most games.

Thanks for the feedback. I have updated my original post with some updates. I have given the card some sifting ability to make it more interesting, which fits thematically with Rebuild.

[faust]

Pickpocket - $3 Action/Reaction/Attack +1 Card +1 Action Each other player discards down to 4 cards in hand. - When you discard this from your hand, you may exchange it for an Assassin.

Assassin - $0* Choose two: +2 Cards; +$2; trash two cards from your hand; or each other player with 4 or more cards in hand discards a card. The choices must be different. (This is not in the Supply.)

These are replacing Urchin/Mercenary. Note that Pickpocket can be activated if it is discarded from your hand during Cleanup.

[Marpharos]

Here's my submission to replace Camel Train. I've been playing Dominion a long time, and I know I'm not the best, but I often introduce new people to the game who really enjoy it. The number of times I see people go for Camel Train and not get access to their exiled cards as they've not got enough money just makes me feel sad for their enjoyment of the game. So, you either exile or discard from exile, but there's still that wait to get the card. I did consider having the card be top-decked instead, but then you've just got Transport...


Caravanserai
$4
Action-Duration
Choose one: either Exile a non-Victory card costing up to $6 from the Supply now; or, at the start of your next turn, discard a card you have in Exile.


Edit- missed duration wording.... Oops!
Edit- added clause costing up to $6

[emtzalex]

Here's my submission to replace Camel Train. I've been playing Dominion a long time, and I know I'm not the best, but I often introduce new people to the game who really enjoy it. The number of times I see people go for Camel Train and not get access to their exiled cards as they've not got enough money just makes me feel sad for their enjoyment of the game. So, you either exile or discard from exile, but there's still that wait to get the card. I did consider having the card be top-decked instead, but then you've just got Transport...


Caravanserai
$4
Action-Duration
Choose one: either Exile a non-Victory card from the Supply now; or discard a card from Exile.

You obviously are intending for there to be a delay to discard a card from Exile, but the card doesn't currently say that. What I think you meant to say was:

Choose one: Exile a non-Victory card from the Supply; or, at the start of your next turn, discard a card you have in Exile.

The Duration effect happening at the start of the next turn isn't implied under the rules (even if it's what happens in the vast majority of Duration cards).

[X-tra]

Camel Train is perfectly fine. It should be obvious that the card puts stuff in the pipeline but does not help you access that very pipeline. I mean, gee, Thief was not overpowered just because every beginner feared him stealing your Coppers. People misevaluating or misplaying a card says very little about that very card.

Lucky for them, the contest isn't about rebalancing an already balanced card, nor is it to bump up an underpowered card or to take down a peg an overpowered card: It's about coming up with a variation to a card you personally do not enjoy.

You're not "misevaluating or misplaying" Camel Train by disliking it. The only thing their entry says about Camel Train is that they do not enjoy Camel Train, something that simply can't be put up to debate.

[X-tra]

You say "fix the card", the contest and I say "come up with a variation of the card". That doesn't imply the same thing at all. Whether or not Camel Train is an already balanced, working card is irrelevant at all for the purpose of this contest. There are perfectly valid reasons to dislike a card that does not invoke balance in the slightest anyway. In fact, Marpharos and his "dudes and dudettes" shouldn't even try to justify their dislike of a balanced card: They just do and that's that. This qualifies for the contest. It's wonderful to see this thread not just full of Philosopher's Stone variants, you know what I'm sayin'.

This is the only point I was arguing about. As for their entry, I too find it to be somewhat problematic for the reasons you have highlighted, but that's a different subject.

[Marpharos]

You obviously are intending for there to be a delay to discard a card from Exile, but the card doesn't currently say that. What I think you meant to say was:

Choose one: Exile a non-Victory card from the Supply; or, at the start of your next turn, discard a card you have in Exile.

The Duration effect happening at the start of the next turn isn't implied under the rules (even if it's what happens in the vast majority of Duration cards).

Thanks, you're right that's what I meant! I've updated my submission now.

Camel Train is a well liked card in our group, but we don't have a ban list. I've just noticed that someone ends up getting a load of Gold too late to make a difference and thought I'd make a variation on the card to improve it for the groups I play with to help them play better.

