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[silverspawn]

WDC #186: An Impish Challenge

Imp is one of my favorite cards!

   

Therefore, for this contest,

• design a card-shaped thing that can gains Imps 

OR

• design a card-shaped thing that, like Imp, cares about whether some Action card is already in play

If you choose the gainer, you can either make something that gains just Imps or something that gains arbitrary spirits. With the second one, the most straight-forward thing has already been done with Conclave, but perhaps there's some design space still open? Note that your card doesn't have to play the card for which it looks at copies...

Any kind of Sideways like Projects, Events, or even Ways are fair game.

Restriction: avoid mechanics that were newly introduced in Allies or Plunder. Everything up to and including Menagerie is okay.

[BryGuy]

Foreigner • $5 • Action
You may trash an Action card from your hand. If you have any copies of it in play, gain two non-Victory cards each costing up to $1 more than it; otherwise, gain an Action card costing as much as it or less and a Silver.

Thanks you Gubump for the recommended text. This cares about what is in play. Either you get the less likely collision for a better reward; or you get a small deck upgrade.

previous:

Foreigner • $5 • Action
Choose one: trash an Action card with a copy in play to gain two non-victory cards costing up to $1 more; or trash an Action card with no copy in play to gain a Silver and an Action costing up to the cost of the trashed card.

[Gubump]

Foreigner • $5 • Action
Choose one: trash an Action card with a copy in play to gain two non-victory cards costing up to $1 more; or trash an Action card with no copy in play to gain a Silver and an Action costing up to the cost of the trashed card.

Both choices care about what is in play. The first seeks a collision and provides a better reward for this less likely occurrence. The second choice offers the opportunity to improve their deck.

You forgot to specify where to trash from; I assume from hand?

Also, is it intended that it counts cards other players have in play?

Lastly, this lacks accountability; what if I play a Foreigner via Herald and have no Actions in hand to trash?

My recommended wording:

You may trash an Action card from your hand. If you have any copies of it in play, gain two non-Victory cards each costing up to $1 more than it; otherwise, gain an Action card costing as much as it or less and a Silver.

[Chappy77]

Most similar to Way of the Pig, it is essentially a cantrip, but you discard a card from play after drawing, which makes the conditional +1 Action easier to activate. It also allows you to play treasures in your action phase since that seems to be all the rage nowadays.

[segura]

Most similar to Way of the Pig, it is essentially a cantrip, but you discard a card from play after drawing, which makes the conditional +1 Action easier to activate. It also allows you to play treasures in your action phase since that seems to be all the rage nowadays.

I don’t see how this could go infinite but there is definitely some loop potential if you can redraw and replay already played cards.

[AJL828]

Most similar to Way of the Pig, it is essentially a cantrip, but you discard a card from play after drawing, which makes the conditional +1 Action easier to activate. It also allows you to play treasures in your action phase since that seems to be all the rage nowadays.

This can go infinite with itself. With exactly 2 copies of it you can play 1, discard it, then play the other, infinitely. Obviously becomes a bigger problem with stuff like Training around.
I think the idea is cool but should restrict itself (and also durations so you don’t have any invisible next turn effects) 

[Chappy77]

Most similar to Way of the Pig, it is essentially a cantrip, but you discard a card from play after drawing, which makes the conditional +1 Action easier to activate. It also allows you to play treasures in your action phase since that seems to be all the rage nowadays.

This can go infinite with itself. With exactly 2 copies of it you can play 1, discard it, then play the other, infinitely. Obviously becomes a bigger problem with stuff like Training around.
I think the idea is cool but should restrict itself (and also durations so you don’t have any invisible next turn effects)

I was trying to avoid these, which is why I had the draw come before the discard.  I obviously didn't think hard enough about it.  I'll keep thinking up ways to make it work.  I thought about the discarded card getting set aside, but then this really isn't much different than a cantrip which can play treasures, which I don't find interesting enough.  So maybe it just doesn't work.  Idk.   I'll keep thinking.

Edit: if it said "you may play and action or trasure card from your hand that you don't have a copy of in play, that wasn't played in the Way of the Imp, that might work? But it get's really wordy.

[faust]

Carnival - $3

+1 Buy
You may play one copy of each card you already have a copy of in play from your hand.

FAQ:
- the cutoff is the moment you buy the card, so it is not allowed to e.g. use Carnival to play a Throne Room putting a Smithy in play and then play another Smithy from your hand.

