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[AJL828]

Weekly Design Contest #171: Gains Upon Gains

I've noticed a bit of a trend in a lot of my favorite official cards. I love when gainers can go absolutely nuts. There's something about scooping up a whole boatload of cards in a single turn that really appeals to that synergistic-combo thrill inside me. So hey, why not make it into a contest?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to design a card (shaped thing) that has the potential to gain at least 2 cards at a time without other assistance. That might be a bit of a vague description, so I'll clarify exactly what types of cards I'm thinking of.

- Cards that unconditionally gain you multiple cards (ex. Beggar, it gains you 3 Coppers to your hand)
- Cards that conditionally gain you multiple cards (ex. Trader, it can gain multiple Silvers if it trashes something costing at least $2)
- Cards that give you a choice to gain multiple cards (ex. Weaver, you can take 2 Silvers if you don't want a single $4 card)
- Events that give multiple cards when purchased (ex. Populate, it gains you 1 of every Action card in the Kingdom) or sometimes do (ex. Pilgrimage, can gain you up to 3 cards you have in play every other time it is bought)

You can choose whether you want your submissions to gain specific cards (like Coppers or Silvers) or have a more general criteria (like multiple $4 cost cards)

Here's some examples of things I will not be accepting:
- Horse gainers (ex. Paddock) as these feel more like draw cards than standard "gainers" to me
- On gain/on trash effects, in the cases of Kingdom card submissions I would like to have the gaining happen on play as opposed to being tied to only on gain/trash effects. (However your card can have one of these effects if it is also capable of gaining multiple cards when played)
- +Buys. I would like the card to gain directly on its own rather than just providing you with more Buys to have extra gains in the Buy Phase. (Same as above, your card can provide +Buy if it is also capable of gaining multiple cards when played)

I'll close the contest at 8 PM EST on Dec. 16th, and judging should follow shortly after that.
Good luck and have fun designing!

[Builder_Roberts]

What about on Reaction?

[Gubump]

[Will(ow|iam)]

Testify
$10 Event
Gain all the Estates in the supply.

[czzzz]

Inventor but it gains two cards. To keep this card's cost down, it only provides cost reduction to non-Victory cards.
Gains differently named stuff to prevent pile-driving. Like Inventor, it's nice if you manage to stack or throne them.

Edit: Now gains $3-costs instead of $4-costs.

[faust]

Pandora's Box - $6
Night

Do this any number of times:
Gain a card that you haven't gained a copy of this turn costing less than the last card you've gained this turn.

This card can go pretty crazy. I have added the "that you haven't gained a copy of this turn" to prevent loops (e.g. Gold -> Duchy -> Skulk). However it is entirely possible that there are other loops that would still work; please let me know if you find any!

[xyz123]

League
Event
$8

Gain 3 differently named non-Victory cards that you do not have a copy of in play.

[AJL828]

What about on Reaction?

Reaction gains are fine, as long as triggering the reaction is possible without needing another type of card to be present (ex. Attacks)

[kru5h]

Foundry



Financier


I'd really like to submit my Grand Workshop card, since it'd be perfect here, but it already placed (but not won) in a contest.

[Gubump]

Inventor but it gains two cards. To keep this card's cost down, it only provides cost reduction to non-Victory cards.
Gains differently named stuff to prevent pile-driving. Like Inventor, it's nice if you manage to stack or throne them.

This is plenty strong enough without the cost reduction, if not even too strong already.

[BryGuy]

Choices ($6 Action)
Reveal cards from your deck until you reveal an Action card. Choose one: gain two copies of the revealed Action card; or gain a card costing $1 more and you may trash the revealed Action card. Discard all revealed cards.


Do i need both instances of "revealed Action card" or could i safely discard that phrase?

[JW]

Queen’s Court
$5
Action
Choose one: gain a card costing up to $4 and a differently-named card costing up to $3; or you may play a non-Queen’s Court action from your hand twice.
 
Notes: The “differently-named” and “non-Queen's Court” limitations are to help prevent it from emptying piles too quickly.
 
In some games, the Queen’s Court might yield a bunch of Silvers that you don’t really want. Such is the plight of royalty.

