Hi,
Now that I made my first post in the Band-Of-Misfits-Rules-Questions-Thread, I might as well add in a second post while I'm at it.
I have been thinking about a variant card on embargo. I first came up with a card similar to the one in this thread:
http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=486.msg6659#msg6659(didn't want to revive an old thread)
In that thread, some very good points against it were made, most importantly the possibility for deadlock state: nobody has any money, coppers cost >0 which leads to infinite game. Second most importantly: the semi-deadlock state of "green cards cost heaps, nobody wants to or is able to finish the game", which leads to un-fun situations. So I kept thinking about it, and I might actually have an idea that might work, although it's very far from the Embargo starting point. But before I get around to testing it, I might as well post it here to see if I make a glaringly obvious mistake. So:
Lobbyist
cost 0
Remove a Subsidy or Tax token from any pile. Then, place a Subsidy or Tax token on any pile.
----
Setup: place two Tax tokens on this pile.
It would work as follows:
you create exactly two tokens; Each has Subsidy on one side, and Tax on the other. The Subsidy token reduces the pile's cost by 1$ (but never less than 0$), the Tax token increases cost by 1$. The tokens stack. This results in:
- The card starts at 2$ (nice pickup on a spare buy or useless turn) but playing it will make it easier for the opponent to also get one with a spare buy.
- a maximum cost increase (or decrease) of 2$ is possible on any pile (because there are only two tokens)
- note that this gives a maximum variation of 4$ if you switch both tokens from tax to subsidy or vice versa in your own turn!
- If both tokens have been moved, you can always pick up this card for 0$, so that infinite game is less likely
- If a token has been moved, the card is in someone's deck so the infinite game problem is relieved more (that's why I removed the trashing bit)
- it will give fun combo's with TFB's
- with a surplus of actions, you can really get a tactical game, where you end your turn by a +2 increase of province cost, or maybe you first -1 the Torturer pile, Workshop a Torturer, then +1 the Torturer pile before ending your turn, thus messing with your opponent's ability to get Torturers
- that's why I didn't give it a +action; it seems that that would overpower it.
I am still uncertain about several things:
- The name sucks. Lobbying is a post-Medieval term so it doesn't fit the theme. Any suggestions?
- maybe a single tax/subsidy token is better? In that case, should it still have base cost 0$?
- Did I really stop the infinite/un-fun game state problem associated with these tokenized-cost-alteration-shenanigans?
- anything I didn't think of?
thanks for discussing!