[xyz123]

Troubadour
Action
$5

+1 Action

Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. Put any Action cards that you do not have a copy of in play into your hand. Either discard the rest or put them back in any order.

[Gubump]

Most similar to Way of the Pig, it is essentially a cantrip, but you discard a card from play after drawing, which makes the conditional +1 Action easier to activate. It also allows you to play treasures in your action phase since that seems to be all the rage nowadays.

In addition to what other people have already pointed out, this also causes issues by being able to discard Durations that still have their effects on future turns.

[Will(ow|iam)]

Impress
$0 Event
Trash a non-duration Action card you played this turn that's still in play, to gain an Imp.

[fika monster]

Not sure if this card is elegant, will work with it more later

But heres a different sort of scrap: It's probably harder to get off then scrap, but it should synergies well with  imp and Conclave: since it trashes non duration cards you have in play, you could deliberately trash some cards to enable Imps abilities better. Or you could play an imp, draw into Analyst, and use analyst to trash the imp if your desperate.

Unless you have Ruins in the game, or ways to play coppers or silver, its not a good traditional trasher.

Update: v2 (using fausts suggestions)

Analyst
$4   -   Action

+1 Action
You may trash a Non-Duration card you have in play. Choose a different thing per $2 it costs (round down): Gain an imp; Gain 2 horse; Gain a card costing up to $1 less then it; +2 Coffers.

[faust]

Not sure if this card is elegant, will work with it more later

But heres a different sort of scrap: It's probably harder to get off then scrap, but it should synergies well with  imp and Conclave: since it trashes non duration cards you have in play, you could deliberately trash some cards to enable Imps abilities better. Or you could play an imp, draw into Analyst, and use analyst to trash the imp if your desperate.

Unless you have Ruins in the game, or ways to play coppers or silver, its not a good traditional trasher.

Analyst
$4   -   Action

+1 Action
You may trash a Non-Duration card you have in play. Choose a different thing per $2 it costs (round down): Gain an imp; Gain an horse; Gain a card costing  $1 less then it; +2 Coffers; +2 Cards

This looks fun, but some suggestions:
- I think 4 options are sufficient here. The only way to trigger all five would be by trashing a Colony, and Colonies don't end up in play. Which one to cut? Probably the +2 Cards, as Analyst already gives multiple ways to add draw to your deck.
- The Horse gaining option is much weaker than the rest. Obviously Horse combos with Imps, but it's still not amazing and I think you could get away with upping this to 2 Horses.
- on the downgrade option, I think it should say "up to $1 less". The funnest Analyst combo is Peddler, but you'd be pretty sad if there were no $7 costs in the game.

[Ethan]

Analyst
$4   -   Action

+1 Action
You may trash a Non-Duration card you have in play. Choose a different thing per $2 it costs (round down): Gain an imp; Gain 2 horse; Gain a card costing up to $1 less then it; +2 Coffers.

Small typo: “less than”

[Chappy77]

Most similar to Way of the Pig, it is essentially a cantrip, but you discard a card from play after drawing, which makes the conditional +1 Action easier to activate. It also allows you to play treasures in your action phase since that seems to be all the rage nowadays.

Hopefully fixed version. A lot of words to do a relatively simple thing, but I think it works better now

[faust]

Most similar to Way of the Pig, it is essentially a cantrip, but you discard a card from play after drawing, which makes the conditional +1 Action easier to activate. It also allows you to play treasures in your action phase since that seems to be all the rage nowadays.

Hopefully fixed version. A lot of words to do a relatively simple thing, but I think it works better now

Some rules still are not clear to me, in particular related to throning.

Say I play Throne Room on X and play X as WotI first and regularly second. Can a subsequent WotI then discard X?

Also I think this still goes infinite with Band of Misfits.

[Augie279]

A conditional Bazaar similar to Harbor Village. Maybe not that exciting, but does every card need to be?

<Better wording below.>

[Gubump]

A conditional Bazaar similar to Harbor Village. Maybe not that exciting, but does every card need to be?

Does it check the uniqueness before or after resolving the next played card? That matters for things like Sauna/Avanto.

My recommended wording is either "..if it's the only copy you have in play, you first get +" or "After the next time..." depending on your intent (I'd further recommend the first for simplicity's sake).

[JW]

Does it check the uniqueness before or after resolving the next played card? That matters for things like Sauna/Avanto.