[nagdon]

This challenge was quick for me, I already created this double workshop variant a few weeks ago:

[Gubump]

Replaced my submission since I've realized that I've already submitted Jackpot (albeit under a different name) to a prior WDC.

[4est]

Redistrict is a free Event that lets you trade in your Province for a pair of Duchies or trade in a pair of Duchies for a Province. Have some fun messing with piles and endgame control.

[n_sanity]

[Xen3k]

Dark Dealings - $5
Night - Attack
Each other player may choose a non-Night card you have in play and gain a copy of it. They gain a Curse if they don't. For each card gained this way, you may gain a copy. If you don't gain anything, gain a Gold.

Things of note
1: You (the player of Dark Dealings) can opt to not gain a copy of anything other players gain to gain a Gold.
2: All other players choose to gain a Curse or a card you have in play before you chooses to gain anything.
3: Other players make their choices starting with the player to your left and goes clockwise.
4: Other players may choose to gain a copy of a card you have in play even if their piles are empty and avoid the curse gain.
5: If you only have Night cards in play, other players must gain a Curse (if able).
6: For each card each other player gains through Dark Dealings, you may gain a copy of the same card. You cannot choose to gain a different card.

A weird gainer that relies on others to get multiple cards in a turn. While a non-terminal Gold gainer/top-decker may be underpriced at $5, the possible benefits to other players makes this reasonable IMO. Feedback is welcome.

Edit: Big overhaul to make it a proper Attack and to make other players make harder choices. Removed the option for other players to gain a Dark Dealings off it. Gained Gold is no longer topdecked. Early game it likely will just be a Copper junker, but there is always the chance other players will want something you have in play enough to allow you to gain a copy as well. With the choice now forced, the Gold gain may be too good, but I am unsure. Thanks to Gubump for the feedback provided.

Old Versions

[Augie279]

Extra gaining as penalty as opposed to reward.

[Erick648]

Trainee
$4 Action - Duration
Now and at the start of your next turn:  If this is in play, gain a card costing up to $3.
Until then, when another player gains an Action card, you may exchange this for a copy of that Action card.

I wanted to name this "Apprentice", but that was already taken.

[majiponi]

Dark Dealings - $5
Night
Each other player may gain a Curse to gain a copy of a card you have in play. For each card gained this way, you may gain a copy as well.
If you don't gain anything, gain a Gold onto your deck.

Things of note
1: The person playing Dark Dealings can technically gain a Curse and a copy of whatever another player gains through it. There may be cases where this is desirable, like with a Trader in hand.
2: Even if other players gain cards off of it, you can still opt to not gain a copy of anything to get the Gold onto your deck.
3: All other players choose to gain a Curse and a card before the player of Dark Dealings chooses to gain anything.
4: Other players make their choices starting with the player to the left of the active player and go clockwise.
5: If the Curses are gone nobody else can gain anything off Dark Dealings, but you can still get the Gold onto your deck.
6: This is not actually an attack as everything is optional.

A weird gainer that relies on others to get multiple cards in a turn. While a non-terminal Gold gainer/top-decker may be underpriced at $5, the possible benefits to other players makes this reasonable IMO. Feedback is welcome.

For example, in 4-player games, when only DD is in play and all other 3 players choose to gain a Curse and a DD, 6 cards are gained.  So, I can gain a Curse and a DD 6 times, right?

[majiponi]

Extra gaining as penalty as opposed to reward.

For example, when I gain a Golem or an Overlord, do I gain a Curse?

[Gubump]

Extra gaining as penalty as opposed to reward.

For example, when I gain a Golem or an Overlord, do I gain a Curse?

Not as worded, since it only takes into account.

Dark Dealings - $5
Night
Each other player may gain a Curse to gain a copy of a card you have in play. For each card gained this way, you may gain a copy as well.
If you don't gain anything, gain a Gold onto your deck.

Things of note
1: The person playing Dark Dealings can technically gain a Curse and a copy of whatever another player gains through it. There may be cases where this is desirable, like with a Trader in hand.
2: Even if other players gain cards off of it, you can still opt to not gain a copy of anything to get the Gold onto your deck.
3: All other players choose to gain a Curse and a card before the player of Dark Dealings chooses to gain anything.
4: Other players make their choices starting with the player to the left of the active player and go clockwise.
5: If the Curses are gone nobody else can gain anything off Dark Dealings, but you can still get the Gold onto your deck.
6: This is not actually an attack as everything is optional.

