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[O]

When is it optimal play to open Duchy-X in your first two buys? feel free to be as creative as you'd like within the confines of a 4 player game

My solution:

Deck: Embargo, Duchess, Vineyards, Golem, Bank, Outpost, Saboteur, Noble Brigand, Gardens, Silk Road

4P game, you're P4. You, P2, P3 have 2-5, P1 has 4-3

P1 buys Noble Brigand
P2/P3 buy embargo
You buy Duchess or Embargo

P1 buys silver
P2/3 Embargo silver and Noble Brigand, buying Saboteur
You buy duchy: Now it can get saboteured into a silver with any luck, and you gain duchess.
 

[Davio]

You feel like losing  .

[GendoIkari]

I'm not sure it was optimal, but I successfully pulled this off in a game with Remake and Grand Market and not a single other $5 card. I think it was a turn 3 Duchy, as opposed to an opening; but same principle applies.

[Davio]

It could also be that Duchy is the only $5 and Grand Market and Throne Room are also in the supply.
You open 5/2 and take the Duchy, planning to get a Develop later and hope for some shuffle luck to get them together.

Getting the Develop is easier than getting the Duchy so you just grab the Duchy while you can.

[Jorbles]

What about Mandarin/Duchy on a Duchy/Duke board? (Although Mandarin/Mandarin/Duchy or maybe even Mandarin/Mandarin/Mandarin/Duchy would probably be better. Same principle though.)

Presumably the Kingdom would have to be something like Mandarin, Duke, Great Hall, Secret Chamber, Expand, Scout, Adventurer, Chancellor, Spice Merchant, Moat.

[Guy Srinivasan]

If players 1-3 grant you a Silver on a Duke/Embassy board, might Duchy be an optimal T1 buy?

[paddyodoors]

You feel like losing  .

"let the wookie wifey win"

[jomini]

I could maybe see something where you are gunning for dukes and folks are going for a lot of helper cards for you (e.g. they give you silvers from embassies, they grab governors and you can assume they will feed you silver, they grab council rooms). I'd be more inclined to try this with duchess as then I could have 11 total treasure in the deck and some sifting. Still, it seems like a stretch.

[dghunter79]

Can't straight up Feasts into Dukes be a dominant strategy, to the point where you'd open Feast/Silver? Maybe on a board like that, where four is nearly as good as five, Duchy could be the best opening. Especially with Duchess, and maybe Lighthouse, too.