My recommended wording is either "..if it's the only copy you have in play, you first get +" or "After the next time..." depending on your intent (I'd further recommend the first for simplicity's sake).

I think it also needs "this turn."

[JW]

Destitute Village

Action
+1 Action and +1 Buy.
+1 Action for each differently-named Action you have in play, including this.

Notes: I think this card can cost $2 because it's generally bad to have it in your deck until you have a few differently-named actions, some of which are terminal. As with any non-drawing source of +Actions, it can also be bad to get too many of them. Knowing when to pick up the first one will be important.

Like Plunder's Swamp Shacks, it really likes being paired with Actions with +1 Card, +1 Action. However, unlike Swamp Shacks, you're going to have to pick up a variety of those actions to realize its potential. Fun prompt this week!

[4est]

Seems like most people have gone the "Impish" route instead of full Imp, so let's try this one. Fiend is my attempt at a fixed Cultist (and one that's hopefully more interesting). You don't get the snowballing problems from chaining, and the Imps actually don't mind Ruins so much.

[Augie279]

Does it check the uniqueness before or after resolving the next played card? That matters for things like Sauna/Avanto.

Before. Probably should make that syntax change.

I think it also needs "this turn."

Right. Yeah. That is something I need to add. New wording time.

[Ethan]

Pursuivant
Action -
+1 Action
Reveal cards from your deck until you reveal an Action. Discard the other cards. If you have a copy of the Action in play, put it into your hand. Otherwise, play it.

A mix of Imp, Herald, Sea Chart and Golem. No chain effect like Herald.

[grep]

Impeach
Event - $4

Exile a card from your hand to gain an Imp.


Sorry, could not resist a pun

[LibraryAdventurer]

Scrap Artist
$5 - Action
Trash a card from your hand. Choose one for each $2 in its cost (rounded up, choices must be different): +2 Cards; +3 Actions; +$2 and +2 Buys; Gain an Imp; or Gain a Gold. If it cost less than $2, gain a card costing up to $4.

A super Scrap.

EDIT: Whoops. Been a couple days since I read the other submissions and I just noticed Analyst. Cancel this entry. I'll think of something else.
EDIT: My submission is here "Impaler": https://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=21724.msg902954#msg902954

[segura]

Impeach
Event - $4

Exile a card from your hand to gain an Imp.


Sorry, could not resist a pun

This is obviously too good. Imp is a $4.5 and Exiling is pretty strong. When would you ever not open with this?

[LibraryAdventurer]

Impaler
$5 - Action - Attack - Duratiion
Each other player chooses one: Reveal their top two cards and trash an Action or Treasure costing at least $2, discard 2 cards, or trash a card costing at least $3 from their hand (or reveal they can't).
At the start of your next turn, gain an Imp and play it.

How bout a torturer variant.
I made it a duration partly so you can't play it as often, but also it partly defends against itself this way.
It didn't use the usual "between $3 and $6" for the trashing part because I wanted it to be able to trash other player's imps.
EDIT: Added "or reveal they can't" for accountability.

[NoMoreFun]

Hotel
Project - $5
At the start of your Clean up phases, you may set aside, from your hand, an Action or Treasure you don't have a copy of in play. At the start of your next turn, play it twice.

[Lackar]

Captured Fairy
$2
Action - Duration

$1
At the start of your next turn, you may trash this to gain an Imp.

thoughts?

[Gubump]

Impaler
$5 - Action - Attack - Duratiion
Each other player chooses one: Reveal their top two cards and trash an Action or Treasure costing at least $2, trash a card costing at least $3 from their hand, or discard 2 cards.
At the start of your next turn, gain an Imp and play it.

This has accountability issues since players can (and have very good reason to) choose the 2nd option when they have no such cards to trash.

[segura]

Unlike Torturer the card does not say that you could choose an option which you cannot do. So the second option is only for choice if you actually trash a card.

[Gubump]

Unlike Torturer the card does not say that you could choose an option which you cannot do. So the second option is only for choice if you actually trash a card.

You can always choose options you cannot do, that's just a clarification on Torturer, not a modifier.

[segura]

Unlike Torturer the card does not say that you could choose an option which you cannot do. So the second option is only for choice if you actually trash a card.

You can always choose options you cannot do, that's just a clarification on Torturer, not a modifier.

It is pretty obvious that this is not the intent behind the design.

