Dominion Strategy Forum
Dominion => Weekly Design Contest => Variants and Fan Cards => Mini-Set Design Contest => Topic started by: rinkworks on July 12, 2012, 11:00:13 am
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I'll be posting the ballot for Challenge #4 shortly, but now it's time to start the next two challenges! My tentative plan now is to run week-long challenges every week and a half, which will slow down the pace of these things a little bit but not too much.
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Submission Rules
* Submit no more than one card per person per challenge. You do not need to submit for all challenges if you don't want to, but of course you can't win if you don't compete.
* Submit your cards to me via this forum's messaging system. Submissions made after each week's deadline cannot be accepted.
* Each card you submit must have a name, a cost, a list of types, and the exact wording that should appear on the card. Also include a brief description of any special design considerations (e.g., Stash having a unique back), but do NOT include any other information, such as strategic commentary or examples about it would play.
* Although you must submit names for each of your cards, the names will not be listed on the voting ballots, so make sure your card's appeal does not depend on your choice of name.
* I will accept revisions to your contest entries provided they are submitted to me before the deadline. If you submit a revision to an entry you have previously submitted to me, resubmit your revised card(s) in their entirety. That is, don't tell me "Oh, can you make that +2 Cards say +3 Cards instead?" Just resubmit the full card.
* Only submit cards that are your own design.
* You may submit cards that have been previously posted here in this forum, including those that have been refined by the community as a whole, provided you can still claim that the central conceit of the card -- and the majority of its final version -- is yours. This applies to cards previously posted, however -- if your submissions aren't already posted on his board, please refrain from doing so until after the results have been announced.
* A single card might conceivably qualify for multiple challenges within this series. However, you may not submit the same card for more than one challenge.
* Do not disclose your submissions publicly, either in this thread or elsewhere.
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The deadline for this week's challenges is Thursday, July 19, at 10am EDT.
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Challenge #5 - Deck Improver
Objective: Design a card that, after it is played, leaves the top of your deck in an improved or ordered state. Such cards generally fall into one of a few different categories, although it is possible that a qualifying fan card might not fall into one of these specific categories:
(1) Cards that look at the top cards of your deck and sift them in some way (e.g., Cartographer, Scout).
(2) Cards that put cards on top of your deck (e.g., Courtyard, Pearl Diver, Bureaucrat).
(3) Cards that manage shuffles (e.g., Chancellor).
Unlike some challenges in this contest, the card does not need to FORCE the player to perform top-of-deck improvement, but it does need to provide the opportunity.
Official Examples: Bureaucrat, Spy, Courtyard, Scout, Pearl Diver, Lookout, Navigator, Treasure Map, Apothecary, Develop, Cartographer, Mandarin. Chancellor (because it can shuffle your good cards into a junky draw pile). Tournament (Prizes go on top and might not be immediately drawn). Bag of Gold. Trusty Steed (due to its Chancellor effect).
Official Non-Examples: Smithy, because although you MIGHT draw three junky cards and dig down to your good ones, blind drawing does not improve the quality of your deck on average. Secret Chamber, Watchtower, Royal Seal, Fool's Gold, Treasury, Walled Village, Alchemist, Herbalist, Stash, Scheme, Nomad Camp, and Inn, because although these all have deck-improving powers, they do not occur when you PLAY the card. Farming Village, Jack of All Trades, Scrying Pool, and Oracle, because although they provide some top-of-deck sifting, they always (well, usually, in Jack's case) draw to or beyond it, leaving your deck an unknown.
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Challenge #6 - Trash For Benefit
Objective: Design a card that can trash one or more other cards (of your own) and give some sort of benefit that is different depending on what specific card(s) were trashed. Such cards generally fall into one of a few different categories, although it is possible that a qualifying fan card might not fall into one of these specific categories:
(1) The "Remodel" family, which lets you exchange cards for different cards. Official Examples: Remodel, Expand, Upgrade, Remake, Develop, Forge, Farmland, Governor.
(2) Cards that offer other benefits based on the cost of the trashed card(s). Official Examples: Mine, Salvager, Bishop, Apprentice, Trader.
(3) Cards that offer benefits based on the type of the trashed card(s). Official Examples: Transmute.
Official Non-Examples: Moneylender, Spice Merchant, Trading Post, Trade Route, and Treasure Map, because although they require trashing to receive benefits, the benefits do not change based on what card(s) are trashed. Chapel (and many others), because although it trashes cards, it doesn't offer any additional benefits, let alone ones tied to what the trashed cards are. Mining Village, Feast, and Embargo, because they cannot trash other cards, only themselves. Thief, Noble Brigand, Saboteur, and Swindler, because they don't trash your own cards, only other people's.
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Ballots
Challenge #5 Ballot (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=3382.msg68118#msg68118)
Challenge #6 Ballot (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=3382.msg68121#msg68121)
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Results
Challenge #5 Results (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=3382.msg71517#msg71517)
Challenge #6 Results (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=3382.msg71526#msg71526)
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Question for #6, is the effect mandatory?
For example, it trashes cards, but may not necessarily gain anything?
Is the trashing mandatory? Edit: Looks like this is a no, if governor is up there, you can pick other things besides the tfb.
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Transmute doesn't give you anything when you trash a curse.
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Question for #6, is the effect mandatory?
For example, it trashes cards, but may not necessarily gain anything?
Is the trashing mandatory? Edit: Looks like this is a no, if governor is up there, you can pick other things besides the tfb.
No to both questions. I felt like being more flexible this time, I guess!
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Does royal seal qualify for challenge 5? Also, I take from the fact that Chancellor is included to mean that "the top of the deck" can be extended to mean "the whole deck".
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Technically, if use Chancellor, the top card of your deck is improved, because that card is a random selection of (estate, estate, estate, copper.... +card you just bought), when the top card could only be coppers and/or estates before.
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Yeah, what pops said regarding Chancellor. It took me a while to realize that that card qualifies, since it's so unlike all the rest. But technically speaking, it allows you to improve your next hand by the same logic as Inn's on-gain effect does (though Inn is ineligible because it's an on-gain effect) -- by shuffling stuff in your discard pile into your draw pile and improving the whole pile, which includes the top.
Royal Seal wouldn't count, since the effect doesn't occur when you play it. I'll add that to the list of exclusions.
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That's what I figured. I just wanted to make sure.
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Transmute doesn't give you anything when you trash a curse.
So, the bonus corresponding to the type curse is nothing. Every type does get a bonus, it just so happens that one of the bonuses is nothing. Similarly, Remake, Upgrade, Apprentice and Salvager give no bonus for curses (or coppers) (although I guess you could use Apprentice or Salvager on a Curse just for the Buy or action...)
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Getting rid of a Curse is itself a bonus. Even Coppers and Estates have their uses from time to time. All Curse ever gives you is dead space and one less point. The only good Curse is the one in your opponent's deck.
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Getting rid of a Curse is itself a bonus. Even Coppers and Estates have their uses from time to time. All Curse ever gives you is dead space and one less point. The only good Curse is the one in your opponent's deck.
Ok, but curses have their uses from time to very slim time. Gardens, fairgrounds, ambassador, masquerade, mountebank, fodder for strong trade routes when you have a small deck already.
I think if we want to be technical we want:
"The card has to give a benefit (besides trashing) at least sometimes."
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Yeah, trashing a Curse may be inherently awesome, but that's not good enough for this particular challenge. Qualifying cards have to do something more besides. However, that said, qualifying cards don't have to provide a benefit for EVERY card that might conceivably trashed with it -- just like Transmute, Apprentice, Salvager, Bishop, and Trader happen to do nothing additional when it is a Curse that is trashed with them.
Note, by the way, that Apprentice's +1 Action, Salvager's +1 Buy, and Bishop's +$1 and first +VP are NOT sufficient to qualify them. The reason is that you get these benefits no matter what card is trashed -- even, in fact, if you don't trash a card at all (because there are no cards left in your hand).
But as long as there's a difference in the benefits between some card X being trashed and some card Y being trashed, the trasher will qualify.
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I may be the only one, but I was thinking about a penalty for trying to rid your deck of curses, a trasher that only wants to trash treasures/victories instead.
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->Challenge 5 : This looks really wide-opened, just put a card back on your deck... now, you've to find the right idea
->Challenge 6 : I was waiting for a TFB challenge that would give benefit directly depending of the trashed card(s), but... doesn't have an idea yet in mind.
I love those challenges, I hope it'll continue :)
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Okay, I'm in.
As I have organized a design contest myself (with Rinkworks as the winner getting his card "Archivist" on Iso for a few weeks/months if I recall correctly), I thought it would be fair to enter this one.
I have spent a good 10 minutes on both cards, so I hope people will like them.
These challenges are interesting, because they demonstrate how huge the design space actually is. And we have to try to let go of the cards that have been published so far and not make poor copies of them, which is mighty difficult! Heck, we could have a card like:
Blind Man's Bluff $4
Action
Take the top card of your deck, lick the back of it and put it on your forehead so that other players can see what it is.
You may ask the other players what it is and try to guess what it is.
If you guess correctly, you may put it in play immediately. Otherwise, put it back, but dry it first.
Good luck implementing THAT on Iso/Funsockets! ;D
Note: This is not a card I submitted. :)
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Made sure I actually submitted this time :D
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I have spent a good 10 minutes on both cards, so I hope people will like them.
10 minutes each? I agonize over the designs and it took me over an hour to decide between different versions of the same effect. Needless to say, I submitted here.
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I have spent a good 10 minutes on both cards, so I hope people will like them.
10 minutes each? I agonize over the designs and it took me over an hour to decide between different versions of the same effect. Needless to say, I submitted here.
10 minutes for both, so about 5 mins for each. I tend to not spend too many time on cards. Either something is a good idea or it isn't. Sometimes I just like launching ideas and seeing what the results are. :)
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10 minutes for both, so about 5 mins for each. I tend to not spend too many time on cards. Either something is a good idea or it isn't. Sometimes I just like launching ideas and seeing what the results are. :)
Pretty much my approach, too. Although sometimes I'll spend a few minutes thinking about it, then put it aside and come back to it later for a few more minutes. :)
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Good luck implementing THAT on Iso/Funsockets! ;D
Actually, all the functionality should be there. Contraband and Envoy allow you to pick a card for your opponent, and Wishing Well allows you to pick a card for yourself. The only strange part would be the "reveal to only other players" part, but that's just "reveal" AND NOT "look at" so probably not too terrible.
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How do you dry it, though?
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OK, for once, I'm in. Not sure I'll have the time to go over entries and vote though...
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I've been testing some of the winners of previous contests and would like to get a discussion going at a centralized place. The current contest threads discuss all the ideas at a somewhat theoretical level, while also talking about fairness, voting systems, rules questions about the contest, etc. I'm sure people are going to actually start testing, too, right?
I think it would be a good idea to get a thread going, called 'Mini-Set Design Contest, Playground!' or something. Or - better yet - a sub forum with a thread for every card (if the admins are ok with that).
Is this overkill? Would you rather just continue the discussion in the current contest-threads? Besides, I would like to know how definitive the winning cards are. On one hand, we don't want to mess with the card that got the votes - it's what the community wanted. On the other, testing is really important and some cards may need some work. What's the game plan?
For now, I'll just post in the contest-threads. I can always move my comments around.
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I am ok with testing superseding the votes, but only if there is no way to rework the card people elected to make that card work. Soothsayer could possibly fall into that category if there really is no way to make people take the curses with any frequency.
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This time I think I'll do better than last 2. :D
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I've been testing some of the winners of previous contests and would like to get a discussion going at a centralized place. The current contest threads discuss all the ideas at a somewhat theoretical level, while also talking about fairness, voting systems, rules questions about the contest, etc. I'm sure people are going to actually start testing, too, right?
I think it would be a good idea to get a thread going, called 'Mini-Set Design Contest, Playground!' or something. Or - better yet - a sub forum with a thread for every card (if the admins are ok with that).
Is this overkill? Would you rather just continue the discussion in the current contest-threads? Besides, I would like to know how definitive the winning cards are. On one hand, we don't want to mess with the card that got the votes - it's what the community wanted. On the other, testing is really important and some cards may need some work. What's the game plan?
For now, I'll just post in the contest-threads. I can always move my comments around.
I'd love to see a sub-forum dedicated to this project. If not that, then at least a testing thread seems like a great idea.
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I've been testing some of the winners of previous contests and would like to get a discussion going at a centralized place. The current contest threads discuss all the ideas at a somewhat theoretical level, while also talking about fairness, voting systems, rules questions about the contest, etc. I'm sure people are going to actually start testing, too, right?
I think it would be a good idea to get a thread going, called 'Mini-Set Design Contest, Playground!' or something. Or - better yet - a sub forum with a thread for every card (if the admins are ok with that).
Is this overkill? Would you rather just continue the discussion in the current contest-threads? Besides, I would like to know how definitive the winning cards are. On one hand, we don't want to mess with the card that got the votes - it's what the community wanted. On the other, testing is really important and some cards may need some work. What's the game plan?
For now, I'll just post in the contest-threads. I can always move my comments around.
I'd love to see a sub-forum dedicated to this project. If not that, then at least a testing thread seems like a great idea.
Maybe a subforum called "Contests and Votings" where the first/main thread gets pinned and links to all sub-threads. This would also fit to my Dominion Lists series. ;)
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Qvist: but then that subforum would be a weird hodgepodge of different subjects.
I'm OK with a subforum for this, but I'm afraid it might cause it to disappear from view?
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I agree with theory. Maybe it would be best creating a meta-thread and optionally pin that.
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I think I found all the topics related to this contest, but if you find any more PM me and I'll move them here too.
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This time I think I'll do better than last 2. :D
Yeah, me too. I think my card got some partially unwarranted stick from the last contest, mostly because it looked too similar to a previous card, despite being months old (and playing completely differently) :(
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Thing is I can hardly be worse, as last 2 times I had a card with 0 points in last place. :D
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I think I found all the topics related to this contest, but if you find any more PM me and I'll move them here too.
Great, thanks!
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I completely missed the deadline for this. :-[
Oh well, good luck to the submitters in this more broad contest!
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If you're quick, Rink might still accept your entry :P. But maybe not. Depends on if he sees deadlines as deadlines, or fuzzy-maybe-lines.
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Yeah, you can probably still squeeze it in. I don't expect to be able to post today's ballots until later in the day today, but if you get it in before I do, that's good enough.
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If EDT observes DST, there's probably some wiggle room.
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If EDT observes DST, there's probably some wiggle room.
That's what the D stands for. :) EDT is EST+1.
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If EDT observes DST, there's probably some wiggle room.
Unless someone lives in Indiana.
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I thought I'd missed it, then saw rink's post and threw together my ideas. They are consequently probably terrible! But I'm hoping for a better showing than thirty-somethingth place like my last entries. :X
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Here is the ballot for Challenge #5!
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Voting Rules:
Each person may cast votes as follows: For each Challenge, you may fill your ballot out in one of two ways:
(1) Award 3 points to one entry. Award 1 point to any number of other entries.
(2) Award 2 points to each of two entries. Award 1 point to any number of other entries.
Submit your votes via PM to me by Thursday, July 26, 2012, 10am EDT in the following format:
Challenge 1
3 CardName
1 AnotherCardName
1 StillAnotherCardName
1 AnotherCardNameGoesHereToo
Challenge 2
2 CardName
2 AnotherCardName
1 StillAnotherCardName
Please use the above format! One card per line, with the number of votes given before it, and no extra punctuation or anything. This will make it easy for me to copy-and-paste your votes into the format my vote-counting script needs it to be in.
Do not submit votes for your own cards. (If you do, my script will catch you anyway.)
By submitting vote(s) for a challenge, you will automatically earn 1 point for your entry in that challenge. This is to incentivize contestants to submit votes. (My script does this automatically, so don't worry that I'll forget to do this.)
Note that the supplied card names are for discussion/identification only -- they are not the card names that were submitted to me. The proper card names will be revealed when the results are announced. Whenever card text says "[This Card]" it means the submitted text says the card's own name there.
Inclusion on the ballot means that the card was deemed eligible for the contest. You therefore do not need to consider eligibility when voting. In some cases, this may mean a pretty loose interpretation of the eligibility requirements. I tried to be fair but also forgiving when a submission came in that twisted the rules in a way I hadn't foreseen.
As a voter, you may use whatever criteria you wish in determining what your votes will be. Be as forgiving or particular as you like concerning conformance to standard Dominion terminology. For all winning cards, there will be a chance to tweak the wording as a community, if necessary, before they are canonized.
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Keaton
$4 - Action-Attack
Discard two cards. If you discarded any cards this way, you may then put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
Each other player discards until they have three cards in hand.
Fairbanks
$3 - Action
+$2
You may put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
Chaplin
$4 - Action
+3 Cards
+1 Action
Put two cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Valentino
$6 - Action-Victory
2 VP
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Reveal the top 5 cards of your deck. Discard 1, put the rest back in any order.
+$2 if you did not discard a Victory card.
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When you gain this, each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand.
Lloyd
$5 - Action
+1 Action
If this is the first action you played this turn: Draw until you have 10 cards in hand, then place 5 cards on top of your deck in any order.
Gilbert
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Reveal and discard the top card of your deck. In its place, you may gain a Treasure costing up to the value of the card you discarded.
Langdon
$4 - Action-Attack
Reveal cards from your deck until you reveal a card that is not a victory card.
Choose one: Gain a copy of that card, putting both copies on top of your deck; Return that card to the supply. Each other player gains a copy of it.
Discard the other revealed cards.
Linder
$4 - Action-Attack
+1 Card
+2 Actions
Each player (including you) reveals the top and bottom card of their deck. Choose whether they put the revealed cards back in the same place or swap their positions.
Laurel
$5 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Discard any number of them. Put the rest back on top in any order.
+1 Card for every card discarded.
Hardy
$2 - Action
+1 Action
Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. Put the revealed cards costing at most $2 into your hand. Put the other cards back on top in any order.
Hart
$4 - Action-Duration
Now and at the start of your next turn: +$1.
Put your deck into your discard pile, then search your discard pile for up to three cards, placing them face down underneath this card. When this card leaves play, put all cards underneath it into your discard pile.
Mix
$4 - Action
+$2
Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck. Trash the Curses, discard the Victory cards, place all Actions on the top of your deck in any order, place all Treasure cards on the bottom of your deck in any order.
Dix
$5 - Action
Look at the first five cards on top of your deck. Put one card in your hand. Discard two cards. Put the other two on top of your deck in the order you choose.
Barrymore
$5 - Action-Duration
+5 Cards
Place up to 5 cards from your hand on top of your deck, in any order. Discard your hand.
During your cleanup phase, do not draw any cards. Instead, draw 5 cards at the beginning of your next turn.
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(Rules clarification: if you played both [This Card] and Tactician (e.g. using a Golem), you draw no cards in your cleanup phase, and 10 cards at the beginning of your next turn: 5 plus the +5 from Tactician. If you played [This Card] with TR/KC, and/or multiple separate [This Card]s via Golem, you still draw only 5 cards at the beginning of your next turn.)
Jannings
$3 - Treasure-Curse
Worth +$2
You may trash one action card you have in play immediately. If you do, gain a Gold on your deck.
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Worth -1 VP
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(Rules clarification: This is a Curse as well as a Treasure. It is a kingdom card and does not replace the Curse pile. It may be gained by a player from cursing attacks instead of a regular Curse. It may be revealed and discarded as a Curse as a response to Mountebank.)
Veidt
$5 - Treasure
Worth $2
When you play this, reveal cards from your deck until you reveal a Victory or Curse card. Discard the revealed Victory or Curse Card, and reshuffle all other revealed cards into your deck. If you revealed no Victory or Curse Card, gain a Silver, placing it on your deck.
Stroheim
$5 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
You may put your deck into your discard pile. Put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
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When you buy [This Card], shuffle your discard pile into your deck.
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(Rules clarification: You shuffle your discard pile into your deck before gaining this.)
Arbuckle
$4 - Action
+2 Cards
Discard any number of cards. You may shuffle your discard pile and put it on top of your deck.
Chase
$2 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Reveal and discard up to 3 of them. Put the rest back in any order. If you revealed an..
Action card, +1 Card
Treasure card, +1 Action
Victory card, +$1
Fields
$3 - Action
+$2
If your deck is not empty, discard the top card. Look through your discard pile; reveal one card and place it on top of your deck.
Carey
$6 - Action-Reaction
Name a card type. If you named Action, +1 Action. If you named Victory, +1 Card. If you named Treasure, $1, +1 Buy.
Reveal the top three cards of your deck. Place all cards of the named type in your hand. You may discard any or all of the remaining cards. Place any remaining cards on top of your deck in any order.
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When you gain a card, you may reveal this from your hand. If you do, you may trash that card.
Rogers
$4 - Action
+4 Cards
Trash a card from your hand.
Discard a card.
Put a card from your hand on top of your deck.
Each other player may trash a card from his hand.
Gibson
$4 - Action
Draw up to 10 cards in hand. Put any number of cards on your deck in any order. Discard down to 5 cards.
Hersholt
$4 - Action-Duration
Gain a Gold, putting it on top of your deck. Until the end of your next turn, when you play a Gold, trash it.
Farrell
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
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While this is in play, at the end of your buy phase, you may look at the top five cards of your deck. Discard all or none of the cards looked at. If you discarded any cards in this way then you only draw 4 cards (instead of 5) in this turn's Clean Up phase.
(Note from rinkworks: This card was ruled ineligible, due to the deck-improvement function not occurring on play. Its creator submitted a replacement card, but I included the original on the ballot by mistake. Votes for this card will not be accepted.)
Reid
$3 - Action
Count how many cards you have in play, including this. Look at that many cards from the top of your deck. You may discard any of those cards.
Choose one: +2 Cards or +2 Actions.
Colman
$5 - Action
Draw up to 3 cards.
Put up to 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck in any order. If you put 3 cards back, +1 action.
Ford
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top 5 cards of your deck. Discard all duplicates. Put the rest back on top in any order.
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(Rules clarification: You discard cards that are duplicates of other revealed cards, not cards that are duplicates of cards in your hand.)
Murray
$4 - Action
+1 Action
Name a card.
Reveal the top 5 cards of your deck.
Put the revealed named card(s) on top of your deck.
Discard the rest.
Beery
$5 - Action
+1 Action
Trash the top card of your deck.
Gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card; put it on your deck.
Novello
$5 - Action-Attack
+3 Cards
Each player (including you) with 4 or more cards in hand puts a card from his hand on top of his deck.
Hayakawa
$5 - Action-Victory
2 VP
+1 Action
Look at the top 2 cards of your deck. You may put 1 of them into your hand. Put the rest back on top in any order.
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When you gain this, look at the top 6 cards of your deck. Discard up to 3 of them. Put the rest back on top in any order.
Powell
$4 - Treasure
Worth $1
When you play this, name a Treasure card. Reveal cards from your deck until you reveal the named card. Discard the other cards. Put the named card on top of your deck.
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(Rules clarification: You may name Treasures that aren't in the Kingdom.)
Robeson
$4 - Action
+4 Cards
+1 Action
Put 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Meighan
$4 - Action
Look through your deck. Reveal and set aside up to 3 victory cards. Shuffle your deck. Return any set aside cards to the bottom of your deck in the order you choose.
Brook
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
If there are no cards on your [This Card] mat, set the top 5 cards from your deck face down onto your mat. Otherwise: You may put all the cards from your mat on top of your deck in any order.
You may look at the cards on your mat at any time; return them to your deck at the end of the game.
Nagel
$5 - Treasure-Reaction
Worth $1
Gain a Silver, placing it on top of your deck.
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If this card is trashed in any way, reveal it and gain a Gold on top of your deck.
Maynard
$4 - Action
Look through your deck, then set aside three cards. Put the rest of your deck into your discard pile, then put the set aside card on top of your deck in any order.
Karloff
$5 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top card of your deck. Either discard it or trash it. If you trash it, gain a silver, putting it on top of your deck.
Jones
$3 - Action
You may immediately shuffle your discard pile and put it on top of your deck.
You may immediately put your deck into your discard pile.
+1 Card
+1 Action
Krauss
$5 - Action-Attack
+1 Action
Either discard a card; if you do, +2 cards,
or put a card from your hand on top of your deck; if you do, +$2.
Each other player with at least 4 cards in hand reveals a card from his hand and either discards it or puts it on top of his deck, your choice.
Chaney
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Do this twice: gain a card costing less than the card trashed and place it on top of your deck.
Finlayson
$5 - Action
+5 Cards
+2 Actions
Put 5 cards on top of your deck in any order.
Menjou
$5 - Action
Look at the top 5 cards of your deck, draw up to two, put up to two back on top in any order, and discard the remainder.
Gowland
$3 - Action-Duration
+1 Action
Reveal the bottom two cards of your deck. Choose two: Put a revealed card on top of your deck; put a revealed card into your hand; trash a revealed card. The choices must be different.
Schreck
$5 - Action
Discard a card from your hand. Gain a different non-victory card of the same cost, putting it on top of your deck.
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Here is the ballot for Challenge #6!
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Mary
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top card of your deck. You may trash it. If you do, gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card, putting it on top of your deck.
Lillian
$5 - Action
Trash this card. Discard any number of cards. Put your deck into your discard pile. Search your discard pile for up to two cards costing up to $6, reveal and trash them. For each trashed card, gain a card costing at most $1 more than the trashed card.
Dorothy
$3 - Action
Trash 2 cards that are not Victories from your hand.
If you trashed any Curses this way, gain a Curse.
If you trashed any Treasures this way, gain a Silver.
If you trashed any Actions this way +3 Cards.
Clara
$5 - Action
Trash a Victory card from your hand. If you do, +2 VP, +$4, and gain a Victory card costing less than the trashed card.
Mildred
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an Action or Victory card, +$10 and -$1 for each copy of that card remaining in the Supply.
--
(Rules clarification: If you trash action card X and there are only 4 Xs left in the supply, you would get +$6.)
Theda
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
+$1
+1 VP
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an...
Action card, play it three times.
Treasure card, +$ equal to its cost.
Victory card, +VP equal to half its cost in coins, rounded down.
Dolores
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
If this is the first [This Card] that you have played this turn, gain two cards costing less than the trashed card, adding them to your hand.
Otherwise gain three cards costing less than the trashed card, adding them to your hand.
Pola
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
+1 Buy
You may trash a card from your hand. If the supply pile of the trashed card is empty, gain a Duchy. If the supply pile of the trashed card and another supply pile is empty, you may gain a Province instead.
Anita
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
+$1 per differently named card in the Trash pile.
Edna
$3 - Action
Choose one: trash a card from your hand, gaining a number of Coppers equal to its cost in coins, putting them into your hand; or trash any number of Coppers from your hand, gaining a card with cost exactly equal to the number of Coppers you trashed.
Norma
$4 - Action-Attack
Trash two cards from your hand. If they are the same card, each other player gains a copy of that card. Otherwise, +$ equal to the difference in cost between the two.
--
When you gain this, each other player may trash a card from his hand.
Gloria
$4 - Action
Trash up to 2 cards from your hand. If you trashed 2 cards that share a type, gain a card costing up to $6 that shares a type with both the trashed cards.
Anna
$5 - Action
+1 Card
Trash a card from your hand.
Search the trash for cards costing 5 or more. If there's a...
Action Card: +2 Actions
Treasure Card: +$1, +1 Buy
Victory Card: +2 Cards
Hedy
$4 - Action
Trash up to four cards from your hand. For each card trashed, +$1.