I made it cost 4 so you don't automatically double open with it, removed the Gold gaining and made it so the card is discarded. I know it shares a design space with Transport, but things like WotSquirrel and Expedition share a design space, so I'm not worried about that.

Maybe it needs to cost $5 instead? Or limit the exile to a card costing up to $6? Some constructive feedback would be gratefully received!

Edit- clarity.

[X-tra]

Mining Village is a variation of Village. The cards posted here are fixes. Now if the fix actually messes up whatever it tries to fix, that should be pointed out. And yeah, I even dared to point out that perhaps, just perhaps, trying to understand why whatever you dislike about a particular card because your buddies suck at playing with it might actually be the best feature of it which, in consequence, might make you think twice about fixing it.

Again the beaten to death Thief example. If some beginners hate Thief, you make them play even more games with Thief until they actually get how super weak it is. The fix would never ever be to nerf Thief. Your notion that pure subjectivity, not analyzing your preferences in any way, is a sound basis for good card design is simply wrong.

For example I don’t like Graverobber and I suck at it. Yet I know that this is just me, my irrelevant issue with this card, and I would never suggest that the card is bad just because I cannot deal with it well.

Do you know what the definition of insanity is?

Seriously dude, CTRL + F the word "fix" on this thread, and you'll see that you're the only one babbling about that (minus a comment made by the person who did their Adventurer variant - and Adventurer is not short of actually needing a fix, hence it being dropped from the game altogether). If my least favourite card of the game is Fool, because I don't like how much of a setup hog it is; or if my least favourite card is Witch because I only play Base and ewww, the junk; or if my least favourite card is pre-errata Prince because look at how much text there is on it - then all of these reasons could explain why I'd submit a variant of these cards on this thread. Certainly not because they bear a balance issue.

Also, consider that maybe if people suck with a card (as you nicely put), it may be because they do not like the card and are not interested to learn to play with it? A lot of people do that already with prime candidates such as Possession.

The only thing I'll die on the hill for is defend one's right to submit any card for this contest, because people can have all the reasons in the world to hate the card they want to replace. It's a subjective truth that can't be demolished by objective analyses about balancing and what not.

[X-tra]

The spiel about the definition of insanity, that's just a well-known quote from Far Cry 3, used when trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. In this context, I used it simply because we both just keep repeating what we already said while still failing to reach an understanding.

Also, you do not have a leg to stand on when it comes to being polite online. You straight up said that Marpharos' gaming friends suck at playing with Camel Train. You keep coming off as abrasive with statements such as "it should be obvious", or starting off with a condescending "I mean, gee [...]". If you truly advocate for civility, maybe tone that down a little.

I never denied anybody the right to post any idea. I just provided arguments for why I think that the card design is not good. Which is, in case you have not noticed yet, is what we always do here. Without insulting each other.

You didn't just do that. You did that, yes, and I said before I even agreed with you. But you also straight up said that Camel Train was already fine as-is, that his idea for a replacement said very little about Camel Train itself, and that to me looks a lot like negating their right to replace Camel Train altogether.

[spineflu]

segura, take a seat. you're being overly antagonistic here, especially for a person who doesn't put their own entry in to face criticism from others.

You're offering solely bad faith reads on other peoples comments, while pretending your own comments are entirely vitriol free. Please consider your tone and other player's experience designing cards in your criticism.

As far as anyone can post whatever they want here, uh, haven't you been banned before? For being an overly "sharp" critic during a contest we're all doing for fun? Tone it down. This is supposed to be for fun; please try to keep it fun.

[AJL828]

Zealot
Action ($4)

+2 Cards
You may play an Action card from your hand costing less than this.

This is a replacement for Cultist.

Cultist is a card that I have had banned for quite awhile now because I find it too "aggressively monolithic." My experience in many Cultist games has been to simply hit $5 early and spam them so that the other player is overflowed with Ruins and can't feasibly make a comeback. I do enjoy the concept of chaining into other Action plays if you fulfill the right conditions though, so I thought I'd give this a try. Zealot is a sort-of Lab variant that can only follow up with cheaper cards, and because of this it will never be able to play itself.

[nyxfulloftricks]

Herding Dogs
Action ($4)

+1 Action
Choose one: Trash up to 2 cards from your hand; or +1 Card per card any player trashed on their last turn.

This is a replacement for Goatherd.

