Topic: Spy/Ghost Ship (Read 5665 times)

werothegreat · « **on:** October 18, 2012, 01:46:46 pm »

Spy is actually a pretty decent... well, not counter, more of an ameloriation of Ghost Ship. If your opponent plays Ghost Ship and you have Spy in hand, then put a crap card from your hand on top of your deck first, then a card you want in your deck. That way Spy will draw the good card and discard the bad card, ensuring your next hand is not polluted. Of course, if your hand has three cards better than Spy, just put it on top of the deck, unless none of them are cantrips.

Robz888 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 18, 2012, 01:51:42 pm »

Spy is just so inessential though.

popsofctown · « **Reply #2 on:** October 18, 2012, 01:54:48 pm »

Spy is a Lab if you get hit by a Ghost ship. 4$ Lab can be okay depending on how many Ghost ships your opponent has.

werothegreat · « **Reply #3 on:** October 18, 2012, 01:54:54 pm »

Quote from: Robz888 on October 18, 2012, 01:51:42 pm

Spy is just so inessential though.

Except when you're looking for something to Saboteur/Knight/Swindler. Or to Graverob from that Saboteur/Knight/Swindler. Or to see what Mystic would be guessing. Or when your deck has lots of Curses. Or when your opponent has one critical card in his deck. Or when you really, really, really want to just annoy the shit out of someone, particularly in online play.

werothegreat · « **Reply #4 on:** October 18, 2012, 01:55:18 pm »

Quote from: popsofctown on October 18, 2012, 01:54:48 pm

Spy is a Lab if you get hit by a Ghost ship. 4$ Lab can be okay depending on how many Ghost ships your opponent has.

I think you're confusing Spy with Wishing Well.

popsofctown · « **Reply #5 on:** October 18, 2012, 01:59:15 pm »

Nope. Discarding an Estate from the top of your deck is nearly the same as drawing it, barring Cellar, Warehouse, etc.

werothegreat · « **Reply #6 on:** October 18, 2012, 02:05:02 pm »

Quote from: popsofctown on October 18, 2012, 01:59:15 pm

Nope. Discarding an Estate from the top of your deck is nearly the same as drawing it, barring Cellar, Warehouse, etc.

Crossroads, Madman, Hunting Party, Horse Traders, Oasis, Junk Dealer, Trade Route, Remodel, Remake, Develop...

popsofctown · « **Reply #7 on:** October 18, 2012, 02:06:55 pm »

Watchtower, Library, Jack of all Trades, Menagerie

Robz888 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 18, 2012, 02:12:30 pm »

Quote from: werothegreat on October 18, 2012, 01:54:54 pm

Quote from: Robz888 on October 18, 2012, 01:51:42 pm
Spy is just so inessential though.

Except when you're looking for something to Saboteur/Knight/Swindler. Or to Graverob from that Saboteur/Knight/Swindler. Or to see what Mystic would be guessing. Or when your deck has lots of Curses. Or when your opponent has one critical card in his deck. Or when you really, really, really want to just annoy the shit out of someone, particularly in online play.

But the problem is, look, I would gladly have lots of Spies. It doesn't hurt to have lots of Spies. In fact, it's great! But what else could you have bought? Spy is a cantrip, but there are so many better cantrips. There are a dozen better cantrips. And I think just quite often enough it fails the Silver test. Also, having 1 Spy is just not special. You want a lot of Spies, so you can really use it like Cartographer for yourself, and like Scrying Pool for your opponents. But then the attack anti-stacks as soon as you hit your opponent's bad card.

ConMan · « **Reply #9 on:** October 18, 2012, 06:50:28 pm »

That reminds me of a game I played a couple of weeks ago that had two attacks, Scrying Pool and Ghost Ship, plus some village. My opponent would often play a GS followed by some Pools, so I'd just remember to put a card I didn't care for much on top so he'd happily leave it there, allowing me to skim it off on my turn when I played my own Pools - and of course I'd then put a halfway decent action underneath to guarantee an extra draw. If he'd noticed, he really should have always discarded my top card any time he had two Pools following a Ship.

Octo · « **Reply #10 on:** October 19, 2012, 04:23:19 am »

Quote

I think you're confusing Spy with Wishing Well.

Which makes me wonder - surely Wishing Well is a better response to Ghost Ship than Spy?

With Spy you're still only using a 3 card hand. The only benefit was you got to slip over a dud card. Is this really worth $4? (I suppose you get the lack lustre deck inspection on them too) At least with Wishing Well you can get back up to 4 cards, and only for $3.

