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[mnavratil]

I sort of stumbled onto this the other day, and don't see any other posts explicitly mention it (maybe it just seems obvious to everyone else?).

The general idea is to open Ambassador/Ambassador, buying a Secret Chamber with the first $2 (which comes up often with this opening). Then try to keep the Secret Chamber constantly in play by sending it into the next hand, along with another card. That other card should be chosen strategically to try to line up Ambassador, 2xEstate/copper (either this hand or next), or simply to avoid an Ambassador collision. If the opponent has also opened Ambassador/Ambassador the likelihood of getting attacked every turn (and keeping the secret chamber in play) seems pretty good.

I haven't played more than 1 actual game trying explicitly for this combo, but it seemed to do okay in some sample games I played against a dummy opponent.

The obvious downside is that you are relying on the opponents attack to move the dead card (secret chamber) from your hand to replace it with either something to ambassador, or something useful for buying other cards. If they don't attack, secret chamber is another card that can conflict with the ambassadors, so usually it doesn't even get played for the discard for money option.

At worst it seems like the extra Secret Chamber buy early on won't hurt the deck terribly. At best it seems to remove a lot of unlucky draws from double Ambassador.

Any thoughts on this?

[A_S00]

No idea how effective it is, but the cleverness of it tickles my awesome bone.  I wanna try now.

[ftl]

I believe something like this was used in one of the games in the final of the Isotropic Championships. I remember seeing it there; it worked pretty well.

[Robz888]

I've seen this twice recently. The first time, my opponent bought the Chamber but I didn't--because I never buy Chamber--and I was shocked at how helpful it was to him. So in a later game, I picked up a Secret Chamber after opening Ambassador/Ambassador, and gosh darn it, it's nice.

The thing is that Secret Chamber really helps prevent Ambassador collision, and line up double Coppers and double Estates for those Ambassadors. And often times with Ambassador you only have $2 anyway, so it's not a problem picking up the Chamber. Furthermore, if you accidentally Ambassador away ALL your treasure, Secret Chamber can always get you a Silver.

[O]

I've seen this recently... In a game against Robz888  (sorta)

[Jorbles]

Didn't WW use this trick in one of his videos? I swear I've seen it in a video.

[mnavratil]

Didn't WW use this trick in one of his videos? I swear I've seen it in a video.

Okay, I found this game on his YouTube channel:
WanderingWinder Secret Chamber/Ambassador Game

Watching the video, both WanderingWinder and his opponent (Zem) open double ambassador/Secret chamber. It's hard to tell, but I think Zem is playing more or less the tactic described. WW seems unimpressed with the SC.

[WanderingWinder]

I can tell you I never played this plan exactly. Maybe some variant where I had the three cards and sort of fell into it, but it was not my idea going into anything.

[^_^_^_^]

I've utilized it. There are a lot of cards that combo with Ambass that you wouldn't think of right away. The irony is that a good amount of the cards that combo are $2 cards