Goatherd is card that has felt a bit weak in two player games when your opponent just never trashes or you are unfortunate enough to never have a goatherd the turn after your opponent trashes. This weakness is felt additionally in games with a higher player count if the opponent to your right just chooses not to trash. I wanted to smooth out that play by allowing players to draw off of their own trashing every other turn.

[sumrex]

Legendary fisherman 2 1$*
+1 Card
+1 Villager
+1 Coffers

During your turns, this costs 2$ more per card in your discard pile or in play.

Replaces fisherman, I hate that thing with a passion. This makes it impossible to get  in the opening and makes Gold stronger if not anything like sacred grove is in the kingdom. Cost increase may be a rules nightmare, but that isn't my problem here
I made it so instead of being cheaper when the discard is empty is just punishes for more cards in your discard. And because i wanted to make it less swingy, it counts in play too.

[binbag420]

24 Hour Warning

[arowdok]

Here is my entry
I know why this couldn't be in Renaissance it is far too close to Ducat which is a card I do enjoy. Original Cargo Chip is just super bad as a terminal Action card. Also old Cargo Ship only storing 1 card felt super bad too so here are my shifts to the card. Also I think Treasure - Duration could have been in Renaissance as it uses both types.

Cargo Ship II
$2
Treasure - Duration
+1 Coffers
+1 Buy
This turn, when you gain a card, you may set it aside face up (on this). At the start of your next turn, put them into your hand.

EDIT: updated cost it should be $2 not $4

[Marpharos]

Amended my submission, edits on the original post.

[Commodore Chuckles]

Arctic Forge
Action - Duration - $4
+1 Card
+1 Action
You may play a Treasure from your hand, putting it under this. At the start of your next turn, put it in your hand. You may play a Sampo from your hand.

Sampo
Action - $5
+3 Cards
You may play an Arctic Forge from your hand.

Replacement for Sauna/Avanto, with the names taken from Finnish mythology. I like how Sauna/Avanto can play each other but Sauna's trashing ability is the big problem. It's luck-based, and leads to the pile either being totally dominating or completely ignored depending on if there's better trashing. With Arctic Forge I tried to make something that would play better in the presence of other piles. In the beginning it's like Caravan Guard, but it can also keep stop cards out of the shuffle. It can be considered sort of an improved Crypt, one that's easier to use but that can only be used on a single Treasure.

[lompeluiten]

Cursed city $3
Action
+2 action
+2 cards
-
When you gain this card, gain an curse

I hate lost cities power level. That downside of al players drawing an card when you gain it is just too less impactfull.

I like this design more at $4 and gain an ruin, but ruins are from another set

[sumrex]

Cursed city $3
Action
+2 action
+2 cards
-
When you gain this card, gain an curse

I hate lost cities power level. That downside of al players drawing an card when you gain it is just too less impactfull.

I like this design more at $4 and gain an ruin, but ruins are from another set

I would say a curse isnt really enough to make lost city at 3 balanced. I would suggest 2 coppers, that would probably make it okay.

[binbag420]

CONTEST CLOSED

Ive got a party on tonight but tomorrow (or tonight if i can be bothered) I'll judge the entries.

[spheremonk]

I hate Adventurer with an irrational passion. Not sure if this fixes it for me though.

I have a replacement for Adventurer as well:

[Udzu]

I hate Adventurer with an irrational passion. Not sure if this fixes it for me though.

I have a replacement for Adventurer as well:

I mean it costs $6 but it’s as much a replacement for Feast as it is for Adventurer.

[lompeluiten]

Cursed city $3
Action
+2 action
+2 cards
-
When you gain this card, gain an curse

I hate lost cities power level. That downside of al players drawing an card when you gain it is just too less impactfull.

I like this design more at $4 and gain an ruin, but ruins are from another set

I would say a curse isnt really enough to make lost city at 3 balanced. I would suggest 2 coppers, that would probably make it okay.

Say you habe an libary varient that gained you are curse. It looks powerfull, but that extra draw the libary gives will not help you cycle trough your deck faster. It became an +1 card, +1 action with an higher varience. So i think an curse is appropiate.

[binbag420]

yikes 11 entries down and i'll have to give up for today. sorry but ive already fallen alseep twice while doing the judging, and want to make sure i do it properly. Ill finish it off tomorrow.