Greta
$7 - Action
Trash any number of cards from your discard pile. Add their costs.
For each $3 in the total cost, choose one: +$1, or +1 VP.
For each P in the cost, choose one: +P or +1 VP.
--
(Rules clarification: "P" represents a Potion symbol.)
Louise
$5 - Action
The player to your left reveals and discards the top card of his deck. You may trash a card from your hand of the same type. If you do, gain a card costing up to $3 more than the trashed card.
--
(Rules clarification: Type refers to the set {Treasure, Victory, Action, Curse}. If a dual-type is revealed, you may trash a card that shares a type with the discarded card. For example, Harem is turned over; you may trash a card that has type Treasure or Victory.)
Mabel
$7 - Action-Victory
1 VP
Trash up to 3 cards from your hand. Gain a card costing up to...
4 x # of Action Cards trashed
3 x # of Curse Cards trashed
2 x # of Treasure Cards trashed
1 x # of Victory Cards trashed
--
When you gain this card, each other player gains a Curse.
Renee
$5 - Treasure
Worth $2
When you play this, you may trash a card you have in play. If you do, you may gain a card costing at most as much as the trashed card.
--
(Rules clarification: This card can trash itself.)
Zasu
$4 - Action-Attack
+$2
+1 Buy
Trash a card from your hand. For every 2 coins in the trashed card's cost, each other player chooses to discard a card or gain a Curse.
--
(Rules clarification: The opponent can choose a combination of discarding and curses.)
Maria
$6 - Action
+1 Action
Trash two cards from your hand. Gain a card costing up to the total cost of the trashed cards, putting it into your hand.
Janet
$4 - Action
Trash up to two cards from your hand.
If you trashed any Treasure cards, +2 Actions.
If you trashed any Action cards, +2 Cards.
If you trashed any Victory cards, +$2.
Constance
$5 - Action
Trash a Treasure card from your hand. Gain a Silver in hand for each coin in the Treasure's face value.
Each other player may trash a Treasure card from his hand, and gain a Silver in hand.
--
(Rules clarifications: Trashing Bank, Fool's Gold, Horn of Plenty, or Philosopher's Stone give no benefit to the player, as these cards have 0 or unknown face value. This restriction does not apply to other players who choose to trash a Treasure card.)
Colleen
$4 - Action
You may trash [This Card] when you play it. If you do, +1 Card, +1 Action, $2.
+1 Card
You may trash up to two cards from your hand. For each Action card trashed, +1 Action; for each Treasure card, $2; for each Victory card, +1 Card.
Eleanor
$5 - Action-Reaction
+2 Actions
You may trash a card you have in play (including this). If you do, gain a card other than [This Card] with the same price as the trashed card or lower, putting it into your hand.
Virginia
$2 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
You may trash an Action or Treasure from your hand. If you do, gain a card with the same cost; put it into your hand.
Jean
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Gain 2 differently named cards of the same cost.
--
(Rule clarification: 2 differently named from each other, not from the trashed card.)
Fay
$2 - Action
+1 Action
Trash this card. Trash a Treasure card from your hand. Gain a Victory card costing up to 1 more than the trashed Treasure card.
Marion
$4 - Action
Discard any number of Action cards and trash a card from your hand. If you do, gain a card costing exactly $1 plus $1 per card discarded more than the trashed card.
Carole
$4 - Action
Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck. Trash one of them. Gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card. Put the gained card together with other revealed cards on top of your deck in any order.
Alice
$4 - Action
+2 Actions
Trash a card from your hand. If it is a...
Treasure card: +$2
Victory card: +2 Cards
Curse: Gain a Copper, putting it in your hand
Marlene
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Gain a card costing less than the trashed card; put it in your hand.
Paulette
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand, then gain a card costing exactly $1 more than the trashed card; put it into your hand.
--
While this is in play, when you buy a card, trash that card and gain a card costing exactly $1 more than the trashed card.
Ethel
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. If it is a...
- Treasure card, gain a Treasure card costing exactly $3 more, and a Victory card costing exactly $2 more;
- Victory card, gain a Treasure card costing exactly $1 more and put it into your hand.
Each other player may reveal and set aside a Province. At the start of his turn, he discards it and gets +$1.
Sarah
$3 - Treasure
Worth $0
When you play this, trash a card in play that you own. +$ equal to half the cost in coins of the trashed card, rounded down.
--
(Rules clarification: [This Card] can trash itself. If you trash a Treasure, you do not lose the money that Treasure produced.)
Billie
$4 - Action
Choose one:
Trash a card from your hand, gain 1 [This Card] token per $ in its cost, plus 2 if it has potion in it OR return any number of [This Card] tokens to the supply, +$1 or +1 Buy per returned token.
--
Every 2 [This Card] tokens are worth 1 VP.
Joan
$4 - Action-Attack
+1 VP
Trash a card from your hand. If it's a Victory card, each other player gains a Curse. If it's a Curse, each other player gains an Estate.
Olive
$2 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. Gain a card costing up to $1 more than the trashed card; put it into your hand.
Bebe
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. You may gain a card costing up to $1 more than the trashed card. If you do, play it immediately.
Lya
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Trash a card from your hand. You may gain a card costing the same as or less than the card trashed, putting it into your hand.
Brigitte
$4 - Action
+1 Action
Trash a Treasure or Action card from your hand.
If you trashed a Treasure, gain an Action card costing up to $3 more than the card trashed.
If you trashed an Action, gain a Treasure card costing up to $3 more than the card trashed.
Mae
$3 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
If it is worth:
At least $1: +1 Card
At least $3: +1 Action
At least $5: +1$
At least $7: +1 Buy
At least $9: +1 VP
Corinne
$4 - Action-Victory
+1 Buy
You may trash a Victory card from your hand. If you do, +2 VP and gain a differently named Victory card costing up to the cost of the trashed card.
--
Worth 1 VP for every 2 Estates in your deck (rounded down).
Geraldine
$4 - Action
Trash a card. Gain 2 non-Victory cards costing up to $1 more than the trashed card.
Patsy
$4 - Action
Trash any number of cards from your hand. Gain a card costing less than $2 per number of differently named cards trashed.
Thelma
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Do this twice: gain a card costing less than the card trashed and place it on top of your deck.
Evelyn
$4 - Action
+1 Action
Trash a card from your hand. Gain an Action or Treasure card costing up to $1 more; put it into your hand.
Betty
$4P - Action
+2 Cards
Trash any number of cards. If they are all:
Action cards: Gain a Duchy.
Treasure cards: Gain a [This Card].
Victory cards: Gain a Gold.
Blanche
$2 - Action
Trash an Action card from your hand. Gain 2 cards of the same cost as the trashed card.
Pearl
$5 - Action-Attack
Trash a card from your hand.
If it was a Treasure card: gain a Silver, and each other player gains a Copper.
If it was a Silver, each other player gains a Curse.
If it was a Victory card: +3 Cards, +1 Action, and each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand.
If it was an Action card: Gain an Action card costing up to $4, and each other player puts cards from his hand on top of his deck until he has 4 cards in hand.
-
I think you posted Chaney in the wrong challenge - I was trying to figure out how it improved the top of your deck!
EDIT: Nevermind, looks fixed now. I was either getting the challenge posts mixed up, or you did some ninja editing!
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Maybe I have a bad feel for this, but a lot of these trash for benefits look REALLY overpowered.
-
On TFBs:
I like how Mildred and Pola tracks something different -- empty supply piles -- which still qualifies for the contest requirements. The neat thing about using empty supply piles is that those are usually cards that are popular buys that you normally wouldn't want to trash. The exception would be Curses.
Mildred -- maybe $10 is too much even if the Supply pile is empty. Might be OK since it's a $5 card and needs time to build up, and it's terrible for trashing starting Coppers and Estates. Interestingly, it can usually trash Curses for benefit in a 2p game but cannot do so in a 4p game until all the curses are nearly gone!
Pola -- only has benefit when piles are empty. Probably not something you'll want most games, but you could probably build some interesting mega-turn strategies with it.
Norma is an interesting way to make use of two targets. A neat, unique variation on Ambassador.
I like Louise as an unreliable $5 Expand.
I thought Constance was too strong at first, but I think it may be OK. Trashing Silver just nets +$2 (in the form of an extra Silver) and trashing Gold nets +$3. It is kind of like Trader. I think I like it.
I really like Sarah as a Loan variant. This would be a good way to transition into a moneyless engine. Since it trashes a card in play, you can reliably trash Copper (no accidentally flipping a your Silver and Gold four times in a row). Once Coppers are cleared out, you can continue to use it to trash other cards for +$, or you can just let it trash itself out of your deck for $1. The fact that it gives $0 on its own hurts a little, but I think it makes it work at $3.
Olive is interesting and might be OK at $3. The primary use in most games would be to trash Estate into Silver in hand.
I like how Brigitte promotes a mixed strategy. I think the first part should just not specify type, so that you could trash Victory cards and Curses for no benefit.
Anita and Anna both use the same novel idea, though I think they stretch the card requirements in that the benefit is not fully based on the card that is trashed. Nonetheless, the card that is trashed may influence the benefit... so I guess they count. And they are pretty cool.
Greta could result in so many choices, man. :o
Mabel is unclear -- do you gain up to 3 cards then, if you trash three different types?
Fay is really awkward without alt VP and/or alt Treasure on the board... Trashing Copper gets you nothing. OK. Trashing Silver would force you to take an Estate. Trashing a Gold only gets you a Duchy. I guess that's why it's OK at $2, but I don't know. It would be a way to get $4 VPs from Silver. But with that Silver you probably had enough to buy the $4 anyway, without hurting your treasure density. You could trade up Bank to Province. But you won't be able to do that until later in the game, which means you don't want to buy Fay until later in the game since it trashes itself.
Paulette is interesting but the "while in play" restriction is awkward. It basically means you can't buy Provinces unless there is a $7 card in the Kingdom. You can't buy Colony for sure. You can't buy any $2 cards either. Also, what happens when you have more than one Paulette in play? My best guess -- you do the trashing for the first one in play, then the rest don't due to the "Lose Track" rule.
Billie looks just like Bishop with extra bells and whistles.
Bebe is very similar to Olive. The "play it immediately" clause would be very neat -- you can have a mini-Black Market effect! -- but it may also cause you to "play" Victory cards. That might also be cool, but it has no precedent, hmm.
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I'm a little disappointed you haven't done science based names. I'd love to decide whether Carbon seems more powerful than Oxygen, or whether Boron is good value for money :)
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Keaton
$4 - Action-Attack
Discard two cards. If you discarded any cards this way, you may then put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
Each other player discards until they have three cards in hand.
A militia variant. Instead of +$2, you get -2 cards and put one on top of your deck. Seems weak as is. +1 action would be huge, because this is probably only useful with Witch/Strong Terminals.
Fairbanks
$3 - Action
+$2
You may put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
Seems decently strong when compared to Woodcutter/ Chancellor, but probably not overly powered.
Chaplin
$4 - Action
+3 Cards
+1 Action
Put two cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Seems weak when compared to Courtyard. You lose a card in exchange for an action, and the loss of the card (this keeps your hand at 5 cards) probably makes the action less valuable.
Valentino
$6 - Action-Victory
2 VP
--
Reveal the top 5 cards of your deck. Discard 1, put the rest back in any order.
+$2 if you did not discard a Victory card.
--
When you gain this, each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand.
On gain Militia is a bad idea... to quote Donald X "Maybe it's for the best that you'll never experience the joy of a when-gain discard-based attack just sitting there, promising that any hand you draw might be taken away, even if no-one has even bought the card yet."
Lloyd
$5 - Action
+1 Action
If this is the first action you played this turn: Draw until you have 10 cards in hand, then place 5 cards on top of your deck in any order.
Seems overpowered. Way too good with FG, easy to match up KC/X, Village/ Torturer, match 2 Treasure maps. Not good for big money, but for engines any turn you start with this in hand is golden. (Hi scheme!)
Gilbert
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Reveal and discard the top card of your deck. In its place, you may gain a Treasure costing up to the value of the card you discarded.
Weak, weak, weak. Good (basically) if and only if you discard a Province to gain a gold, but even that compared to Explorer is nothing special. Most of the time you'll gain a silver, which is worse than Bureaucrat.
Langdon
$4 - Action-Attack
Reveal cards from your deck until you reveal a card that is not a victory card.
Choose one: Gain a copy of that card, putting both copies on top of your deck; Return that card to the supply. Each other player gains a copy of it.
Discard the other revealed cards.
Seems alright. If you hit a gold/silver, you'll get 2 on top. If you hit a curse/copper, you'll get a card similar to Ambassador.
Linder
$4 - Action-Attack
+1 Card
+2 Actions
Each player (including you) reveals the top and bottom card of their deck. Choose whether they put the revealed cards back in the same place or swap their positions.
Seems alright as Village + A bonus for $4. Not sure I'd take it over the others, but definitely better than regular village.
Laurel
$5 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Discard any number of them. Put the rest back on top in any order.
+1 Card for every card discarded.
Seems alright, but weak. If you don't discard any cards this is a terminal scout (BAD). If you discard all 4, it's +4 cards, but no inspection at all. Discarding 2 makes it an oracle in effect.
Hardy
$2 - Action
+1 Action
Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. Put the revealed cards costing at most $2 into your hand. Put the other cards back on top in any order.
Seems overpowered, especially early game. Early game, it's basically +1 Action / +3 Cards, and if you keep your cheap card count high, it stays that way.
Hart
$4 - Action-Duration
Now and at the start of your next turn: +$1.
Put your deck into your discard pile, then search your discard pile for up to three cards, placing them face down underneath this card. When this card leaves play, put all cards underneath it into your discard pile.
Basically, this is make 3 cards miss the reshuffle? With a lighthouse bonus. Interesting, but probably weak.
Mix
$4 - Action
+$2
Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck. Trash the Curses, discard the Victory cards, place all Actions on the top of your deck in any order, place all Treasure cards on the bottom of your deck in any order.
It gives +$2, so it's probably alright there for $4. I like it, no matter what cards you reveal it helps you, either a little or a lot. Although, it makes Navigator look silly bad.
Dix
$5 - Action
Look at the first five cards on top of your deck. Put one card in your hand. Discard two cards. Put the other two on top of your deck in the order you choose.
Um... This is much much worse than Cartographer. The ONLY benefit this has is you might draw a different card into your hand, but you lose flexibility in number discarded/kept, and it's terminal. Pass.
Barrymore
$5 - Action-Duration
+5 Cards
Place up to 5 cards from your hand on top of your deck, in any order. Discard your hand.
During your cleanup phase, do not draw any cards. Instead, draw 5 cards at the beginning of your next turn.
--
(Rules clarification: if you played both [This Card] and Tactician (e.g. using a Golem), you draw no cards in your cleanup phase, and 10 cards at the beginning of your next turn: 5 plus the +5 from Tactician. If you played [This Card] with TR/KC, and/or multiple separate [This Card]s via Golem, you still draw only 5 cards at the beginning of your next turn.)
Could be an interesting counter to discard attacks if I'm understanding this right. Otherwise, seems weak.
Jannings
$3 - Treasure-Curse
Worth +$2
You may trash one action card you have in play immediately. If you do, gain a Gold on your deck.
--
Worth -1 VP
--
(Rules clarification: This is a Curse as well as a Treasure. It is a kingdom card and does not replace the Curse pile. It may be gained by a player from cursing attacks instead of a regular Curse. It may be revealed and discarded as a Curse as a response to Mountebank.)
REALLY strong. I mean, when this is on the board, Witch becomes the worst card on the board. The biggest thing with curses is NOT the -1 VP, it's the deck clogging. This is a silver for all intensive purposes, plus it can trash weak actions (ie. cellar) for a topdecked gold? Plus, confusing. Ie. With torturer, does both this pile and the regular curse pile need to be empty for you not to gain a card? Can you gain this into hand? Torturer then reads: Each opponent gets +$2.
Veidt
$5 - Treasure
Worth $2
When you play this, reveal cards from your deck until you reveal a Victory or Curse card. Discard the revealed Victory or Curse Card, and reshuffle all other revealed cards into your deck. If you revealed no Victory or Curse Card, gain a Silver, placing it on your deck.
Comparable to Venture/Royal Seal/ Silver Treasure with bonus. Takes out a bad card if you have one, or gives you a guaranteed silver on top. Not game breaking, but pretty good.
Stroheim
$5 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
You may put your deck into your discard pile. Put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
--
When you buy [This Card], shuffle your discard pile into your deck.
--
(Rules clarification: You shuffle your discard pile into your deck before gaining this.)
I like it. The probably with Chancellor is it's terminal... this is a cantrip. This + Counting house can be super deadly.
Arbuckle
$4 - Action
+2 Cards
Discard any number of cards. You may shuffle your discard pile and put it on top of your deck.
I don't like it. +2 Cards is generally weaker than +$2, and shuffling your discard is similar to chancellor's effect. Only really good with Gainers (ie. University!) to get your good cards guaranteed on your deck right away.
Chase
$2 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Reveal and discard up to 3 of them. Put the rest back in any order. If you revealed an..
Action card, +1 Card
Treasure card, +1 Action
Victory card, +$1
I just don't like it. It seems powerfully weak.
Fields
$3 - Action
+$2
If your deck is not empty, discard the top card. Look through your discard pile; reveal one card and place it on top of your deck.
Stronger than Woodcutter so not too weak. Weaker than Menagerie/etc. so not too strong. Could be good, but niche.
Carey
$6 - Action-Reaction
Name a card type. If you named Action, +1 Action. If you named Victory, +1 Card. If you named Treasure, $1, +1 Buy.
Reveal the top three cards of your deck. Place all cards of the named type in your hand. You may discard any or all of the remaining cards. Place any remaining cards on top of your deck in any order.
--
When you gain a card, you may reveal this from your hand. If you do, you may trash that card.
Ok first off, it's a Watchtower reaction, but slightly weaker. If you say Treasure, it's similar to Adventurer, but slightly weaker. Victory is similar to Scout, but slightly weaker. Action is similar to Laboratory, but slightly weaker. Probably better priced at $5.
Rogers
$4 - Action
+4 Cards
Trash a card from your hand.
Discard a card.
Put a card from your hand on top of your deck.
Each other player may trash a card from his hand.
Gives you an 8 card hand, so trashing one you should have one to trash. Discarding, probably some victory card, or copper. Card on top is probably another action, or excess money. Trashing penalty is probably necessary to keep the card at 4.
Gibson
$4 - Action
Draw up to 10 cards in hand. Put any number of cards on your deck in any order. Discard down to 5 cards.
I kind of like this. Basically this should leave you with 5 treasures, Actions/extra money on top, and victory's in the discard. Strong for $4, as it leads to 2 good turns. I'd prefer a slight increase in power and a price increase to $5. As it makes Navigator look terrible.
Hersholt
$4 - Action-Duration
Gain a Gold, putting it on top of your deck. Until the end of your next turn, when you play a Gold, trash it.
I don't really like it. You can't use it with BM as another Gold played cripples your deck. Engines... well, it's not terrible, but nothing special.
Farrell
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
--
While this is in play, at the end of your buy phase, you may look at the top five cards of your deck. Discard all or none of the cards looked at. If you discarded any cards in this way then you only draw 4 cards (instead of 5) in this turn's Clean Up phase.
Ok, this turn it does nothing, simply replaces itself. For next turn, you can self-minion yourself if you want to. Weak, but not too weak. It'd be more interesting with +$1, and only costing $2.
Reid
$3 - Action
Count how many cards you have in play, including this. Look at that many cards from the top of your deck. You may discard any of those cards.
Choose one: +2 Cards or +2 Actions.
BM, it's +2 cards... so weak. Engines... well, if you have a bloated deck but draw this relatively late in your turn it's REALLY strong, otherwise it's still weak.
Colman
$5 - Action
Draw up to 3 cards.
Put up to 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck in any order. If you put 3 cards back, +1 action.
Draw up to 3 cards is misleading (sounds like Library/Watchtower/JoaT). Simpler with +3 Cards without changing the power much. Other than that, not bad.
Ford
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top 5 cards of your deck. Discard all duplicates. Put the rest back on top in any order.
--
(Rules clarification: You discard cards that are duplicates of other revealed cards, not cards that are duplicates of cards in your hand.)
Assuming I am reading this right (as in BOTH of the duplicates get discarded) seems alright. Similar to gimped Cartographer, which it is. Maybe too good though at $3.
Murray
$4 - Action
+1 Action
Name a card.
Reveal the top 5 cards of your deck.
Put the revealed named card(s) on top of your deck.
Discard the rest.
I don't like this at all. Seems worse than Scout, TBH. (If that's possible) I cannot see a use for this card. Proscribe gold... and discard 3 silvers, 2 coppers? Would seem alright with "Name a card type".
Beery
$5 - Action
+1 Action
Trash the top card of your deck.
Gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card; put it on your deck.
It's a non terminal remodel where you don't get to choose your card. Would actually turn Spy into a decent card. But I think it can be priced at $4.
Novello
$5 - Action-Attack
+3 Cards
Each player (including you) with 4 or more cards in hand puts a card from his hand on top of his deck.
So for you, this card is a courtyard (costing $3 more). The attack is half a Ghost Ship. Putting them together seems alright. As courtyard >> moat, this should be comparable to GS.
Hayakawa
$5 - Action-Victory
2 VP
+1 Action
Look at the top 2 cards of your deck. You may put 1 of them into your hand. Put the rest back on top in any order.
--
When you gain this, look at the top 6 cards of your deck. Discard up to 3 of them. Put the rest back on top in any order.
Great Hall + 1 VP + Slight Spy + Weak on gain Effect. Probably pretty balanced.
Powell
$4 - Treasure
Worth $1
When you play this, name a Treasure card. Reveal cards from your deck until you reveal the named card. Discard the other cards. Put the named card on top of your deck.
--
(Rules clarification: You may name Treasures that aren't in the Kingdom.)
Allows you to cycle as fast as you want. Would work well with good treasures, but I just don't like the extra shuffling. But not bad for Iso. And probably balanced.
Robeson
$4 - Action
+4 Cards
+1 Action
Put 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Courtyard variant. I like Courtyard more.
Meighan
$4 - Action
Look through your deck. Reveal and set aside up to 3 victory cards. Shuffle your deck. Return any set aside cards to the bottom of your deck in the order you choose.
Yeah, this is weak, weak weak. The problem here is if it isn't at the very end of the game, you're going to draw a dud hand eventually (3 Victory cards kills a hand without one of a few select cards), for a very minimal gain. Probably better with +$1, maybee +$2.
Brook
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
If there are no cards on your [This Card] mat, set the top 5 cards from your deck face down onto your mat. Otherwise: You may put all the cards from your mat on top of your deck in any order.
You may look at the cards on your mat at any time; return them to your deck at the end of the game.
Not overpowered, but I don't like the effect. Like a Native Village... but then again, not played like it at all.
Nagel
$5 - Treasure-Reaction
Worth $1
Gain a Silver, placing it on top of your deck.
--
If this card is trashed in any way, reveal it and gain a Gold on top of your deck.
The top part ($1, gain silver) is pretty weak. The Reaction is really strong. Upgrade this into a gold and a gold on top of your deck. Develop this into 2 golds + Monument on top of your deck. Could work, but I don't like it as is.
Maynard
$4 - Action
Look through your deck, then set aside three cards. Put the rest of your deck into your discard pile, then put the set aside card on top of your deck in any order.
Pick 3 card you haven't seen yet, and get them next turn. Great with KC, easy TM collision, or guaranteed province next turn. But it does nothing for this turn. Interesting.
Karloff
$5 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top card of your deck. Either discard it or trash it. If you trash it, gain a silver, putting it on top of your deck.
Either a dampened spy, or a weak trasher. I like it better at $4, but a weak $5 is ok.
Jones
$3 - Action
You may immediately shuffle your discard pile and put it on top of your deck.
You may immediately put your deck into your discard pile.
+1 Card
+1 Action
I feel like I've seen this card before above. Don't like the choice of the 2; stick with only one of them on the card.
Krauss
$5 - Action-Attack
+1 Action
Either discard a card; if you do, +2 cards,
or put a card from your hand on top of your deck; if you do, +$2.
Each other player with at least 4 cards in hand reveals a card from his hand and either discards it or puts it on top of his deck, your choice.
I don't like the action part, the attack part is interesting. But pretty decent overall.
Chaney
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Do this twice: gain a card costing less than the card trashed and place it on top of your deck.
I don't like this. It fails at the 2 cards you want trashed most: Coppers and Estates. It only shines with Peddler, really, but don't all TFB cards?
Finlayson
$5 - Action
+5 Cards
+2 Actions
Put 5 cards on top of your deck in any order.
Don't like it with +2 Actions, too easy to set off action chain.
Menjou
$5 - Action
Look at the top 5 cards of your deck, draw up to two, put up to two back on top in any order, and discard the remainder.
This seems weak, compared to Cartographer. But not too bad.
Gowland
$3 - Action-Duration
+1 Action
Reveal the bottom two cards of your deck. Choose two: Put a revealed card on top of your deck; put a revealed card into your hand; trash a revealed card. The choices must be different.
I like the choices here, solid card.
Schreck
$5 - Action
Discard a card from your hand. Gain a different non-victory card of the same cost, putting it on top of your deck.
Seems weak. You'd only want to gain good cards, but sacrificing them to gain one on your deck seems weak. I don't like it for $5. Maybe discard forge, gain KC? Discard Gold, gain Goons? But the discard penalty is still harsh.
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Okay, here's all the TFBs that I think are too powerful and some thoughts.
Mary- Might be fine, but maybe should cost five?
Theda- Doesn't feel like it needs all the automatic benefits, or even any of them.
Pola- Needs to cost 5, I feel.
Hedy- Chapel is already one of the best cards in Dominion. Raising the price to 4 doesn't justify making it unstoppable.
Janet- Seems borderline, another one that might need to cost 5.
Colleen- Super overpowered.
Joan- Powerful, and I feel like it would lead to unintersting games.
Patsy- Not as bad as Hedy, but still too powerful.
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Gilbert
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Reveal and discard the top card of your deck. In its place, you may gain a Treasure costing up to the value of the card you discarded.
Weak, weak, weak. Good (basically) if and only if you discard a Province to gain a gold, but even that compared to Explorer is nothing special. Most of the time you'll gain a silver, which is worse than Bureaucrat.
Err, alt treasure? I can see this being awesome with Venture, Bank, and potentially useful with FG
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Bebe is very similar to Olive. The "play it immediately" clause would be very neat -- you can have a mini-Black Market effect! -- but it may also cause you to "play" Victory cards. That might also be cool, but it has no precedent, hmm.
I imagine you would just try to play the vp card and fail, then it goes to your discard pile by default. If you did "play" the vp cards, it could make a difference for horn of plenty, and maybe a few fan cards, but I can't think of anything else. Could be fun in those cases, though.
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Geez, this is going to take some time.
A lot of the cards are so similar yet slightly different.
Also, I wouldn't look at the card's costs too much, this is something that is pretty hard to gauge without actual play, but also something easily fixed after a couple of plays. I'm going to focus more on subtle effects I feel. :)
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Chaplin
$4 - Action
+3 Cards
+1 Action
Put two cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Seems weak when compared to Courtyard. You lose a card in exchange for an action, and the loss of the card (this keeps your hand at 5 cards) probably makes the action less valuable.