[emtzalex]

My Submission:

Evil Plan • $5 • Night - Duration Choose one: set aside up to 3 Action cards from your hand that you have a copy of in play; or set aside an Imp from its pile. At the start of your next turn, play the set aside cards in any order.

My submission is Evil Plan. At worst, it will add an Imp to your deck and let you play it the following turn (effectively giving you +1 Action). As you build your deck, you will be able to set aside more cards (including prior copies of Imp).

[Gubump]

Unlike Torturer the card does not say that you could choose an option which you cannot do. So the second option is only for choice if you actually trash a card.

You can always choose options you cannot do, that's just a clarification on Torturer, not a modifier.

It is pretty obvious that this is not the intent behind the design.

Considering that LibraryAdventurer did in fact end up fixing the wording to have accountability, I'm pretty sure that you are supposed to be able to choose an impossible option.

[czzzz]

Sacrifices are always welcome at the Magic Circle. If you want the spell to succeed, make sure you have followed the steps in your grimoire, to the letter. To the rune?

Tiny Monastery effect, with a chance to trigger Ghost Town+ if you're playing like you're an Imp. 

Also, just in case it's not clear: if you only did the Monastery part, there's no Duration effect to keep it out so it gets discarded from play that turn.

[segura]

My Submission:

Evil Plan • $5 • Night - Duration Choose one: set aside up to 3 Action cards from your hand that you have a copy of in play; or set aside an Imp from its pile. At the start of your next turn, play the set aside cards in any order.

My submission is Evil Plan. At worst, it will add an Imp to your deck and let you play it the following turn (effectively giving you +1 Action). As you build your deck, you will be able to set aside more cards (including prior copies of Imp).

This is obviously overpowered. The delayed vanilla net effects are either +1 Card, +1 Action, gain a near Lab or +2 Cards, +3 Actions.
That is significantly stronger than comparable cards like Lost City or Longship, respectively (your card is kinda like a digger) Golem or Ghost.

[emtzalex]

My Submission:

Evil Plan • $5 • Night - Duration Choose one: set aside up to 3 Action cards from your hand that you have a copy of in play; or set aside an Imp from its pile. At the start of your next turn, play the set aside cards in any order.

My submission is Evil Plan. At worst, it will add an Imp to your deck and let you play it the following turn (effectively giving you +1 Action). As you build your deck, you will be able to set aside more cards (including prior copies of Imp).

This is obviously overpowered. The delayed vanilla net effects are either +1 Card, +1 Action, gain a near Lab or +2 Cards, +3 Actions.
That is significantly stronger than comparable cards like Lost City or Longship, respectively (your card is kinda like a digger) Golem or Ghost.

Those aren't really relevant comps. The next-turn effect of Ghost Town is the same as a Lost City, and it only costs $3 (with a gain-to-hand bonus). If you're counting the need to play GT out of your hand on the prior turn, then it's only a LC the turn you gain it, and after that it's a regular village (but one that you never draw dead, which can be valuable when supporting terminal draw cards). But if that's how you are doing the math, then the second choice never increases the handsize, since each card you play has to be in your previous-turn hand. It can potentially give you +3 Actions, but, again, only if you leave 3 Action cards in your hand (and, effectively, turn them into Durations that only get played every other turn, at least while you're using them for EP).

I have no idea how EP is supposed to be a digger like Golem or Ghost. Those cards find Actions to play, even if they're under Treasures / Victory cards. EP can only set-aside-to-play actions that you both (a) have in your hand by your Night phase, and (b) have a copy of in play. To me, that's the opposite of a digger.

Also, I wouldn't call an Imp a near Lab, unless you have a ton of different Action cards or lots of Horses (and in those cases, EP's other ability is weakened as you are less likely to have copies of cards in play in your hand to set aside).

[segura]

My Submission:

Evil Plan • $5 • Night - Duration Choose one: set aside up to 3 Action cards from your hand that you have a copy of in play; or set aside an Imp from its pile. At the start of your next turn, play the set aside cards in any order.

My submission is Evil Plan. At worst, it will add an Imp to your deck and let you play it the following turn (effectively giving you +1 Action). As you build your deck, you will be able to set aside more cards (including prior copies of Imp).

This is obviously overpowered. The delayed vanilla net effects are either +1 Card, +1 Action, gain a near Lab or +2 Cards, +3 Actions.
That is significantly stronger than comparable cards like Lost City or Longship, respectively (your card is kinda like a digger) Golem or Ghost.