Synthesizer · « **Reply #11 on:** October 19, 2012, 06:43:57 am »

Robz, I really think there is another 4 coster, which also gives you an action back, that is just so much better than spy against ghost ship, and I am really surprised you didn't think of it.

Robz888 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 19, 2012, 11:37:15 am »

Quote from: Synthesizer on October 19, 2012, 06:43:57 am

Robz, I really think there is another 4 coster, which also gives you an action back, that is just so much better than spy against ghost ship, and I am really surprised you didn't think of it.

Well Farming Village, but Farming Village isn't always available. But yeah, it's definitely a much nicer counter to Ghost Ship than Spy.

DG · « **Reply #13 on:** October 19, 2012, 12:05:52 pm »

The success of these ghost ship combinations depends upon the composition of the deck. Spies might suit one deck, shanty town another, and so on. I think it's wise to rethink the benefits of these cards on each occasion rather than assume that something that worked well before will work well again.

Drab Emordnilap · « **Reply #14 on:** October 19, 2012, 01:08:16 pm »

Quote from: Robz888 on October 19, 2012, 11:37:15 am

Quote from: Synthesizer on October 19, 2012, 06:43:57 am
Robz, I really think there is another 4 coster, which also gives you an action back, that is just so much better than spy against ghost ship, and I am really surprised you didn't think of it.

Well Farming Village, but Farming Village isn't always available. But yeah, it's definitely a much nicer counter to Ghost Ship than Spy.

But Farming Village skips over those cards; isn't it better to put them into your hand?

clb · « **Reply #15 on:** October 19, 2012, 01:14:36 pm »

Quote from: Drab Emordnilap on October 19, 2012, 01:08:16 pm

Quote from: Robz888 on October 19, 2012, 11:37:15 am
Quote from: Synthesizer on October 19, 2012, 06:43:57 am
Robz, I really think there is another 4 coster, which also gives you an action back, that is just so much better than spy against ghost ship, and I am really surprised you didn't think of it.

Well Farming Village, but Farming Village isn't always available. But yeah, it's definitely a much nicer counter to Ghost Ship than Spy.
But Farming Village skips over those cards; isn't it better to put them into your hand?

I think that card's ship has sailed.

All good things must come to an end.

dondon151 · « **Reply #16 on:** October 19, 2012, 01:23:44 pm »

I thought Synthesizer was referring to Ironmonger...

Robz888 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 19, 2012, 02:20:50 pm »

Quote from: dondon151 on October 19, 2012, 01:23:44 pm

I thought Synthesizer was referring to Ironmonger...

If it's not on Isotropic it doesn't exist for me, sadly.

werothegreat · « **Reply #18 on:** October 19, 2012, 02:26:00 pm »

Quote from: Robz888 on October 19, 2012, 02:20:50 pm

Quote from: dondon151 on October 19, 2012, 01:23:44 pm
I thought Synthesizer was referring to Ironmonger...

If it's not on Isotropic it doesn't exist for me, sadly.

I'm pretty sure I've seen you play with Ironmonger.

Robz888 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 19, 2012, 02:28:01 pm »

Quote from: werothegreat on October 19, 2012, 02:26:00 pm

Quote from: Robz888 on October 19, 2012, 02:20:50 pm
Quote from: dondon151 on October 19, 2012, 01:23:44 pm
I thought Synthesizer was referring to Ironmonger...

If it's not on Isotropic it doesn't exist for me, sadly.

I'm pretty sure I've seen you play with Ironmonger.

Well, like twice. I know what the cards do, they just don't typically spring to mind, because I don't play with them regularly.

eHalcyon · « **Reply #20 on:** October 19, 2012, 06:43:07 pm »

I can't tell if Robz is intentionally avoiding the card that Synthesizer is referencing, or if he is genuinely overlooking it...

ftl · « **Reply #21 on:** October 19, 2012, 06:50:40 pm »

The joke is dead. Let it die.

werothegreat · « **Reply #22 on:** October 19, 2012, 09:31:19 pm »

In other news, I've realized that Horse Traders in your hand basically means that Ghost Ship never happened.

CPFB · « **Reply #23 on:** October 23, 2012, 01:30:43 am »

Maybe this is uber-obvious but you could use Spy to keep an opponent's Gold on top of their deck and then trash it with your Pirate Ship.

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Author Topic: Spy/Ghost Ship (Read 5665 times)