...
Robeson
$4 - Action
+4 Cards
+1 Action
Put 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Courtyard variant. I like Courtyard more.
I think you misunderstand both of these cards. Neither would play even slightly like courtyard. Courtyard is really a terminal draw card that lets you set up your next turn a bit. These cards are cantrips designed mainly to be engine support, and I think both have more in common with warehouse (because they let you see a ton of cards and pick what you want. Especially good for things like connecting your village and terminal draw) and cartographer (because they let you see ahead into your deck and order them). Of course, the fact that these cards don't sift like a warehouse or cartographer should change the way they play and feel substantially.
Another way to look at it--Chaplin and Robeson let your retroactively optimize your shuffle luck.
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(Warning: this post consists of extremely disorganized musing.)
We unsurprisingly have a lot more variety in interesting mechanics this time around (IMO), and along with that (also unsurprisingly) more cards that are just broken, clearly mispriced, or seem hard to price accurately.
One bit of brokenness I felt like highlighting:
Betty
$4P - Action
+2 Cards
Trash any number of cards. If they are all:
Action cards: Gain a Duchy.
Treasure cards: Gain a [This Card].
Victory cards: Gain a Gold.
By a strict reading, and by the usual axioms of set theory, I can choose to trash nothing, and gain all three.
Robeson is strictly better than Chaplin, and I like the idea, but I'm having trouble deciding which is fairer for the $4 price point. The weird part that I *didn't* expect is that this is the first time we've had one submission strictly better than another at the same cost (that I've noticed, anyway).
I'm also surprised how few of the TFB cards offer +Buy, especially ones with potential to raise huge amounts of cash.
Hedy- Chapel is already one of the best cards in Dominion. Raising the price to 4 doesn't justify making it unstoppable.
Hedy still wouldn't see much use past the early game in normal situations, but consider that Chapel/Silver is a viable opening on many boards, and Hedy/Silver wtfpwns that.
I initially misread Mildred completely, and was gearing up for a rant about Turn 3 ridiculousness :/
Some of these cards offer potentially really interesting combos, and will do weird things when Throned or Kinged. (And then, some others are basically completely resistant to the effect of TR/KC.) Interesting stuff includes
* KC-KC-Spy-Beery-Beery, my topdecked Curse becomes a Colony, or my topdecked Colony lets me trash 6 Colonies from the Supply.
* TR-Ethel: an Estate in hand becomes a Gold and a Duchy.
* KC-Brook: you can put down cards, then return them, then put them down again, with the net effect that your third +Card is of your choosing from the original 5. But otherwise, this card almost certainly plays like a 1-shot super-Chapel that doesn't let you choose between Coppers and Estates (unless you want to waste time trying again putting crap back into your improved deck and then pray to drop something better) and doesn't become a dead card. Honestly, actually, I think it's already kind of broken because of that usage.
And finally:
Seems weak. You'd only want to gain good cards, but sacrificing them to gain one on your deck seems weak. I don't like it for $5. Maybe discard forge, gain KC? Discard Gold, gain Goons? But the discard penalty is still harsh.
Nonononono. Discard Witches, gain Caches. Gotta go with the memes. ;)
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Chaplin
$4 - Action
+3 Cards
+1 Action
Put two cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Seems weak when compared to Courtyard. You lose a card in exchange for an action, and the loss of the card (this keeps your hand at 5 cards) probably makes the action less valuable.
...
Robeson
$4 - Action
+4 Cards
+1 Action
Put 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Courtyard variant. I like Courtyard more.
I think you misunderstand both of these cards. Neither would play even slightly like courtyard. Courtyard is really a terminal draw card that lets you set up your next turn a bit. These cards are cantrips designed mainly to be engine support, and I think both have more in common with warehouse (because they let you see a ton of cards and pick what you want. Especially good for things like connecting your village and terminal draw) and cartographer (because they let you see ahead into your deck and order them). Of course, the fact that these cards don't sift like a warehouse or cartographer should change the way they play and feel substantially.
Another way to look at it--Chaplin and Robeson let your retroactively optimize your shuffle luck.
Good points. Fine then, these seem like weaker versions of warehouse or cartographer, and Chaplin seems like a much weaker version of Robeson.
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Robeson is strictly better than Chaplin, and I like the idea, but I'm having trouble deciding which is fairer for the $4 price point. The weird part that I *didn't* expect is that this is the first time we've had one submission strictly better than another at the same cost (that I've noticed, anyway).
I think there were a few others. In the terminal draw challenge, kennel (cost $5, +6 cards, lose your next turn) was strictly worse than captain (cost $5, +3 cards, You may draw up to three additional cards. For each card drawn this way, discard a card at the end of your clean-up phase. [this was my card, incidentally]). In the peddler variant challenge, there were like half a dozen variants of +1 card, +1 action, +$1, trash a card. Surely some were strictly better than the rest.
Chaplin
$4 - Action
+3 Cards
+1 Action
Put two cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Seems weak when compared to Courtyard. You lose a card in exchange for an action, and the loss of the card (this keeps your hand at 5 cards) probably makes the action less valuable.
...
Robeson
$4 - Action
+4 Cards
+1 Action
Put 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Courtyard variant. I like Courtyard more.
I think you misunderstand both of these cards. Neither would play even slightly like courtyard. Courtyard is really a terminal draw card that lets you set up your next turn a bit. These cards are cantrips designed mainly to be engine support, and I think both have more in common with warehouse (because they let you see a ton of cards and pick what you want. Especially good for things like connecting your village and terminal draw) and cartographer (because they let you see ahead into your deck and order them). Of course, the fact that these cards don't sift like a warehouse or cartographer should change the way they play and feel substantially.
Another way to look at it--Chaplin and Robeson let your retroactively optimize your shuffle luck.
Good points. Fine then, these seem like weaker versions of warehouse or cartographer, and Chaplin seems like a much weaker version of Robeson.
Overall, I would guess warehouse is better overall than either of these cards, but then again, warehouse is a pretty damn good card. Robeson could easily be better overall than cartographer (which is solid, but pretty expensive for a support card). Robeson/Chaplin should be different enough from warehouse and cartographer that you can't just call it a weaker version of either, though.
You're right, Chaplin is definitely strictly worse than Robeson. If I had to guess, I'd say Robeson is a strong $4 and Chaplin would be better priced at $3. These things are hard to judge without playtesting, though, so I could be way off.
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About Challenge #5
Here are my favourite cards. There are a lot of interesting and well balanced cards, but I prefer originality.
Fairbanks
$3 - Action
+$2
You may put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
Usually, I don't like the "look through your discard pile" effect, because it takes time to play. But this one is simple but subtle.
Laurel
$5 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Discard any number of them. Put the rest back on top in any order.
+1 Card for every card discarded.
Very interesting idea, a mix of Cartographer and Oracle, I like it.
Mix
$4 - Action
+$2
Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck. Trash the Curses, discard the Victory cards, place all Actions on the top of your deck in any order, place all Treasure cards on the bottom of your deck in any order.
A strong $4 I guess. A nice curse trasher, and I love the idea of separating actions and treasures.
Chase
$2 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Reveal and discard up to 3 of them. Put the rest back in any order. If you revealed an..
Action card, +1 Card
Treasure card, +1 Action
Victory card, +$1
Attractive pawn variant. Seems alright.
Ford
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top 5 cards of your deck. Discard all duplicates. Put the rest back on top in any order.
--
(Rules clarification: You discard cards that are duplicates of other revealed cards, not cards that are duplicates of cards in your hand.)
Nice for coppers and maybe estates but a little bit risky. It makes engines more viable without trashing. I like the synergy with cornucopia cards.
Novello
$5 - Action-Attack
+3 Cards
Each player (including you) with 4 or more cards in hand puts a card from his hand on top of his deck.
The missing link beetween torturer and Ghost ship. I'm not a fan of attacks, but this one sounds great.
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Keaton
A self-countering attack, cool. I feel like the power level is off for this one. Placing a Gold on top of your deck isn't better than +2$. Placing a King's Court or Platinum might be, but that doesn't happen much.
Fairbanks
The reason Dominion doesn't have this ability yet is because the reshuffle leaves you with no discard pile. It is often drawn pretty weak.
Chaplin
As nice as getting an amazing hand and topdecking your Victory cards is and as nice as this is at streamlining an engine, if you are using that extra action to draw, this card essentially replaces itself. Seems okay
Valentino
+$2 if you discard no Victory cards or $2 if you discard say 1 out of 2? The many parts don't go together well.
Lloyd
This sets up an engine or ensures you get whatever card you want. This can get you a VP card every other turn even after greening like Tactician. The problem/ best plan is if you chain these so that you are able to stuff a Lloyd and 4 junk cards on the top of your deck every turn (in a non-draw engine deck), you can effectively "Island" them. A lot of choices are available when putting 5 cards back, up to (10*9*8*7*6)~ 30000 of them. Seems okay without its obvious pairings (Minion, Non-terminal draw, FG, Conspirator).
Gilbert
"In its place" needs to be reworded as "You may gain a Treasure card costing up to the value of the card you discarded; put it on top of your deck." This nearly always gives you a Silver (copper as an opener). I would like a version that gives you a choice of cards more. I like that it benefits you discarding your better cards to balance the mechanic.
Langdon
Like an Ambassador that draws a card, doesn't give you a choice about it and can only return 1, or a self-Jester. Topdecking Hunting Parties would be fun.
Linder
As a Village Attack, this would often be bought a lot, so I could imagine there could be 3to 5 swap occasions per reshuffle. It is exploiting "missing the reshuffle" as a weak attack. As you potentially look at 8 cards, I'd like an others-only version (this version is like Oracle). seems okay.
Laurel
You could just discard everything and draw 4 cards or keep one or two Gold. That is about all I see this doing.
Hardy
I don't personally like this kind of card (Apothecary, Scout) for their randomness. If you open two of these or get one with an early +Buy, you can draw HHCCC+CCC+EEE, you can get an early Gold and immediately shuffle. It is a very strong card, but would instantly be really weak if it cost 3. Mid game, you need to combine this with draw or other filtering, which is fine.
Hart
Hiding cards? In multiples, you don't have to reshuffle. A new Chancellor that prevents Estates from being in your new hand. Seems fun.
Mix
Not many other cards trivialize Cursers as much, this would be up there with Trader.
Dix
Lets try a midgame top-5 cards. Gold (Silver Terminal) (Copper Estate). It replaces itself with a good card that isn't drawn dead, gets rid of cards like Cartographer does. It is very strong, but fun. It needs to say "Discard two of those cards".
Barrymore
I like seeing my hand so I can plan my turn. I don't want to slow the game down.
Jannings
As balanced as this could be, I try to ignore alternate Curses. (Purposes can't be intensive, Powerman)
Veidt
I don't want to shuffle in the middle of my turn.
Stroheim
I don't want to discard my deck with a non-terminal. If I draw 2 more cards, I need to shuffle again.
Arbuckle
+2 cards seems weak for this kind of this effect. Seems okay.
Chase
Betelguese from the first challenge. It only did fairly.
Fields
The simplest version of a reverse Fortune Teller. It would be better if it said "up to 1" since you can discard a Estate and get a bad feeling from it being the only card in your discard. Seems okay with that change.
Carey
I don't like a reaction this expensive. It sucks when IGG or Sea Hag Curses have slowed you to the point where you can't get to $6. Otherwise okay if all the text fits comfortably on a card.
Rogers
The closest parallel this card has is actually Masquerade. It draws 2 less cards, doesn't let opponents trash and doesn't force a card on the top of your deck. This might be too strong, since it combines elements from Bishop, Courtyard, and Masquerade.
Gibson
This often draws 80% of your deck, discards all your estates (to be shuffled in the Cleanup step), plops another Gibson/Action on your deck, then buys a 6-cost with a hand of Silver&4coppers. This is too strong, often better than Vault, and combines too well with non-draw Villages.
Hersholt
Maybe called "Investment", oddly you want to discard/trash for benefit your Gold. Discourages buying normal Gold. Seems fun.
Farrell
A card that fights discard attacks. You can discard nothing or everything, but it is too much like a non-terminal Navigator. I initially thought that it let you keep one or two good cards in your Minion-proof hand.
Reid
Needs to say "put them back in any order" and "Action cards" (yes, I know it would be so amazing if you used +3 Actions to put this after a Black Market). So you engine goes "Village, TerminalDraw, Village, Reid to simulate a Cartographer, then draw 2 cards, Terminal Money, and you probably have the cash you need. If you have to start with this, then it does a bad Farming/Native Village impersonation. Seems fun.
Colman
I initially read this as "draw until you have at least 3 cards." Do you regulate it by saying you can't look at one and decide whether or not you continue? Why doesn't this just say "draw 3 cards"? You only want to put back unnecessary Treasure or Reactions or Actions you can't use (maybe a Curse if you see a Masq/Montebank coming or Province/Tournament). Seems okay.
Ford
The rules clarification can be part of the card text "Reveal the top 5 cards of your decks. Discard all cards that have the same name as any other cards you reveal." Seems like a filtering/ordering Menagerie, which is okay.
Murray
I keep all the Grand Markets! Seems fun, maybe could have a second +Action tacked on. It is a weak opener, do you name Copper if you have the other card you bought in your hand?
Beery
$5 - Action
+1 Action
Trash the top card of your deck.
Gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card; put it on your deck.
Wow, that is an original concept to me!Curse->(2 cost, Copper, Estate), 2->4, 3->5, 4->6, 5->5/6/7, 6/7->8, 8->8/9, etc. Fun.
Novello
Seems redundant with Ghost Ship. I like it, but that might deflect some votes.
Hayakawa
Great Hall doubled with a lot of parts. Looking at the top 6 seems too strong compared to Harem.
Powell
This is a Chancellor. You can't get the Gold you wanted until next turn. Almost always (except Platinum games), weaker than Silver.
Robeson
A stronger Chaplin. As nice as getting an amazing hand and topdecking your Victory cards is and as nice as this is at streamlining an engine, if you are using that extra action to draw, this card essentially replaces itself. Too strong.
Meighan
Too weak. Needs +2 cards or +1 coin, +1 buy.
Brook
You can get lucky and put 3 Victory/Curse and 2 coppers and never use this card again. I wouldn't want to use this for anything else.
Nagel
My favorite trash-to-something reaction so far, but seems too weak for non-trash games, since this is like an Explorer. Seems fun.
Maynard
Great for getting the last province, weak for anything else, since you would have drawn those cards eventually.
Karloff
This decision seems obvious most of the time. Compare this to Apprentice, Lab, Trader, and Spice Merchant. I wouldn't like to reveal a Gold and be forced to discard it. Seems okay.
Jones
Too much shuffling!
Krauss
Seems strong. Chains together so easily if you have something to discard. It is best countered by itself.
Chaney
I would rather it let you get cards at the same cost, but the only concern for that is doubling a province. I wouldn't be that worried about making this a consilation prize, (at 4)
Finlayson
Too strong. +4 cards, put 4 back might be fun.
Menjou
Compared to Dix, it discards 1 less and draws 1 more. That makes it too strong.
Gowland
This is a mostly improved (no risk) Lookout. Why is it a Duration?
Schreck
Get a 2nd 2-cost for an Estate? Weaker than workshop. Discard a Shreck to get a Lab. Why not just have 2 Labs?
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Gilbert
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Reveal and discard the top card of your deck. In its place, you may gain a Treasure costing up to the value of the card you discarded.
Weak, weak, weak. Good (basically) if and only if you discard a Province to gain a gold, but even that compared to Explorer is nothing special. Most of the time you'll gain a silver, which is worse than Bureaucrat.
Err, alt treasure? I can see this being awesome with Venture, Bank, and potentially useful with FG
Also, note "up to" in the text. You can turn over any $6 card (Gold, Goons, Farmland, etc.) and gain a gold even in games that do not have alt treasure.
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Chaplin
$4 - Action
+3 Cards
+1 Action
Put two cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Robeson
$4 - Action
+4 Cards
+1 Action
Put 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Not to rain on people's parade, but I know from my own fan card experience that this kind of card has issues. Chaplin is probably balanced at $4, power-wise, and Robeson is likely to powerful. But the real issue is that, especially at $4, people will tend to buy a bunch of these. Hands that have a bunch of these go: Draw 3, put 2 back, draw 3, put 2 back, draw 3, put 2 back, etc. That gets really tedious for both the people waiting and even the person playing them.
Maybe it's fine in this sort of fan expansion that only Dominion fanatics will play, but it's not a great card for casual players.
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Chaplin
$4 - Action
+3 Cards
+1 Action
Put two cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Robeson
$4 - Action
+4 Cards
+1 Action
Put 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Not to rain on people's parade, but I know from my own fan card experience that this kind of card has issues. Chaplin is probably balanced at $4, power-wise, and Robeson is likely to powerful. But the real issue is that, especially at $4, people will tend to buy a bunch of these. Hands that have a bunch of these go: Draw 3, put 2 back, draw 3, put 2 back, draw 3, put 2 back, etc. That gets really tedious for both the people waiting and even the person playing them.
Maybe it's fine in this sort of fan expansion that only Dominion fanatics will play, but it's not a great card for casual players.
Thanks for this note. It's a simple enough concept, so this must be why there's no official card that does this.
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Chaplin
$4 - Action
+3 Cards
+1 Action
Put two cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Robeson
$4 - Action
+4 Cards
+1 Action
Put 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck.
Not to rain on people's parade, but I know from my own fan card experience that this kind of card has issues. Chaplin is probably balanced at $4, power-wise, and Robeson is likely to powerful. But the real issue is that, especially at $4, people will tend to buy a bunch of these. Hands that have a bunch of these go: Draw 3, put 2 back, draw 3, put 2 back, draw 3, put 2 back, etc. That gets really tedious for both the people waiting and even the person playing them.
Maybe it's fine in this sort of fan expansion that only Dominion fanatics will play, but it's not a great card for casual players.
Thanks for this note. It's a simple enough concept, so this must be why there's no official card that does this.
I can vouch for the long playing time this kind of card can produce. I play with a terminal Silver version (draw 3, put 3 back). It's workable since it's terminal and hard to stack (and you wouldn't want to anyway, since it doesn't replace itself in your hand), but it takes time to decide what 3 out of (usually) 7 cards to return, and I'm not sure I'd want to publish the card for that reason. Probably because there are just so many possible ways to play it: 7 choose 3 is 35. Compare with Pawn, a notorious AP card which only has 6 possible ways to play.
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Jannings
$3 - Treasure-Curse
Worth +$2
You may trash one action card you have in play immediately. If you do, gain a Gold on your deck.
--
Worth -1 VP
--
(Rules clarification: This is a Curse as well as a Treasure. It is a kingdom card and does not replace the Curse pile. It may be gained by a player from cursing attacks instead of a regular Curse. It may be revealed and discarded as a Curse as a response to Mountebank.)
REALLY strong. I mean, when this is on the board, Witch becomes the worst card on the board. The biggest thing with curses is NOT the -1 VP, it's the deck clogging. This is a silver for all intensive purposes, plus it can trash weak actions (ie. cellar) for a topdecked gold? Plus, confusing. Ie. With torturer, does both this pile and the regular curse pile need to be empty for you not to gain a card? Can you gain this into hand? Torturer then reads: Each opponent gets +$2.
As I read the card, once the Jannings pile runs out, you start picking up the regular deck-clogging curses. In multiplayer, this could happen quickly because Jannings is a kingdom card and only has 10 in the supply whereas curses increase with the number of players. Hence, this could be very strong in 2P, but weaker in 3P or 4P games.
I think this card compares favorably to Trader. Although Trader isn't guaranteed to be in your hand for the reveal, it is great against Mountebank, Witch and Torturer... essentially slowing these attacks down and gaining a silver in their place (which helps with the inevitable deck clog).
Also, Ambassador could still dole out the regular curses and there's nothing Jannings can do about it. There are some attack boards for which this curse typing card is strong, and others where is less strong.
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Given the large number of cards, I'm going to just comment on the ones I like (disclaimer: one of the cards is mine). In this post, I'll talk up the deck-improvers:
Fairbanks
$3 - Action
+$2
You may put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
Depending on where you are in your shuffle, this could be very powerful. No discard pile ==> no special power.
Chaplin
$4 - Action
+3 Cards
+1 Action
Put two cards from your hand on top of your deck.
With the top decking, this would go great with Menagerie... possibly turning into a power draw combo.
Gilbert
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Reveal and discard the top card of your deck. In its place, you may gain a Treasure costing up to the value of the card you discarded.
As One Armed Man mentioned, this should be reworded to clarify that the treasure should be gained on top of the deck.
I like this for some late game buying power. In the best case for standard money, it lets you discard a Province and put a Gold on top of your deck. In standard money, this could even have some utility in a Duke-Duchy game where you likely run into $5s that you want to discard, and you like gaining Silvers on top of the deck.
Paired with a Village-based engine, you could even draw that Gold into hand and you have the extra buy to use for all that money. This could be even better with alt-money, and in Colony games where you could get a Platinum on top of your deck.
In the usual case, you'll be gaining Silvers and this card will be weaker in the early game, but on boards with good $5 cost money, the card will be stronger in the early to middle game.
Linder
$4 - Action-Attack
+1 Card
+2 Actions
Each player (including you) reveals the top and bottom card of their deck. Choose whether they put the revealed cards back in the same place or swap their positions.
Interesting mechanic. I generally like it, but I'm on the fence about its power. It feels pretty weak.
Laurel
$5 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Discard any number of them. Put the rest back on top in any order.
+1 Card for every card discarded.
I like the flexibility and fast cycling, but I could see people using this as a +4 Card draw card with super discard ability. This would be crazy with Tunnel (and would need an extra buy).
Hardy
$2 - Action
+1 Action
Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. Put the revealed cards costing at most $2 into your hand. Put the other cards back on top in any order.
Pair with enough Highways and this is almost always an activated Menagerie. I like the idea, but it should take some work to make this chainable.... $2 cost is maybe too low.
Dix
$5 - Action
Look at the first five cards on top of your deck. Put one card in your hand. Discard two cards. Put the other two on top of your deck in the order you choose.
This seems more balanced than the rest of the look at the top X cards on your deck (where X>2).
Jannings
$3 - Treasure-Curse
Worth +$2
You may trash one action card you have in play immediately. If you do, gain a Gold on your deck.
--
Worth -1 VP
--
(Rules clarification: This is a Curse as well as a Treasure. It is a kingdom card and does not replace the Curse pile. It may be gained by a player from cursing attacks instead of a regular Curse. It may be revealed and discarded as a Curse as a response to Mountebank.)
I like this. It is a strong, but reasonably well-balanced counter to cursing attacks (see Trader).
Veidt
$5 - Treasure
Worth $2
When you play this, reveal cards from your deck until you reveal a Victory or Curse card. Discard the revealed Victory or Curse Card, and reshuffle all other revealed cards into your deck. If you revealed no Victory or Curse Card, gain a Silver, placing it on your deck.
Interesting dynamic. I like Silver+ cards. This won't guarantee that the top card on the deck is good, but it is nice to discard a curse or victory.
Arbuckle
$4 - Action
+2 Cards
Discard any number of cards. You may shuffle your discard pile and put it on top of your deck.
I like that it deals with its terminal dead draws by letting you shuffle them in, and on top of the deck. This could be fun.
Carey
$6 - Action-Reaction
Name a card type. If you named Action, +1 Action. If you named Victory, +1 Card. If you named Treasure, $1, +1 Buy.
Reveal the top three cards of your deck. Place all cards of the named type in your hand. You may discard any or all of the remaining cards. Place any remaining cards on top of your deck in any order.
--
When you gain a card, you may reveal this from your hand. If you do, you may trash that card.
Could be a big money enabler. Pair with Jack, gain a lot of Silvers, name Silver when this comes up and get +$5 to +$7, +1Buy. "trash that card" needs to specify which card. Is it the Carey (the revealed card) or the card to be gained?
Farrell
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
--
While this is in play, at the end of your buy phase, you may look at the top five cards of your deck. Discard all or none of the cards looked at. If you discarded any cards in this way then you only draw 4 cards (instead of 5) in this turn's Clean Up phase.
I sort of like this, but it feels weaker than Navigator in most cases (maybe not against Minion? But, then again, you give you opponent information by your choice of whether you discarded or not).
Colman
$5 - Action
Draw up to 3 cards.
Put up to 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck in any order. If you put 3 cards back, +1 action.
Another menagerie enabler. Lots of flexibility, but not too much.
Ford
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top 5 cards of your deck. Discard all duplicates. Put the rest back on top in any order.
--
(Rules clarification: You discard cards that are duplicates of other revealed cards, not cards that are duplicates of cards in your hand.)
An explicit menagerie enabler. I think I like Colman better, but I like the concept.
Beery
$5 - Action
+1 Action
Trash the top card of your deck.
Gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card; put it on your deck.
Late game, this might accelerate a little too fast. Imagine you have 3 Beerys in hand, and you luck into hitting a Gold on top of the deck. Gain a Province on the first one, trash a province gain a province on the other two. The fact that it is chainable makes it a little too good, but I like the idea. Of the similar cards, I like Gilbert better. This seems almost obviously good on almost all boards.
Powell
$4 - Treasure
Worth $1
When you play this, name a Treasure card. Reveal cards from your deck until you reveal the named card. Discard the other cards. Put the named card on top of your deck.
--
(Rules clarification: You may name Treasures that aren't in the Kingdom.)
With the rules clarification, maybe too strong with tunnel. Buy 4 tunnels and load up on powells, then name a treasure that is not in the kingdom to gain 4 golds on each play. Aside from this crazy combo (which would be easy to pull off), the card is cool.
Nagel
$5 - Treasure-Reaction
Worth $1
Gain a Silver, placing it on top of your deck.
--
If this card is trashed in any way, reveal it and gain a Gold on top of your deck.
Great for buying Mints! Decent counter to Thief. Pirate Ship Fodder, but probably faster than the pirate can move.
Chaney
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Do this twice: gain a card costing less than the card trashed and place it on top of your deck.
I'd vote for this under trash for benefit. Two things I'd try: Trash a Bank, gain two Golds on top of the deck. Trash a Gold, gain two Duchies on top of the deck. Maybe a little strong in some situations. I'm not sure, but I like the anti-Remake nature of it.
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Aack. Farrell shouldn't be in the results list. I'll edit the ballot and strike it out. It was an ineligible card -- by virtue of the fact that the deck improvement didn't occur on play. I wrote back to its author, who submitted a replacement card, but I guess I still had the original card listed in my notes.
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A quick clarification, rinkworks: For submitting ballots, can we give just a single 2, or even no 2s at all, simply choosing which ones we like and which we don't without favorites?
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I believe that if you only want to have one superior to the rest, you give it a 3 and then everything else that you like 1s.
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I believe that if you only want to have one superior to the rest, you give it a 3 and then everything else that you like 1s.
Right, I'm asking if I can have no 2s or 3s, only 1s.
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I believe that if you only want to have one superior to the rest, you give it a 3 and then everything else that you like 1s.
Right, I'm asking if I can have no 2s or 3s, only 1s.
That's acceptable also. Having all 1s, and all 1s with a single 2, are also legitimate voting options.
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A few comments (in bold below) on comments, because I'm too lazy to do my own. Disclaimer: one of these cards is mine too!
