http://www.gokosalvager.com/static/logprettifier.html?/20140312/log.50b20dc3e4b0c9ce0cf27eb3.1394648471237.txt
(http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/8/89/Salvager.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Salvager) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/c/cd/Catacombs.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Catacombs) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/1/10/Duke.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Duke) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/1/1c/Harvest.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Harvest) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/e/ef/Venture.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Venture)
(http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/8/88/Steward.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Steward) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/a/a7/Trade_Route.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Trade Route) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/7/74/Urchin.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Urchin) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/6/63/Noble_Brigand.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Noble Brigand) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/4/42/Pirate_Ship.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Pirate Ship)
Steward, Trade Route, Urchin, Noble Brigand, Pirate Ship, Salvager, Catacombs, Duke, Harvest, Venture
I have been know to say, "I don't believe in Pirate Ship." My basic view is that the card can always be overcome, at least in 2-player. But if ever there was a Kingdom for Pirate Ship, this looks like it. Virtual coin is available, but there are no villages so it can't be stacked. Your deck will need to add Treasures to succeed here--there's just no way around it. And that's theoretically a good cue for Pirate Ship. What's more, you can pair your ship with an Urchin opening and go for Mercenary. Grabbing Urchins is a fine alternative to grabbing Silvers that just clog your PS strategy and help your opponent's PS, and Mercenary is probably mildly good here. Really, what else can you do? And to the extent Duke is a factor, it has to help the PS player, who is better prepared for a slog, rather than the player who keeps buying and losing Treasure.
That's what I'm thinking, anyway, so Stef and I both open Pirate Ship/Urchin.
Well, my Ship is the last card in my deck, and Stef flips it over with his Ship, so already I feel like I am in trouble. I spike $2 and then $5--just dreadful--but grab a Harvest because at least that's solid economy he can't destroy. He's quicker with Mercenary, but I get there eventually. His Ship is up to $3, and eventually gets up $5. But he's Mercenarying away his Coppers too fast for me, and my Pirate Ship is never worth more than $1. Time to get creative.
I grab another Harvest, and then just plow away at Treasures: Gold at $6, Venture at $5, Silver at $3. Well this let's me get the first Province, and the second one. Stef hits Gold and Venture and destroys my economy, but he can't buy anything as long as he is attacking me... so I just but the Treasure back. Venture and Harvest are really doing it for me, since I've trashed my Coppers and have a small deck. With Harvest and Venture in hand, I can basically guarantee a Province.
Okay, but Stef can buy Duchy at will with his $5 Pirate Ships. Fine... that means he's not attacking me! And I can deny him some Duchies and by now I just have a massive points lead. I realize that he's probably going to have to start killing my Treasures again before he actually goes for the Dukes, or else I'll drain Provinces without much problem. I pick up a Salvager at this point to close the deal. With 1 Province to go, he resigns.
I should never have betrayed my core beliefs! Pirate Ship is the losing strategy here. And I daresay, if it loses here, it loses everywhere.
What do you think?
I just played a board for pirate ships. Ill gotten gains here make attack stronger as copper counts here, target here is hitting 5 and after two attack ship is same as silver and cycling curses helps. It suffices to boost ships to 3 to help with duchy race.
(http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/3/36/Smithy.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Smithy) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/e/e2/Spice_Merchant.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Spice Merchant) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/9/91/Ill-Gotten_Gains.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Ill-Gotten Gains) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/1/1f/Inn.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Inn) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/d/d7/Forge.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Forge)
(http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/3/30/Courtyard.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Courtyard) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/c/c9/Haven.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Haven) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/c/c2/Watchtower.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Watchtower) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/7/70/Moneylender.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Moneylender) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/4/42/Pirate_Ship.jpg) (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Pirate Ship)
Courtyard, Haven, Watchtower, Moneylender, Pirate Ship, Smithy, Spice Merchant, Ill-Gotten Gains, Inn, Forge
http://logs.prod.dominion.makingfun.com//20140313/log.5160dac4e4b05d3fb42496d8.1394721342395.txt