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Author Topic: how the heck do you use tfb cards well  (Read 2295 times)

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Iridium

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how the heck do you use tfb cards well
« on: July 27, 2019, 05:06:43 pm »
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Question in the title. Whenever I see a card like Apprentice or Develop or something I internally groan because I know that I'll probably lose because I don't know how to use these cards. How do you use these cards effectively? Thanks!
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DDL

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Re: how the heck do you use tfb cards well
« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2019, 06:24:26 pm »
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That's me with gainers, cost reduction, or anything that escapes the traditional "build an engine, hit 16" meta. It's always me playing that meta while the opponent sets up a plan to gain 10 cards in a turn and swipe me, and I only realize it was possible when it was too late. TfB is just one of those types of games.

But when it's me getting those cards, it never works as smoothly.
« Last Edit: July 27, 2019, 06:28:47 pm by DDL »
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aku_chi

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Re: how the heck do you use tfb cards well
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2019, 07:59:08 pm »
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Develop is a high-skill card.  I recommend reading this article: https://dominionstrategy.com/2019/02/07/develop-as-a-gainer/.

Apprentice is simpler.  It’s great at trashing Estates, so you should usually get one unless there is a stronger Estate trasher.  As for when to use it for primary draw, you need to measure it against other draw options and the gainers available.  Gold gainers like Bandit are great.  Gaining from the trash like Rogue works well.  Trashing Fortress is great.  Something like Ironworks is borderline - on the weak side.  But, even if Apprentice is outclassed for primary draw, it can be good to pick up near the end of the game to guarantee a big turn.

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Commodore Chuckles

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Re: how the heck do you use tfb cards well
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2019, 10:59:55 pm »
+1

The main two uses for tfb that gives you benefit based on cost are trashing Estates and trashing expensive cards. These sorts of cards suck at trashing Coppers so you should find something else to deal with the Coppers if you can. Spice Merchant, Moneylender and Counterfeit are good for this, and so is Loan if you're not getting any other Treasures. And then you can feed the Copper trasher to the tfb when it outlives its usefulness. Also, Rats are an absolute godsend here: Apprentice becomes bonkers if you turn those Coppers into Rats.

Other than that, be on the lookout for cards that give you expensive stuff for free. University is particularly good, and so are Gold gainers, as well as Border Village and Skulk.
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pubby

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Re: how the heck do you use tfb cards well
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2019, 12:25:14 am »
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It's hard to give general advice that applies to all tfb cards. I'd say the first thing to do is identify the targets. For example develop needs cards to gain of -$1 +$1. If you do not have good targets for this (you usually don't) you shouldn't base your strategy around develop. Apprentice is the same way. If you can gain expensive cards easily, it's a really good card. Otherwise, it's just okay.

A big thing with remodel-like cards is they allow you to end the game easier. You can remodel into province, or into 3-pile endings. You can also remodel into action cards and play the gained cards in the same turn. That's really powerful on the last turn of the game. It's like having an overlord in your deck, except usually better.
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ipofanes

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Re: how the heck do you use tfb cards well
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2019, 10:22:28 am »
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Look out for cards that are purchased mostly for their on-gain effect, like Skulk, Lackeys, or Ill-Gotten Gains, or for their on-trash effects, like Catacombs or Squire, or both, like Silk Merchant. Cards that overstay their welcome like Spice Merchant. Peddler can be a lovely Apprentice target too.
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DG

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Re: how the heck do you use tfb cards well
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2019, 10:34:32 am »
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Copper and curses are a big enemy of 'trash a card and a gain a benefit from its cost'. Sometimes a strategy is so powerful that it is worth snipping the copper out one by one, but usually you need to trash the copper another way or be able to draw through a lot of copper.

In the mid to end game, trash for benefit also usually relies on extra buys or extra gains. Trash for benefit likes high cost cards as fuel, so if you spend a few turns trashing one fuel card to buy one vp card you might run out of fuel cards. It's easier to sustain a deck if you can gain more fuel cards.
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