Alright, let's comment on these cards! Quick note about Alt-vp cards: I like it when you don't mind getting lots of them, which is the case for pretty much all official cards (except maybe Dame Josephine). Though I have a tendency to bash cards during analysis, in reality I often have a more neutral opinion on a lot of cards. I find the quality of cards in this contest are very high this time around.
Logothete
Types: Action
Cost: $4
+2 Actions. Reveal your hand. +1 Card and +$1 per Victory card revealed. Reveal your hand again and put all the revealed Victory cards at the bottom of your deck in any order.
One great turn and one bad turn is better than two mediocre turns, no? This card works on that principle, so I think it's fine balance wise, considering that it can also whiff.
Cold Iron
Types: Treasure Attack Victory Reaction
Cost: $4
Worth $1. When you play this, each other player with 5 or more cards in hand draws a card then puts cards from his hand on top of his deck until he has 4 cards in hand.
Worth 1 VP. When another player plays an Attack card, you may discard this from your hand. If you do, gain a Silver, putting it into your hand, and you are not affected by the Attack.
The 1VP makes it like a mini-harem, but everything else on the card is neat. Nice reaction.
Sphinx (A)
Types: Action Attack
Cost: $4
+1 Card. +1 Action. If this is the first time you played a Sphinx this turn, each other player guesses how many Action cards you will play this turn. At the end of your Action phase, each player who guessed incorrectly gains a Curse.
Clarification: The players guess in turn order.
"I guess, uh, 10."
*engine turn ends*
"Rather that playing 10 cards, I'll remodel this Village into a Duchy."
The wording of this card makes it seem like the curse giving stacks, even though the player only has 1 guess. That's really unfair.
Sphinx (B)
Types: Action
Cost: $3
Choose one: +3 Cards and discard a card that is not a Victory cards (or reveal a hand of all Victory cards); or +$3 and cards cost $1 more this turn; or trash 3 cards from your hand and gain a card costing $0.
This is Steward, just worded in a more confusing way to make it seem like it's not Steward.
Paladin
Types: Action Attack Victory
Cost: $4
+1 Action. Choose one: Each player (including you) with 4 or more cards in hand discards a card; or each player (including you) draws until he has 4 cards in hand.
Worth 1 VP for every 4 Attack cards in your deck (rounded down).
So, this rewards you for being a jerk and getting lots of attacks, but strangely enough its draw ability nerfs discard attacks. I wouldn't mind getting a bunch of these with Ironworks, since they basically replace themselves like Great Hall, but with extra player interactions.
Landlord
Types: Action Victory
Cost: $5
+2 Cards. You may discard a Victory card. If you do, +1 Action.
Worth 1 VP per empty Supply pile.
Becomes a Lab worth VP when you start greening. Always worth at least 1VP. I just worry that players will always get this over Duchy.
Dance
Types: Action Attack Reaction
Cost: $4
Choose one: Each player (including you) puts a card from his hand on top of his deck; or each player puts his deck into his discard pile.
When another player shuffles, you may reveal and discard this from your hand. If you do, +2 Cards.
I imagine that pinning players with this is rare, but I suppose it can be done. Uh, doesn't feel too coherent.
Quartermaster
Types: Action Attack
Cost: $3
+$2. Discard a card. Each other player with 4 or more cards in hand discards a card that shares a type with and costs more than the card you discarded (or reveal a hand with no such card).
Reminds me a bit of Taxman, except it only costs $3, benefits your current turn, and can discard Pearl Divers for great effect. Not bad.
Concerto
Types: Action
Cost: $3
+1 Action. Look through your discard pile. You may reveal a card from it and put it on the bottom of your deck. If it is an
Action card, +1 Action; Treasure card, +$1; Victory card, +1 Card.
Each option on its own is very weak, and putting cards on the bottom of the deck might not do much. You see them again in the current shuffle, but they may very well miss the next shuffle...or not. You don't know if you'll see that Victory card next shuffle or not.
Architect (A)
Types: Action
Cost: $6
+1 Action. +$2.
While this is in play, when an Action Card (including this) would give you any amount of $, you may draw that many cards instead.
I didn't like any of those outtakes cards that swapped vanilla bonuses. This turns every card into an engine component, especially Conspirator.
Acropolis
Types: Action
Cost: $5
When you play this, +1 Card per unused action you have (Action, not Action card). +2 Actions.