A weird gainer that relies on others to get multiple cards in a turn. While a non-terminal Gold gainer/top-decker may be underpriced at $5, the possible benefits to other players makes this reasonable IMO. Feedback is welcome.

For example, in 4-player games, when only DD is in play and all other 3 players choose to gain a Curse and a DD, 6 cards are gained.  So, I can gain a Curse and a DD 6 times, right?

As worded, you'd gain up to 3 Curses and/or DDs. Because the cards "gained this way" were 3 Curses and 3 DDs.

That said, @Xen3k, I don't see why I would ever take a Curse to get a card when that also lets my opponent get a copy of the same card for free. That would be shooting myself in the foot by gaining a Curse to benefit my opponent just as much as it benefits me.

[majiponi]

Extra gaining as penalty as opposed to reward.

For example, when I gain a Golem or an Overlord, do I gain a Curse?

Not as worded, since it only takes into account.

Dark Dealings - $5
Night
Each other player may gain a Curse to gain a copy of a card you have in play. For each card gained this way, you may gain a copy as well.
If you don't gain anything, gain a Gold onto your deck.

Things of note
1: The person playing Dark Dealings can technically gain a Curse and a copy of whatever another player gains through it. There may be cases where this is desirable, like with a Trader in hand.
2: Even if other players gain cards off of it, you can still opt to not gain a copy of anything to get the Gold onto your deck.
3: All other players choose to gain a Curse and a card before the player of Dark Dealings chooses to gain anything.
4: Other players make their choices starting with the player to the left of the active player and go clockwise.
5: If the Curses are gone nobody else can gain anything off Dark Dealings, but you can still get the Gold onto your deck.
6: This is not actually an attack as everything is optional.

A weird gainer that relies on others to get multiple cards in a turn. While a non-terminal Gold gainer/top-decker may be underpriced at $5, the possible benefits to other players makes this reasonable IMO. Feedback is welcome.

For example, in 4-player games, when only DD is in play and all other 3 players choose to gain a Curse and a DD, 6 cards are gained.  So, I can gain a Curse and a DD 6 times, right?

As worded, you'd gain up to 3 Curses and/or DDs. Because the cards "gained this way" were 3 Curses and 3 DDs.

That said, @Xen3k, I don't see why I would ever take a Curse to get a card when that also lets my opponent get a copy of the same card for free. That would be shooting myself in the foot by gaining a Curse to benefit my opponent just as much as it benefits me.

Now I see what that means.  I thought "for each time opponent gains something, I may {gain a Curse to gain a card I have in play} (as opponent did).

[Xen3k]

That said, @Xen3k, I don't see why I would ever take a Curse to get a card when that also lets my opponent get a copy of the same card for free. That would be shooting myself in the foot by gaining a Curse to benefit my opponent just as much as it benefits me.

This is a fair criticism. So, I can drop the Curse gain for other players to gain a card, or require the active player to gain a curse as well to get a copy of the gained card. Either of those seem more appealing than the other?

As worded, you'd gain up to 3 Curses and/or DDs. Because the cards "gained this way" were 3 Curses and 3 DDs.

As it is now, this is correct. I could change it to "For each other player, you may gain a copy of the cards they gained this way." That woulce the player of Dark Dealings to gain a Curse as well. Thoughts?

Extra gaining as penalty as opposed to reward.

For example, when I gain a Golem or an Overlord, do I gain a Curse?

Not as worded, since it only takes into account.

If the above cases are a concern, I would recommend modifying this to "Gain a card costing more than $0 that isn't a Province or Colony" to avoid the balancing hassle of gaining Debt and other alternate cost cards. You won't be able to gain Copper anymore, but I doubt that is much of a concern.

[Augie279]

If the above cases are a concern, I would recommend modifying this to "Gain a card costing more than $0 that isn't a Province or Colony" to avoid the balancing hassle of gaining Debt and other alternate cost cards. You won't be able to gain Copper anymore, but I doubt that is much of a concern.

They're not; I think the restriction of not being able to gain Provinces or Colonies even if Bridged is a worthwhile balancing factor.