Given the large number of cards, I'm going to just comment on the ones I like (disclaimer: one of the cards is mine). In this post, I'll talk up the deck-improvers:
Fairbanks
$3 - Action
+$2
You may put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
Depending on where you are in your shuffle, this could be very powerful. No discard pile ==> no special power.
Getting two of these, and constantly top decking one, seems like a nice way to guarantee a terminal silver in your hand basically every turn. I dunno if that's good or not.
Chaplin
$4 - Action
+3 Cards
+1 Action
Put two cards from your hand on top of your deck.
With the top decking, this would go great with Menagerie... possibly turning into a power draw combo.
Yep. Simple enough card, overall, I like it.
Gilbert
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Reveal and discard the top card of your deck. In its place, you may gain a Treasure costing up to the value of the card you discarded.
As One Armed Man mentioned, this should be reworded to clarify that the treasure should be gained on top of the deck.
I like this for some late game buying power. In the best case for standard money, it lets you discard a Province and put a Gold on top of your deck. In standard money, this could even have some utility in a Duke-Duchy game where you likely run into $5s that you want to discard, and you like gaining Silvers on top of the deck.
Paired with a Village-based engine, you could even draw that Gold into hand and you have the extra buy to use for all that money. This could be even better with alt-money, and in Colony games where you could get a Platinum on top of your deck.
In the usual case, you'll be gaining Silvers and this card will be weaker in the early game, but on boards with good $5 cost money, the card will be stronger in the early to middle game.
Venture says yum to this card. Discard Duchy or Duke, place Venture on deck, play Venture, watch dominoes go off.
Linder
$4 - Action-Attack
+1 Card
+2 Actions
Each player (including you) reveals the top and bottom card of their deck. Choose whether they put the revealed cards back in the same place or swap their positions.
Interesting mechanic. I generally like it, but I'm on the fence about its power. It feels pretty weak.
There's a reason Pearl Diver is a terrible card -- I'm not sure that using the ability as an attack is any better. Otherwise, it's a $4 Village. I guess with Spy/Scrying Pool/etcetera, it could be okay.
Laurel
$5 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Discard any number of them. Put the rest back on top in any order.
+1 Card for every card discarded.
I like the flexibility and fast cycling, but I could see people using this as a +4 Card draw card with super discard ability. This would be crazy with Tunnel (and would need an extra buy).
Yes, this is pretty sweet with Tunnel. I think this card may be overpowered, but it's hard to tell without testing it.
Hardy
$2 - Action
+1 Action
Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. Put the revealed cards costing at most $2 into your hand. Put the other cards back on top in any order.
Pair with enough Highways and this is almost always an activated Menagerie. I like the idea, but it should take some work to make this chainable.... $2 cost is maybe too low.
Dix
$5 - Action
Look at the first five cards on top of your deck. Put one card in your hand. Discard two cards. Put the other two on top of your deck in the order you choose.
This seems more balanced than the rest of the look at the top X cards on your deck (where X>2).
I agree. It may even be a bit on the weak side. If it were non-terminal, it would be a slightly different Cartographer.
Jannings
$3 - Treasure-Curse
Worth +$2
You may trash one action card you have in play immediately. If you do, gain a Gold on your deck.
--
Worth -1 VP
--
(Rules clarification: This is a Curse as well as a Treasure. It is a kingdom card and does not replace the Curse pile. It may be gained by a player from cursing attacks instead of a regular Curse. It may be revealed and discarded as a Curse as a response to Mountebank.)
I like this. It is a strong, but reasonably well-balanced counter to cursing attacks (see Trader).
I can't say I like the idea of this card -- it seems to pretty strongly neuter curses. Seems borderline broken with cheap action cards on the board or cards with +Buy.
Veidt
$5 - Treasure
Worth $2
When you play this, reveal cards from your deck until you reveal a Victory or Curse card. Discard the revealed Victory or Curse Card, and reshuffle all other revealed cards into your deck. If you revealed no Victory or Curse Card, gain a Silver, placing it on your deck.
Interesting dynamic. I like Silver+ cards. This won't guarantee that the top card on the deck is good, but it is nice to discard a curse or victory.
TOO MUCH SHUFFLING.
Arbuckle
$4 - Action
+2 Cards
Discard any number of cards. You may shuffle your discard pile and put it on top of your deck.
I like that it deals with its terminal dead draws by letting you shuffle them in, and on top of the deck. This could be fun.
Could be.
Carey
$6 - Action-Reaction
Name a card type. If you named Action, +1 Action. If you named Victory, +1 Card. If you named Treasure, $1, +1 Buy.
Reveal the top three cards of your deck. Place all cards of the named type in your hand. You may discard any or all of the remaining cards. Place any remaining cards on top of your deck in any order.
--
When you gain a card, you may reveal this from your hand. If you do, you may trash that card.
Could be a big money enabler. Pair with Jack, gain a lot of Silvers, name Silver when this comes up and get +$5 to +$7, +1Buy. "trash that card" needs to specify which card. Is it the Carey (the revealed card) or the card to be gained?
Since you're naming a card TYPE, not a card NAME, I don't think you have to be that specific. Just say "treasure" in an otherwise pure big money deck, and vavoom.
The trashing aspect is worded like Watchtower, so should operate the same way. I'm not at all sure the reaction is necessary on this card.
Farrell
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
--
While this is in play, at the end of your buy phase, you may look at the top five cards of your deck. Discard all or none of the cards looked at. If you discarded any cards in this way then you only draw 4 cards (instead of 5) in this turn's Clean Up phase.
I sort of like this, but it feels weaker than Navigator in most cases (maybe not against Minion? But, then again, you give you opponent information by your choice of whether you discarded or not).
Colman
$5 - Action
Draw up to 3 cards.
Put up to 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck in any order. If you put 3 cards back, +1 action.
Another menagerie enabler. Lots of flexibility, but not too much.
This FEELS a bit weak to me, but again, I'm not sure. The "up to 3 cards" thing needs clarification.
Ford
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top 5 cards of your deck. Discard all duplicates. Put the rest back on top in any order.
--
(Rules clarification: You discard cards that are duplicates of other revealed cards, not cards that are duplicates of cards in your hand.)
An explicit menagerie enabler. I think I like Colman better, but I like the concept.
I like this one better, actually. It's sort of a next turn Hunting Party thing in the early game.
Beery
$5 - Action
+1 Action
Trash the top card of your deck.
Gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card; put it on your deck.
Late game, this might accelerate a little too fast. Imagine you have 3 Beerys in hand, and you luck into hitting a Gold on top of the deck. Gain a Province on the first one, trash a province gain a province on the other two. The fact that it is chainable makes it a little too good, but I like the idea. Of the similar cards, I like Gilbert better. This seems almost obviously good on almost all boards.
Yup. Chainability makes it bad. Could be awesome if it was more of an Upgrade-type "exactly $2 more" thing, but then you're often trashing your power $5s for nothing. I'm pretty sure that any "blind trash the top of your deck" is a bad idea.
Powell
$4 - Treasure
Worth $1
When you play this, name a Treasure card. Reveal cards from your deck until you reveal the named card. Discard the other cards. Put the named card on top of your deck.
--
(Rules clarification: You may name Treasures that aren't in the Kingdom.)
With the rules clarification, maybe too strong with tunnel. Buy 4 tunnels and load up on powells, then name a treasure that is not in the kingdom to gain 4 golds on each play. Aside from this crazy combo (which would be easy to pull off), the card is cool.
Agree -- and with the rule clarification, apart from the broken Tunnel interaction, you can name something not in the kingdom and basically generate a reshuffle (which may or may not be a problem). I think this card could be much more interesting if you had to name something on the board -- in the early game you could still use it to generate a reshuffle, and in the late game, you're basically naming "my really awesome treasure card" anyway. This still falls under TOO MUCH SHUFFLING though -- I play a Powell, name Venture.... oh there it is. Play a Venture, chain goes off. Play a Powell... I don't want my buy phase to take five real life minutes.
Nagel
$5 - Treasure-Reaction
Worth $1
Gain a Silver, placing it on top of your deck.
--
If this card is trashed in any way, reveal it and gain a Gold on top of your deck.
Great for buying Mints! Decent counter to Thief. Pirate Ship Fodder, but probably faster than the pirate can move.
Loan also says hi to this card. Overall I think I like it though?
Chaney
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Do this twice: gain a card costing less than the card trashed and place it on top of your deck.
I'd vote for this under trash for benefit. Two things I'd try: Trash a Bank, gain two Golds on top of the deck. Trash a Gold, gain two Duchies on top of the deck. Maybe a little strong in some situations. I'm not sure, but I like the anti-Remake nature of it.
Trash a $4 action early (something like Moneylender that's outlived its usefulness), gain two Silvers. Trash an Estate, gain two coppers for ... um, Counting House? Work with me here. It's sort of a bastardized Haggler, really. I think there's some pretty broken combos available if you're willing to trash something really good, even like a Gold, but I could be wrong. Might be better to exclude Victory cards from what you could gain. Platinum --> 12 VP comes to mind.
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A few comments (in bold below) on comments, because I'm too lazy to do my own. Disclaimer: one of these cards is mine too!
Given the large number of cards, I'm going to just comment on the ones I like (disclaimer: one of the cards is mine). In this post, I'll talk up the deck-improvers:
Carey
$6 - Action-Reaction
Name a card type. If you named Action, +1 Action. If you named Victory, +1 Card. If you named Treasure, $1, +1 Buy.
Reveal the top three cards of your deck. Place all cards of the named type in your hand. You may discard any or all of the remaining cards. Place any remaining cards on top of your deck in any order.
--
When you gain a card, you may reveal this from your hand. If you do, you may trash that card.
Could be a big money enabler. Pair with Jack, gain a lot of Silvers, name Silver when this comes up and get +$5 to +$7, +1Buy. "trash that card" needs to specify which card. Is it the Carey (the revealed card) or the card to be gained?
Since you're naming a card TYPE, not a card NAME, I don't think you have to be that specific. Just say "treasure" in an otherwise pure big money deck, and vavoom.
The trashing aspect is worded like Watchtower, so should operate the same way. I'm not at all sure the reaction is necessary on this card.
Oops, I tend to misread cards that depend on "type" rather than "name." Thanks for the clarification. I also agree on your "too much shuffling" comments.
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Here are my comments on the trash for benefit cards. Again, just the ones I think are interesting or like. Disclaimer: one of the cards in this post is mine (not literally "Mine", but the card I submitted).
Mary
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top card of your deck. You may trash it. If you do, gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card, putting it on top of your deck.
Both a deck improver and trash for benefit. I think it works better as trash for benefit.
Clara
$5 - Action
Trash a Victory card from your hand. If you do, +2 VP, +$4, and gain a Victory card costing less than the trashed card.
Interesting dynamic, especially with lots of alternative VP. Great for trashing Estates (just like Bishop, just like Baron without the buy), but has more power and option value from trashing higher value victory cards.
Mildred
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an Action or Victory card, +$10 and -$1 for each copy of that card remaining in the Supply.
--
(Rules clarification: If you trash action card X and there are only 4 Xs left in the supply, you would get +$6.)
Trash an action whose pile has run out, and you get +$10 +1 Buy? That seems too good. I'm not sure though. I'd want to avoid running piles for fear of an opponent's mega turn. In equilibrium, it could change the nature of the game.
Theda
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
+$1
+1 VP
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an...
Action card, play it three times.
Treasure card, +$ equal to its cost.
Victory card, +VP equal to half its cost in coins, rounded down.
Interesting. A one-shot King's Court, a Salvager+, or a Bishop+. I would definitely try this one out.
Pola
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
+1 Buy
You may trash a card from your hand. If the supply pile of the trashed card is empty, gain a Duchy. If the supply pile of the trashed card and another supply pile is empty, you may gain a Province instead.
This could be a very powerful card in slogs. I'd like to play this in an IGG rush. Once IGG is empty, trash a curse, gain a Province. Plus, it is potentially chainable? Feels powerful. Too powerful?
Gloria
$4 - Action
Trash up to 2 cards from your hand. If you trashed 2 cards that share a type, gain a card costing up to $6 that shares a type with both the trashed cards.
Generally, I like this. Best uses off hand: trash coopers gain a Gold, trash two Estates, gain a Duchy or Fairgrounds (or almost any other alt-VP). I'm not sure why I would trash two actions -- doesn't strike me as being worth the initial buying.
Greta
$7 - Action
Trash any number of cards from your discard pile. Add their costs.
For each $3 in the total cost, choose one: +$1, or +1 VP.
For each P in the cost, choose one: +P or +1 VP.
--
(Rules clarification: "P" represents a Potion symbol.)
This seems like a card you would want to play once to clean out your deck of the junk. Ultimate super trasher. Also, clean out and convert the dead cards in the deck. Maybe too trashy for my taste, but the muted benefit from trashing might make it a decent card -- not sure though. By the time you get up to $7, you already have buying power.
Louise
$5 - Action
The player to your left reveals and discards the top card of his deck. You may trash a card from your hand of the same type. If you do, gain a card costing up to $3 more than the trashed card.
--
(Rules clarification: Type refers to the set {Treasure, Victory, Action, Curse}. If a dual-type is revealed, you may trash a card that shares a type with the discarded card. For example, Harem is turned over; you may trash a card that has type Treasure or Victory.)
A gimped expand. You aren't free to choose exactly what you want to expand, but +$3 remodeling is powerful enough to make it a decent card. I like it.
Mabel
$7 - Action-Victory
1 VP
Trash up to 3 cards from your hand. Gain a card costing up to...
4 x # of Action Cards trashed
3 x # of Curse Cards trashed
2 x # of Treasure Cards trashed
1 x # of Victory Cards trashed
--
When you gain this card, each other player gains a Curse.
I like this card, except for the super benefit from trashing curses. Trash 3 curses, gain a Province (or Platinum?).
Maria
$6 - Action
+1 Action
Trash two cards from your hand. Gain a card costing up to the total cost of the trashed cards, putting it into your hand.
Forge-like without the exact adding up condition, mine-like in that the card goes into hand. I like it. Simple and powerful, but I don't think too powerful for $6.
Eleanor
$5 - Action-Reaction
+2 Actions
You may trash a card you have in play (including this). If you do, gain a card other than [This Card] with the same price as the trashed card or lower, putting it into your hand.
Peddler-Eleanor would be unstoppable, no? Get a bunch of Peddlers and Eleanors. Play all the Peddlers you can muster. Play Eleanor last, gain a Province. Repeat.
Marion
$4 - Action
Discard any number of Action cards and trash a card from your hand. If you do, gain a card costing exactly $1 plus $1 per card discarded more than the trashed card.
Interesting wrinkle with the discarding of actions. This would make me want to have action clash. I like it.
Marlene
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Gain a card costing less than the trashed card; put it in your hand.
I like the idea of gaining something less, but this needs to come with some added benefit. Otherwise, it is too specialized (only want to trash Spice Merchants and Moneylenders after they've done their duty).
Ethel
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. If it is a...
- Treasure card, gain a Treasure card costing exactly $3 more, and a Victory card costing exactly $2 more;
- Victory card, gain a Treasure card costing exactly $1 more and put it into your hand.
Each other player may reveal and set aside a Province. At the start of his turn, he discards it and gets +$1.
I like the idea, but there has to be a better way to word this. The Province reveal is a little awkward too.
Bebe
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. You may gain a card costing up to $1 more than the trashed card. If you do, play it immediately.
I would like to see what happens when I trash a Bank, and immediately play a... Province!
Mae
$3 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
If it is worth:
At least $1: +1 Card
At least $3: +1 Action
At least $5: +1$
At least $7: +1 Buy
At least $9: +1 VP
hmmm... I like the cutoff idea, but this seems like it is made for trashing Peddlers and nothing else... and then what do you get? An extra buy. Seems weak, but maybe I'm not thinking about it right.
Corinne
$4 - Action-Victory
+1 Buy
You may trash a Victory card from your hand. If you do, +2 VP and gain a differently named Victory card costing up to the cost of the trashed card.
--
Worth 1 VP for every 2 Estates in your deck (rounded down).
A rush on Estates and Corinnes! I love cards that value Estates (I submitted Landlord, which was cut down for being susceptible to rushes). I'm not sure how to think about the strategy for this one though.
Geraldine
$4 - Action
Trash a card. Gain 2 non-Victory cards costing up to $1 more than the trashed card.
Remake-esque, but not as good at trashing. Interesting. I'd like to see it in action.
Betty
$4P - Action
+2 Cards
Trash any number of cards. If they are all:
Action cards: Gain a Duchy.
Treasure cards: Gain a [This Card].
Victory cards: Gain a Gold.
A Transmute that is better at trashing. It might be worth trashing any number of cards, but you won't be able to do it early to make it like Chapel. Not sure if I like Enhancing the Transmute.
Pearl
$5 - Action-Attack
Trash a card from your hand.
If it was a Treasure card: gain a Silver, and each other player gains a Copper.
If it was a Silver, each other player gains a Curse.
If it was a Victory card: +3 Cards, +1 Action, and each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand.
If it was an Action card: Gain an Action card costing up to $4, and each other player puts cards from his hand on top of his deck until he has 4 cards in hand.
I like this one. Lots to read, but to me, it seems worth it.
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I haven't gotten a chance to read through everything yet, but I want to say that I did not re-submit my card out of laziness. I feel it's one of the best cards I've come up with, and hoped that if people think of it in the context of its topdecking functions instead of it's peddling function they will realize what a good card it is. It does have even stiffer competition though, topdeck is really good design space.
I wouldn't resubmit any of my others, even if given the opportunity.
Also, rinkworks saying that the card is terribly overpowered the first time and Powerman calling it terribly underpowered this time makes me smile. Mark of a good card imo :P
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Laurel
$5 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Discard any number of them. Put the rest back on top in any order.
+1 Card for every card discarded.
Very interesting idea, a mix of Cartographer and Oracle, I like it.
I think you like it because it's OP, sorry to say.
Thought experiment - Don't look at the cards and discard them all. You've just played a Council Room that trades +buy for not labbing your opponent. +4 cards is too good for BM, even at the 5$ price point.
But it gets worse, because this card lets you abstain from discarding some of the cards! If you made a choice other than discarding all four, then we must assume you made a choice even better than super-councilroom.
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Laurel
$5 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Discard any number of them. Put the rest back on top in any order.
+1 Card for every card discarded.
Very interesting idea, a mix of Cartographer and Oracle, I like it.
I think you like it because it's OP, sorry to say.
Thought experiment - Don't look at the cards and discard them all. You've just played a Council Room that trades +buy for not labbing your opponent. +4 cards is too good for BM, even at the 5$ price point.
But it gets worse, because this card lets you abstain from discarding some of the cards! If you made a choice other than discarding all four, then we must assume you made a choice even better than super-councilroom.
True. I didn't realize that.
But anyway, I like the idea and I think it could work at $6...
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About Challenge #6
Here are my favourite cards (one of them is mine). But really, there are lots of good ideas. Congratulations to all.
Mildred
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an Action or Victory card, +$10 and -$1 for each copy of that card remaining in the Supply.
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(Rules clarification: If you trash action card X and there are only 4 Xs left in the supply, you would get +$6.)
Very very interesting idea. I think it needs a lot of playtest though, because the card seems slightly too powerful.
Anita
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
+$1 per differently named card in the Trash pile.
Great idea ! This could add an interesting strategy. But maybe the card is too powerful when there are a lot of others trashers around.
Edna
$3 - Action
Choose one: trash a card from your hand, gaining a number of Coppers equal to its cost in coins, putting them into your hand; or trash any number of Coppers from your hand, gaining a card with cost exactly equal to the number of Coppers you trashed.
I love the cards interacting with coppers. And this one seems really promising. Probably my favourite.
Louise
$5 - Action
The player to your left reveals and discards the top card of his deck. You may trash a card from your hand of the same type. If you do, gain a card costing up to $3 more than the trashed card.
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(Rules clarification: Type refers to the set {Treasure, Victory, Action, Curse}. If a dual-type is revealed, you may trash a card that shares a type with the discarded card. For example, Harem is turned over; you may trash a card that has type Treasure or Victory.)
I agree with nopawnsintended : "A gimped expand. You aren't free to choose exactly what you want to expand, but +$3 remodeling is powerful enough to make it a decent card. I like it."
Virginia
$2 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
You may trash an Action or Treasure from your hand. If you do, gain a card with the same cost; put it into your hand.
Simple but effective. It can replace remodel or salvager if you want to trash a Moneylender/Sea hag/etc...
Carole
$4 - Action
Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck. Trash one of them. Gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card. Put the gained card together with other revealed cards on top of your deck in any order.
Somehow a "next turn remodel", I really like it.
Alice
$4 - Action
+2 Actions
Trash a card from your hand. If it is a...
Treasure card: +$2
Victory card: +2 Cards
Curse: Gain a Copper, putting it in your hand
I like the fact it is a village-TFB and how this card deal with curses.
Paulette
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand, then gain a card costing exactly $1 more than the trashed card; put it into your hand.
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While this is in play, when you buy a card, trash that card and gain a card costing exactly $1 more than the trashed card.
Wow, a very interesting mix of bridge and Upgrade-in-your-hand.
Ethel
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. If it is a...
- Treasure card, gain a Treasure card costing exactly $3 more, and a Victory card costing exactly $2 more;
- Victory card, gain a Treasure card costing exactly $1 more and put it into your hand.
Each other player may reveal and set aside a Province. At the start of his turn, he discards it and gets +$1.
Great idea, it turn coppers into silvers and estates, silvers into duchies and golds, gold into provinces, platiniums into colonies, estates into silvers, duchies into golds, provinces into platiniums. But as nopawn said, I think the province reveal is unnecessary.
Joan
$4 - Action-Attack
+1 VP
Trash a card from your hand. If it's a Victory card, each other player gains a Curse. If it's a Curse, each other player gains an Estate.
Another great concept. By attacking the opponents, it gives them the opportunity to play Joan too. Funny.
Bebe
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. You may gain a card costing up to $1 more than the trashed card. If you do, play it immediately.
Another simple but very interesting card. I like especially the "play it immediately", which give a tactical dimension.
Corinne
$4 - Action-Victory
+1 Buy
You may trash a Victory card from your hand. If you do, +2 VP and gain a differently named Victory card costing up to the cost of the trashed card.
--
Worth 1 VP for every 2 Estates in your deck (rounded down).
Alt VP card, I love alt VP cards. And this one seems alright.
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I have feedback for all of them, but, there's already so many comments for everyone to read (I have read all of them now)
I think the Province reveal on whatchamacallit is necessary if you think about it, and is a neat drawback to select for an otherwise strong card.
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I read these cards from bottom to top, but you don't have to. Great submissions, everyone!
Mary
You really don't want to pull a Copper up with this when there are no $2 cost Kingdom cards. An Upgrade/Remodel that can be so much better or much worse than either. Seems okay.
Lillian
I am absolutely puzzled by this card. Does it turn itself into a $6 cost card, too? I might need to be convinced to like it since it is versatile and guarantees to do its job, but the benefit seems so marginal to waste a $5 hand on.
Dorothy
You don't want to trash a solitary Curse unless the pile is out. In the mean time, trash 2 copper at a time to gain silver like a weak, weak Trading post. The Action trashing is the best benefit, like a terminal Apprentice. Seems okay.
Clara
I do not want to give a doubly lucky person that huge of a lead. A 5/2 opening with this and matching this on turn 3.
Mildred
Seems okay but perhaps secretly weak. You nearly never want to trash the actions that are running out of the supply, since you wanted them in the first place. The opponent could buy from the Mildreds if the pile got low, but they would have to have almost as much of the trash-bait. The best thing this card does is trash Alt-VP/Duchies for up to $10 at the end of the game. Mildred, Duchy, Gold, Silver, Copper is worth the last 2 Provinces (ending the game and providing 9VP).
Theda
A Bishop variant that gives you a buy and doesn't let your opponent trash. It also King's Courts your Cursers and gets rid of them as the last Curses are sent out. It also Salvages (+1 coin) your Coin. I like that it gives no specific Curse benefit. Too strong.
Dolores
I would have to go through too many hoops to get anything of value from this card, since I nearly always don't want to spend $5 on a card that turns my Estates into 2 coppers.
Pola
Initially, this is a weak Upgrade. I like that this can create a race for a card so that you have more trash-fuel. I do not like what this could do to 4 player. If the 2 supply pile ability included trashing itself, I might think the card would be more balanced. Seems okay.
Anita
I don't want to enable a fight over the trash, especially since another player can get an Anita easily. I have a similar problem with Trade Route. Seems balanced.
Edna
One of my favorite fan cards is Copper Smelt from the Clockwerk fan expansion, presumably by Schlippy. I like how this can work in multiples and how this works with different Copper/Estate ratios in your hand. If this is weak, make the copper counting +$1 counting instead. Seems fun.
Norma
An Ambassador that does a Salvager impression. If you trash a Copper/Curse alongside any card, you get money equal to the cost. It needs the on-gain to prevent it from being insane. Like Bishop, if other people are buying this, you have less need to because of the free trashing. Seems fun. This creates an awkward decision if you have your initial 5 coppers in hand, but I dislike opponents getting 5/2 splits anyway.
Gloria
This needs to be tested. The best use of this is to turn 2 coppers into a Gold. A version could be made with up to $5 without much other change. It would still gain a Royal Seal, Venture, or Contraband.
Anna
I don't want to trash anything $5 cost because my opponent would get an Anna, too.
Hedy
Trash up to four cards from your hand. For each card trashed, +$1.
A stronger Chapel. Often, this lets you get two $4 by the time you have done this twice. I would never not get this.
Greta
What if this misses the reshuffle! The Horror!
Louise
You need only to say "that shares a type". I don't think it is a big deal if that lets you improve a Tunnel because a Moat was revealed.
This is just a Expand with a restriction. An interesting restriction that makes it so you can only Expand that Estate if the opponent gets "lucky" by having an Estate from their deck discarded. I don't like that if they reveal a card type you don't have, you get nothing and lose out on your Action.
Mabel
Do you add all those numbers together? A Great Hall, Estate, Curse trash is worth 4+1+1+3= 9? Pearl Diver+Copper+Copper to Province. This card already generated a 2VP swing and a . It seems like a good way to counter Mabel is with itself, a proposition that is difficult with a 7-cost.
Renee
A treasure that can replace itself with a Duchy whenever you play it? Would people have much reason to get Duchies before the last reshuffle?
Zasu
This can create a situation in multiplayer where players lose their whole turn or take many curses. I think this would be better if the gained Curse went to the hand to mitigate other player's Zasus in multiplayer; however, this encourages using this card to trash one of them in 2 player. Seems okay.
Maria
Combining cards into your hand is fun, since Forged together cards are often Victory cards in the late game. It gives an Action so you can play the card. It doesn't create a bad 5/2 split. It only gives you a 2 cost card for a Copper-Estate trash, but that could be okay. If you have sufficient card draw to get 2 estates, you don't even need $2 kingdom cards to make this viable. Seems fun.
Janet
If you trash an Estate and a Copper, you get +$2, +2 Actions. This lets you play lots of actions early, and in the midgame this provides your engine with consistency while it shrinks your deck. Salvager gives you $2 for an estate, but it doesn't let you trash two. Curses get no unique bonus, which is good. Janet seems too versatile, so much so that everyone would get one.
Constance
I would much rather this give a choice of 1 silver or 1/2 its cost in Silver, rounded up. It covers the alternate treasures. Seems fun, I would like to trash a Platinum for 5 silvers in hand. That plus a Bank and buys is $16. Ha.
