Cinnamon - interesting, in that silver flood does not go with engines, but on the other hand, it gives you an extra card, and 2 money right now. Seems too strong.
Basil - Seems a bit too strong; maybe balanced without the double-gain, but that is pretty big for engines.
Anise - does what Basil tried, but better I think. I rather like this. You usually need to play villages first, so it's not going to be a HUGE cash machine too often, though it gives you something for having extras at the end. I might cost it $4, but on the other hand, it will usually be giving you sort of less cash than fishing village, so I can't imagine it's SO much better than FV.
Parsley - should be a 'while in play' thing I think - current wording is ambiguous - but it's just a bit busy for me anyway.
Cardamom - Just seems too strong. Usually you will have at least an estate, so this is usually at least bazaar, which is a good card. Furthermore, duchy (SR or Gardens) gets this into GM territory, and province, which is certainly possible late game, gets you a cantrip $3, which is massive. Consider that in a draw-my-whole-deck engine, I can recycle that province over and over and over.
Fennel - I think I'd like this, if you scrapped the second 'place any number...' ability. As is, I think it's a bit strong. Village that does cellar and secret chamber, and okay, you can't discard, but while that's USUALLY bad, it isn't always bad.
Dill - A bit overpowered. It is like a village version of monument, which is not so bad in-and-of-itself, since the gains do lead to game end (though there is some big ambassador combo to get you something crazy, and that is brooooken), but in an engine, where you gain lots of pieces, you can reap SOO much VP off of this, it's silly.
Cilantro - Should say 'buy phase', not phrase
Otherwise, I like it.
Ginger - Don't like the $1 cost, the restriction is not at all hard to get around, and the 2 unused actions thing just seems so wonky.
Paprika - I would cry overpowered on this, but again, you typically have to play your villages first, so maybe it is not so bad. In fact, if there isn't a way to break this, I think it might be a little weak at 5 - sure, playing your nicest card again is very nice, but you have to get that in play first. Compares sorta to throne room, I think.
Nutmeg - hmmm. This seems... weird. The not playing any actions after... I dunno. The 3 actions thing is not something I'm a huge fan of either.
Turmeric - Didn't realise this wasn't spelled Tumeric. Uh, I guess this is good, but it's not my cup of tea for some reason.
Rosemary - not really the place for a permanent duration; the last two abilities seem a bit wonky too; furthermore, can you get this out soon enough? I don't know - there are a few cool concepts here, but the execution just seems too outlandish.
Thyme - So my first thought is that it would be too easy and good to grab a stack of these. But on a little further reflection, how good is a stack of these? Not that great. But a couple can REALLY grease an engine. Heck, just one or two and you can grab all kinds of draw cards, whatever you want. So still just a tiny bit overpowered for me, I think. Epically strong with watchtower.
Mace - Well, it can do at least 2 things that are a touch weak, but basically balanced at the 2 level, plus two more. I think this is a 3, okay, but nothing special.
Clove - it's a village that copper-floods, and the card you draw is always copper, and you don't cycle so well. AKA, it's terrible. It is on theme for the set, but... it's just so weak.
Oregano - Most often a village, as you play it start of turn, less than a village for your traditional engines with smithy-like cards, better if you have non-draw terminals. And a defence to discard attacks. Maybe a touch strong? But I like it.
Saffron - another card I cannot see so much what it's doing. I mean, non-terminal trasher is probably the biggest thing? Probably pretty terrible late, but you can maybe snag 2 or 3 early and then use them to get rid of each other later? I think this is probably a fine card, but don't have a lot of instinct.
Coriander - SO busy. Similar to Anise, but with this crazy thing added on. You know, I LOVE the crazy thing (or at least the idea of it), I just don't like it on this card.
Garlic - Holy crap, that is a ton of cards you gain. 3 at once, pop a village when you need it? Seems a little good for 3 as is, maybe. However, the big thing is that it is broken with vineyard, and probably pretty good with gardens? I mean, mostly just a slightly better village. It's not so bad.
Caraway - Who has heard of this spice? I was with you for the rest, you lost me here. This is strong with library/jack/watchtower, and then the estate-giving, on what is most likely a non-terminal, and with the possible double-opening? That makes it brokenly strong. Early on, those things aren't too far from curses, you know? I imagine that this is just the stupidest strong card in the game, except probably against gardens/SR rushes, and *maybe* curse-giving attacks.