Those aren't really relevant comps. The next-turn effect of Ghost Town is the same as a Lost City, and it only costs $3 (with a gain-to-hand bonus). If you're counting the need to play GT out of your hand on the prior turn, then it's only a LC the turn you gain it, and after that it's a regular village (but one that you never draw dead, which can be valuable when supporting terminal draw cards).

True, Ghost Town provides a delayed +1 Card +1 Action on-gain and a delayed +1 Action on-play. The former effect compensates for the latter as well as the card being a Duration relative to Village which is always net +1 Action.

But if that's how you are doing the math, then the second choice never increases the handsize, since each card you play has to be in your previous-turn hand. It can potentially give you +3 Actions, but, again, only if you leave 3 Action cards in your hand (and, effectively, turn them into Durations that only get played every other turn, at least while you're using them for EP).

Normally you discard played cards at the end of the turn. If you set a played card side and play it again at the start of the next turn, that is a net effect of +1 Card and +1 Action.
That is also how you can read stuff like Summon: its net effects are "gain a $4, next turn +1 Card +1 Action" but it is better than that as the card you virtually draw is the just-gained $4. It is also why, absent Thrones and Remodels, Demand is strictly worse than Summon.

You also misinterpreted the Duration thing. If you play a card on turn A as well as on turn B, that is not every other turn. Evil Plan and Royal Galley are Durations that you can only play every other turn. The cards they set aside and play again at the next turn are not, you can play these very Action in every turn.

T4: Play Royal Galley on Village.
T5: Play Village at the start of your turn due to Royal Galley.
T6: Draw into Village and play it normally.

I have no idea how EP is supposed to be a digger like Golem or Ghost. Those cards find Actions to play, even if they're under Treasures / Victory cards. EP can only set-aside-to-play actions that you both (a) have in your hand by your Night phase, and (b) have a copy of in play. To me, that's the opposite of a digger.

A digger finds good cards in your deck, your cards finds the best cards in play.
That is better than a digger like Golem which does not allow you to choose and better than Ghost which often runs into the issues of not being able to dig for an Action in a deck-drawing engine.

Digging is nothing but drawing (or with your card, virtually drawing) something better than the average card in your deck.

[Gubump]

I agree with segura that Evil Plan is bonkers OP, even without the Imp gaining. Even without the Imp gaining, it's akin to a triple Royal Galley that works retroactively. That is absurd for only costing more than an already very-strong , even though it isn't a cantrip.

[infangthief]

My updated entry v0.2:

Way of the Pixie
Set aside up to 2 non-Duration copies of this you have in play. Follow the instructions on the set-aside cards then exile them.

FAQ: "copies of this" includes this, the card that you are playing using Way of the Pixie.

Previously v0.1:

Way of the Pixie
Set aside all non-Duration copies of this you have in play. Follow the instructions on the set-aside cards then trash them.

[infangthief]

Hmm, Way of the Pixie goes infinite with Trail or Fortress I think.
Maybe I should change it so you trash the cards at the end of your turn. Trail could still give you infinite draw at the end of your turn, but that's less bad.

[silverspawn]

24 Hour Warning. Current leader is        Moat       

[faust]

Hmm, Way of the Pixie goes infinite with Trail or Fortress I think.
Maybe I should change it so you trash the cards at the end of your turn. Trail could still give you infinite draw at the end of your turn, but that's less bad.

It would also give you infinite VP with Tomb.

[LTaco]

Bring harm to your enemies and get a spirit helper. But it comes at a price.

[silverspawn]

Contest Closed. A team of domesticated monkeys with premium access to GPT-5 has been unleashed to commence judging.

[4est]

ChimpGPT

[silverspawn]

Judgment Day, Monkey Edition

A wide-angle shot over a barren landscape. The camera is a Leica Q3 Monochrom Hyperflux Edition. Soft noise signature of -90dB. The lighting is rudimentary.
A bearded man marches into the scene. A battalion of armed and uniformed men follow.
"ATTENTION," barks the bearded man. "We are here on decree of her majesty Queen Elizabeth the fifth.
The lens of the Leica Q3 Monochrom Hyperflux Edition captures the scene in exquisite detail, the stark contrast of light and dark creating a dramatic effect. The shadows are deep and inky, while the highlights are crisp and bright. Despite the rudimentary lighting, the camera's impressive low-light capabilities and the soft noise signature of -90dB allows every single detail to be captured with stunning clarity.
"Her majesty was enjoying a leisurely stroll through the royal gardens, when none other than an Imp was pestering her. As a result, her majesty was unable to complete the stroll successfully. You all know what that means. Every last Imp must be eliminated."
The camera pans out, capturing the battalion of armed men standing behind their leader, a sea of determination and resolve. Their presence seems almost surreal against the barren landscape, a stark reminder of the authority they represent.