Colleen
So many moving parts, I would get AP. I can trash it, draw 2 cards +1 action, +$2, trash an Estate, draw another card. Now I have 5 cards in hand, +$2 I have to track, and an action. I play another one, not trashing itself, drawing a card, trashing a Copper, getting $2. I now have 3 cards and $4.
Eleanor
Why is this a Reaction? Like other 5 cost trashers here, it doesn't do much with Copper, Curse, or Estate. The net benefit of this card is it does a Throne Room and gives an Action. Sometimes you can turn the engine piece you have too many of into the finisher, like a Lab to Horn of Plenty or a Smithy to a Village. Seems okay.
Virginia
This does nothing as an opener, though a cantrip shouldn't do much at the beginning of the game anyway. Eventually, this makes Duchies out of your 5 costs and lets you correct when you bought the wrong cards and transition out of cursing. This is the most I would want a 2 cost doing, so seems fun.
Jean
Only with 2 different $2 cost cards would this be good for an estate. If that happens with a 5/2 opening, this would be a huge advantage. With any other circumstance, this is a junky late-game card only for turning 5 costs into Duke and Duchy.
Fay
It is not very often that you can get a Victory card costing one more than a Treasure. Island, Gardens, or SR from Silver? Cost-reducing effects? That is all the possible reasons and this card isn't good with those.
Marion
You need to discard an action to make this a Remodel. If the best you can do is discard 2 actions to make an Estate a 5-cost action, your deck has gone really wrong.
Carole
A dig-through-the-deck Remodel. It seems significantly better because you still get to play with the cards in your hand. You have the same number of cards to choose from. Remodel is weak, but a near strict improvement isn't the answer.
Alice
No special Action bonus? Trashing coppers it is like a weak Fishing Village. Trashing estates is a super-Aprentice, which is too strong. Trashing Curses is weaker than trashing copper. The effects could be better balanced here.
Marlene
It is an Almoner. For this fan set, I don't want another one. Another set, sure.
Paulette
Like an Evelyn that provides a "coin", but cannot but Provinces in games without a seven or nine cost. I want to buy Provinces.
Ethel
Ethel give you very explicit things for things in your hand. It turns Estates into Silvers in hand like a better Salvager. It turns Duchies into Golds in hand. It turns Golds into Platinum and Province (OH MY!) and Silvers into Duchies and Gold. Really, it is self contained in that multiple plays of this give you excess Duchies in the midgame you turn into Gold later.
There has been a lot of talk on the Province reveal. I'd like the bonus to be that other players can discard a Province to draw a card, though yours has a relationship with discard attacks.
Doesn't work well for Venture/Quarry/Royal Seal/Stash/Talisman/ FG or 3, 4, or 6 cost VP, when it really should.
Sarah
This needs another clarification for new players that Victory cards aren't played. It plays like a Salvager, you can trash a gold for $3 more than it would produce, etc. A Sarah CCEE Hand is only worth 2, so it is worse at trashing Coppers than Loan. A bad late-game only trasher like Develop.
Billie
Turn 3 Estates over the course of a game into +$5 +$1 buy after 4 or more plays of this card. Gain Victory points around half the cost of cards you trash. No trashing for the opponent. No VP or coin for trashing Copper/ Curse. It sounds so similar to Bishop, but less streamlined.
Joan
A cursing attack that can create a very nasty situation in multiplayer. It could dominate games and empty Estate and Curse piles so quickly, whoever got the most Joan plays (for the Victory points), would win.
Olive
Like an Evelyn that doesn't have +1 action. It nearly always gains a Silver. I don't like it because it looks better than Upgrade and too good with a 5/2 opening. None of the Evelyns (reading from the bottom) let you get rid of Coppers yet.
Bebe
Like an Evelyn that doesn't let you use the +Action for another action but lets you gain a Victory card. I am not worried about a player trashing a card for a Duchy, but I am worried about people taking Silvers and using the action for another thing. I think this is more fun than Evelyn.
Lya
A trasher that is also a "I bought the wrong card" or transition out of cursing card. A card that replaces itself and becomes an Almoner or gives a 2 cost action for an estate is too strong. Compare to Upgrade.
Brigitte
This seems different for the sake of it. You can't get a Gold from a Silver, but why? Is that too strong? You can't get a Platinum from a Gold, but you don't want to lose the Gold from your hand that turn.
Mae
The scaling could be improved. It is rare that you want to trash a 5 cost, even rarer that you would trash a 7 (OK, Forge sometimes) or 9 cost. The benefit could be increased significantly.
Corinne
Estate-Victory attempts are fun. You can use this to trash another Corinne for 2 VP and an estate, play $6, buy a Corrine and an estate. With 6 Estates, this is worth 3. You may have played this to gain 6 VP. You lose the split on Provinces 2/6 and have won Duchies 4/2 and have 3 of this card. They have ~42 and you have ~36. This would play much better in an alternate VP game or when 3-piling.
Geraldine
The best part about Remake is that you can trash 2 cards, if 2 were estates you get 2 cards costing 3. This one means I can't trash 2 estates, but I get the two 3 costs anyway. Too similar.
Patsy
Trash a Curse, 2 coppers, and an Estate for a 5 cost. A lucky break. Most of the time it is a Silver-gaining Chapel, but you can upgrade a stranded silver from your hand into a 5 cost if you want it instead of 2 silvers. I like that it makes you trash what you wouldn't normally, but it seems too strong. If you can increase your handsize before this, this can gain a Province, a fun edge case.
Thelma
Turn a card into 2 weaks one on your deck. Getting 2 Duchies from a Gold is pretty weak (since you can't play the gold and could've gotten a Duchy instead of a Thelma). The best uses for this are Border Village and Peddler. This can trash a single curse or copper, but not an estate (it becomes 2 copper).
Evelyn
If you trash an Estate, you get a 3 cost in hand, so that makes it worth about +2 coin +1 action, gain a 3 cost card. Compared to Salvager, that seems fine, since this card can't ensure you get $8 when greening. Seems fun.
Betty
A Forge-Transmute. Cute. The only trasher that draws cards like that is Masq. I could see this being fun.
Blanche
Weird. It could be made versatile if it could trash 1 of anything without the gaining.
Pearl
So much text. Why not just make one attack scale on the card you trash. Trash a card. Draw 3 cards. If it the trashed card was an Action, +1 action. If it was a Victory card or Curse, each other player draws a card. Each other player discards cards until they have 3 cards in their hand.
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Am I the only one who things trashing two coppers and gaining a Gold is absurdly good? You don't usually Steward away 2 coppers, but Stewarding a copper and an estate is a common play. Incentivizing a double copper trash with Gold instead seems too much.
Or, better comparison. Vault is possibly the only card in Dominion that guarantees a Gold gain with an unattacked hand. It costs 5$, doesn't remove two crappy cards from your deck when you use it that way, and gives other players a benefit to compensate for how powerful it is!
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I also think that's pretty ridiculous.
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Vault also Guarantees a province in any hand with a Gold or 2 Silver (and equivalents). Vault is the best Tactician enabler and lets you redraw the same cards for benefit over and over. It also is a card drawer. You could be right, but that is the only thing Vault does and Gloria-BM doesn't seem that strong to me.
Steward is also a flexible card that costs less. The better comparison is Remake.
Gloria could still probably get the number changed to "up to $5" safely. It makes it only interact with Venture/ Contraband/ Royal Seal/ Stash/ IGG instead (and to an extent Quarry/ Talisman).
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Paulette
Like an Evelyn that provides a "coin", but cannot but Provinces in games without a seven or nine cost. I want to buy Provinces.
Contraband keeps you from buying Provinces some of the time, too. You can always not play the card when you intend to buy a province. Also, I don't understand the part about 9 cost cards?
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You can attempt to buy a province in a game with Paulettes and Colonies, you don't keep the Province, you get a Platinum instead. That is the only "point" to attempting to buy a province.
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I have feedback for all of them, but, there's already so many comments for everyone to read (I have read all of them now)
I think the Province reveal on whatchamacallit is necessary if you think about it, and is a neat drawback to select for an otherwise strong card.
It would be a cute combo with Tournament.
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But, the upside of Gloria is 3 golds and it becomes a glorified Transmute after. It needs support to be good, which could be in the way of an engine.
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Some thoughts on some of the Trash for Benefit cards (Challenge #6), by category:
Gain something less
I really like the new idea of trashing a card and gaining one that costs less.
Marlene and Lya are almost identical. Marlene forces you to gain and is $1 cheaper than Lya which gives you the option of gaining. I like them both.
Clara, Dolores, Renee, Corinne, and Thelma are the others that seem to fit in this category, and for the category overall I like Clara the best. It’s like a more powerful Bishop that only works on Victory cards. For example, when you play Clara with an Estate, it’s like you Bishoped it and got the Baron bonus. In addition, the card gives you the ability to use the green in your deck later in the game to get more green. Cool!
There are some cards that focus on trashing and gaining a card of the same cost, but those didn’t seem nearly as interesting to me. Personal preference, I guess.
Type Matters
Of the cards where Type matters for either ability to trash or benefits received, I like Louise and Janet. Louise is a nice, limited Expand. Janet feels like a nice combination of Steward and Tribute which makes sense to me at $4.
Dorothy and Betty are competing to be the next Transmute – but I don’t think either really works. Theda, Gloria, Anna, Mabel (the IGG externality; ugh!), Colleen (should it read: “Otherwise, +1 Card and you may trash…”?), Virginia, Alice, Ethel, Joan, Brigitte, Mae, and Pearl all miss the mark with me for one reason or another.
Cost Matters
I really like Sarah. I like alternate Treasures, and I would certainly find this card more interesting to play than Loan in a lot of Kingdoms. Of the other cards that care about the cost of the cards trashed, nothing really strikes me.
Other Thoughts
I really like the incentives in Pola to trash useful cards (I’d take Pola over Mildred), but I am worried that it gives too much benefit for trashing curses in Attack-heavy games. But wait -- maybe this would play out as an incentive to not attack so much and to run out the curse pile? Hmmm, now that I think about it, that is a very interesting knife-edge incentive!
I also like that Edna utilizes Coppers in an interesting way, but I’m not sure how this would play in practice.
Constance seems really cool. I like the way it allows other players to also trash a Treasure and gain a Silver. I am not at all concerned about it being too strong.
[Disclaimer: One of the cards mentioned in this post is mine.]
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Are the disclaimers necessary? One of the cards I mentioned in my early response was mine too. :P
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From challenge #5 (which I did not enter), the card I liked most was Hardy.
Hardy actually looks pretty strong. It is like a non-potion Apothecary that can also grab itself and other $2 cards (cheap cantrips, FG). The drawback is that it doesn't have an automatic +1 card, and it only looks at 3 cards. I think these slight nerfs to Apothecary make it workable at only $2.
Maybe it's too strong...
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Mary
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top card of your deck. You may trash it. If you do, gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card, putting it on top of your deck.
I feel like we saw this in the other challenge, for $5 and weaker than this. I think this might be slightly too strong with it being "may". I'd like it more at maybe $5 with a little more strength.
Lillian
$5 - Action
Trash this card. Discard any number of cards. Put your deck into your discard pile. Search your discard pile for up to two cards costing up to $6, reveal and trash them. For each trashed card, gain a card costing at most $1 more than the trashed card.
Ok, I don't even know what's going on here. Trash this and up to 2 cards to gain a card $1 more than what? PASS.
Dorothy
$3 - Action
Trash 2 cards that are not Victories from your hand.
If you trashed any Curses this way, gain a Curse.
If you trashed any Treasures this way, gain a Silver.
If you trashed any Actions this way +3 Cards.
This is very, very, very weird. You obviously want to trash an Action and a Treasure, but doing so will gain you a silver and restore your hand to 5. I think just "trash 2 cards" is stronger imo.
Clara
$5 - Action
Trash a Victory card from your hand. If you do, +2 VP, +$4, and gain a Victory card costing less than the trashed card.
Good with Alt. VP. Bad without it. I like it. Maybeee too good with Alt. VP.
Mildred
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an Action or Victory card, +$10 and -$1 for each copy of that card remaining in the Supply.
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(Rules clarification: If you trash action card X and there are only 4 Xs left in the supply, you would get +$6.)
Toooo strong. Compare to Salvager for $4. A 5/2 start is "gg" if they draw it with an estate. Turn 3 + Never mind misread it. Probably balanced-ish, although I'm not sure it's likely to be much stronger overall than say, Salvager or Trade Route for the additional cost.
Theda
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
+$1
+1 VP
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an...
Action card, play it three times.
Treasure card, +$ equal to its cost.
Victory card, +VP equal to half its cost in coins, rounded down.
Either get a KC effect, a Bishop effect, or a Salvager. I think it might be better with TR effect than KC (or a boost to the others, I'm not sure)
Dolores
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
If this is the first [This Card] that you have played this turn, gain two cards costing less than the trashed card, adding them to your hand.
Otherwise gain three cards costing less than the trashed card, adding them to your hand.
This is strong -- Probably too strong. But maybe not. When compared to Develop... I mean it's better, but is it? With a village, probably yes. Without? I'd go no. I mean, at least with Develop (it might be slow) but you can trash estates for top-decked silvers and eliminate coppers. Here... you can't get rid of them. Trashing a gold for top decked KC-Wharf is probably stronger than any combo here. So now I think it's too weak... it's not a TFB, it's a gainer!
Pola
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
+1 Buy
You may trash a card from your hand. If the supply pile of the trashed card is empty, gain a Duchy. If the supply pile of the trashed card and another supply pile is empty, you may gain a Province instead.
Early on, it's a non terminal, but slow trasher without benefit. It's good for trashing curses, but other than that, the piles that run out you probably won't want to trash anyway, at least until the second pile ends.
Anita
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
+$1 per differently named card in the Trash pile.
Normally this would be somewhere around 2-3, so alright. Could be good, but probably balanced.
Edna
$3 - Action
Choose one: trash a card from your hand, gaining a number of Coppers equal to its cost in coins, putting them into your hand; or trash any number of Coppers from your hand, gaining a card with cost exactly equal to the number of Coppers you trashed.
I love, love, love this card. I have no idea if it's balanced, but I still love it. I'd make it cost 2 though, because the beauty/strength is it's weakness. It's like a Salvager, but soo much worse while being better at the same time. Plus it works with Coppersmith/Counting House, so YES!
Norma
$4 - Action-Attack
Trash two cards from your hand. If they are the same card, each other player gains a copy of that card. Otherwise, +$ equal to the difference in cost between the two.
--
When you gain this, each other player may trash a card from his hand.
I don't like this. On one hand it can be an ambassador, we've seen that at $3 (albeit a strong 3). The other option? It's a steward without the options, but with a cash benefit... maybe. I don't like combining the 2 together.
Gloria
$4 - Action
Trash up to 2 cards from your hand. If you trashed 2 cards that share a type, gain a card costing up to $6 that shares a type with both the trashed cards.
The first statement -- Trash up to 2 cards. That's alright, but weak for a $4 card. The interesting part is the second part. Trash 2 coppers... gain a gold. Trash 2 estates... gain a duchy. Trash 2 actions... I'm not even sure.
Anna
$5 - Action
+1 Card
Trash a card from your hand.
Search the trash for cards costing 5 or more. If there's a...
Action Card: +2 Actions
Treasure Card: +$1, +1 Buy
Victory Card: +2 Cards
Don't like it. Trash interaction like this = bad.
Hedy
$4 - Action
Trash up to four cards from your hand. For each card trashed, +$1.
Chapel with a cash benefit, boring.
Greta
$7 - Action
Trash any number of cards from your discard pile. Add their costs.
For each $3 in the total cost, choose one: +$1, or +1 VP.
For each P in the cost, choose one: +P or +1 VP.
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(Rules clarification: "P" represents a Potion symbol.)
Trash any number (ie. Forge) is already dangerous, but the fact that you don't even need them in hand? Bad idea. If you draw it at the end of your reshuffle? Bye-bye all coppers/curses/estates and I don't CARE that I don't get much of a benefit past that. And if you happen to say have... peddlers in your discard/ used Cursers... just broken as a card.
Louise
$5 - Action
The player to your left reveals and discards the top card of his deck. You may trash a card from your hand of the same type. If you do, gain a card costing up to $3 more than the trashed card.
--
(Rules clarification: Type refers to the set {Treasure, Victory, Action, Curse}. If a dual-type is revealed, you may trash a card that shares a type with the discarded card. For example, Harem is turned over; you may trash a card that has type Treasure or Victory.)
Weak and swingy. First off you might not have the card type in your hand, in which case it's a sea hag after the curses are out. Action is almost always dead, because chances are with the randomness you'd rather play ANY other action first. And if everything works out perfectly, then you get an Expand.
Mabel
$7 - Action-Victory
1 VP
Trash up to 3 cards from your hand. Gain a card costing up to...
4 x # of Action Cards trashed
3 x # of Curse Cards trashed
2 x # of Treasure Cards trashed
1 x # of Victory Cards trashed
--
When you gain this card, each other player gains a Curse.
Interesting card. Costing 7 this draws comparisons to Forge. Gives good bonuses for trashing curses and actions, with a lot less for treasures and victories. Trash any 2 actions, or 3 curses, gain a province. Trash 3 coppers, gain a gold. The curse giving is interesting, as you can't rush them with a cost of 7 (like IGG) but it makes sense for a card that trashes curses to also give curses.
Renee
$5 - Treasure
Worth $2
When you play this, you may trash a card you have in play. If you do, you may gain a card costing at most as much as the trashed card.
--
(Rules clarification: This card can trash itself.)
Another TFB that loves Peddler, otherwise probably only good on the last turn to turn this (or another 5 action) into a duchy. I guess there might be other uses I'm missing.
Zasu
$4 - Action-Attack
+$2
+1 Buy
Trash a card from your hand. For every 2 coins in the trashed card's cost, each other player chooses to discard a card or gain a Curse.
--
(Rules clarification: The opponent can choose a combination of discarding and curses.)
I don't really like this. Trashing weak cards, it's basically a better Salvager. After about 3, it's still better because of the discard. I'd like it much better as +$3 and costing 6, so it's not available T1.
Maria
$6 - Action
+1 Action
Trash two cards from your hand. Gain a card costing up to the total cost of the trashed cards, putting it into your hand.
It's a non-terminal forge, limited to 2 cards, and bringing it in hand. Good if you can trash a 3 and 4 into a KC and use it... bad, if you draw it with Coppers/ Estates.
Janet
$4 - Action
Trash up to two cards from your hand.
If you trashed any Treasure cards, +2 Actions.
If you trashed any Action cards, +2 Cards.
If you trashed any Victory cards, +$2.
I like this, but it might be too good. It just feels broken in a draw to X engine. Play this, trash a copper and estate, play library. It's like a Festival on steroids for that.
Constance
$5 - Action
Trash a Treasure card from your hand. Gain a Silver in hand for each coin in the Treasure's face value.
Each other player may trash a Treasure card from his hand, and gain a Silver in hand.
--
(Rules clarifications: Trashing Bank, Fool's Gold, Horn of Plenty, or Philosopher's Stone give no benefit to the player, as these cards have 0 or unknown face value. This restriction does not apply to other players who choose to trash a Treasure card.)
Trash a copper, gain a silver in hand. Trash a silver, gain 2 silvers in hand. Cross between trader and mine, not sure it's strong enough to warrant a penalty. I'd prefer an on-gain penalty if anything (When you gain this, each other player may trash a Treasure card from his hand, and gain a silver in hand.)
Colleen
$4 - Action
You may trash [This Card] when you play it. If you do, +1 Card, +1 Action, $2.
+1 Card
You may trash up to two cards from your hand. For each Action card trashed, +1 Action; for each Treasure card, $2; for each Victory card, +1 Card.
This feels like a cross between Ironworks, Mining Village and Chapel. Early on, trashing 2 coppers nets you $4 and 1 card, as opposed to a moneylender which trashes 1 copper for $3 and is already decently strong. And the trash benefit is probably too good. The main problem with trashers (chapel, remake) are they stay in your deck past usefulness. This turns into a one-shot Grand Market + Laboratory AND it gets out of your deck. Lower that benefit and I like it.
Eleanor
$5 - Action-Reaction
+2 Actions
You may trash a card you have in play (including this). If you do, gain a card other than [This Card] with the same price as the trashed card or lower, putting it into your hand.
Seems broken with KC, but then again most cards are. Otherwise it's probably pretty balanced.
Virginia
$2 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
You may trash an Action or Treasure from your hand. If you do, gain a card with the same cost; put it into your hand.
Such a weak action. It's good as a counter to Swindler, but other than that the only use I see is Peddler? You can't even turn curses into coppers.
Jean
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Gain 2 differently named cards of the same cost.
--
(Rule clarification: 2 differently named from each other, not from the trashed card.)
First off, rules question. What if there aren't 2 differently named cards of the same cost? Do we just gain 1 card? Do we gain no cards? Do we just gain 2 of the same card? Past that... I'm not sure I like the card. You can't use it to clear out bad cards, so you're left with a mint-like effect... but unless there are multiple cards at the same price you want, it won't be that good. Trashing gold for gold-goons is good, but it just seems too situational.
Fay
$2 - Action
+1 Action
Trash this card. Trash a Treasure card from your hand. Gain a Victory card costing up to 1 more than the trashed Treasure card.
Good with alternate VP/Treasures, weak otherwise. Like super weak. Even with them, super weak. Because this card costs $2, its available early game but you don't want it then because trashing treasure for victory cards early is bad news. Late game, you can turn silvers... into estates? Gold's into duchies? And it's mandatory 1 shot? So if you don't use it, is a curse? I'd like this card if it was a cantrip with a "May" clause. Well, it'd still be weak, but for 2, probably not tooooo weak.
Marion
$4 - Action
Discard any number of Action cards and trash a card from your hand. If you do, gain a card costing exactly $1 plus $1 per card discarded more than the trashed card.
I don't like this. For this to be as good as remodel, you need to discard 2 actions. What kind of a deck will have 2 out of 4 cards be actions? An engine deck. But... why will an engine deck want to discard it's actions, instead of playing them?
Carole
$4 - Action
Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck. Trash one of them. Gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card. Put the gained card together with other revealed cards on top of your deck in any order.
It's like remodel BUT it doesn't hurt your current hand AND you'll get to see the new card soon. Almost always better, but still not overpowering. I like it!!! (And I hate plain remodel)
Alice
$4 - Action
+2 Actions
Trash a card from your hand. If it is a...
Treasure card: +$2
Victory card: +2 Cards
Curse: Gain a Copper, putting it in your hand
No bonus for trashing Actions? Which are arguably the cards least likely to be trashed anyway. But probably balanced, even if slightlyyyyy weak.
Marlene
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Gain a card costing less than the trashed card; put it in your hand.
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS! lol. Anyway, I can't tell much of the use for this card (not named Peddler). Trash a gold for lab in hand? Situationally good I guess, but... you could have just bought the lab instead of the gold. I'd prefer it at $2 OR a boost and put it at $5 to compete with Upgrade.
Paulette
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand, then gain a card costing exactly $1 more than the trashed card; put it into your hand.
--
While this is in play, when you buy a card, trash that card and gain a card costing exactly $1 more than the trashed card.
I like the main action part, but I hate the second part. Definitely needs a "May" clause. Because otherwise, short of $7's, you CAN'T get provinces with this out there. Plus, you can never get a $2 card. Plus I don't like the extra trashing, maybe "While this is in play, when you buy a card you may gain a card costing exactly $1 more instead."
Ethel
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. If it is a...
- Treasure card, gain a Treasure card costing exactly $3 more, and a Victory card costing exactly $2 more;
- Victory card, gain a Treasure card costing exactly $1 more and put it into your hand.
Each other player may reveal and set aside a Province. At the start of his turn, he discards it and gets +$1.
I feel like we've seen this card before... But anyway, ridiculously strong with Harem (Gain Bank in hand, and Platinum/Province to boot!). Otherwise, you probably won't want to trash coppers, trashing estates is good, Silvers is iffy, and its much better with Platinum available.
Sarah
$3 - Treasure
Worth $0
When you play this, trash a card in play that you own. +$ equal to half the cost in coins of the trashed card, rounded down.
--
(Rules clarification: [This Card] can trash itself. If you trash a Treasure, you do not lose the money that Treasure produced.)
This is decent, but weak. I guess it's good late to trash a gold as that should get you a province.
Billie
$4 - Action
Choose one:
Trash a card from your hand, gain 1 [This Card] token per $ in its cost, plus 2 if it has potion in it OR return any number of [This Card] tokens to the supply, +$1 or +1 Buy per returned token.
--
Every 2 [This Card] tokens are worth 1 VP.
So it can be a bishop, minus the $1 and the opponent benefit. Or you can save up for a mega turn. Interesting.
Joan
$4 - Action-Attack
+1 VP
Trash a card from your hand. If it's a Victory card, each other player gains a Curse. If it's a Curse, each other player gains an Estate.
Obviously, it's designed to be strong with trashing either of the cards mentioned. Even if you trash a copper, the benefit is better than say, salvager. So not bad. Might also need a generic +$1, not sure.
Olive
$2 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. Gain a card costing up to $1 more than the trashed card; put it into your hand.
This is good. Maybe too good. Trash estate, gain silver in hand. This just gives 5/2 another sick opening. Plus it gives Mint another sick opening. As short of terrible luck, you should have a deck T4 of like SSCCMEG and this.
Bebe
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. You may gain a card costing up to $1 more than the trashed card. If you do, play it immediately.
First off I feel like it should be worded differently so people don't try and "play" victory cards. Good for salvaging odd hands: This/Silver/Nobles turns into a throned nobles potentially. But... too niche for my liking. Kind of like develop.
Lya
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Trash a card from your hand. You may gain a card costing the same as or less than the card trashed, putting it into your hand.
Same as Marlene, for $1 more. And my comments are the same.
Brigitte
$4 - Action
+1 Action
Trash a Treasure or Action card from your hand.
If you trashed a Treasure, gain an Action card costing up to $3 more than the card trashed.
If you trashed an Action, gain a Treasure card costing up to $3 more than the card trashed.
A non-terminal Expand that has limits on it for $4? Might be too strong. But I do like the concept. Maybe at $5 would be better.
Mae
$3 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
If it is worth:
At least $1: +1 Card
At least $3: +1 Action
At least $5: +1$
At least $7: +1 Buy
At least $9: +1 VP
I assume you get all the benefits below it? (ie. gold gives card/action/$). Even still it's weak. Yes it's cheaper than Apprentice, but trashing a gold for 1 action and 6 cards is just SO much better than 1 card/action/$. Yes it's cheaper than Salvager, but trashing a gold for $6 and a buy is just SO much better than 1 card/action/$. Yes... it's the same price as Develop, but trashing a gold for a top decked KC/ X is just SO much better than 1 card/action/$. Catch my drift?
Corinne
$4 - Action-Victory
+1 Buy
You may trash a Victory card from your hand. If you do, +2 VP and gain a differently named Victory card costing up to the cost of the trashed card.
--
Worth 1 VP for every 2 Estates in your deck (rounded down).
Good with Alt-VP. I actually like this, although I think this is weird.
Geraldine
$4 - Action
Trash a card. Gain 2 non-Victory cards costing up to $1 more than the trashed card.