Tarragon - I don't see why this has to be costed $5. In fact, I would guess that makes it too weak, usually. I maybe like it at 4. I mean, you always net -1 card with it, but okay, it is non-terminal trashing, and eventually a gimped village. Feels 4 to me.
Lemongrass - I think I like it. Largely village, but gives a lot of stability once the engine is rolling - assuming you have +buy. I think I might like it even a touch better if it was just gained a treasure. Compares to walled village.
Marjoram - moat now, two villages later? I would really like it if it were only one village next turn; as is, this is sooo spammable, I will take it up and down, all day long (i.e. it seems to me, it is too strong- rhyme intentional)
Cumin - compare to worker's village. It gives a VP rather than a card, and it's a little cheaper. I quite like this - probably normally worse than village, but it gives you 3 of the things you want in an engine - extra actions, buys, and a little more VP to give you something. Also, I like the idea of early-game VP buys.
Sage - See my comments on Rosemary. Man these seem really similar. But this is worse, because perma-cost increases can get the game to un-endable states, and this does that fairly easily. Enough of these, and it's just no end to the game in sight.
Mustard - A village that goes GM if you put green back on your deck. Hmm... seems too strong to me - in an engine, you pop that bonus a LOT. Heck, even without the engine, a ton of these with even just an average-ish amount of green cards, you are doing pretty well. Works well with tournament and baron, also.
Sesame - This is a single-card combo. Reminds me of archivist, though I guess I will have to dig that out to see what it did. So, I like the card, but the question is whether it is too strong. I think, I think it is better than most such cards we see, and would normally get cost 5, but is it really game-warping, or even to the level of hag, jack, etc. Well... no. So I like it.
Allspice - anti-alt VP rush village. Okay, interesting, though it won't come up that often. But then you stick an incredibly good reaction on it, and it is too good against attacks - a free VP is enough to offset most of your attacks so, so much, and I don't think that's good for the game.
Borage - another spice I haven't heard of. Huge sifter, huh? Seems weak though, because you have to go back on deck. If it was discard, this would be quite strong, though probably balanced. But as is, well, usually you want to play a village in an engine, right? But in most engines, well, you draw those cards right back, so it smooths you out a bit, but you net lose a card, so... I think this could be a 3, honestly.
Chervil - So sorta like a reversed city. First play is obviously awfully strong, and grabbing about two seems really good, maybe too good. But 2/2 is not so good as people think.
Lavender - So, a village you can use as an immediate non-terminal smugglers/workshop with the restriction being that it must be treasure. Okay, should be fine. Just not so cohesive - why are these abilities together?
Mint - Mint is already a card, so you (rinkworks) ought to give this a different name. Wow, gold-in-hand is ridonculously good. You can really only use this card as part of a multi-multi-per turn strategy, that grabs everything in a turn or two, right? Or alternate VP of some sort, where it's very strong, if that's viable. I dunno, seems a little weak, but interesting.
Patchouli - 'if you gain' should be 'if you gained', I think. Seems very powerful. Copper gives you a LOT, silver makes this like a non-terminal explorer, I guess with a little drawback, and it has another option I guess you could use sometimes. Uh, too strong.
Stevia - Another single-card engine. And I like it.
Cayenne - This so outclasses alchemist, no? Okay, that doesn't say so so much. Probably pretty balanced, pretty good.
Juniper - You can grab it off an estate? Who gains early estates? So it's more of a village with some endgame spice. Okay, I can get behind that. I guess it also has some 3-pile possibilities, and works with baron/followers. I can really get behind that.
Fenugreek - You made that name up, right? See my comments on Parsley.
Arrowroot - 'before you play your first action' is superfluous. Card is sorta meh.
Poppy - Too strong - option 1 is not too good, but option 2 is bazaar that gives opponent copper in hand - okay, this is usually a benefit to you, especially early on (and this isn't even an attack?!), and option 3 is sorta like bishop, probably better than bishop on the whole. And it costs $4(!)
Savory - If the copper gained in hand, I would love this. Well, maybe that would be too weak. As is, mmm. Not sure.
Vanilla - basically minion but cheaper, and can't gain money, and without the attack. Okay, whatever, that is not so minion, but it is everything I like about minion, and can be used as a village too, so I do believe I rather like it.
Author
Topic: Mini-Set Design Contest, Challenge #7: Village! (Read 36002 times)