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Variants and Fan Cards / Fan expansion: enlightenment
« on: August 27, 2012, 03:14:26 pm »
EDIT: I initially posted this thread to put forth two ideas, silversmith and goldsmith. I've decided to expand this into a fan expansion idea revolving around the enlightenment/steam age, sort of like a counterpoint to dark ages. The theme that I'm working on is cards that change in strength with multiple plays: some cards get stronger with each successive play, while others get weaker. Another theme is combos: many of these cards need to be paired with some other card (or card type) in order to be maximally effective.
I'm going to continually edit this first post, but only to add card ideas. None of these cards have been playtested at all, so they are all very raw and probably quite over/underpowered. Please post your thoughts, and as the expansion evolves, I'll post a separate thread with the modified ideas, leaving this thread in place with the original ideas for comparison.
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Silversmith $5
Action
+1 action
You may discard any number of silvers from your hand. For each silver discarded, +1 card, +$2
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Goldsmith: $6
Action
You may reveal and discard a gold from your hand. If you do, +$6. Otherwise, gain a gold.
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Steam engine: $5
Action
+1 action
+1 card per steam engine in play, including this
You may immediately play another steam engine.
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Scientific method: $1P
Action-reaction
When you play a potion card this turn, you may choose to receive $2 instead of $P.
------
When you discard a card other than during you cleanup phase, you may reveal this from your hand. If you do, trash that card.
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Architect: $5
Action
+$2
You may discard all Trade Building cards you have in play. If you do, select a card from the Trade Building pile and play it immediately.
[This card uses the Trade Buildings, a set of 4 unique cards which are not in the supply.]
Trade Buildings:
Mercenary Den: 0* (not in the supply)
Action-Duration
While this is in play, at the start of your turn, you may discard a copper. If you do, all your coppers provide +$1 this turn. Otherwise, return this card to the trade building pile.
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Do not discard this card during your cleanup phase.
Merchant Hall: 0* (not in the supply)
Action-Duration
While this is in play, at the start of your turn, you may discard a card. If you do, +$2, +1 buy. Otherwise, return this card to the trade building pile.
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Do not discard this card during your cleanup phase.
Community Center: 0* (not in the supply)
Action-Duration
While this is in play, at the start of your turn, you may discard an action. If you do, +1 action, +2 cards. Otherwise, return this card to the trade building pile.
------
Do not discard this card during your cleanup phase.
Hall of Science: 0* (not in the supply)
Action-Duration
While this is in play, at the start of your turn, you may trash a card. If you do, +2 cards. Otherwise, return this card to the trade building pile.
------
Do not discard this card during your cleanup phase.
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Surveyor: $4
Action
Discard any number of victory cards. +2 cards per card discarded.
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Sophists: $4
Action-Attack
+2 cards
Each other player with more than three cards discards a card costing more than $3 from their hand (or reveals a hand with no cards costing more than $3).
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Sawmill: $4
Action
If you have a sawmill in play other than one, then +$3. Otherwise, +$2, +1 Buy.
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Design Thoughts:
Silversmith: The basic idea is that you get to "play" your silvers and cellar them. This could be super-powerful when combo'ed with tactician, wharf, or any other strategy that gives you big starting handsizes. It also makes deck drawing a bit easier, though strong deck draw engines really won't need the silversmith because they won't have too much silver (and the whole deck will be in your hand anyway). The other obvious combo, of course, is trader, feodum, JoaT, or any other card that stuffs your deck with silver.
I haven't tested this card at all, and there are lots of possible tweaks that could change its utility. For example, the card could allow you to cellar non-silvers, and you just don't get the $2 for those cards. That makes it a bit more flexible. You could also add +1 card at the beginning and maybe boost it up to $5.
Goldsmith: Originally I wanted Goldsmith to be a terminal gold that only activates if you reveal a gold in your hand. I realized that that design would be pretty abusable with KC/TR -- KC/old Goldsmith/Gold = colony. I fixed that issue by making you discard your gold, but you still get credit for it -- thus the +$6, which is basically $3 for the gold you discarded and $3 for the terminal goldsmith. If that were the only clause on the card, it would be mighty weak, so I thought a decent thematic alternative was to gain a gold when you don't have a gold in hand. The gold goes to your discard pile -- going to your hand or the top of your deck would be too strong, I think, because that basically means this card is either worth a gold right now or a gold next hand for only $5. I feel like gaining to the discard is the right balance.
