I've printed both lists in full and will be going over them at work. Since there're just too many cards to compare, my first move will be to immediately eliminate any cards worded incorrectly, with wrong typings, or with gaping rules issues (e.g. on my first read through I saw a number of cursers typed simply as "Attack").
I think it's unfortunate if the community ends up rejecting what they (unknowingly) agree is a superior concept over a technicality. I don't have a good solution, however.
Adara
$2 - Action
+1 Action
+1 Card
+$1
--
When you buy this, gain another [This Card].
While this is in play, you may not buy cards costing more than $6.
>Yes, this card is great for me. I love Alternate VP ánd Bridge/Highway/Princess. I also like the on-gain effect, though I'm not sure it's necessary.
With the on-gain effect, I'm not really sure you need alt-VP/etc. for it to be strong. I'm picturing a City-Adara-Duchy rush.
Alioth
$2 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
You may gain a Copper, putting it into your hand.
>It's a weaker Rigel, and I like both. If I have to choose, I'd go for Rigel because that card isn't worthless* when you choose not to gain.
... but the gain on Rigel is mandatory. I didn't like Rigel. My gut feeling is it's too weak with a mandatory gain, and would be too strong with an optional gain. Based on my experiences with IGG games, "you may gain a copper in hand" is almost as good as an extra $1, especially if there is any kind of copper trashing available at all (since you only take it when you need it to buy whatever it is you're planning to buy - typically, the rest of the stack of that card).
>wow, Tribute-inspired cards are hot this season!
I think "reveal your hand and match stuff for goodies" plays a lot differently from "reveal an opponent's deck and match stuff for goodies", though. For the same reason that Menagerie is an interesting card.
Alhena
$5 - Action
+1 Action
+$1
Discard 2 cards, if you do look through your discard pile and draw a card from it.
>With this punctuation, the if/then is reversed, but I'll look past that.
Ha, I suppose it is. Gotta love English.
I'm not sure I agree it'd be better at $4. Being able to choose your card from the discards is pretty powerful, since you'll have basically half your deck there on average and thus a good chance of picking out a rather nice card. Also, it gets better over time and is pretty weak to start, so why give it a price point that guarantees first-shuffle access?
I'm envisioning this having some synergy with Counting House. Although that seems like a trap.
Castor
$5 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
+$1
At the start of your clean-up phase, you may trash any number of action cards you have in play, including this. Then you may gain a card costing up to $1 per the number of trashed cards other than this, plus $2 if you trashed this.
>I like that this happens in your Clean-up phase, because of the 'keeping track' problem Mining Village has. Almost exclusively relevant in the very last turns; it adds a little excitement to the PPR.
I don't think I approved this one, but now I kinda wish I had. Hmm. The effect would be more interesting with +Buy, but then it would be strictly superior to Market.
Murzim
$4* - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
+$1
--
This costs $1 more per Action card you have in play.
>Too expensive. If this started out at $2, it would probably work (because playing Murzims would make buying Murzims more difficult).
I'd say $3. Otherwise it'd be too good to pick up a Murzim on 5/2 openings and then ignore them after that.
Hamal
$5 - Action
Look at the top 2 cards of your deck. Put one into your hand, discard the other card.
+1 Action
+$1
>Marginally stronger than Alphard, this is correctly priced as a weak $5. Nothing earth-shattering, but I like both cards (though not both/together).
I thought this was really weak (it didn't help that it was listed right next to Alphard). But maybe selecting from the top two cards - explicitly and with full information - is worth more than I think.
Oh, forgot one:
Capella
$3 - Action
+1 Action
+1 Buy
If there are 1 or fewer empty piles in the supply, +1 Card. If there are no empty piles in the
supply, +$1.
> The variance hides it a little, but this card is weak. It's a copper with a buy first half of the game, then a cantrip with a buy after that. Again: I'd rather see a copper with a buy if that's what it effectively is. If it's the only source of +buy, I would probably pick one up.
Uhh? No, it's a Market in the first half of the game. "No empty piles" qualifies for "1 or fewer empty piles" as well. It's actually ridiculously powerful, except for the part where everyone wants them, but nobody wants for them to run out. (Ignoring them initially and then buying the last one probably isn't a viable strategy, since the damage is done by that point.)