Foreigner • $5 • Action You may trash an Action card from your hand. If you have any copies of it in play, gain two non-Victory cards each costing up to $1 more than it; otherwise, gain an Action card costing as much as it or less and a Silver.	A remodel variant. My issue with this one is that I don't quite see the theme behind the card; the effects seem a bit arbitrary. I also suspect it's quite weak (not that much better than Develop for 5$).
	I also suspect this can still go infinite. But I also have another critique, which is that the card doesn't lose any value. You get +1 card and +1 action back, and you keep the same number of Action cards in play vs. in your deck. You're just exchanging one card in play for another. Which means there's no drawback; you should use this all the time. Which doesn't have to be a bad thing, but I feel like in this case it wouldn't be too fun and make turns lengthy. I think restricting it to once per turn would fix the issue, while also removing the looping problem.
	Solid! I feel like if I saw this in an official expansion, I wouldn't think anything of it. The effect doesn't return to your Action phase, so you are limited to using only the Treasure cards you draw with this -- unless of course you buy it again to play the new cards. I like that that's an option.
Troubadour Action $5 +1 Action Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. Put any Action cards that you do not have a copy of in play into your hand. Either discard the rest or put them back in any order.	This one seems conceptually cohesive on first glance: build a deck with lots of different Action cards. But on second glance, to trigger this reliably, you need to (1) have this as your only main source of draw, and (2) also have lots of other Action cards -- and those two things don't go together. So making it reliable seems impossible, which means you're probably relying on luck most of the time. Which is totally fine, lots of cards are inherently swingy. But then it's also a bit weak. So, I'm not sure. Maybe it would be fine.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" barks the bearded man. "Are you shooting a movie?"
"Yes, sir," says the uniformed man holding the Leica Q3 Monochrom Hyperflux Edition. "No Imps were harmed in the creation of this movie, sir!"
"Why are you saying this as if it's a good thing?! We are here to eliminate all Imps. I hate Imps. Do you doubt that I hate Imps?"
In truth, the bearded man doesn't much care about Imps; he's putting on a rough persona in the hopes that it would impress the others. Like everyone, all he really wants is the approval of everyone else.
"No, sir! Of course not, sir! Your hatred of Imps is legenday, sir!"
Legendary, thinks the bearded man. In the movie, this is communicated through an exquisitely narrated voice-over. The sound-design is rudimentary. He was legendary. Only he. General Edward Edgar Edisson Trunk Jr. Edmund Eduard Eduard Eddillian.
The camera focuses on General Trunk Jr.'s hardened expression, his steely gaze reflecting his fervor for the cause. His rough persona, a mere facade to garner approval, does not waver as he communicates with his subordinates.
The Leica Q3 Monochrom Hyperflux Edition captures every detail, every nuance of his expression, the texture of his weather-beaten skin, the tension in his musculature, the creases of his uniform.

