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[ehunt]

it's been a while since we've had one of these threads.

If you're using count to trash your hand early, and you draw a fistful of junk, gain a copper rather than topdecking a copper.

[liopoil]

In junking games, use watchtower to topdeck a watchtower for a) More watchtowers and b) Protection next turn. Watch for your opponent doing this too and reconsider if you want to play that mountebank or not (usually you still do).

[pacovf]

[Awaclus]

In junking games, use watchtower to topdeck a watchtower for a) More watchtowers and b) Protection next turn. Watch for your opponent doing this too and reconsider if you want to play that mountebank or not (usually you still do).

But don't do it unless you actually need the Watchtowers for something other than protection. Oftentimes you will, but I played a game recently where my opponent ignored Cultist, managed to trash 9 of the Ruins with Watchtowers, and still lost because he couldn't do much with a deck full of Watchtowers and very little else going on.

[liopoil]

Well yes, a) has to actually be a good thing. And this is a trick you do twice per game at the very most, so you don't end up with more than 3.

[werothegreat]

How to play a Goons game:

1) Buy Goons
2) Play Goons
3) ?? ?? ?? ??
4) Profit

[Gherald]

In general, play in-place deck sifters like Vagabond and Ironmonger, and more obviously Cartographer and Apothecary and Scrying Pool, before your other draw.

It's best to assume the junk is up front and can be fixed, than to assume it's further toward the back of your deck to be fixed later.

Why? Because you get more immediate benefit from fixing the case up front, so with the chances being equal you may as well bet on the outcome that benefits you sooner.

There are exceptions, like if you only have one buy and are trying to benefit your next turn, then you could save an in-place sift of the top of your deck for last. But generally you want to benefit the current turn.

--

On that note, if Mystic is your last play and you have a lot of deck silvers (let's say), but don't need that silver on your current turn, guess something less likely that'll benefit your next turn by avoiding it.  For example Province or curse or some of the copper you have left. The odds may be lower but actually helpful, whereas adding a silver on the current turn isn't helpful and is best left in place

[werothegreat]

I have Sage and Farming Village in my hand.  Which should I play first?

[Awaclus]

On that note, if Mystic is your last play and you have a lot of deck silvers (let's say), but don't need that silver on your current turn, guess something less likely that'll benefit your next turn by avoiding it.  For example Province or curse or some of the copper you have left. The odds may be lower but actually helpful, whereas adding a silver on the current turn isn't helpful and is best left in place

Most of time you should guess Silver in that situation though, because you want to get the Silver out of your next hand.

I have Sage and Farming Village in my hand.  Which should I play first?

Depends on the contents of your draw pile.

[Gherald]

Most of time you should guess Silver in that situation though, because you want to get the Silver out of your next hand.

No. If silver is the most abundant card in your deck, it is there for a reason.

[Flip5ide]

In general, play in-place deck sifters like Vagabond and Ironmonger, and more obviously Cartographer and Apothecary and Scrying Pool, before your other draw.

Vagrant?

[werothegreat]

In general, play in-place deck sifters like Vagabond and Ironmonger, and more obviously Cartographer and Apothecary and Scrying Pool, before your other draw.

Vagrant?

"Vagabond" is the French name for the card.

[Gherald]

I don't speak french haha. I guess vagabond is a word I'm used to seeing, whereas vagrant is one I'd never heard before Dominion

[Awaclus]

Most of time you should guess Silver in that situation though, because you want to get the Silver out of your next hand.

No. If silver is the most abundant card in your deck, it is there for a reason.

Ambassador?

[werothegreat]

Most of time you should guess Silver in that situation though, because you want to get the Silver out of your next hand.

No. If silver is the most abundant card in your deck, it is there for a reason.

Ambassador?

I think Embassy is more likely.

[pubby]

In general, play in-place deck sifters like Vagabond and Ironmonger, and more obviously Cartographer and Apothecary and Scrying Pool, before your other draw.

To add to this: don't waste top-deck scouting if you don't have to. Cartographer -> Laboratory -> Cartographer is often better than Cartographer -> Cartographer -> Laboratory.

[Tombolo]

Look at the name: Do Minion.

[pubby]

Look at the name: Do Minion.