Hm, I could see the uses of this card, but I doubt it's a game changing card. The non-Victory clause makes it not useful-late game, and early game you probably won't want 2 cards costing $1 more than what you trash. So it's a midgame trasher/gainer. Like develop. But better? I'm not quite sure about that one.
Patsy
$4 - Action
Trash any number of cards from your hand. Gain a card costing less than $2 per number of differently named cards trashed.
Again, ANY is very dangerous to have on a card, especially with a cost of only $4. But keeping that out of mind, it's probably alright. Trashing 2 different cards for a silver, meh. 3 for a gold, pretty good. 4 (curse/copper/estate/silver?) for a province is really good.
Thelma
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Do this twice: gain a card costing less than the card trashed and place it on top of your deck.
In my mind this is almost always going to be worse than Develop. Which is the worst (Hi Chancellor!) one of the worst $3 cards.
Evelyn
$4 - Action
+1 Action
Trash a card from your hand. Gain an Action or Treasure card costing up to $1 more; put it into your hand.
I feel like we've seen something like this above. Probably alright, trashing estates works well with this card. Not good for copper trashing. Has niches outside of that, but seems good.
Betty
$4P - Action
+2 Cards
Trash any number of cards. If they are all:
Action cards: Gain a Duchy.
Treasure cards: Gain a [This Card].
Victory cards: Gain a Gold.
What? What, what, what? This costs $4P? Are you KIDDING me? It's a transmute that you can trash multiple cards with, but they have to be the same type of card to get ANY bonus. And many people already think 'Mute is one of the worst cards in the game. Now you get to... trash 3 coppers and gain 1 of these? Pass!
Blanche
$2 - Action
Trash an Action card from your hand. Gain 2 cards of the same cost as the trashed card.
Definitely don't want to open with this, as it's a curse in your deck early. I guess it's EXTREMELY useful late game to turn a Witch into 2 duchies, OR a peddler into 2 provinces... pass that, yawn. So I guess it's overpowered just for that possibility.
Pearl
$5 - Action-Attack
Trash a card from your hand.
If it was a Treasure card: gain a Silver, and each other player gains a Copper.
If it was a Silver, each other player gains a Curse.
If it was a Victory card: +3 Cards, +1 Action, and each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand.
If it was an Action card: Gain an Action card costing up to $4, and each other player puts cards from his hand on top of his deck until he has 4 cards in hand.
Ok, this is interesting. Trashing a copper... meh. Trash a Silver to gain a silver and each player gains a copper/curse... good, but basically worse than Mountebank. Trashing an estate... very good(!). Action one seems weak, I'd like it better at costing up to $5.
General comments:
Some unique card ideas, but some of these I think people don't realize just how similar their cards are to existing cards (ie. develop) Also I don't like the fact that almost all of these (like most TFB) make Peddler realllllllllly good. But fun to go through them all.
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Patsy
$4 - Action
Trash any number of cards from your hand. Gain a card costing less than $2 per number of differently named cards trashed.
Again, ANY is very dangerous to have on a card, especially with a cost of only $4. But keeping that out of mind, it's probably alright. Trashing 2 different cards for a silver, meh. 3 for a gold, pretty good. 4 (curse/copper/estate/silver?) for a province is really good.
As I read it, the card is slightly weaker than this because it reads "less than" rather than "up to." Trashing four different cards ==> less than $8 (not a Province), so you'd need to trash five different cards to make that happen. But, you're right... if you ever trash 5 differently named cards with this, you can gain a province/platinum, and you got to trash 5 differently named cards. Sounds like a good deal to me... dangerously good.
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As I read it, the card is slightly weaker than this because it reads "less than" rather than "up to." Trashing four different cards ==> less than $8 (not a Province), so you'd need to trash five different cards to make that happen. But, you're right... if you ever trash 5 differently named cards with this, you can gain a province/platinum, and you got to trash 5 differently named cards. Sounds like a good deal to me... dangerously good.
(and 6 for a Colony.) But how often do you have 5 differently named cards you want to trash? Maybe to consolidate green during an alt-VP rush...
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Paulette
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand, then gain a card costing exactly $1 more than the trashed card; put it into your hand.
--
While this is in play, when you buy a card, trash that card and gain a card costing exactly $1 more than the trashed card.
I like the main action part, but I hate the second part. Definitely needs a "May" clause. Because otherwise, short of $7's, you CAN'T get provinces with this out there. Plus, you can never get a $2 card. Plus I don't like the extra trashing, maybe "While this is in play, when you buy a card you may gain a card costing exactly $1 more instead."
You don't play Contraband when you want to buy a Province, either. I think it's okay for there to be cards that you don't always want to play, and for abilities be good sometimes and bad sometimes. It's already half a Remaking Post stapled to a Bridge; I don't think it needs to be made stronger.
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Powerman, I think you misread Marion. It only takes one action discard to match Remodel. And it gets half a remake no questions asked. I don't think it's all that bad.
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Some general thoughts about the Trash For Benefit cards:
- Somewhere in the secret histories, Donald said he tried experimenting with a Remodel variant that put the new card(s) in hand, but everything he tried along these lines was too crazy. Mine is okay because it only works on Treasures, but having them work on Action cards led to degenerate game states, apparently. I'm too lazy to look for the reference (someone chime in if they know), but I don't recall that it went into detail. Anyway, I'm nervous about judging cards that do this without understanding better what Donald meant. It's conceivable if unlikely that we could succeed where he did not, but if we don't understand what the problems were, we probably won't circumvent them very well.
- Non-terminal Remodel variants that allow replacing one card with another at the same cost make me nervous just because of the possibility of loading up on these quickly (possibly using the ones you've already got to get more, depending on the specific card in question) and then playing them all in a row to exhaust some other pile in a turn or two.
- Both of the above together is almost certainly degenerate: Use one to gain another to hand, then play it to gain another to hand, etc, and presto, the pile is gone. Of course you need the right fuel to continue the chain like that, but if you can often do this two or three times in a single turn, that's enough to beef up the Player 1 advantage in a huge way and/or lead to very luck-based games, favoring whatever player draws the right fuel cards in hand first.
These concerns don't necessarily apply in every case, but they're things to think about. I think both these categories -- and the Trash For Benefit one in particular -- are unusually difficult to judge without actual playtesting.
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A simple solution to replacement cards exhausting piles is to Return to the Supply instead of Trash. They don't fit the contest anymore, but the impact to your deck is the same. I think of Ambassador as trashing, even though it's not.
Doesn't help you get to the 3-pile ending anymore, but if there's a lot of Power-5s, the substitution effect is enough.
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Powerman, I think you misread Marion. It only takes one action discard to match Remodel. And it gets half a remake no questions asked. I don't think it's all that bad.
Ah, I did misread it. This makes it slightly better, but still IMO nothing special. If you happen to draw it with 2 extra actions you don't want to play to make it a cheap expand, alright, but I doubt it would be better than say... a worker's village to let you just play the actions instead of discarding them, no?
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As I read the card, once the Jannings pile runs out, you start picking up the regular deck-clogging curses. In multiplayer, this could happen quickly because Jannings is a kingdom card and only has 10 in the supply whereas curses increase with the number of players. Hence, this could be very strong in 2P, but weaker in 3P or 4P games.
I think this card compares favorably to Trader. Although Trader isn't guaranteed to be in your hand for the reveal, it is great against Mountebank, Witch and Torturer... essentially slowing these attacks down and gaining a silver in their place (which helps with the inevitable deck clog).
Also, Ambassador could still dole out the regular curses and there's nothing Jannings can do about it. There are some attack boards for which this curse typing card is strong, and others where is less strong.
This strikes me as a lot of speculation about nonsense. Nobody has ever defined a non-Curse Curse that makes any sense whatsoever in Dominion, and this includes Jennings.
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Virginia
$2 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
You may trash an Action or Treasure from your hand. If you do, gain a card with the same cost; put it into your hand.
Such a weak action. It's good as a counter to Swindler, but other than that the only use I see is Peddler? You can't even turn curses into coppers.
Marlene
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Gain a card costing less than the trashed card; put it in your hand.
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS! lol. Anyway, I can't tell much of the use for this card (not named Peddler). Trash a gold for lab in hand? Situationally good I guess, but... you could have just bought the lab instead of the gold. I'd prefer it at $2 OR a boost and put it at $5 to compete with Upgrade.
General comments:
Some unique card ideas, but some of these I think people don't realize just how similar their cards are to existing cards (ie. develop) Also I don't like the fact that almost all of these (like most TFB) make Peddler realllllllllly good. But fun to go through them all.
You think the non-terminal cards that gain arbitrary Action cards in hand are too weak? Think of all the cases where there are $4s that decline in usefulness and $3s that are excellent in specific situations, and the only reason they cost less is that you can't guarantee they'll be in your hand at the right time. But now you can.
Think of turning Spice Merchant into Menagerie or Sea Hag into Masquerade, for example. And with 10 cards in a Kingdom, there will probably be some less obvious ways to get exactly the card you need at exactly the right time. I'm going to go with rinkworks and worry that these are too strong. If anything, the requirement on Marlene that the card has to cost less is a reassuring safety valve.
I'm also not concerned about cards that are spectacular when they trash Peddler for benefit. That's a feature of such exotic cards as Salvager, Apprentice, and Remodel. It's pretty much part of the purpose of Peddler.
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Some general thoughts about the Trash For Benefit cards:
- Somewhere in the secret histories, Donald said he tried experimenting with a Remodel variant that put the new card(s) in hand, but everything he tried along these lines was too crazy. Mine is okay because it only works on Treasures, but having them work on Action cards led to degenerate game states, apparently. I'm too lazy to look for the reference (someone chime in if they know), but I don't recall that it went into detail. Anyway, I'm nervous about judging cards that do this without understanding better what Donald meant. It's conceivable if unlikely that we could succeed where he did not, but if we don't understand what the problems were, we probably won't circumvent them very well.
If he was trying a REMODEL variant, that implies that the value of the cards increased. Increasing value can lead to degeneration in ways that same or less value can't - you can load up on them and transform all the coppers and estates in your deck into engine components or [Remodel variants] which you then use immediately. The deck thinning (turning starting cards into at least cantrips) combines with the card improving to degenerate things. It also totally obviates the need for Treasure cards or money making terminals because you can just use remodelling to get all the way to Province. It's the difference between a Pearl Diver engine and a Peddler engine, one adds value with repeated use.
Your guess that the supply piles were the problem doesn't make sense since the return to supply solution exists and we've seen it on Ambassador.
---
Amongst the content rinkworks destroyed here, I pointed out that Remodel-into-hand stacks, while Swindle-into-hand does not stack, once you've decided you want Sea Hag to be a Quarry, it doesn't help to change it into a Quarry again. But Supermodelling a copper into an Estate and then into a Quarry is a stacking effect. Whether something stacks is a huge aspect of potential for degenerate gameplay - Outpost is one of the least degenerate cards in Dominion.
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Some general thoughts about the Trash For Benefit cards:
- Somewhere in the secret histories, Donald said he tried experimenting with a Remodel variant that put the new card(s) in hand, but everything he tried along these lines was too crazy. Mine is okay because it only works on Treasures, but having them work on Action cards led to degenerate game states, apparently. I'm too lazy to look for the reference (someone chime in if they know), but I don't recall that it went into detail. Anyway, I'm nervous about judging cards that do this without understanding better what Donald meant. It's conceivable if unlikely that we could succeed where he did not, but if we don't understand what the problems were, we probably won't circumvent them very well.
If he was trying a REMODEL variant, that implies that the value of the cards increased. Increasing value can lead to degeneration in ways that same or less value can't - you can load up on them and transform all the coppers and estates in your deck into engine components or [Remodel variants] which you then use immediately. The deck thinning (turning starting cards into at least cantrips) combines with the card improving to degenerate things. It also totally obviates the need for Treasure cards or money making terminals because you can just use remodelling to get all the way to Province. It's the difference between a Pearl Diver engine and a Peddler engine, one adds value with repeated use.
I'm very much unconvinced that this is the whole of the problem, or even necessarily part of it. You'll still need Treasures (or Treasure-producing actions, which can be a suitable a substitute regardless), because Remodelling your starting cards into Provinces would be absurdly slow, even if you got to use the intermediate actions immediately on the way up. This would be true even if you could go up by $2 each time, but nothing says the jump couldn't be just $1.
Similarly, transforming all of your starting cards into Pawns (say) is something you can already do with Remodel and would hardly be suddenly game-breaking if you can put the Pawns into play on the turns you get them.
Your guess that the supply piles were the problem doesn't make sense since the return to supply solution exists and we've seen it on Ambassador.
We don't know this is something Donald tried on a Remodel variant. If he did, we don't know that he rejected it because it didn't solve the problem. It might well have introduced another, namely that such a card would not sufficiently advance the game toward an end state, and there's another debate we've had recently.
Anyway, I'm not saying he didn't, or that supply rushing is the main hazard here. I just don't think you can be that confident you know what the playtesting problems were. It's not self-evident.
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Darn it. I knew that was going to happen sooner or later.
pops: I tried replying to your message but had hit 'Modify' instead of 'Quote' and didn't notice until I'd saved it. As a result, I overwrote your original post with my reply (now seen in a separate message). I tried restoring your original post, but I'd cut some of the original text. I apologize profusely. Feel free to re-edit.
I wonder if I can disable my new ability to modify other people's posts. I don't need to do be able to do that.
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I feel kinda like your putting some burden of proof on the cards for identical ones that may or may not have been playtested already. The cards don't need to prove Donald definitely didn't playtest them in this form or a similar one, the critic needs to prove Donald definitely did playtest a sufficiently similar card. "Remodel to hand" is only enough information to say the cards were as similar as Swindler and Saboteur.
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Darn it. I knew that was going to happen sooner or later.
pops: I tried replying to your message but had hit 'Modify' instead of 'Quote' and didn't notice until I'd saved it. As a result, I overwrote your original post with my reply (now seen in a separate message). I tried restoring your original post, but I'd cut some of the original text. I apologize profusely. Feel free to re-edit.
I wonder if I can disable my new ability to modify other people's posts. I don't need to do be able to do that.
If you could disable the edit timestamp, you could become a Mafia god... ;)
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Gowland
$3 - Action-Duration
+1 Action
Reveal the bottom two cards of your deck. Choose two: Put a revealed card on top of your deck; put a revealed card into your hand; trash a revealed card. The choices must be different.
Anyone have an idea why this card is a Duration? I really like it otherwise, I hope we would be able to take off the Duration portion of this card if it were to win.
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I feel kinda like your putting some burden of proof on the cards for identical ones that may or may not have been playtested already. The cards don't need to prove Donald definitely didn't playtest them in this form or a similar one, the critic needs to prove Donald definitely did playtest a sufficiently similar card. "Remodel to hand" is only enough information to say the cards were as similar as Swindler and Saboteur.
My purpose in posting was to point out that, based on things Donald has said, Remodel-to-hand is a difficult mechanic to make work. Secondarily, my point about non-terminals is just that making a card easy to stack will magnify any balance or gameplay problems that might exist.
Lest I was unclear initially, let me say so plainly now: I am not saying that any particular card submitted for this Challenge is or isn't broken, or that all such cards are broken.
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Gowland
$3 - Action-Duration
+1 Action
Reveal the bottom two cards of your deck. Choose two: Put a revealed card on top of your deck; put a revealed card into your hand; trash a revealed card. The choices must be different.
Anyone have an idea why this card is a Duration? I really like it otherwise, I hope we would be able to take off the Duration portion of this card if it were to win.
We've already seen some winning cards get tweaked a little. If the community, and particularly the author, largely agrees to make a change, I don't see why we couldn't do so. As for the voting, it's up to the individual voter what criteria they want to use to make their choices.
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So going through these and tallying up my votes, I noticed a couple of things:
1. Why does everyone and their brother keep trying to make a Diabolic Tutor (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221519)? I think I counted six or seven in this batch that allowed you to search your discard pile. (None of which got votes from me.)
2. A couple of the TFB cards do not actually qualify by the original set of conditions...
Some quite interesting cards here, though... neat ideas (including some that I've seen before).
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1. Why does everyone and their brother keep trying to make a Diabolic Tutor (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221519)? I think I counted six or seven in this batch that allowed you to search your discard pile. (None of which got votes from me.)
Sorry if I missed it, but is there a reason that such a mechanic is bad for the game? I get that frequent discard-rummaging would be time-consuming and annoying, but a terminal shouldn't have that problem. The mechanic is interesting enough that I'm surprised it's not in the game already.
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I don't think Counting House is bad for the game.
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Potential issues with discard searching:
As said before, it's time consuming. Counting House has a bit of this problem, but eventually people can take it on faith that you have 11 coppers in the discard.
It has the similar problem as Counting House, which is that it's much better when you draw it later in the deck. It's contrary to other cards, where you'd rather play them early. This isn't necessarily bad, but it can be annoying.
It could lead to the Golem style deck. Lots of Golems + 2 Actions = those actions get played every turn. Golem has a high cost which helps balance this out. If a discard-searching is somewhat cheap or non-terminal, you could load up on that and 1 copy of Witch, which is much easier than buying multiple copies of Witch. If Witch isn't in your discard pile, return a discard-searcher and try again next turn.
Although it's probably reasonable, it has the potential to be degenerate. It introduces a large amount of consistency. This is a nice effect from a power standpoint, but in the end variability makes for a more interesting game. That isn't to say that there should never be cards that add consistency. See Scheme, Inn. But you can't overload it too much.
I don't think it's a bad mechanic, it's just a mechanic that appears to swing from useless to overpowered pretty quickly.
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I have noticed that a lot of the submitted cards have quite a bit of text on them. For example, even the winner of Challenge 2 Soothsayer (which I voted for) has to have quite small text (https://dl.dropbox.com/s/jny289w1zouvpn1/Soothsayer.png) to make it all fit on the card. This card and many of the other submitted cards have more text than most official cards. I've found that most official Dominion cards are simple and concise. So, I would encourage people to try to make their cards less complex for future challenges. I also find that I'm not as likely to vote for cards that are too complex or wordy. Just something to think about through these challenges!
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I hate long texts.
On the other hand, it only takes a couple of plays with a certain card to know what it does. Jack of all trades has a lot of texts, does a lot of different things, but still is surprisingly simple.
I've tried to make my texts as concise as possible and have reworded them probably a couple of times. On the other hand, I try to make my texts consistent with the original cards: I try to do it with the syntax as well as the words. Then again, the original cards aren't that consistent themselves.
Baron uses the wording "Estate card" twice, what silliness!
And both "Treasure" and "Treasure card" are used all over the place.
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2. A couple of the TFB cards do not actually qualify by the original set of conditions...
Which ones? I was pretty careful this time, and I don't think anything slipped by. There are a couple of edge cases where the benefits are related to what's in the trash pile, e.g., "For every differently-named card in the trash pile, +$1." I decided this was okay, since you will quickly get into a situation where, say, trashing a Copper is worth a different amount of money than trashing an Estate. That fits the letter of the rules.
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I hate long texts.
On the other hand, it only takes a couple of plays with a certain card to know what it does. Jack of all trades has a lot of texts, does a lot of different things, but still is surprisingly simple.
This piece (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=121.0) from Donald is a great essay about this sort of thing. Ideally, you've got a simple card that reads simply. But it's okay to have a certain number of cards like Native Village and Golem, which require a lot of text but are ideas that are simple enough that, once you ingest them, you know what they do. Because in spite of all the words, there aren't that many moving parts.
Then you've got cards like Grand Market, which does a lot of different things, but they're all concise and standard things, so that's okay. Where you run into trouble is when you have lots of moving parts AND lots of text. When I was learning the game, Bishop was the toughest card for me to ingest, because it does a number of different things and also has a fair bit of text there. Not a huge amount, but you probably wouldn't want any more.
Anyway, I share your love of the really simple cards. Complex ones are worth doing when they're really great ideas that offer strategic possibilities you can't get any other way. I think there is room in this contest for a few of those. But ultimately my favorite official cards tend to be things like Conspirator, Festival, and Border Village.
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I find JoaT confusing. It's still a good card. As an in-deep player barrier to entry means little for me.
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Maybe my favorite point from these designs:
Novello
$5 - Action-Attack
+3 Cards
Each player (including you) with 4 or more cards in hand puts a card from his hand on top of his deck.
If you've set up your deck to buy Provinces due to variance (e.g. ev $6-7ish per hand spiking to $8+ randomly), putting a card back from your hand on top of your deck is bad for you when your hand is anywhere from the worst to just above average, but good for you if your hand is significantly above average or better. Playing BM+Novello, this makes the Courtyard effect on average bad for your opponents (completely random 5-card hands) and good for you (random 7-card hand without your Novello in it).
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Novello is one of my favorites too.
I wonder how many people read the discussion before they vote. It has invariably changed my votes for the better, every time.
I say this because I want to point out that the top/bottom swapper village doesn't have nearly as many moving parts as it appears too, because your opponent's reveal the same top and bottom when you stack, and the village user often reveals the bottom card multiple times so only the top needs inspection.
But I'm not sure anyone even listens to feedback like that..
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Novello is one of my favorites too.
I wonder how many people read the discussion before they vote. It has invariably changed my votes for the better, every time.
I say this because I want to point out that the top/bottom swapper village doesn't have nearly as many moving parts as it appears too, because your opponent's reveal the same top and bottom when you stack, and the village user often reveals the bottom card multiple times so only the top needs inspection.
But I'm not sure anyone even listens to feedback like that..
Depends on your voting criteria...
Any given voter could be voting on power level, how cool the card looks, how tight the design is, how simple the card is, whether it introduces an interesting mechanic, whether it makes you want to play the card, how much the card can act as a centerpiece of a deck, how the card would play in real life, etc.
It comes down to whether this set is meant as eye-candy or as an expansion to play. Eye-candy = vote with inclination towards cool effects/neat design, actual play = vote with inclination towards making sure power levels are right. The discussion slants more towards balancing power than neat effects.
Personally, I only read the discussions to see what people say about my card ;).
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I tended not to read comments before voting, but have read them since. I think I might read them before, might help me notice things I hadn't yet. Like despite having been playtested by me and another guy numerous times, my card actually had a wording issue that people have picked up on, which neither of us had ever noticed.
I actually dislike Novello. It's a slightly different Ghost Ship, and Ghost Ship is not a fun card in general.
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Not nearly as brutal. Orders of magnitude less brutal.
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Personally, I only read the discussions to see what people say about my card ;).
Same here. The contest is the main reason I stopped lurking. I've already got feedback I want to use to rework my cards. :)
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I'm late to commenting, I guess.
Hardy
$2 - Action
+1 Action
Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. Put the revealed cards costing at most $2 into your hand. Put the other cards back on top in any order.
Rings of Apothecary, but doesn't choke on the starting green nor copies of itself. I was intrigued and briefly playtested a strategy relying entirely on this: Without the +1 Card from Apothecary, drawing copies of itself is mostly irrelevant unless there are other $2 cards to pull the Provinces it can't draw off the top of the deck.
Mix
$4 - Action
+$2
Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck. Trash the Curses, discard the Victory cards, place all Actions on the top of your deck in any order, place all Treasure cards on the bottom of your deck in any order.
Interesting. I like that it can encourage draw engines by pooling Actions together, but it sticks all the Treasures you want to draw with the engine on the bottom of your deck. Trashing the Curses might be too strong in games with strong Cursing cards though. I'd have to see this card's praxis to get a feel for it. Also, I can only assume we resolve the card types in order, otherwise I have to tear my Harems apart so I can discard them and put them on the bottom of my deck simultaneously.
Jannings
$3 - Treasure-Curse
Worth +$2
You may trash one action card you have in play immediately. If you do, gain a Gold on your deck.
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Worth -1 VP
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(Rules clarification: This is a Curse as well as a Treasure. It is a kingdom card and does not replace the Curse pile. It may be gained by a player from cursing attacks instead of a regular Curse. It may be revealed and discarded as a Curse as a response to Mountebank.)
I'm all for challenging the traditions in Dominion with new Curse type cards, but this is not the way to do it. While the victory point penalty is a big part of Curses, the space they uselessly occupy in the deck is even more important. This however is in many cases better than Silver. If this were a $5 Treasure and not a Curse, I would still sometimes buy it to trash cheap actions and gain Golds. With only a -1VP penalty, this is much too good to be a sometimes replacement for Curse.
Chase
$2 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Reveal and discard up to 3 of them. Put the rest back in any order. If you revealed an..
Action card, +1 Card
Treasure card, +1 Action
Victory card, +$1
Clever. Its bonuses are never better than Peddler, excluding the cycling, though the deck ordering can happen before the draw which is pretty strong for a $2. I'd want to see this in an actual game to really be able to judge it.
Reid
$3 - Action
Count how many cards you have in play, including this. Look at that many cards from the top of your deck. You may discard any of those cards.
Choose one: +2 Cards or +2 Actions.
I really like unbounded cards like this one and getting to look at the cards before you draw is nifty, but I can't support this card simply for the possiblity of a player needing to order seven or more cards on top of his deck. Talk about analysis paralysis.
Ford
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top 5 cards of your deck. Discard all duplicates. Put the rest back on top in any order.
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(Rules clarification: You discard cards that are duplicates of other revealed cards, not cards that are duplicates of cards in your hand.)
This card would be really fun for cycling with a deck consisting of unique engine parts and for Cornucopia's Menagerie and Harvest. The fact that it could enable some obtuse engines is enough for me to vote for this card.
Nagel
$5 - Treasure-Reaction
Worth $1
Gain a Silver, placing it on top of your deck.
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If this card is trashed in any way, reveal it and gain a Gold on top of your deck.
I like this idea: Simple and to the point. I have tested it as Big Money + Nagel against Big Money and Nagel handles the end game better due to the inflation of Silvers in the deck, but it seems to struggle earlier because Nagel itself is a $5 Copper.
Edna
$3 - Action
Choose one: trash a card from your hand, gaining a number of Coppers equal to its cost in coins, putting them into your hand; or trash any number of Coppers from your hand, gaining a card with cost exactly equal to the number of Coppers you trashed.
This is a fun idea either for Copper flooding in a Salvager style effect or for removing Coppers. The ability to trash any number of Coppers might be too strong-- but it would only be particularly notable in games using Mountebank anyway. This is a clever way to get around using the Coppers you trash.
Marlene
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Gain a card costing less than the trashed card; put it in your hand.
With so many cards gaining to hand in this submission list, I'm happy to see one that gains a card that costs less. I would only be able to see this as being situational, but the fact that this is a cantrip makes it quite effective for either removing Coppers from your deck or transforming Estates into Coppers.
Ethel
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. If it is a...
- Treasure card, gain a Treasure card costing exactly $3 more, and a Victory card costing exactly $2 more;
- Victory card, gain a Treasure card costing exactly $1 more and put it into your hand.
Each other player may reveal and set aside a Province. At the start of his turn, he discards it and gets +$1.
Looking at Mine, I don't think this should cost $5 since it generally only turns Estates into Silvers, but that Treasure card trashing is pretty clever, gaining Victory cards which could be turned into more Treasures in the hand. Plus a lower cost might enable an Ethel-rush sort of strategy to ensure you are drawing Ethels with your Victory cards.
Mae
$3 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
If it is worth:
At least $1: +1 Card
At least $3: +1 Action
At least $5: +1$
At least $7: +1 Buy
At least $9: +1 VP
I am fond of this idea, but the bonuses seem to assume card prices are linear, which is not the case. What am I even supposed to be trashing with this? Trashing Silver to make this a cantrip? Trashing a King's Court for a Market's effect? With increased bonuses, I could see this as being fun, but it would probably end up being a more complicated version of Apprentice or Salvager anyway.