Obviously this card is a BM enabler, but I can't tell if it would be superior to a terminal draw in that respect. It stuffs your deck with gold, but it's slow to do that. Like silversmith, this card would also combo well with tactician or any other card that wants treasure out of your hand, like poor house.
Steam engine: So, this card is basically a lab variant, but it also uses the cultist mechanic to make it more interesting. I think this card is very thematic. One or two of these cards is not very powerful at all -- probably underpowered. But once you get a pile of these cards, they can build up a lot of steam (so to speak). They have excellent self synergy.
One steam engine is worse than a lab. If you chain two SE's together, then you basically get the effect of one lab +1 action, or one village +1 card. Ok, but not great. If you chain three SE's, then you get the same card draw as 3 labs, but you have 3 actions left for terminals instead of 1. Once you can chain 4 or more SE's, you basically have a +actions/+cards engine in one -- very powerful. Perhaps too powerful. But at the same time, it won't exactly be easy to chain so many SE's, unless you have other handsize increasers available. Note that SE's get the card drawing benefit of having other SE's in play even when they are not chained together.
Scientific Method: This card combines two ideas that I like: a reaction trasher and a card that makes potions more practical. This card is obviously much more interesting when other potion-cost cards are around. Then, it becomes possible to stock up on potions, because you'll be able to turn them into silvers some of the time.
When there are no other potion-cost cards around, the on-play effect alone would be useless. Why buy the potion to but a card which just turns potions into silver? Consequently, the reaction effect has to be powerful enough to be useful. I really like this reaction, but it does require some assistance: it's possible that you won't have any discarding available in your kingdom. If that's the case, and this is the only potion card, then it's basically a dead card. However, the card is viable if either discarders or other potion cards are available, and if both are around, then this card could be really useful. It would also be a good reaction to handsize reduction attacks -- especially torturer chains.
This is one card where I really have no idea about the proper price point. It seems like it could be very useful in the right circumstances, but I don't think it's a power card, so I feel like $P or $1P wouldn't be too cheap. It's not like you'd want a stack of these cards.
Architect: Okay, there's obviously a lot going on with architects. This card combines two ideas that I've had: a faster implementation of tournament prizes, and "persistent" cards which provide a benefit but have some sort of upkeep. The trade buildings come out faster than tournament prizes, but they are only temporary, as you lose them once you fail to pay the upkeep. There's also some interesting interactions with other players, because only one player can have each trade building at a time. (There should probably be two more trade buildings to make sure everybody gets a shot at one.)
Surveyor: This is a simple smithy variant. I like this card a lot, because it's simple, but it has some interesting features. It can be more powerful than smithy for the same money in green decks, or in decks that have other deck drawing capability. But it has an anti-self-synergy: successive playings of this card are likely to be less powerful, because once you discard all your green, you don't get any draw out of this card.
I think it would be very interesting to see this card in a gardens/silk road deck. This may be an alternative enabler for gardens (as opposed to gainers like workshop), or it might be effective as a smithy alternate in BM decks where the greening starts sooner. And, as a bonus, it combos with scout!
Sophists: This is designed to be a Militia variant, specifically targeting valuable cards like gold, engine pieces, or other attacks. To make up for the targeted nature of the card, it only hits a single card at a time. I also gave it +2 cards instead of +$2 because I thought that would differentiate it a bit more from Militia. Still, this might be too powerful as it is, since it's pretty damaging if you chain two together. It may need to cost $5.
Sawmill: Look, it's a woodcutter that starts to produce megabucks on return trips! Going along with the theme of cards that change strength as you play them more, the sawmill starts out as an overpriced woodcutter. Having one sawmill in your deck is obviously not worth it. However, if you've put together an engine that can manage to draw multiple sawmills, then these can really pay off. Even with the "in play" wording, this card is very strong with TR/KC, because those engines tend to give you tons of actions, and extra sawmills can turn those actions into gold.