[binbag420]

CONTEST RESULTS

This is my first contest and I'm quite tired so this probably wont be amazing judging. I'll do my best though, some strong entries this week.

Voodoo Doll (MrHiTech)
Pretty fun looking possession replacement. Keeps the concept of leeching off opponents deck without being the most obnoxious card ever. Should probably have command type and shouldnt track durations as others have noted. But strong entry.

Delegacy (Augie279)
Interesting. I liked envoys player interaction but this takes the same idea in an interesting direction. Looks very strong in money decks.

Upcycle (xyz123)
I'm not sure how much the +2 cards discard 2 cards adds to this card. It is definitely weak without it, but I'm not sure this does much other than increase the chance of finding a card you want to Upcycle. This seems like it would usually be weaker than Mine, Gravedigger or Rebuild.  I like the concept a lot though, maybe doesn't need the discard 2 cards? That could be really broken though. Also I find it funny this cant be used to trash curses.

Fanatic (NoMoreFun)
Not sure how this relates that much to cultist. I guess because of the on-trash effect? But seems closer to Rats if anything. The card seems fine though, interesting how it interacts with itself.

Marionette (Majiponi)
If I was being really strict about the rules i'd discount this since durations didnt exist in Alchemy, but it doesnt really matter since durations went on to just be a card type as opposed to a set specific gimmick. This one confuses me though. Drawing your hand happens at the end of your go, not the start. So would this just give the player to your left no cards on their next turn. I like the concept but i think it would have to get a lot wordier to work properly.

Harvest Festival (CaptainReklaw)
I think this would be a cool treasure. And even as is it makes for interesting payload, and incentivises diversity in deck. Makes for a good harvest replacement.

Pirate Map (Xen3k)
Cool little buff/nerf to treasure map. Feels less swingy as it will always at least be woodcutter, and it always means the two golds can come with +buy. Maybe feels a bit strong compared to Woodcutter? Doesnt matter too much now that woodcutters gone but I think this couldve come with the downside that you have to trash both.

Henchman (Builder_Roberts)
Less irritating than minion certainly, but still equally as monolithic which im not a huge fan of. Costing 6 certainly helps it out but I think too often this will lead to just trying to pile henchmen, especially with all the +buy it can give.

Circus (Gamer3000)   
I like this one a lot. It's still marginal like Harem but can actually be viable alt-VP. Also treasure - victory is just aesthetically pleasing. Simple but very effective card.

Tent (BryGuy)
Tent is already a card name. Other than that this ones just confusing. I dont really see the hate with necropolis. I guess its annoying as only village since you'll only have one, but also Tent could often be only +buy which would have the same issues. Welcome to the forum btw.

Rest (Spineflu)
Certainly easier to get golds with this than quest, but cant be opened with in most cases which is good. I wonder how often it'll be optimal to just sacrifice your turn for gold. I'm not sure i like that near the opening, but i like how this cant be used in Big Money Ultimate

Joust (Chappy7)
A fixed tournament a still a tournament. These changes are nice though, definitely seems a lot less insufferable. I still dont like how the prizes could hand out the only +buy or only village for the board, or how monolithic it is, or how swingy it is, but you can only polish a turd so much, and this turd actually seems impressively polished.

Venturer (Udzu)
This one looks weak. For 6 youre either getting the adventurer effect (which is garbage), or mediocre treasure trashing. Interesting combination of adventurer and loan though, could be fun if more powerful.

Bal Masque (emtzalex)
Very interesting changes to Masquerade. Looks totally busted but so was Masquerade, costing 4 instead of 5 probably helps so getting 5/2 isnt too unfair. This has the potential to be a really interesting discard attack but i think itll mostly just discard estate and copper. +2 cards and trash a card is insane regardless though and itll still hurt to have those cards out ur hand so you cant trash them. Nice card.

Reconstruct (JW)
I like this one. Simple but effective, and probably plays better in Dark Ages since trashing estate for a 5 cost early sounds obnoxious.

Duk (LibraryAdventurer)
Sadly, I do not get where the name is from. I like the changes to Annex, but I still think this is quite unexciting. Simply because Annex is just so boring and weak, its hard to make an enjoyable replacement.