	I like it! Don't have any real substantive complaints; I think it would play quite well. You can turn a 4$ into 2 horses and an Imp, or a 5$ into an Imp and another 4$, which you can then trash later. And at the very end, it can just make 2$. It seems very strong at 4$, but since it relies on other cards, that's not an issue. Two grammar issues though; horse should be horses, and "then" should be "than".
	Also like this one! Worth noting that it is very strong early, you may even open with it, especially if you're playing with Shelters. It doesn't have too much strategic depth, but that's fine for a village.
Destitute Village Action +1 Action and +1 Buy. +1 Action for each differently-named Action you have in play, including this.	This can make a lot of Actions, and the buy is nice -- but of course, not drawing a card is a massive drawback, so the pricetag seems appropriate. It's kinda weird that it gets better when you already have played a bunch of Actions, but you want it to play Actions, so it's a pretty new dynamic. I like it!
	I actually went into this judging thing wanting to give some weight to majority opinion, and maybe pick something highly upvoted unless I have serious issues with it. Unfortunately, I do have serious issues with this card. So here's the thing. If I'm getting an Imp with Tormenter, I'm ecstatic, and +2$ is not that much better than giving out a ruin. So this card is quite strong. You'll probably get it first in a lot of games. Then your opponents get ruins. You know which card gets better if you have ruins? Imps. So if your opponent gets a fiend, you're more inclined to get a Fiend, too. Then your opponent is more inclined to get more Fiends and so on. And do you know which card gets better if you have a lot of Imps? Fiends. Consider also how the play Imp option works. Every Imp draws 2 cards, then can play other cards, which can themselves draw more cards, and more Imps. So this can go through your entire deck. (It can't just be the Imps that you have in hand at the point of playing because of accountability issues.) So while it looks fun, I genuinely predict that it would dominate the game most of the time. Which might still not be bad, Cultist also kinda does that, but I don't love it. Great art, though.
	So this is either cantrip of village strength, plus some sifting. Pretty neat, and very cohesive-feeling design. No complaints.
Impeach Event - $4 Exile a card from your hand to gain an Imp.	Remember how Donald mentioned a shelter that allowed you to discard your hand to trash this, and he said it was usually correct to buy it even with 4 coppers? This suggests that this would be an auto-buy basically every time, which is also what my intuition says. The first Imp is basically a lab, so you're getting a lab for $4 that also trashes -- actually Exiles, which is better! -- your estate. I think overall, this feels a bit too easy to me; I feel like it ought to be a bit more of a challenge to gain Imps.
Impaler $5 - Action - Attack - Duratiion Each other player chooses one: Reveal their top two cards and trash an Action or Treasure costing at least $2, discard 2 cards, or trash a card costing at least $3 from their hand (or reveal they can't). At the start of your next turn, gain an Imp and play it.	I know I've said that high powerlevel itself is not an issue, but it is if the card is spammable, and this one is. A few comparisons have been mentioned, but the cleanest one is Den of Sin, and this is so much stronger than Den of Sin, it's kinda absurd. I know it's not gained to your hand, but the effect is about twice as strong. I think you'd just race to get as many of these as possible on almost every board, maybe mixing in some trashers. You can get villages if you don't reach 5$. Starting a turn with 2 Actions and 7 cards is just so good.
Hotel Project - $5 At the start of your Clean up phases, you may set aside, from your hand, an Action or Treasure you don't have a copy of in play. At the start of your next turn, play it twice.	Neat little throne room variant. I like stuff that gives you an out for bad draws, so I like that it's a project not a card. And the restriction is serious, but you can work around it. I like this a lot! Also kinda neat that it takes elements from Imp and from Ghost. (I don't quite get why it can target Treasure Cards; that seems like a pretty obscure use case that's probably not worth the complexity?)
Captured Fairy $2 Action - Duration $1 At the start of your next turn, you may trash this to gain an Imp.	If you don't exchange this, you're doing something wrong. So it's basically an Imp for 2$ that you have to play first. Or a traveler with only two stages. Which is fine, if not the most exciting idea; but nothing wrong with it.
	Again, Den of Sin. Gaining it to your hand is nice, but it doesn't make up for how much stronger this card is, so this is too close to strictly better for my taste. And in general, I think too strong for a spammable card. Even without the second option, I think you'd rush to this most of the time and then just buy lots of it. Fwiw I do think the design is neat aside from that. Honestly, I think it could be interesting with just the first option. It's bad value to just get +3 Actions for a 5$, but it makes up for it in giving you the ability to shuffle power around on two turns. Consider how strong Tactician is.
	The Exiling thing is a nonexistent downside if (a) you buy another copy of the thing or (b) it's your last turn. So you'll just use this all the time; it'll make any engine vastly more powerful. Is that a bad thing? Unclear. Maybe it'd be a fun. But I don't quite like it as a Way, it feels a bit too easy and too impactful. Also, Throne Room -> Throne Room (Exile the second time) -> Workshop -> Workshop (Exile the second time) -> Smithy  ... it's not quite a loop, but it comes very close. We're down 1 Action here but up 1 card, and we've gained a copy of all five Action cards we've played. Loops are certainly possible with stronger cards; these just use cards from the base set.
	This seems to have gone a bit underappreciated; I think it's pretty neat. It takes a lot of work to get Imps, but if you do it's phenomenal. Otherwise, Wisps are quite nice as well. But they're not good in arbitrary decks, so this isn't straight-forward powerful like some of the earlier cards. And also fantastic art!
	I like the idea quite a lot; I don't think the execution works. You can just trigger the effect all the time if you just don't get a lot of Action cards, and if you do, you have a Den of Sin+++ for 3$. it's so strong that this should be the best thing basically every time. Open with two of those, keep buying them, slowly sprinkle in one of each other Action card that you have use for. You made it a bit too easy.

