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[Tombolo]

I realize this is an incredibly open-ended question that will mostly depend on the board and the situation, but given two cards you want, at a similar price point, synergy with the rest of the board, and power level, do you first go for an attack or a deck improver?  Is it best to get a quick attack in and cripple your opponent, or to get your deck flowing nicely so you can get both of those actions quickly?

[Archetype]

I realize this is an incredibly open-ended question that will mostly depend on the board and the situation, but given two cards you want, at a similar price point, synergy with the rest of the board, and power level, do you first go for an attack or a deck improver?  Is it best to get a quick attack in and cripple your opponent, or to get your deck flowing nicely so you can get both of those actions quickly?

Depends on the board

Sorry, someone had to say it.

[methods of rationality]

deck improver

[Beyond Awesome]

Cursing attack>Deck Improver>Other Attacks

Not sure where looters fit in the picture.

[blueblimp]

Concrete example: Witch vs Upgrade. I think it's correct to take a single Witch first before an Upgrade, but I'm not sure.

[engineer]

The question is too general because there are really strong attacks and really weak attacks, and there are really strong deck improvers and weak deck improvers.  For example, I think everybody would choose a witch over an upgrade, but I think a lot of people would choose an upgrade over a bureaucrat. 

[kn1tt3r]

Cursing attack<Deck Improver<Other Attacks

Not sure where looters fit in the picture.

Do you mean "<" or ">"?

[Beyond Awesome]

Cursing attack<Deck Improver<Other Attacks

Not sure where looters fit in the picture.

Do you mean "<" or ">"?

Sorry, I meant >  lol

[dondon151]

In 3 players and above, I would take a deck improver over a curser given they are of relatively equal strength.

[werothegreat]

Doesn't even need to be a Curser - just an Attack that will effectively slow your opponent(s) down - preferably one that also improves your own deck.  So I would never open, say, Bureaucrat or Spy, but I will often open Militia or Cutpurse.  And of course, if you're not opening Ambassador, there's something wrong with you (or Chapel's on the board).

[Grujah]

Bcrat slows down opponent AND improves your deck. :O

[werothegreat]

Bcrat slows down opponent AND improves your deck. :O

Not as much as Militia or Cutpurse...  Really, Cutpurse should have been in base, and Bureaucrat should have been in Seaside.

[Archetype]

Bcrat slows down opponent AND improves your deck. :O

Not as much as Militia or Cutpurse...  Really, Cutpurse should have been in base, and Bureaucrat should have been in Seaside.

Militia and Cutpurse's attacks are too similar to be in the same set.

And have you ever seen a Bureaucrat near the docks?

[() | (_) ^/]

Militia and Cutpurse's attacks are too similar to be in the same set.

I remember one IRL game where I saw Cutpurse and thought "I really need to use this card more... all the best players find ways to use even the crappiest cards on certain boards.  I'll open Cutpurse/Silver."

My opponent opened Militia.

*D'oh!*

Now, Militia is always (edit: ALMOST ALWAYS) better than Cutpurse, so that was a pretty stupid move.

Edit: The amazing (yet always respectful) band of pedants (of which I am one) on this site are probably going to chime in with when Cutpurse is better than Militia.

**snap*** ***snap*** Hey pedants, over here!  Now that I have your attention, can you tell me when Cutpurse is better than Militia?  All corner cases please... ... ... GO:

(seriously. I'm wondering...)

[Archetype]

Militia and Cutpurse's attacks are too similar to be in the same set.

I remember one IRL game where I saw Cutpurse and thought "I really need to use this card more... all the best players find ways to use even the crappiest cards on certain boards.  I'll open Cutpurse/Silver."

My opponent opened Militia.

*D'oh!*

Now, Militia is always (edit: ALMOST ALWAYS) better than Cutpurse, so that was a pretty stupid move.

Edit: The amazing (yet always respectful) band of pedants (of which I am one) on this site are probably going to chime in with when Cutpurse is better than Militia.

**snap*** ***snap*** Hey pedants, over here!  Now that I have your attention, can you tell me when Cutpurse is better than Militia?  All corner cases please... ... ... GO:

(seriously. I'm wondering...)

You called?

Edge case 1: Opponent running an Apothecary/Coppersmith/Cache deck.

Edge case 2: Opponent opened the underrated opening Village/Village.

/sarcastic rant

[ftl]

In multiplayer.

Multiple militias don't stack. However, early-game when you still have multiple coppers in your hand, if someone plays a militia and the next person plays a cutpurse, and one of the 3  cards you kept was a copper... damn that sucks. Or even if 2 people play a cutpurse and your hand was like, something, 2 coppers and 1 estate.

[Tombolo]

Or on C/C/C/E/E hands.

[noon]

Militia and Cutpurse's attacks are too similar to be in the same set.

I remember one IRL game where I saw Cutpurse and thought "I really need to use this card more... all the best players find ways to use even the crappiest cards on certain boards.  I'll open Cutpurse/Silver."

My opponent opened Militia.

*D'oh!*

Now, Militia is always (edit: ALMOST ALWAYS) better than Cutpurse, so that was a pretty stupid move.

Edit: The amazing (yet always respectful) band of pedants (of which I am one) on this site are probably going to chime in with when Cutpurse is better than Militia.

**snap*** ***snap*** Hey pedants, over here!  Now that I have your attention, can you tell me when Cutpurse is better than Militia?  All corner cases please... ... ... GO:

(seriously. I'm wondering...)

If your hand is Copper Copper Copper Estate Estate, you'd much rather be hit with a Militia than a Cutpurse. In the general case, you prefer your opponents plays Militia when you have two dead cards and a copper in your hand. This will happen more often in games with no trashing, with attacks that give copper, and/or games without any village/smithy drawing engine. I would buy a Cutpurse over a Militia in games I know will be slow with lots of garbage.