Corinne
$4 - Action-Victory
+1 Buy
You may trash a Victory card from your hand. If you do, +2 VP and gain a differently named Victory card costing up to the cost of the trashed card.
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Worth 1 VP for every 2 Estates in your deck (rounded down).
Baron's best friend here. The action effect could be made useful by buying more Estates with the extra buy or, paradoxically, by clearing out starting Estates, though it can cause you to gain more Estates by trashing different Victory cards. Thinking about it, it might be faster than it initially appears.
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It took me forever to digest the Challenge 5 cards, but here are my thoughts:
Dealing with the Deck, Cartographer-Style
There are so many cards that utilize the put back in any order mechanic! I don’t like most of them, but I would like Hardy a lot if it was priced higher.
Discard Pile Mechanic
I like the idea of utilizing the discard pile, and I don’t really buy that it slows the game down enough to cause a decline in fun if the mechanic is done right. Fields is a lot like Fairbanks, and I like Fairbanks better. I like that Fairbanks is not dead when you don’t have a discard pile (you still get +$2) which is the main reason I don’t play Counting House that much – I always seem to shuffle it to the top of my deck.
Draw and Put Something Back
There are a lot of cards that are similar this time around. Robeson is a lot like Chaplin, but unlike some previous commenters, I think Chaplin is the better balanced version. Reordering is sneaky powerful; but I suppose play testing is in order here to know for sure. Barrymore and Gibson seem really similar, and I would prefer to play games with Barrymore in the kingdom.
Treasure Related
There are a lot of cards that are Treasures, gain Treasures, or manipulate Treasures, and I like a lot of them, especially the following four:
Gilbert is very slick in principle (who doesn’t like to gain Treasures?), but may need to be priced a little lower or have a little buff to it to make it playable more often.
I like the idea of alternate Curses, so I like Jannings, as well, in principle. Yes, it is strong (possibly too strong), but I disagree with previous comments and other threads that it is confusing, or alternate curses can never be playable. If an attack card says “gain a curse” and the Jannnings pile is out, you would have to gain a regular curse, otherwise you would not be satisfying that line of the attack card. I think it is a benefit, not a detriment or broken feature, that it’s a curse that doesn’t clog – it brings down the power level of attacks (which too often are must buys), and there may be an interesting dynamic in a 3-4 player game where you get a couple of rounds of non-clogging curses which doesn’t make the early game so swingy (e.g. not such a big deal that the player to your left flipped your Sea Hag with his Sea Hag). There are only 10 in the supply. Also, can the player being cursed take advantage of the extra Silver and end the game quickly before getting clogged with regular curses and down even more VP than normal attacking games?
I like that Powell goes hunting for Treasure. You could use this ability to set up a slick Powell-Venture chain, or make sure your Loan hits a Copper by playing Powell-Loan. I like that there are possibly many ways to utilize the card. As far as those who are mentioning a “broken” Tunnel interaction – what about Golem-Tunnel with no other actions in your deck? This “break” already exists. It’s just a shame the trick doesn’t work with Chancellor.
Last, but not least, I like Nagel as a more playable Bureaucrat. Not sure about the pricing, though.
[One of the cards mentioned is mine.]
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I like the idea of alternate Curses, so I like Jannings, as well, in principle. Yes, it is strong (possibly too strong), but I disagree with previous comments and other threads that it is confusing, or alternate curses can never be playable. If an attack card says “gain a curse” and the Jannnings pile is out, you would have to gain a regular curse, otherwise you would not be satisfying that line of the attack card. I think it is a benefit, not a detriment or broken feature, that it’s a curse that doesn’t clog – it brings down the power level of attacks (which too often are must buys), and there may be an interesting dynamic in a 3-4 player game where you get a couple of rounds of non-clogging curses which doesn’t make the early game so swingy (e.g. not such a big deal that the player to your left flipped your Sea Hag with his Sea Hag). There are only 10 in the supply. Also, can the player being cursed take advantage of the extra Silver and end the game quickly before getting clogged with regular curses and down even more VP than normal attacking games?
I actually have played with a Curse that acts similarly to Great Hall. It was worth -2VP instead of -1VP though, in order to attempt to balance the fact that it doesn't clog your deck and it was pretty strong even for the increased negative VP.
The biggest issue then is that it may as well be named "Useless Lump" in the great many games that don't involve cursing cards, which is why Jannings suggestion of a card that could be useful to buy without Cursing cards is probably necessary.
I like that Powell goes hunting for Treasure. You could use this ability to set up a slick Powell-Venture chain, or make sure your Loan hits a Copper by playing Powell-Loan. I like that there are possibly many ways to utilize the card. As far as those who are mentioning a “broken” Tunnel interaction – what about Golem-Tunnel with no other actions in your deck? This “break” already exists. It’s just a shame the trick doesn’t work with Chancellor.
Powell doesn't cost a prohibitive $4P and isn't terminal. Powell/Tunnel can start generating Golds for you as early as turn 3 while Golem/Tunnel will, best case scenario, be able to get 2 Golds at turn 5 (assuming the daft opening of Potion/Tunnel, requiring transcedant shuffle luck), let alone that your Golems can later collide to your detriment and aren't producing $1 on their own.
If Powell was worded to get around this issue, I would like it too.
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I like that Powell goes hunting for Treasure. You could use this ability to set up a slick Powell-Venture chain, or make sure your Loan hits a Copper by playing Powell-Loan. I like that there are possibly many ways to utilize the card. As far as those who are mentioning a “broken” Tunnel interaction – what about Golem-Tunnel with no other actions in your deck? This “break” already exists. It’s just a shame the trick doesn’t work with Chancellor.
Powell doesn't cost a prohibitive $4P and isn't terminal. Powell/Tunnel can start generating Golds for you as early as turn 3 while Golem/Tunnel will, best case scenario, be able to get 2 Golds at turn 5 (assuming the daft opening of Potion/Tunnel, requiring transcendent shuffle luck), let alone that your Golems can later collide to your detriment and aren't producing $1 on their own.
If Powell was worded to get around this issue, I would like it too.
Good point. I thought what people were calling broken was just being able to discard your whole deck + discard at one time.
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Last day of voting on these! Get your votes in by tomorrow morning!
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Ah! Pressure! I change my vote! 3 points for rinkworks hidden cards!
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The results for the Deck Improver challenge are in! Here were the submission criteria:
Design a card that, after it is played, leaves the top of your deck in an improved or ordered state. Such cards generally fall into one of a few different categories, although it is possible that a qualifying fan card might not fall into one of these specific categories:
(1) Cards that look at the top cards of your deck and sift them in some way (e.g., Cartographer, Scout).
(2) Cards that put cards on top of your deck (e.g., Courtyard, Pearl Diver, Bureaucrat).
(3) Cards that manage shuffles (e.g., Chancellor).
Unlike some challenges in this contest, the card does not need to FORCE the player to perform top-of-deck improvement, but it does need to provide the opportunity.
I'm proud of the card that would have been my submission for this challenge, because it uses Cartographer's filtering mechanic, but I created it before Hinterlands came out (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=540.0).
Magistrate
$4 - Action/Reaction
+$2
Look at the top 3 cards of your deck. Discard any of them that you choose and return the rest to your deck in any order.
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When another player plays an attack card, look at the top 3 cards of your deck. Discard any of them that you choose, return the rest to your deck in any order, and set this card aside. At the start of your next turn, return this card to your hand.
The reaction effect could be cut, but I like the way it lets you sometimes use the effect without consuming an Action. And if you want to use it again on your turn, that can still be useful. Against attacks, it defends against all the attacks that Secret Chamber and Horse Traders defend against, though not as effectively as either, so there's a trade-off there.
Okay, onward! Here are the results for Challenge #5!
#1 - Garrison by Drab Emordnilap with 18 points (Novello)
$5 - Action-Attack
+3 Cards
Each player (including you) with 4 or more cards in hand puts a card from his hand on top of his deck.
It was a hard-fought battle for first place, but in the end it was Garrison that eked out a narrow victory. This is a sneaky Ghost Ship/Courtyard cross that hits all players with the same penalty. But with the larger hand size, that penalty is more likely to be a help to the attacker (smoothing out his draws) and hurt his opponents, rather than the other way around.
Hot on Garrison's heels were completely different cards -- a money flooder, a discard pile fisher, and a selective drawer.
Also of note are the cards submitted by ChocophileBenj and iangoth: except for the name, they were the exact same card, right down to the wording and formatting -- not that that idea could have been worded much differently. (Additionally, Tables' card differed only by a couple of numbers.) I didn't know how I should handle that situation, so I wound up combining the two entries into a single entry.
Here are the rest of the results:
#2 - Heirloom by andwilk with 17 points (Nagel)
$5 - Treasure-Reaction
Worth $1
Gain a Silver, placing it on top of your deck.
--
If this card is trashed in any way, reveal it and gain a Gold on top of your deck.
#3 (tie) - Archaeologist by Green Opal with 14 points (Fairbanks)
$3 - Action
+$2
You may put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
#3 (tie) - Cobbler by Tables with 14 points (Chaplin)
$4 - Action
+3 Cards
+1 Action
Put two cards from your hand on top of your deck.
#5 - Swashbuckler's Inn by Saucery with 13 points (Linder)
$4 - Action-Attack
+1 Card
+2 Actions
Each player (including you) reveals the top and bottom card of their deck. Choose whether they put the revealed cards back in the same place or swap their positions.
#6 (tie) - Scribe by One Armed Man with 12 points (Mix)
$4 - Action
+$2
Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck. Trash the Curses, discard the Victory cards, place all Actions on the top of your deck in any order, place all Treasure cards on the bottom of your deck in any order.
#6 (tie) - Skipper by jamuspsi with 12 points (Gowland)
$3 - Action-Duration
+1 Action
Reveal the bottom two cards of your deck. Choose two: Put a revealed card on top of your deck; put a revealed card into your hand; trash a revealed card. The choices must be different.
#8 (tie) - Gardener by Kirian with 11 points (Rogers)
$4 - Action
+4 Cards
Trash a card from your hand.
Discard a card.
Put a card from your hand on top of your deck.
Each other player may trash a card from his hand.
#8 (tie) - Sweeper by blueblimp with 11 points (Hardy)
$2 - Action
+1 Action
Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. Put the revealed cards costing at most $2 into your hand. Put the other cards back on top in any order.
#8 (tie) - Farmer by brokoli with 11 points (Ford)
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top 5 cards of your deck. Discard all duplicates. Put the rest back on top in any order.
--
(Rules clarification: You discard cards that are duplicates of other revealed cards, not cards that are duplicates of cards in your hand.)
#8 (tie) - Master of Assassins by CaptainNevada with 11 points (Dix)
$5 - Action
Look at the first five cards on top of your deck. Put one card in your hand. Discard two cards. Put the other two on top of your deck in the order you choose.
#8 (tie) - Artisan by Celestial Chameleon with 11 points (Beery)
$5 - Action
+1 Action
Trash the top card of your deck.
Gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card; put it on your deck.
#13 (tie) - Jongleur by Mecherath with 10 points (Langdon)
$4 - Action-Attack
Reveal cards from your deck until you reveal a card that is not a victory card.
Choose one: Gain a copy of that card, putting both copies on top of your deck; Return that card to the supply. Each other player gains a copy of it.
Discard the other revealed cards.
#13 (tie) - Conjurer by jonts26 with 10 points (Arbuckle)
$4 - Action
+2 Cards
Discard any number of cards. You may shuffle your discard pile and put it on top of your deck.
#15 - Polisher by bozzball with 9 points (Karloff)
$5 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top card of your deck. Either discard it or trash it. If you trash it, gain a silver, putting it on top of your deck.
#16 - Vizier (1) by A Drowned Kernel with 8 points (Hart)
$4 - Action-Duration
Now and at the start of your next turn: +$1.
Put your deck into your discard pile, then search your discard pile for up to three cards, placing them face down underneath this card. When this card leaves play, put all cards underneath it into your discard pile.
#17 (tie) - Cannon by Powerman with 7 points (Veidt)
$5 - Treasure
Worth $2
When you play this, reveal cards from your deck until you reveal a Victory or Curse card. Discard the revealed Victory or Curse Card, and reshuffle all other revealed cards into your deck. If you revealed no Victory or Curse Card, gain a Silver, placing it on your deck.
#17 (tie) - Secret Society by senseless with 7 points (Reid)
$3 - Action
Count how many cards you have in play, including this. Look at that many cards from the top of your deck. You may discard any of those cards.
Choose one: +2 Cards or +2 Actions.
#17 (tie) - Guide by popsofctown with 7 points (Chase)
$2 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Reveal and discard up to 3 of them. Put the rest back in any order. If you revealed an..
Action card, +1 Card
Treasure card, +1 Action
Victory card, +$1
#20 (tie) - Confidence Man by Guy Srinivasan with 6 points (Hersholt)
$4 - Action-Duration
Gain a Gold, putting it on top of your deck. Until the end of your next turn, when you play a Gold, trash it.
#20 (tie) - Surveyor by Dubdubdubdub with 6 points (Gibson)
$4 - Action
Draw up to 10 cards in hand. Put any number of cards on your deck in any order. Discard down to 5 cards.
#20 (tie) - Historian by Schneau with 6 points (Fields)
$3 - Action
+$2
If your deck is not empty, discard the top card. Look through your discard pile; reveal one card and place it on top of your deck.
#23 (tie) - Patroller/Ferry by ChocophileBenj/iangoth with 5 points (Robeson)
$4 - Action
+4 Cards
+1 Action
Put 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck.
#23 (tie) - Bounty Hunter by Grujah with 5 points (Murray)
$4 - Action
+1 Action
Name a card.
Reveal the top 5 cards of your deck.
Put the revealed named card(s) on top of your deck.
Discard the rest.
#23 (tie) - Seer (1) by Davio with 5 points (Laurel)
$5 - Action
Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. Discard any number of them. Put the rest back on top in any order.
+1 Card for every card discarded.
#23 (tie) - Judge by Qvist with 5 points (Jones)
$3 - Action
You may immediately shuffle your discard pile and put it on top of your deck.
You may immediately put your deck into your discard pile.
+1 Card
+1 Action
#23 (tie) - Blood Money by Polk5440 with 5 points (Jannings)
$3 - Treasure-Curse
Worth +$2
You may trash one action card you have in play immediately. If you do, gain a Gold on your deck.
--
Worth -1 VP
--
(Rules clarification: This is a Curse as well as a Treasure. It is a kingdom card and does not replace the Curse pile. It may be gained by a player from cursing attacks instead of a regular Curse. It may be revealed and discarded as a Curse as a response to Mountebank.)
#23 (tie) - Beach by Robz888 with 5 points (Hayakawa)
$5 - Action-Victory
2 VP
+1 Action
Look at the top 2 cards of your deck. You may put 1 of them into your hand. Put the rest back on top in any order.
--
When you gain this, look at the top 6 cards of your deck. Discard up to 3 of them. Put the rest back on top in any order.
#23 (tie) - Realtor by nopawnsintended with 5 points (Gilbert)
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Reveal and discard the top card of your deck. In its place, you may gain a Treasure costing up to the value of the card you discarded.
#23 (tie) - Barge by Fragasnap with 5 points (Brook)
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
If there are no cards on your Barge mat, set the top 5 cards from your deck face down onto your mat. Otherwise: You may put all the cards from your mat on top of your deck in any order.
You may look at the cards on your mat at any time; return them to your deck at the end of the game.
#31 (tie) - Digger by Titandrake with 4 points (Powell)
$4 - Treasure
Worth $1
When you play this, name a Treasure card. Reveal cards from your deck until you reveal the named card. Discard the other cards. Put the named card on top of your deck.
--
(Rules clarification: You may name Treasures that aren't in the Kingdom.)
#31 (tie) - Seer (2) by gman314 with 4 points (Menjou)
$5 - Action
Look at the top 5 cards of your deck, draw up to two, put up to two back on top in any order, and discard the remainder.
#31 (tie) - Pathfinder by Auto-Destruct Sequence with 4 points (Meighan)
$4 - Action
Look through your deck. Reveal and set aside up to 3 victory cards. Shuffle your deck. Return any set aside cards to the bottom of your deck in the order you choose.
#31 (tie) - Vizier (2) by Tejayes with 4 points (Maynard)
$4 - Action
Look through your deck, then set aside three cards. Put the rest of your deck into your discard pile, then put the set aside card on top of your deck in any order.
#31 (tie) - Strategist by NoMoreFun with 4 points (Lloyd)
$5 - Action
+1 Action
If this is the first action you played this turn: Draw until you have 10 cards in hand, then place 5 cards on top of your deck in any order.
#31 (tie) - Squire by RobertJ with 4 points (Krauss)
$5 - Action-Attack
+1 Action
Either discard a card; if you do, +2 cards,
or put a card from your hand on top of your deck; if you do, +$2.
Each other player with at least 4 cards in hand reveals a card from his hand and either discards it or puts it on top of his deck, your choice.
#37 (tie) - Prospector by Graystripe77 with 3 points (Valentino)
$6 - Action-Victory
2 VP
--
Reveal the top 5 cards of your deck. Discard 1, put the rest back in any order.
+$2 if you did not discard a Victory card.
--
When you gain this, each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand.
#37 (tie) - Consul by Nicrosil with 3 points (Stroheim)
$5 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
You may put your deck into your discard pile. Put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
--
When you buy Consul, shuffle your discard pile into your deck.
--
(Rules clarification: You shuffle your discard pile into your deck before gaining this.)
#37 (tie) - Hunting Dog by Michaelf7777777 with 3 points (Schreck)
$5 - Action
Discard a card from your hand. Gain a different non-victory card of the same cost, putting it on top of your deck.
#37 (tie) - Downgrade by Jorbles with 3 points (Chaney)
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Do this twice: gain a card costing less than the card trashed and place it on top of your deck.
#37 (tie) - Royal Aide by DWetzel with 3 points (Carey)
$6 - Action-Reaction
Name a card type. If you named Action, +1 Action. If you named Victory, +1 Card. If you named Treasure, $1, +1 Buy.
Reveal the top three cards of your deck. Place all cards of the named type in your hand. You may discard any or all of the remaining cards. Place any remaining cards on top of your deck in any order.
--
When you gain a card, you may reveal this from your hand. If you do, you may trash that card.
#42 (tie) - Watermill by heatthespurs with 2 points (Colman)
$5 - Action
Draw up to 3 cards.
Put up to 3 cards from your hand on top of your deck in any order. If you put 3 cards back, +1 action.
#42 (tie) - Playwright by zahlman with 2 points (Barrymore)
$5 - Action-Duration
+5 Cards
Place up to 5 cards from your hand on top of your deck, in any order. Discard your hand.
During your cleanup phase, do not draw any cards. Instead, draw 5 cards at the beginning of your next turn.
--
(Rules clarification: if you played both Playwright and Tactician (e.g. using a Golem), you draw no cards in your cleanup phase, and 10 cards at the beginning of your next turn: 5 plus the +5 from Tactician. If you played Playwright with TR/KC, and/or multiple separate Playwrights via Golem, you still draw only 5 cards at the beginning of your next turn.)
#44 - Dancing Bear by Adrienaline with 1 point (Keaton)
$4 - Action-Attack
Discard two cards. If you discarded any cards this way, you may then put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
Each other player discards until they have three cards in hand.
#45 - Hilltop Village by Dsell with 0 points (Finlayson)
$5 - Action
+5 Cards
+2 Actions
Put 5 cards on top of your deck in any order.
-
The results for the Trash For Benefit challenge are in! Here were the submission criteria:
Design a card that can trash one or more other cards (of your own) and give some sort of benefit that is different depending on what specific card(s) were trashed. Such cards generally fall into one of a few different categories, although it is possible that a qualifying fan card might not fall into one of these specific categories:
(1) The "Remodel" family, which lets you exchange cards for different cards. Official Examples: Remodel, Expand, Upgrade, Remake, Develop, Forge, Farmland, Governor.
(2) Cards that offer other benefits based on the cost of the trashed card(s). Official Examples: Mine, Salvager, Bishop, Apprentice, Trader.
(3) Cards that offer benefits based on the type of the trashed card(s). Official Examples: Transmute.
I don't actually have a card for this challenge myself, so let's skip straight to the contest results!
#1 - Pawnshop by blueblimp with 23 points (Edna)
$3 - Action
Choose one: trash a card from your hand, gaining a number of Coppers equal to its cost in coins, putting them into your hand; or trash any number of Coppers from your hand, gaining a card with cost exactly equal to the number of Coppers you trashed.
The winner, with a commanding lead, reads superficially like a Copper version of Trader. Copper isn't as cool as Silver, but what this card does that Trader doesn't is that the trade can work the other way. This is probably strong early, since you can slim down and still put something good in your deck. Alternately, you can explode your starting Estates and other cards into lots of Copper, to enable Copper-based strategies or alt-VP rushes.
This card had a commanding lead early on in the voting period and obviously also in the end. But there was a stretch in the middle when the second place card was running neck-and-neck with it. I'm pretty pleased with both cards, especially for such a tough category, and would like to experiment with both cards in my own live games.
The rest of the results:
#2 - Astrologer by A Drowned Kernel with 18 points (Norma)
$4 - Action-Attack
Trash two cards from your hand. If they are the same card, each other player gains a copy of that card. Otherwise, +$ equal to the difference in cost between the two.
--
When you gain this, each other player may trash a card from his hand.
#3 - Tithe by Fragasnap with 15 points (Corinne)
$4 - Action-Victory
+1 Buy
You may trash a Victory card from your hand. If you do, +2 VP and gain a differently named Victory card costing up to the cost of the trashed card.
--
Worth 1 VP for every 2 Estates in your deck (rounded down).
#4 - Tinkerer (1) by Davio with 13 points (Anita)
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
+$1 per differently named card in the Trash pile.
#5 (tie) - Jewels by Titandrake with 12 points (Sarah)
$3 - Treasure
Worth $0
When you play this, trash a card in play that you own. +$ equal to half the cost in coins of the trashed card, rounded down.
--
(Rules clarification: Jewels can trash itself. If you trash a Treasure, you do not lose the money that Treasure produced.)
#5 (tie) - Museum by Saucery with 12 points (Pola)
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
+1 Buy
You may trash a card from your hand. If the supply pile of the trashed card is empty, gain a Duchy. If the supply pile of the trashed card and another supply pile is empty, you may gain a Province instead.
#7 (tie) - Emerald Mine by Robz888 with 11 points (Ethel)
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. If it is a...
- Treasure card, gain a Treasure card costing exactly $3 more, and a Victory card costing exactly $2 more;
- Victory card, gain a Treasure card costing exactly $1 more and put it into your hand.
Each other player may reveal and set aside a Province. At the start of his turn, he discards it and gets +$1.
#7 (tie) - Silversmith by Kirian with 11 points (Constance)
$5 - Action
Trash a Treasure card from your hand. Gain a Silver in hand for each coin in the Treasure's face value.
Each other player may trash a Treasure card from his hand, and gain a Silver in hand.
--
(Rules clarifications: Trashing Bank, Fool's Gold, Horn of Plenty, or Philosopher's Stone give no benefit to the player, as these cards have 0 or unknown face value. This restriction does not apply to other players who choose to trash a Treasure card.)
#9 (tie) - Repurpose by Celestial Chameleon with 9 points (Marlene)
$3 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Gain a card costing less than the trashed card; put it in your hand.
#9 (tie) - Wedding by Schneau with 9 points (Maria)
$6 - Action
+1 Action
Trash two cards from your hand. Gain a card costing up to the total cost of the trashed cards, putting it into your hand.
#9 (tie) - Reconstruct by Polk5440 with 9 points (Louise)
$5 - Action
The player to your left reveals and discards the top card of his deck. You may trash a card from your hand of the same type. If you do, gain a card costing up to $3 more than the trashed card.
--
(Rules clarification: Type refers to the set {Treasure, Victory, Action, Curse}. If a dual-type is revealed, you may trash a card that shares a type with the discarded card. For example, Harem is turned over; you may trash a card that has type Treasure or Victory.)
#9 (tie) - Magician by heatthespurs with 9 points (Carole)
$4 - Action
Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck. Trash one of them. Gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card. Put the gained card together with other revealed cards on top of your deck in any order.
#13 (tie) - Interpreter by popsofctown with 8 points (Virginia)
$2 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
You may trash an Action or Treasure from your hand. If you do, gain a card with the same cost; put it into your hand.
#13 (tie) - Repair by Tejayes with 8 points (Lya)
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Trash a card from your hand. You may gain a card costing the same as or less than the card trashed, putting it into your hand.
#13 (tie) - Barter by iangoth with 8 points (Bebe)
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. You may gain a card costing up to $1 more than the trashed card. If you do, play it immediately.
#16 - Downgrade (1) by nopawnsintended with 7 points (Clara)
$5 - Action
Trash a Victory card from your hand. If you do, +2 VP, +$4, and gain a Victory
card costing less than the trashed card.
#17 (tie) - Downgrade (2) by Jorbles with 6 points (Thelma)
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Do this twice: gain a card costing less than the card trashed and place it on top of your deck.
#17 (tie) - Altar of Sacrifices by ChocophileBenj with 6 points (Billie)
$4 - Action
Choose one:
Trash a card from your hand, gain 1 Altar of Sacrifices token per $ in its cost, plus 2 if it has potion in it OR return any number of Altar of Sacrifices tokens to the supply, +$1 or +1 Buy per returned token.
--
Every 2 Altar of Sacrifices tokens are worth 1 VP.
#19 (tie) - Tormenter by jonts26 with 5 points (Zasu)
$4 - Action-Attack
+$2
+1 Buy
Trash a card from your hand. For every 2 coins in the trashed card's cost, each other player chooses to discard a card or gain a Curse.
--
(Rules clarification: The opponent can choose a combination of discarding and curses.)
#19 (tie) - Burnt Offering by Mecherath with 5 points (Theda)
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
+$1
+1 VP
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an...
Action card, play it three times.
Treasure card, +$ equal to its cost.
Victory card, +VP equal to half its cost in coins, rounded down.
#19 (tie) - Tinkerer (2) by Drab Emordnilap with 5 points (Paulette)
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand, then gain a card costing exactly $1 more than the trashed card; put it into your hand.
--
While this is in play, when you buy a card, trash that card and gain a card costing exactly $1 more than the trashed card.
#19 (tie) - Tinker by Green Opal with 5 points (Mary)
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
Look at the top card of your deck. You may trash it. If you do, gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card, putting it on top of your deck.
#19 (tie) - Cleric by Auto-Destruct Sequence with 5 points (Joan)
$4 - Action-Attack
+1 VP
Trash a card from your hand. If it's a Victory card, each other player gains a Curse. If it's a Curse, each other player gains an Estate.
#19 (tie) - Feoffee by One Armed Man with 5 points (Gloria)
$4 - Action
Trash up to 2 cards from your hand. If you trashed 2 cards that share a type, gain a card costing up to $6 that shares a type with both the trashed cards.
#19 (tie) - Town Drunk by Graystripe77 with 5 points (Dorothy)
$3 - Action
Trash 2 cards that are not Victories from your hand.
If you trashed any Curses this way, gain a Curse.
If you trashed any Treasures this way, gain a Silver.