Cards I like a lot: Analyst (fika monster), Carnival (faust), Imp Village (Augie279), Pursuivant (Ethan), Hotel (NoMoreFun)

Among those, it's quite hard to say, I feel like all of them would be justified. So I'll let the people speak and say Pursuivant by Ethan is the winner!


As the men continue their hunt, the Imps finally start to show up. Attempts to adhere to the mission are made, at least at first; spears are thrown and blows are struck. But none of them land. As the longer it goes on, the clearer it gets that the men's hearts aren't in it.
Finally, one of the men lands a partial blow with a spear shaft, sending one of the creatures to the ground. The camera captures the moment in slow motion, the harsh monochrome accentuating the drama. The Imp tumbles to the ground, an expression of surprise etched on its face. The man who landed the blow freezes, his spear still extended, a look of mixed shock and remorse on his face.
The scene is eerily quiet for a moment. The other men, their spears still raised, watch their fallen foe with a mix of relief and discomfort. The Imp looks up at them, blinking against the harsh light. It's a poignant moment, filled with tension and regret.
"What are you waiting for," says the man next to him, barely able to keep his voice steady. But his comrade just shakes his head.
"I can't. I can't do it. Sir, I can't-"
"OF COURSE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO STRIKE IT DOWN," cries the bearded man at once, causing half the battalion to wince in their uniforms. "Are you a monster?!"
"But-"
"Don't tell me you thought I really hated Imps! Did you?"
"Sir no sir! I always suspected that it was merely a misguided attempt of yours to be loved, sir!"
"That's right!" says the bearded man triumphantly. "Edward Edgar Edisson Trunk Edmund Eduard Eduard Eddillian is not a killer!"
The Leica Q3 Monochrom Hyperflux Edition captures the scene in striking detail. The sudden shift in mood, the palpable relief that washes over the men, the fallen Imp slowly rising, visibly unharmed.
General Trunk, his full name finally revealed, stands in the center of the frame, a beacon of change amidst the monotonous bleakness. The wind tugs at his beard, causing it to flutter slightly. His eyes, filled with a profound understanding, stare straight into the camera. His troops, no longer soldiers with a mission to kill, but men with a newfound purpose, surround him.
The camera pans over the faces of the men, capturing the relief, the surprise, the newfound respect they hold for their leader. The tension dissipates, replaced by a tangible sense of camaraderie. The men, once bound by their shared hatred for the Imps, are now united in their empathy towards the creatures.
Then the scene cuts, fading to black. Then it fades back. Most of the men are already riding on the back of an Imp, others are climbing on right now. The ancient curse on the race that prohibits any two Imps from carrying the same thing at the same time is meaningless, for all humans are different. And so a new eternal friendship is born between the two species. Merely the queen ended up losing out, who is henceforth unable to conduct her garden strolls properly.

[fika monster]

is anyone else having issues seeing images on the strategy forum? i am, and cant tell which text is judging what due to that.

May just be because of the old computer im currently on

Edit: was because of the old computer i was on, lol

Nice judging btw silverspawn! The novella was unexpected but fun as well imo

My headcannon is probably very dumb, but i thought the reason imps can only play cards you dont have in play already were because they have adhd

Idk why i thought that

[infangthief]

Contest Closed. A team of domesticated monkeys with premium access to GPT-5 has been unleashed to commence judging.

Nice judging.
I did wonder if you were going to run the card texts past an AI chatbot as part of the judging.

[Ethan]

Thank you for the judgement!
I have two quick ideas about next contest, and I went through the ideas thread to find one of them was proposed by Timinou with wonderful wording. So, I will choose this one. I will post it later.

[silverspawn]

Contest Closed. A team of domesticated monkeys with premium access to GPT-5 has been unleashed to commence judging.

Nice judging.
I did wonder if you were going to run the card texts past an AI chatbot as part of the judging.

Nah, I thought actually doing that would be disrespectful. It did write about half of the story, though.