Take note, you use up an action to play this, so playing this first makes it a Necropolis. Still, it's insane with even 1 other Village variant in the game, or KC.
Prefecture
Types: Action Victory
Cost: $5
Reveal cards from your deck until you reveal a Victory card. If you do, put it and one other revealed card into your hand. Discard the rest.
Worth 2 VP.
You'd buy this over Duchy very often, but it's weak enough to justify the cost and VP numbers. Kinda like what Scout should have been. Neat.
Nabob
Types: Action Attack
Cost: $5
+2 Cards. Trash a card from your hand. Choose one: Gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card; or each other player gains a card costing up to the cost of the trashed card.
Yikes. Power Remodel that doesn't become useless in the early/mid game due to the attack option.
Courtier
Types: Action Attack
Cost: $4
You may gain a Duchy. If you didn't, gain a Silver. Each other player may gain an Estate. If he didn't, he gains a Copper.
The only way to avoid the copper junking is to take an even more junky card? No, this is just a copper junker, but whose benefit for the attacker is Bureaucrat level. Doesn't seem too fun.
Monastery
Types: Action
Cost: $4
Gain a card costing up to $6. For each $1 over $4 it costs, each other player may choose one: he trashes a card from his hand; he gains up to 2 Coppers, putting them into his hand; he discards his hand and draws 5 cards.
I kinda like this one. It's a more versatile workshop.
Lawyer
Types: Action
Cost: $5
+$2. Reveal the top card of your deck. If you reveal a Victory card, discard it and gain an Action card costing up to $5. Otherwise, put the card back and gain an Action card costing up to $3.
Why wouldn't I want this when there are good 3$ actions to get? Nice idea though.
Lord
Types: Action Victory
Cost: $4
Reveal your hand. If you revealed a Treasure card, a Victory card, and an Action card (each separate cards), then +$3. Otherwise, +$1.
Worth 1 VP.
Now this, I wouldn't want to mass up with Ironworks. Alt-VP cards shouldn't hurt your deck this much as you get more of them.
Bailey
Types: Action Victory
Cost: $4
Do this three times: Choose one: +1 Action; or discard a Victory card, and +$2 if you did.
Worth 1 VP.
The top is already powerful, in a better-than-Silver-at-$4 kind of way. Given the versatility of this card, it can pass as a $5, WITHOUT the VP bonus, though I wouldn't mind that card.
Wall
Types: Action Reaction
Cost: $4
Choose two: Look at the top card of your deck and discard it or put it back; or gain a card costing up to $3; or trash a card from your hand. (The choices must be different.)
When another player plays an Attack card, you may reveal this from your hand. If you do, you may discard any number of cards from your hand. At the start of your next turn, draw that many cards.
The reaction is fine. The top part can maybe be simplified so that this card can cost 3$. I feel like it wants to cost 3$.
Overseer
Types: Action
Cost: $4
Put a marker on an empty District of the Overseer Mat. If you put it on the
Residential District, +1 Card and +2 Actions
Craftsmen's District, +3 Cards
Commercial District, +1 Card, +1 Action, and +$1
Industrial District, gain a card costing up to $4
Logging District, +1 Buy and +$2
If four districts of the mat have a marker, remove all the markers.
Rules Clarification: There is one communal Overseer mat, split into the five districts.
I don't care if it's not Dominion-y. I still really like it.
Shrine
Types: Action Victory
Cost: $5
+1 Action. Choose one: trash a card from your hand; or +1 Card.
Worth 2 VP.
Okay, THIS card is a card you'll almost always get over Duchy. It's pretty much a greater hall.
Committee
Types: Action
Cost: $5
+$2. The player to your left names a card. Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck and choose one that is not the named card. Trash it or gain a copy of it. Put the untrashed cards back in any order.
Powerful, as is, but has potential.
Taylor-Compton
Types: Action Victory
Cost: $5
+1 Card. +1 Action. Discard any number of Victory cards. +$1 per card discarded.
Worth 1 VP.
So, cantrip secret chamber, worth VP. It looks like it combos with itself, but it's a cantrip, so I'll naturally want to keep these to hopefully draw a better card. Not nearly better that Duchy in almost all cases, so that's a plus. it works for me
Usurer
Types: Action Attack
Cost: $5
Discard any number of cards. Choose one: +$1 per card discarded; or each other player discards until he has the same number of cards in hand as you.