Again, this is a card where it's hard to judge the power level. This might be too good at the $4 price point, or it might be useless because of the need to collide multiples with a village of some sort. Only playtesting will tell. Still, I like the general idea of the card -- a terminal that gets more powerful after the first copy is played.
I'm going to continually edit this first post, but only to add card ideas. None of these cards have been playtested at all, so they are all very raw and probably quite over/underpowered. Please post your thoughts, and as the expansion evolves, I'll post a separate thread with the modified ideas, leaving this thread in place with the original ideas for comparison.
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Silversmith $5
Action
+1 action
You may discard any number of silvers from your hand. For each silver discarded, +1 card, +$2
------------------------------------------------------------
Goldsmith: $6
Action
You may reveal and discard a gold from your hand. If you do, +$6. Otherwise, gain a gold.
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Steam engine: $5
Action
+1 action
+1 card per steam engine in play, including this
You may immediately play another steam engine.
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Scientific method: $1P
Action-reaction
When you play a potion card this turn, you may choose to receive $2 instead of $P.
------
When you discard a card other than during you cleanup phase, you may reveal this from your hand. If you do, trash that card.
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Architect: $5
Action
+$2
You may discard all Trade Building cards you have in play. If you do, select a card from the Trade Building pile and play it immediately.
[This card uses the Trade Buildings, a set of 4 unique cards which are not in the supply.]
Trade Buildings:
Mercenary Den: 0* (not in the supply)
Action-Duration
While this is in play, at the start of your turn, you may discard a copper. If you do, all your coppers provide +$1 this turn. Otherwise, return this card to the trade building pile.
------
Do not discard this card during your cleanup phase.
Merchant Hall: 0* (not in the supply)
Action-Duration
While this is in play, at the start of your turn, you may discard a card. If you do, +$2, +1 buy. Otherwise, return this card to the trade building pile.
------
Do not discard this card during your cleanup phase.
Community Center: 0* (not in the supply)
Action-Duration
While this is in play, at the start of your turn, you may discard an action. If you do, +1 action, +2 cards. Otherwise, return this card to the trade building pile.
------
Do not discard this card during your cleanup phase.
Hall of Science: 0* (not in the supply)
Action-Duration
While this is in play, at the start of your turn, you may trash a card. If you do, +2 cards. Otherwise, return this card to the trade building pile.
------
Do not discard this card during your cleanup phase.
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Surveyor: $4
Action
Discard any number of victory cards. +2 cards per card discarded.
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Sophists: $4
Action-Attack
+2 cards
Each other player with more than three cards discards a card costing more than $3 from their hand (or reveals a hand with no cards costing more than $3).
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Sawmill: $4
Action
If you have a sawmill in play other than one, then +$3. Otherwise, +$2, +1 Buy.
***********************************************************************************************
Design Thoughts:
Silversmith: The basic idea is that you get to "play" your silvers and cellar them. This could be super-powerful when combo'ed with tactician, wharf, or any other strategy that gives you big starting handsizes. It also makes deck drawing a bit easier, though strong deck draw engines really won't need the silversmith because they won't have too much silver (and the whole deck will be in your hand anyway). The other obvious combo, of course, is trader, feodum, JoaT, or any other card that stuffs your deck with silver.
I haven't tested this card at all, and there are lots of possible tweaks that could change its utility. For example, the card could allow you to cellar non-silvers, and you just don't get the $2 for those cards. That makes it a bit more flexible. You could also add +1 card at the beginning and maybe boost it up to $5.
Goldsmith: Originally I wanted Goldsmith to be a terminal gold that only activates if you reveal a gold in your hand. I realized that that design would be pretty abusable with KC/TR -- KC/old Goldsmith/Gold = colony. I fixed that issue by making you discard your gold, but you still get credit for it -- thus the +$6, which is basically $3 for the gold you discarded and $3 for the terminal goldsmith. If that were the only clause on the card, it would be mighty weak, so I thought a decent thematic alternative was to gain a gold when you don't have a gold in hand. The gold goes to your discard pile -- going to your hand or the top of your deck would be too strong, I think, because that basically means this card is either worth a gold right now or a gold next hand for only $5. I feel like gaining to the discard is the right balance.