If you trashed any Actions this way +3 Cards.
#19 (tie) - Pawn Shop by andwilk with 5 points (Brigitte)
$4 - Action
+1 Action
Trash a Treasure or Action card from your hand.
If you trashed a Treasure, gain an Action card costing up to $3 more than the card trashed.
If you trashed an Action, gain a Treasure card costing up to $3 more than the card trashed.
#27 (tie) - Investment by Nicrosil with 4 points (Renee)
$5 - Treasure
Worth $2
When you play this, you may trash a card you have in play. If you do, you may gain a card costing at most as much as the trashed card.
--
(Rules clarification: This card can trash itself.)
#27 (tie) - Curator by eHalcyon with 4 points (Mildred)
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an Action or Victory card, +$10 and -$1 for each copy of that card remaining in the Supply.
--
(Rules clarification: If you trash action card X and there are only 4 Xs left in the supply, you would get +$6.)
#27 (tie) - Industry by NoMoreFun with 4 points (Anna)
$5 - Action
+1 Card
Trash a card from your hand.
Search the trash for cards costing 5 or more. If there's a...
Action Card: +2 Actions
Treasure Card: +$1, +1 Buy
Victory Card: +2 Cards
#30 (tie) - Mercenary by jamuspsi with 3 points (Pearl)
$5 - Action-Attack
Trash a card from your hand.
If it was a Treasure card: gain a Silver, and each other player gains a Copper.
If it was a Silver, each other player gains a Curse.
If it was a Victory card: +3 Cards, +1 Action, and each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand.
If it was an Action card: Gain an Action card costing up to $4, and each other player puts cards from his hand on top of his deck until he has 4 cards in hand.
#30 (tie) - Recycler by Michaelf7777777 with 3 points (Olive)
$2 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. Gain a card costing up to $1 more than the trashed card; put it into your hand.
#30 (tie) - Smithereens by bozzball with 3 points (Mae)
$3 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
If it is worth:
At least $1: +1 Card
At least $3: +1 Action
At least $5: +1$
At least $7: +1 Buy
At least $9: +1 VP
#30 (tie) - Reinvent by Grujah with 3 points (Jean)
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
Gain 2 differently named cards of the same cost.
--
(Rule clarification: 2 differently named from each other, not from the trashed card.)
#30 (tie) - Exchange by rspeer with 3 points (Janet)
$4 - Action
Trash up to two cards from your hand.
If you trashed any Treasure cards, +2 Actions.
If you trashed any Action cards, +2 Cards.
If you trashed any Victory cards, +$2.
#30 (tie) - Enhance by Qvist with 3 points (Geraldine)
$4 - Action
Trash a card. Gain 2 non-Victory cards costing up to $1 more than the trashed card.
#30 (tie) - Convicts by Adrienaline with 3 points (Dolores)
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
If this is the first Convicts that you have played this turn, gain two cards costing less than the trashed card, adding them to your hand.
Otherwise gain three cards costing less than the trashed card, adding them to your hand.
#30 (tie) - Trading Village by brokoli with 3 points (Alice)
$4 - Action
+2 Actions
Trash a card from your hand. If it is a...
Treasure card: +$2
Victory card: +2 Cards
Curse: Gain a Copper, putting it in your hand
#38 (tie) - Foundry by RobertJ with 2 points (Patsy)
$4 - Action
Trash any number of cards from your hand. Gain a card costing less than $2 per number of differently named cards trashed.
#38 (tie) - Joint Effort by senseless with 2 points (Marion)
$4 - Action
Discard any number of Action cards and trash a card from your hand. If you do, gain a card costing exactly $1 plus $1 per card discarded more than the trashed card.
#38 (tie) - Redecorate by Tables with 2 points (Lillian)
$5 - Action
Trash this card. Discard any number of cards. Put your deck into your discard pile. Search your discard pile for up to two cards costing up to $6, reveal and trash them. For each trashed card, gain a card costing at most $1 more than the trashed card.
#38 (tie) - Landowner by Guy Srinivasan with 2 points (Fay)
$2 - Action
+1 Action
Trash this card. Trash a Treasure card from your hand. Gain a Victory card costing up to 1 more than the trashed Treasure card.
#38 (tie) - Bog Town by Dubdubdubdub with 2 points (Eleanor)
$5 - Action-Reaction
+2 Actions
You may trash a card you have in play (including this). If you do, gain a card other than Bog Town with the same price as the trashed card or lower, putting it into your hand.
#38 (tie) - Duplicate by Archetype with 2 points (Blanche)
$2 - Action
Trash an Action card from your hand. Gain 2 cards of the same cost as the trashed card.
#38 (tie) - Transfigure by gman314 with 2 points (Betty)
$4P - Action
+2 Cards
Trash any number of cards. If they are all:
Action cards: Gain a Duchy.
Treasure cards: Gain a Transfigure.
Victory cards: Gain a Gold.
#45 (tie) - Uncontrolled Growth by Powerman with 1 point (Mabel)
$7 - Action-Victory
1 VP
Trash up to 3 cards from your hand. Gain a card costing up to...
4 x # of Action Cards trashed
3 x # of Curse Cards trashed
2 x # of Treasure Cards trashed
1 x # of Victory Cards trashed
--
When you gain this card, each other player gains a Curse.
#45 (tie) - Poor Box by CaptainNevada with 1 point (Hedy)
$4 - Action
Trash up to four cards from your hand. For each card trashed, +$1.
#45 (tie) - Scaffolding by Dsell with 1 point (Evelyn)
$4 - Action
+1 Action
Trash a card from your hand. Gain an Action or Treasure card costing up to $1 more; put it into your hand.
#45 (tie) - Scavenger by DWetzel with 1 point (Colleen)
$4 - Action
You may trash Scavenger when you play it. If you do, +1 Card, +1 Action, $2.
+1 Card
You may trash up to two cards from your hand. For each Action card trashed, +1 Action; for each Treasure card, $2; for each Victory card, +1 Card.
#49 - Wandering Merchants by zahlman with 0 points (Greta)
$7 - Action
Trash any number of cards from your discard pile. Add their costs.
For each $3 in the total cost, choose one: +$1, or +1 VP.
For each P in the cost, choose one: +P or +1 VP.
--
(Rules clarification: "P" represents a Potion symbol.)
-
So I'm the only person who thought a discard pile to deck mechanic was too strong as most of the other entrants that used it had it? Interesting.
And I was happy with Convicts... Though I can see why it needed a +action. Looking too much at Mine for my comparison.
Congratulations to the winners.
-
I designed both cards to combo with Almoner. Sweeper (Hardy) can pick up Almoners and their Coppers. Pawnshop (Edna) can immediately take those in-hand Coppers and turn them into something useful.
Some commenters thought Sweeper is strong, but if anything it seems weak without support. Once you start greening, it starts acting as a sort of self-Rabble.
-
I've played with a discard-pile-to-hand card for $5 (no +Action, so you needed a Village to pull in action cards) and found it to be interesting but weak and better balanced at $4. Discard-to-deck is weaker in the sense that it delays you a turn; stronger in that you don't need a Village to reuse a strong action card. Both cards suffer like Counting House does, where they're useless if you get them at the top of a shuffle.
Scheme is harder to get going (due to the need to collide it with your key power card), but more powerful once you do (enables using it in consecutive turns, rather than every-other-turn, and isn't disrupted when you reshuffle). My guess is that discard-to-top-of-deck is fine, but that's only a guess. I'll probably try out Archaeologist sometime.
-
Congratulations to the winners!
I was kind of hoping one of the Treasure cards would win, though (esp. Jewels/Sarah). Maybe there will be a Treasure Challenge in the future? It seems like there is space there for some interesting stuff!
Also, rinkworks, what is the policy of submitting losing cards to future contests? I would like the opportunity to vote for some of the losers again in another category.
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Hm, well, congratulations to the winners. I really didn't like Garrison, I'm afraid, but did like Pawnshop.
Now that the contest's over, regarding Cobbler (Chaplain) and (Robeson): Cobbler is an okay $4. Robeson would still be balanced at $4, but it'd be less fun. I originally started testing this with a $5 which was +6 cards +1 action, put 5 cards back. It was strong but balanced, but the action paralysis was insane. I was bored of it after a single test game! So I toned it down to a $3 but otherwise as written. It probably should have stayed at $3, actually, but I increased it to $4 after it seemed a little strong. Now, +3 cards, +1 action, put two cards back is just easy enough to deal with that it takes a few seconds, usually not more than that. Putting three cards back takes considerably longer to deal with. So in that respect, I'm kinda glad Chaplain got more points (but it got perhaps too many more points).
Redecorate had a minor wording issue, which I think lost it a lot of points. The problem that I never realised is, a literal reading means you gain a $6 even if you trash nothing else, which was never the plan and would make the card far, far too powerful. The intent was it's an extremely general one shot $5 TFB. Being able to essentially choose any two cards in your deck to remake is very, very strong, especially as it's not just a remake (it's up to $1 more). It's good for greening late, for trashing away cursers after curses run out and various other things. I actually really enjoy it, but I guess the wording issue made it look overpowered in general (it certainly would be!)
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Wooo, I got 4th in the TfB contest!
Funny that someone else also used the name Tinkerer, guess we're running out. :)
Congrats to the winner.
I really like the setup.
Cards designed by Dominion's biggest fans and best players, voted by the same people. This way we really get a set from the people, for the people. :D
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I was hoping to win with my trash-for-benefits card, Emerald Mine, which I actually posted on the forums some months ago, and received positive feedback. But I'm happy it got 7th which is my best place so far.
http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=1909.msg34465#msg34465
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Man, I did terrible this time. :-\ I realized shortly after submitting that Hilltop Village (Finlayson) was gonna be overpowered, I still really like the concept with 4 cards instead of 5. A lot of people seemed to like Scaffolding (Evelyn) but it only got one point. I actually didn't vote this time because I was on vacation till last night. I hadn't even finished reading all the TfB cards.
Anyway, on to the winners! Pawnshop is great. I love its use of coppers, and it looks like there are some interesting strategic decisions there. Seems quite unique even with the trader comparisons.
Tbh I don't like Garrison and would never have put a vote there, but I'm a huge ghost ship hater and this reads to me as very very similar.
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Congrats to the winners. Can we change the name of Pawnshop into "Pawnbroker" (a person) or at least "Pawn Shop"? "Pawn Shoppe" would be a funny and archaic way to name it as well. "Lombard" is what it was called in Renaissance Europe.
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Congrats to the winners. I didn't vote for Garrison but I liked it. And Pawnshop seems excellent.
I'm a little sad for my Farmer/Ford which received 11 points, but everyone is not a Cornucopia lover. However I really think I should keep this idea in mind.
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#27 (tie) - Curator by eHalcyon with 4 points (Mildred)
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an Action or Victory card, +$10 and -$1 for each copy of that card remaining in the Supply.
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(Rules clarification: If you trash action card X and there are only 4 Xs left in the supply, you would get +$6.)
I'd love some thoughts on this. I think tracking remaining supply is a neat, novel idea. I think it sounds scary powerful ($10 is a lot!) but isn't too bad when you think about it:
- It gives no benefit for trashing Coppers or Curses.
- In 2p it gives $2 for trashing Estates, but $0 in bigger games (because there are more in the Supply).
- To get real value out of the trash, you have to trash cards that are popular buys.
- Powerful for the end game, when you don't mind losing your power cards for massive benefit.
- Decent at removing strong openers that fade later in the game (e.g. Sea Hag).
I think it's neat because you're trashing for the value of a card as decided by the players, based on the entire Kingdom (which would influence what gets purchased), rather than on the face value cost of the card.
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Congratulations to the winners!
I was kind of hoping one of the Treasure cards would win, though (esp. Jewels/Sarah). Maybe there will be a Treasure Challenge in the future? It seems like there is space there for some interesting stuff!
Also, rinkworks, what is the policy of submitting losing cards to future contests? I would like the opportunity to vote for some of the losers again in another category.
A Treasure card challenge is pretty much obligatory, I think, so yeah. As for resubmitting cards that lose, why not? I think someone already did it, actually, so there is precedent.
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Congrats to the winners. Can we change the name of Pawnshop into "Pawnbroker" (a person) or at least "Pawn Shop"? "Pawn Shoppe" would be a funny and archaic way to name it as well. "Lombard" is what it was called in Renaissance Europe.
As weird as it seems, "pawnshop" is often just one word. (For example, check Wikipedia.) "Pawn Shop" is fine too. There's no particular preference for people vs places among official trashers: e.g. Chapel and Trading Post are places, while Steward and Trader are people. So Pawnbroker would be fine too.
"Pawn Shoppe" is just silly, though. :P
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#27 (tie) - Curator by eHalcyon with 4 points (Mildred)
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an Action or Victory card, +$10 and -$1 for each copy of that card remaining in the Supply.
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(Rules clarification: If you trash action card X and there are only 4 Xs left in the supply, you would get +$6.)
I'd love some thoughts on this.
I'd love to give some to you. But this was one of those cards where I just couldn't conceive of how it would play in practice. Maybe this hurt it in the contest, too, but that's one of the disadvantages of the format. Minion, Pirate Ship, Tournament, and Governor (for example) are hard to envision without experience too.
One minor wording issue: you should probably have a "but not less than $0" equivalent in there, as Victory piles can be 12 deep. In a 3+ player game, you have to trash 3 copies before you get any monetary benefit, while in a 2 player game the starting Estates are all worth $2 right away. Not sure if that's a problem or just an idiosyncrasy.
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Congrats to the winners. Can we change the name of Pawnshop into "Pawnbroker" (a person) or at least "Pawn Shop"? "Pawn Shoppe" would be a funny and archaic way to name it as well. "Lombard" is what it was called in Renaissance Europe.
As weird as it seems, "pawnshop" is often just one word. (For example, check Wikipedia.) "Pawn Shop" is fine too. There's no particular preference for people vs places among official trashers: e.g. Chapel and Trading Post are places, while Steward and Trader are people. So Pawnbroker would be fine too.
"Pawn Shoppe" is just silly, though. :P
I'll vote for Pawnbroker. Lombard is pretty cool too -- I didn't know about that word. But I'm also happy with the original name. Ultimately it's up to you.
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I was hoping to win with my trash-for-benefits card, Emerald Mine, which I actually posted on the forums some months ago, and received positive feedback. But I'm happy it got 7th which is my best place so far.
Yeah, I recognized Emerald Mine immediately, and it got a vote from me. Happy to tie with you!
So I'm the only person who thought a discard pile to deck mechanic was too strong as most of the other entrants that used it had it? Interesting.
Nope. The discard-to-deck mechanic was an instant no-vote from me too... I even said as much upthread.
I think I'm happy with top 10 twice given the strength of the field here. Congrats to the winners!
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I'd love to give some to you. But this was one of those cards where I just couldn't conceive of how it would play in practice. Maybe this hurt it in the contest, too, but that's one of the disadvantages of the format. Minion, Pirate Ship, Tournament, and Governor (for example) are hard to envision without experience too.
One minor wording issue: you should probably have a "but not less than $0" equivalent in there, as Victory piles can be 12 deep. In a 3+ player game, you have to trash 3 copies before you get any monetary benefit, while in a 2 player game the starting Estates are all worth $2 right away. Not sure if that's a problem or just an idiosyncrasy.
Thanks for the thoughts. On the wording issue -- I had thought of that issue and wasn't sure of an elegant way to put in that restriction without it sounding awkward. I figured that if the concept won, the community could help with that. Oh well! :)
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So who recognized my cards (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=2455.0)? There were a few tweaks, because the old versions were terrible. I didn't really have time to come up with all new cards, sorry about that.
The "name a Treasure" bit on Powell/Digger was added when I realized that the card I actually wanted to make was a Chancellor on a treasure. I still wanted to keep some sort of digging mechanic, so that's why it's not only a Chancellor.
I felt that I needed to let players name treasures not in the kingdom. Otherwise, there could be a situation where Digger only combos well if a bad Alchemy card or alt-treasure is in the kingdom, even if you wouldn't pick up that treasure in the combo. It just felt too weird for treasure-Chancellor to be reliant on cards you would never buy.
By the way, for Digger/Tunnel you just name Silver and buy Tunnel over Silver, so forcing people to name treasure on the board doesn't actually help. I really want to simulate it to see how broken it is.
Edit: Oh I completely forgot to talk about Jewels. Credit goes to unnamed-person for suggesting trashing in play as a way to fix Jewels. It's just a massive coincidence that trashing a Treasure with Jewels is equivalent to trashing it with Salvager. However, the ability to trash a $4 terminal silver and get +$4 and the effect of the action was entirely intentional.
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rinkworks: will there be a round of voting near the end where all of the 2nd place finishers compete against each other to fill out the last slot? Considering contests have been won by one point, a few great cards are being left out. Note: I don't have any 2nd place finishers yet.
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rinkworks: will there be a round of voting near the end where all of the 2nd place finishers compete against each other to fill out the last slot? Considering contests have been won by one point, a few great cards are being left out. Note: I don't have any 2nd place finishers yet.
That's actually a really nice idea. +1 for you. As you say, some contests have only been won by a single point (in some cases, perhaps because the author of the second place card didn't vote), and the cards at the top have generally been strong cards.
I'm not promising to do it, and if I do do it the eligible cards might not be the second-place finishers (for example, perhaps it would be open to any finishers who came within a certain number or percentage of points from the winner). But I will definitely give this idea some thought and reassess when I get closer to winding everything down.
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Congratulations to the winners!
I was kind of hoping one of the Treasure cards would win, though (esp. Jewels/Sarah). Maybe there will be a Treasure Challenge in the future? It seems like there is space there for some interesting stuff!
Also, rinkworks, what is the policy of submitting losing cards to future contests? I would like the opportunity to vote for some of the losers again in another category.
A Treasure card challenge is pretty much obligatory, I think, so yeah. As for resubmitting cards that lose, why not? I think someone already did it, actually, so there is precedent.
Isn't this contradictory to one of the posted submission rules?
"* A single card might conceivably qualify for multiple challenges within this series. However, you may not submit the same card for more than one challenge."
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Congratulations to the winners!
I was kind of hoping one of the Treasure cards would win, though (esp. Jewels/Sarah). Maybe there will be a Treasure Challenge in the future? It seems like there is space there for some interesting stuff!
Also, rinkworks, what is the policy of submitting losing cards to future contests? I would like the opportunity to vote for some of the losers again in another category.
A Treasure card challenge is pretty much obligatory, I think, so yeah. As for resubmitting cards that lose, why not? I think someone already did it, actually, so there is precedent.
Isn't this contradictory to one of the posted submission rules?
"* A single card might conceivably qualify for multiple challenges within this series. However, you may not submit the same card for more than one challenge."
Oops! Ok, I forgot all about that rule. I guess I need to abide by it through the current challenges. I'll rethink that for future ones.
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Congratulations to the winners!
I was kind of hoping one of the Treasure cards would win, though (esp. Jewels/Sarah). Maybe there will be a Treasure Challenge in the future? It seems like there is space there for some interesting stuff!
Also, rinkworks, what is the policy of submitting losing cards to future contests? I would like the opportunity to vote for some of the losers again in another category.
A Treasure card challenge is pretty much obligatory, I think, so yeah. As for resubmitting cards that lose, why not? I think someone already did it, actually, so there is precedent.
Isn't this contradictory to one of the posted submission rules?
"* A single card might conceivably qualify for multiple challenges within this series. However, you may not submit the same card for more than one challenge."
Oops! Ok, I forgot all about that rule. I guess I need to abide by it through the current challenges. I'll rethink that for future ones.
It should probably be stricken, because it would be pretty easy to change the card slightly to get by it.
But maybe restrict submitting the same card to concurrent contests? That would be the current two and probably the previous two, since you don't know whether the earlier submission will succeed or not.
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I feel great about second place- but man, I voted for Pawnshop! Congratulations :)
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#5 - Swashbuckler's Inn by Saucery with 13 points (Linder)
$4 - Action-Attack
+1 Card
+2 Actions
Each player (including you) reveals the top and bottom card of their deck. Choose whether they put the revealed cards back in the same place or swap their positions.
#5 (tie) - Museum by Saucery with 12 points (Pola)
$4 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
+1 Buy
You may trash a card from your hand. If the supply pile of the trashed card is empty, gain a Duchy. If the supply pile of the trashed card and another supply pile is empty, you may gain a Province instead.
Pleasantly surprised how well these did, especially the village since it's not something that has a big impact on a game. Congrats to the winners
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rinkworks: will there be a round of voting near the end where all of the 2nd place finishers compete against each other to fill out the last slot? Considering contests have been won by one point, a few great cards are being left out. Note: I don't have any 2nd place finishers yet.
That's actually a really nice idea. +1 for you. As you say, some contests have only been won by a single point (in some cases, perhaps because the author of the second place card didn't vote), and the cards at the top have generally been strong cards.
I'm not promising to do it, and if I do do it the eligible cards might not be the second-place finishers (for example, perhaps it would be open to any finishers who came within a certain number or percentage of points from the winner). But I will definitely give this idea some thought and reassess when I get closer to winding everything down.
I like this idea too! My favorite card out of the 8 I have submitted so far was Heirloom and placed 2nd in the deck improver challenge. I know it would have been a tall order to place first two times in a row but I really like that card.
I'm curious though... there was some discussion about the card being underpowered as is but I liked the $5 price point because of its reaction and I thought the reaction portion made it a solid $5. To me, increasing the treasure's value to $2 would have overpowered the card. For those that thought it was underpowered, what would you have done different?
Congrats to the winners!
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I has a sad that my cards sucked... but you're all probably right. Congratulations to the winners!
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rinkworks: will there be a round of voting near the end where all of the 2nd place finishers compete against each other to fill out the last slot? Considering contests have been won by one point, a few great cards are being left out. Note: I don't have any 2nd place finishers yet.
That's actually a really nice idea. +1 for you. As you say, some contests have only been won by a single point (in some cases, perhaps because the author of the second place card didn't vote), and the cards at the top have generally been strong cards.
I'm not promising to do it, and if I do do it the eligible cards might not be the second-place finishers (for example, perhaps it would be open to any finishers who came within a certain number or percentage of points from the winner). But I will definitely give this idea some thought and reassess when I get closer to winding everything down.
I like this idea too! My favorite card out of the 8 I have submitted so far was Heirloom and placed 2nd in the deck improver challenge. I know it would have been a tall order to place first two times in a row but I really like that card.
I'm curious though... there was some discussion about the card being underpowered as is but I liked the $5 price point because of its reaction and I thought the reaction portion made it a solid $5. To me, increasing the treasure's value to $2 would have overpowered the card. For those that thought it was underpowered, what would you have done different?
Congrats to the winners!
I also really liked Heirloom. Got a vote from me.
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I'm curious though... there was some discussion about the card being underpowered as is but I liked the $5 price point because of its reaction and I thought the reaction portion made it a solid $5. To me, increasing the treasure's value to $2 would have overpowered the card. For those that thought it was underpowered, what would you have done different?
I think it's correct as-is. It's probably a lot better than Explorer in almost all cases, for example. Explorer produces more coins on the current turn, but it's a terminal Action. Your card being a Treasure means you can stack them, exploding your deck with Silver. Of course Explorer can get you multiple Golds, but how often does that actually work? In a way, trashing the card for a single Gold might be better a lot of the time.
It's not too good, because there is plenty of headroom above Explorer in the $5 price tier. But my guess is it's fine. The only thing I didn't like about it was you pretty much have to play a money deck to use it, and that's not my style.
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Huh I havent voted for the #5 and #6 challenge due to an Internet failure since Wednesday. Fortunately I've seen I have enough time to submit for the two followings !
To the challenge #5 : I didn't know someone else (iangoth) created the same ^^. I personally hesitated long between pricing it at $5, creating Cobbler instead : one less card, yeah ! But my (and maybe iangoth's ?) idea was a scout-like. I thought afterwards it was maybe too powerful : +4 cards, +1 action, if several ferries/patrollers collide just put one back !
To the challenge #6 : This time I was alone with my idea... so what to say ?
I wonder how will work the winning card, a Copper-merger at the beginning... and then a late salvager or gardens-feeder.
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I do like the copper smelter aesthetically, but am skeptical the card will play out well in practice. I hope it does, and more power to it though.
Can't complain about Novello's victory, I voted for it! And liked it.
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I do like the copper smelter aesthetically, but am skeptical the card will play out well in practice. I hope it does, and more power to it though.
My suspicion is that it'll usually be a power opener (it's super strong to be able to gain on an early-game trashing turn) whose utility plummets after the second shuffle, to the point where you maybe only want it when there are good $2s -- unless you have a use for the explode ability, which would be significantly rarer and mostly only good for alt-VP. (Is it worth exploding your starting Estates? Not sure. Common wisdom regarding correct Ambassador play prioritizes dumping 2 Coppers over 1 Estate, so perhaps not.)
It's probably a high skill card. I'm looking forward to discovering what kind of slick tricks I can pull with it.
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Heirloom could get a new wording that removes its Reaction. Major props, since it works like a "on trash" Dark Ages card.
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#37 (tie) - Consul by Nicrosil with 3 points (Stroheim)
$5 - Action
+1 Card
+1 Action
You may put your deck into your discard pile. Put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
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When you buy Consul, shuffle your discard pile into your deck.
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(Rules clarification: You shuffle your discard pile into your deck before gaining this.)
An element of this card was made into a Dark Ages card. Exciting.
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Here is the ballot for Challenge #6!
Theda
$5 - Action
+1 Buy
+$1
+1 VP
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an...
Action card, play it three times.
Treasure card, +$ equal to its cost.
Victory card, +VP equal to half its cost in coins, rounded down.
The most interesting element of this card (the on trash King's Court) was sort of used for dark ages. Guess it pays to be simple.
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Good memory there! I revised it after the contest in the regular Variant thread to this, which turns the KC into a TR:
Burnt Offering
$3 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. If it is an...
Action card, instead play it twice, then trash it.
Treasure card, +$ equal to its cost.
Victory card, +VP equal to half its cost in coins, rounded down.
This one compares well to the new Dark Ages card. 1 cheaper, but instead of gaining a new card, you get gimped Salvager on your treasure, and a gimped Bishop on your Victory cards.
Definitely right that simple is better. My revised card is simpler than the original one and still is doing a lot. Might have done better with this version. The way the contest was written, I don't know if the card would have qualified if it was just a Throne Room trasher. :)
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Hey, I made a card that's almost like one from Dark Ages:
Forager
$3
+1 Action
+1 Buy
Trash a card from your hand. +$1 per differently named Treasure in the trash.
Action
#4 - Tinkerer (1) by Davio with 13 points (Anita)
$4 - Action
Trash a card from your hand.
+$1 per differently named card in the Trash pile.
So apparently it was missing an action and buy, it was $1 too expensive and only Treasures in the trash should count. :D
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#3 (tie) - Archaeologist by Green Opal with 14 points (Fairbanks)
$3 - Action
+$2
You may put a card from your discard pile on top of your deck.
.....
#20 (tie) - Historian by Schneau with 6 points (Fields)
$3 - Action
+$2
If your deck is not empty, discard the top card. Look through your discard pile; reveal one card and place it on top of your deck.
Both Green Opal and I designed cards for this challenge very similar to Scavenger. Mine is slightly closer, since it allows for discarding the top card of your deck. I guess the option to discard your entire deck makes Scavenger worth $4 instead of $3!