It's even stronger than I initially realized. At the end of your engine turn, you can play one of these to get the secret chamber effect on every card except another copy of Usurer, then play the other Usurer for the second option. Too Brutal. Also, if you have just this in hand with 4 junk cards, you can use this to kill everyone's turn.
Dungeon
Types: Action Victory
Cost: $5
+1 Action. Trash up to 3 cards from your hand.
Worth 1 VP per $ in the cost of the cheapest card in your deck (in Coins).
Just like the Dungeon in the Dominion outtakes, this is a fine card that has no real reason not to be in the set. The VP part is really fragile. Imagine, you trash your whole deck to just $5+ cost cards, then someone passes you a copper with Masquerade on the last turn. I don't mind that because the top part is still worth getting for $5.
Majordomo
Types: Action
Cost: $4
+1 Action. Discard a card. If it is a
Victory card, +1 Card; Treasure card, +2 Cards; Action card, +3 Cards.
Yeah, I like it.
Wedding
Types: Action Attack
Cost: $5
+1 Action. You may trash up to 2 cards from your hand. If you trashed exactly 1 card, each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand. If you trashed exactly 2 cards, each other player gains a Curse.
Not "Dark Wedding" or "Royal Wedding"? Anyway, I like the card itself. Kinda like Mercenary, except you don't have to go through hoops to get it. Like with Mercenary the discard attack option really hurts opponent Weddings, but not as harshly, I guess.
Liege
Types: Action Attack
Cost: $5
+2 Cards. Each other player discards a Victory card (or reveals a hand with no Victory cards). If any player discards a card this way, play this again.
What? In 3-4 player games, this is very likely to be at Least a Hunting Grounds for $5. It can be even more than that too, especially if players go for hybrid victory cards. it shuts down too many alt-VP strategies, and that's not cool.
Traitor
Types: Action Attack
Cost: $4
+$1. Choose one: Name a card costing up to $3 and each other player with 5 or more cards in hand discards a copy of the named card (or reveals a hand without it); or, choose an Attack card from your hand and play it twice.
The first option is probably going to be weaker than Taxman's attack, but the second option makes up for that, and it has a small combo with itself. Intrigue is a good place to have small combos.
Homestead
Types: Action Victory
Cost: $4
+2 Actions. Reveal cards from the top of your deck unti you reveal a Victory card. Put that card into your hand and discard the rest.
Worth 1 VP.
So this passes the "massable VP" test. The VP part has purpose here, as it lets the card draw a copy of itself (sometimes). That's good, since that lets this be your primary action splitter if needed. Good card!
Observatory
Types: Action
Cost: $3
+1 Action. Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. If you revealed a Victory card, put all the revealed cards into your hand. Otherwise, discard them.
Looks like a must buy on certain boards (think Hybrid-VP cards), but that's nothing a little balance work can't fix.
Tiller
Types: Action
Cost: $4
Trash a card from your hand. The player to your left chooses a card in the Supply costing at least $2 more than the trashed card. Gain it.
Other than the $5 cost to Province thing, this is just worse than Remodel.
Architect (B)
Types: Action
Cost: $5
Trash a card from your hand. Choose one: gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card, which you may put on top of your deck; or +2 Buys and +$ equal to the trashed card's cost in Coins.
2 $4 cost options for the price of $5. There's an issue I have with this: the second option covers the key weakness of the first option and vice-verse. That makes this card too safe, I think.
Groundskeeper
Types: Action
Cost: $5
+1 Card. +$1. Discard a card. Choose one: set aside up to 3 cards from your discard pile, discarding them after your next reshuffle; or shuffle your discard pile and put it at the bottom of your deck.
What is "it" in the second option? The discarded card, or the discard pile? I...it seems fine.
Heir
Types: Victory
Cost: $4
At the end of the game, choose one: Trash an Estate from your deck and this is worth 1 VP per Estate in your deck; or trash 2 Curses from your deck and this is worth 2 VP; or trash 3 Coppers from your deck and this is worth 3 VP if you have no Treasures in your deck.
I agree that the options for the bottom effect can be reduced and this will still be a good card.
Mob
Types: Action Attack
Cost: $5
The player to your left reveals his hand. Choose one of the revealed cards costing up to $6. Either gain a copy of it or each other player gains a copy of it, your choice.
This seems too strong, especially with cost reduction. It's totally safe.
Nouveau Riche
Types: Action
Cost: $4
You may discard an Estate. If you do, +3 Cards. You may discard a Duchy. If you do, +$2. You may discard a Victory card. If you do, +1 Action.