Battlements (Ilstrawberryseed)
The wording confuses me. Is the 'If you didn't ignore the effects of any attack' only taking into account the last turn? And shouldnt this be a duration? If im reading this correct i think its quite weak. The attack doesnt stack, and if it does act as a village its really sad at $6. I guess if it blocks attacks thats nice, but i cant imagine buying this on any board with other attack blockers.

Scrivener (4est)
Cool how this also doubles as sort of a mini-feast. I dont usually like one-short cards but this is a cool one, especially how it can gain itself. Would feel bad to get attacked by this every turn, if opponent kept gaining scrivener, but i cant imagine that would be too strong a strategy.

Rent (Xtra)
Cool interactions with victory cards and curses. One some boards i reckon it would get a bit annoying, like with a powerful $6 card on board, and the fact this can stack may cause some problems, but it mostly seems reasonable. Certainly more fun than tax.

Pickpocket/Assassin (faust)
I love Pickpocket's reaction, it makes it a lot less swingy to get mercenary/assassin, and is very unique. I also like the changes to Mercenary, but I do wonder if this is possibly stronger since the trashing isn't manditory? Still cooler early game but this does seem a little powerful for a card that is easier to obtain than mercenary.

Caravanserai (Marpharos)
I also dont like camel train, but more for the gold exiling on gain. Makes it not very good outside of money and often you just want to exile gold all the time. This is a cooler version, but possibly a bit weak. Hard to tell without testing.

Zealot (AJL828)
I think this would be more balanced (and more similar to Cultist) if it could play a card costing up to 4. I just dont think its often enough you would have many action cards costing $3 or under, and this compares pretty badly to other lab variants at 4 like advisor. Might be too monolithic with those changes though.

Hearding Dogs (nyxfulloftricks)
Looks like a very strong trasher. I think this will be so much more powerful especially in open. The changes to 3 and 4 player are interesting and I didnt consider Goatherd might be problematic in those situations (I only play 2 player). But I dont think this fixes the card enough outside of making it busted early game.

Legendary Fisherman (sumrex)
I like the cost increase stuff but having this scale with amount of cards in play may make it really hard to get this. Since it counts both treasures and actions the price will go up super fast, as well as the fact it counts cards in discard. It is interesting how you can gain it with 1 coffer if you play no cards though.

arowdok (Cargo Ship II)
Huh, I always found cargo ship to be pretty strong. This one does look more fun though, it always felt lame to only store 1 card. Im a bit confused to what the price is, the image and the text say 2 different things. I think this would be balanced at 2, so i'll assume it's that.

Commodore Chuckles (Arctic Forge/Sampo)
I like the changes, but it still seems wildly strong. Instead of providing trashing draw and village if you get enough, you get payload draw and village. It's not much harder to gain the entire stack either, maybe even easier to open with Arctic Forges since theyre pretty strong.

lompeluiten (Cursed City)
I like both this and Lost City. I think this is powerful? Hard to tell but even if you draw the curse with your cursed city it has still functioned as a village, so this is probably a bit nuts at 3.

Wow Im pretty sure thats it. If i misread your entry please let me know. Thanks to everyone for taking part.

Runners Up: Rent (Xtra), Reconstruct (JW)

Second Place: Bal Masque (emtzalex)

Winner: Circus (Gamer3000)

[Builder_Roberts]

Henchman (Builder_Roberts)
Less irritating than minion certainly, but still equally as monolithic which im not a huge fan of. Costing 6 certainly helps it out but I think too often this will lead to just trying to pile henchmen, especially with all the +buy it can give.

Fair. I'm ok with monolithic strategies once in a while, I just don't like it when the other person's mono deck hurts me.

Congrats to Gamer3000!

[Xen3k]

Good work on getting through that daunting number of entries binbag420!

Congrats to Gamer3000 for the win!

[Gamer3000]

Thanks for the win! I'll try to get the next contest up sometime later today or tomorrow.

[majiponi]

Marionette (Majiponi)
If I was being really strict about the rules i'd discount this since durations didnt exist in Alchemy, but it doesnt really matter since durations went on to just be a card type as opposed to a set specific gimmick. This one confuses me though. Drawing your hand happens at the end of your go, not the start. So would this just give the player to your left no cards on their next turn. I like the concept but i think it would have to get a lot wordier to work properly.

Deck is what you draw from. Your left player does not discard their hand. So they starts from 5-card hand.