Dough Minion: You Bake Your Own Shuffle Luck

[Elanchana]

If you can gain something, don't spend too much effort on buying it.

If there are no villages on the board, consider how much you really need any terminals you want to buy.

[Flip5ide]

Don't buy good cards at stupid times.. i.e. Wharf ... with 1 province remaining and 22 cards left in your deck. -or- turn 2 village.

[Flip5ide]

I have Sage and Farming Village in my hand.  Which should I play first?

Is there a right answer?

[Awaclus]

I have Sage and Farming Village in my hand.  Which should I play first?

Is there a right answer?

Yes:

I have Sage and Farming Village in my hand.  Which should I play first?

Depends on the contents of your draw pile.

[Flip5ide]

I have Sage and Farming Village in my hand.  Which should I play first?

Is there a right answer?

Yes:

I have Sage and Farming Village in my hand.  Which should I play first?

Depends on the contents of your draw pile.

More of a non-answer (or inside joke) than a correct answer.

[Chris is me]

This is a cool thread I'll drop thoughts in as I come up with them.

First thing I'd say is that, particularly when learning unfamiliar cards / when new at the game, it's probably better to play a sub-optimal strategy perfectly than a better strategy poorly. If the better strategy is a mirror, and your opponent knows the strategy better, it's not likely that you'll win, even if you both make a few mistakes. On the other hand, if there's a strategy / combo you know very well on the board, better than how well your opponent knows the "better" strategy he's playing, you've got a chance.

One more - in limited circumstances, naming Duchy with your first few plays of Rebuild, and buying an Estate or two, is one stupid way to win the Duchy split. If you're having enough trouble hitting $5 to consider this, the Provinces will probably wait for you, so you can focus on getting the most Duchys first, ideally ending with no Estates at all.

[Awaclus]

I have Sage and Farming Village in my hand.  Which should I play first?

Is there a right answer?

Yes:

I have Sage and Farming Village in my hand.  Which should I play first?

Depends on the contents of your draw pile.

More of a non-answer (or inside joke) than a correct answer.

No but it's true. Depending on what's left in your draw pile and what the situation is, you should be able to tell which card you want to play first (and by "should", I don't mean that you actually should do it because it's usually way more complicated and way less useful than in this following example). If the contents of your draw pile are, for example, Hunting Grounds and 4 Coppers:

Play Farming Village first -> there's a 1/5 chance that it draws your HG, and then Sage can skip over those Coppers, trigger a reshuffle, and find you another $3 or more expensive card. Which is good if you're going to draw your entire deck and bad if you just shuffled yourself a deck full of Coppers and other junk. Or you can choose to not play Sage and be left with 4 Coppers in your deck which probably sucks EDIT: is completely fine because the Hunting Grounds will draw them for you. There's a 4/5 chance that Farming Village draws a Copper, and then Sage will find the HG and skip over some number of Coppers between 0 and 3.

Play Sage first -> Sage will find the HG. There's a 1/5 chance that it was the last card in your deck. Then you can play Farming Village to trigger a reshuffle, and it will find you another Treasure or Action card. Which is probably much worse than what the Sage did for making your engine go off this turn, and if you're going for the reshuffle control, it's equally good for that but then you have those Coppers in your discard pile instead of your hand. There's a 4/5 chance that HG is not the last card in your deck, Sage will skip over some number of Coppers between 0 and 3 and then you can play Farming Village to draw a Copper.

Then you just have to decide which 1/5 chance you like more. Obviously you should play Farming Village first in this particular scenario.

First thing I'd say is that, particularly when learning unfamiliar cards / when new at the game, it's probably better to play a sub-optimal strategy perfectly than a better strategy poorly. If the better strategy is a mirror, and your opponent knows the strategy better, it's not likely that you'll win, even if you both make a few mistakes. On the other hand, if there's a strategy / combo you know very well on the board, better than how well your opponent knows the "better" strategy he's playing, you've got a chance.

This depends on what you mean by "better". It's true that you'll probably be more likely to win that single game if you play a strategy you know well instead of a better strategy that you have no idea how to play. But if you want to get better at the game, you will have to learn how to play those better strategies sooner or later. And actually trying them out is a pretty good way of learning.