Clarification: It should be clear from the wording here, but you don't choose between these three options. You choose whether or not to do each in order.
I like this one. It works because it explicitly names Estate and Duchy for the first and second option, respectively.
Hidden Passage
Types: Action
Cost: $3
+1 Card. +1 Action. You may trash a card from your hand. Each other player may reveal the top 2 cards of his deck. If he does, he trashes one and discards the other.
This one is interesting, because people are scared of the lookout effect. When playing against this card, you really got to take advantage of the Lookout effect. The only problem with Hidden Passage is that it feels a bit too safe, compared to the unreliable bonus the other players get. I'd fix that replacing "You may trash a card from your hand" to "Trash a card from your hand".
Legate
Types: Action
Cost: $4
+1 Action. +$1. Each player (including you) reveals the top 3 cards of his deck and puts one of them (your choice) in his hand, then puts the rest back on top in an order he chooses.
Yeah, this should probably be an attack (anti-Haven effect when combined with a discard attack). Otherwise, I like the card.
Secret Plot
Types: Treasure Victory
Cost: $3
Worth $1. When you play this, each player may set aside a card face down on his Secret Plot mat. You may look at the cards on your mat at any time; reveal them and return them to your deck at the end of the game.
Worth 1 VP for each differently-named card on your mat that no other player has a copy of on his mat.
Ah, the famous Plotter. Of course, the wording should change so that the cards on the mat are counted before being put back into the deck, or the cards on the mat are never returned to the deck at all (too bad, Gardens). This actually doesn't seem too strong to me. What, are you really going to put your Knights and Prizes on the mat, when other Knights can trash the plotter and Prizes are so good anyway? If you're going to put stuff that's better than copper on the mat, then you're hurting your deck, so it's not a simple choice. if it does end up being too strong, then it can just be rebalanced. This is the card to look out for. I for one like it a lot.
Castellan
Types: Action Attack
Cost: $5
Do the following three things in any order; you get the version in parentheses: Each player draws until he has 5 (6) cards in hand; each player discards down to 3 (3) cards in hand; each player trashes up to 1 (2) cards from his hand.
AP aside, this seems like an fine card (note: terminal). Doesn't seem as crazy as Governor. Am I missing some horrible design flaw?
Inquisitor
Types: Action Attack
Cost: $5
+$2. Each other player may discard any number of cards. Choose one: Each other player gains a Curse for each card in hand over 3; or each other player trashes a card from his hand and draws until he has 3 cards in hand.
If players don't take the curse, then this pretty much Militia-Masquerades the player by itself. The opponents discard down to 3 cards, then they must trash a card out of those 3 cards. That's pretty mean.
Narcissist
Types: Action
Cost: $4
You may reveal then discard any number of differently-named cards. For each card discarded this way, if it is an
Action card, +2 Actions; Treasure card, +$2; Victory card, +2 Cards.
Looks insane with Hybrid-VP cards. Don't know about the typical case, though.
Ironworker
Types: Action
Cost: $2
Discard a card. If it is an
Action card, +3 Actions; Treasure card, +$3; Victory card, +3 Cards.
Should probably cost $3. Otherwise, it seems fine. Similar to Steward, but not entirely similar.
Warden
Types: Action
Cost: $6
+1 Action. Choose two in any order: Draw until you have 6 cards in hand; play an Action card from your hand; trash a card from your hand and gain a card costing up to $2 more, putting it on top of your deck. (The choices must be different.)
Woah is this strong. I mean, you can remodel a card from your hand and then draw it with some other cards, non-terminally. Or, you can play Remodel from your hand and then draw 6, non-terminally. A weaker version of this that costs less would probably fit the set better. It's an interesting card.
Cannoneer
Types: Action Attack
Cost: $5
+2 Cards. +$1. Each other player with at least 5 cards in hand reveals one of them. He either discards it and gains a copy of it or he trashes it, your choice.
For some reason, I don't like cards that appear to give choices, but which in reality hurt you no matter what you do. In this case, the choice is obviously not to reveal Province or Gold or anything.
Visiting Dignitary
Types: Action
Cost: $4
+1 Action. Trash this. Gain a Visiting Dignitary and a Victory card costing up to $6.
In this case, depleting the Visiting Dignitary card is hardly a drawback at all, because you probably want the game to end once you got that many Victory cards. Seems like a must buy on certain boards.