Mandarin is still puzzling me so I've looked through some Mandarin games in the council room, actually quite a lot of games. The results are carnage and disaster. It was a losing card in most situations and when bought for advantage in a winning deck it was peripheral to the strategy and did not change the game. Perhaps I need to look through some better quality games, hopefully played by people who realise that a highway without extra buys/gains is a poor card.
I did find this gem though. The name has been changed to protect the guilty.
--- anonymous's turn 17 ---
anonymous plays a King's Court.
... and plays a King's Court.
... ... and plays a King's Court.
... ... ... and plays a Shanty Town.
... ... ... ... revealing an Estate.
... ... ... ... drawing 2 cards and getting +2 actions.
... ... ... and plays the Shanty Town again.
... ... ... ... revealing a Shanty Town, an Estate, and a Contraband.
... ... ... ... getting +2 actions.
... ... ... and plays the Shanty Town a third time.
... ... ... ... revealing a Shanty Town, an Estate, and a Contraband.
... ... ... ... getting +2 actions.
... ... and plays the King's Court again.
... ... ... and plays a Shanty Town.
... ... ... ... revealing an Estate and a Contraband.
... ... ... ... drawing 2 cards and getting +2 actions.
... ... ... and plays the Shanty Town again.
... ... ... ... revealing a Shanty Town, an Estate, a Contraband, and a Copper.
... ... ... ... getting +2 actions.
... ... ... and plays the Shanty Town a third time.
... ... ... ... revealing a Shanty Town, an Estate, a Contraband, and a Copper.
... ... ... ... getting +2 actions.
... ... and plays the King's Court a third time.
... ... ... and plays a Shanty Town.
... ... ... ... revealing an Estate, a Contraband, and a Copper.
... ... ... ... drawing 2 cards and getting +2 actions.
... ... ... and plays the Shanty Town again.
... ... ... ... revealing a Platinum, a Mandarin, an Estate, a Contraband, and a Copper.
... ... ... ... getting +2 actions.
... ... ... and plays the Shanty Town a third time.
... ... ... ... revealing a Platinum, a Mandarin, an Estate, a Contraband, and a Copper.
... ... ... ... getting +2 actions.
... and plays the King's Court again.
... ... and plays a Mandarin.
... ... ... getting +$3.
... ... ... putting 1 card from hand back on the deck.
... ... and plays the Mandarin again.
... ... ... getting +$3.
... ... ... putting 1 card from hand back on the deck.
... ... and plays the Mandarin a third time.
... ... ... getting +$3.
... ... ... putting 1 card from hand back on the deck.
... and plays the King's Court a third time.
... ... but plays no action with it.
anonymous plays a Contraband.
... Sobri prohibits anonymous from buying Colonies.
anonymous buys a King's Court.
anonymous buys a Shanty Town.
(anonymous draws: a Platinum, 2 Estates, and 2 Coppers.)