Obviously this card is a BM enabler, but I can't tell if it would be superior to a terminal draw in that respect. It stuffs your deck with gold, but it's slow to do that. Like silversmith, this card would also combo well with tactician or any other card that wants treasure out of your hand, like poor house.
Steam engine: So, this card is basically a lab variant, but it also uses the cultist mechanic to make it more interesting. I think this card is very thematic. One or two of these cards is not very powerful at all -- probably underpowered. But once you get a pile of these cards, they can build up a lot of steam (so to speak). They have excellent self synergy.
One steam engine is worse than a lab. If you chain two SE's together, then you basically get the effect of one lab +1 action, or one village +1 card. Ok, but not great. If you chain three SE's, then you get the same card draw as 3 labs, but you have 3 actions left for terminals instead of 1. Once you can chain 4 or more SE's, you basically have a +actions/+cards engine in one -- very powerful. Perhaps too powerful. But at the same time, it won't exactly be easy to chain so many SE's, unless you have other handsize increasers available. Note that SE's get the card drawing benefit of having other SE's in play even when they are not chained together.
Scientific Method: This card combines two ideas that I like: a reaction trasher and a card that makes potions more practical. This card is obviously much more interesting when other potion-cost cards are around. Then, it becomes possible to stock up on potions, because you'll be able to turn them into silvers some of the time.
When there are no other potion-cost cards around, the on-play effect alone would be useless. Why buy the potion to but a card which just turns potions into silver? Consequently, the reaction effect has to be powerful enough to be useful. I really like this reaction, but it does require some assistance: it's possible that you won't have any discarding available in your kingdom. If that's the case, and this is the only potion card, then it's basically a dead card. However, the card is viable if either discarders or other potion cards are available, and if both are around, then this card could be really useful. It would also be a good reaction to handsize reduction attacks -- especially torturer chains.
This is one card where I really have no idea about the proper price point. It seems like it could be very useful in the right circumstances, but I don't think it's a power card, so I feel like $P or $1P wouldn't be too cheap. It's not like you'd want a stack of these cards.
Architect: Okay, there's obviously a lot going on with architects. This card combines two ideas that I've had: a faster implementation of tournament prizes, and "persistent" cards which provide a benefit but have some sort of upkeep. The trade buildings come out faster than tournament prizes, but they are only temporary, as you lose them once you fail to pay the upkeep. There's also some interesting interactions with other players, because only one player can have each trade building at a time. (There should probably be two more trade buildings to make sure everybody gets a shot at one.)
Surveyor: This is a simple smithy variant. I like this card a lot, because it's simple, but it has some interesting features. It can be more powerful than smithy for the same money in green decks, or in decks that have other deck drawing capability. But it has an anti-self-synergy: successive playings of this card are likely to be less powerful, because once you discard all your green, you don't get any draw out of this card.
I think it would be very interesting to see this card in a gardens/silk road deck. This may be an alternative enabler for gardens (as opposed to gainers like workshop), or it might be effective as a smithy alternate in BM decks where the greening starts sooner. And, as a bonus, it combos with scout!
Sophists: This is designed to be a Militia variant, specifically targeting valuable cards like gold, engine pieces, or other attacks. To make up for the targeted nature of the card, it only hits a single card at a time. I also gave it +2 cards instead of +$2 because I thought that would differentiate it a bit more from Militia. Still, this might be too powerful as it is, since it's pretty damaging if you chain two together. It may need to cost $5.
Sawmill: Look, it's a woodcutter that starts to produce megabucks on return trips! Going along with the theme of cards that change strength as you play them more, the sawmill starts out as an overpriced woodcutter. Having one sawmill in your deck is obviously not worth it. However, if you've put together an engine that can manage to draw multiple sawmills, then these can really pay off. Even with the "in play" wording, this card is very strong with TR/KC, because those engines tend to give you tons of actions, and extra sawmills can turn those actions into gold.
Again, this is a card where it's hard to judge the power level. This might be too good at the $4 price point, or it might be useless because of the need to collide multiples with a village of some sort. Only playtesting will tell. Still, I like the general idea of the card -- a terminal that gets more powerful after the first copy is played.