So, I will add some more thoughts. I can say I have not played an adequate amount of games with the last 3rd of DA that Goko release, so I am certain that my opinions on cards will change.
So, here we go.
Hermit/Madman--This is a power $3. It is one of the best trashers in the game because it can trash from the discard. I find usually two of these are enough. Like Jack, it trashes, and it trashes even harder than Jack. Unlike, Jack, it doesn't draw you back to 5. But, you can always forgo a buy and gain a silver or another Hermit and get a Madman in exchange. I am not 100% sure when to get Madman, but it is a pretty nifty card. Overall, I would say Hermit is up there with the power trashers that aren't Chapel.
Counterfit--I love this card! I didn't think I would like it so much until I started playing with it. Having two in a deck sounds about right. It really helps out BM strategies and it even helps engine decks get a little extra more money while clearing out those junk coppers. Also, the +Buy comes in quite handy for those engines. A really good card, but not a top tier $5 card. It does cost $5 which is more than Spice Merchant and Moneylender, but the fact it is non-terminal and guarantees +Buy and Coin, makes it worth it.
Urchin/Mercenary--Urchin is beyond weak. Worst attack in the game, period. It almost never hurts you. However, Mercenary is strong, but it isn't Followers which I thought it would be like at first. Followers is the best curser in the game without question. Mercenary doesn't dish out curses and that makes all the difference. It is a good trasher, but I would take pretty much any trasher over it. The fact that you have to trash before drawing hurts at times and I find myself not playing it as much as I would like. It is a strong card, but you lose a good $3 buy and then have to match Urchin up with another attack, sometimes another Urchin. It is essentially Militia with trashing that is hard to set up. My thoughts, just buy Militia and money instead. Maybe, I'm wrong though.
Knights--It really depends on the board for these guys. Overall, I would say they are stronger than Saboteur because the benefit they give you makes up for the fact they only look at the top two and can't hit Provinces. If you need +Buy, then Sir Martin is a needed purchase. The 2VP one is worth getting because 2VP is always nice and it attacks as well. I won't go through them individually, but like I said, it really depends on the board. You really shouldn't buy it for the attack, but the bonus the top Knight of the pile offers. For example, the +$2 can work amazingly well in a Hunting Party deck as your terminal $2 while hurting destroying your opponents Hunting Parties. Overall, I would say Knights are an average $5 card.
Squire--This looks better than it is, but it is still strong. The fact that it doesn't draw you card is a huge drawback. Sometimes, it is a copper that gains you a silver. Most of the time, you should not try to build an engine with these unless there is some sort of other Village as well. For BM, it is a Workshop essentially that gives you an extra $. For engines, if you find yourself needing extra cash, you gain a silver. The +buys come in handy and so do the +Actions, but Hamlet this is not. Still, a strong $2, just not among the best $2s ever. Oh, and this is amazing in a Gardens deck. Those +2 Buys really, really help. Also, if any good attacks are on the board and a good trasher like Steward or Chapel, then Squire is a great buy just for the fact you can get an early Witch or Goons or Familiar. And, Procession/Squire can be a solid opening, gaining you two silvers, a $3 card and an attack!!!
Marauder--At first, I underestimated this card. I thought it was too slow of an attack. Afterall, Sea Hag put curses on top of your opponents deck, having a more immediate effect and this gave out Ruins which don't hurt as much as Curses. But, it ends up that gaining a Spoils and giving out a Ruins on a $4 card is actually quite powerful. This isn't as strong as Sea Hag, but setting back your opponent is nice while getting a spoils in return to cash on a gold or nice $5 card.
Rogue--This card is crap! Okay, maybe, I'm wrong, but this is like a delayed Thief with $2 on it. In most cases, you hit your opponents silver and then get it out of the trash on the next reshuffle. Okay, sometimes you get lucky and hit a Duchy, but overall, I think Rogue is weak. But, to be fair, I have not played with it much. Doesn't change my opinion of it though. But, if for some reason, you can use a terminal $2, I guess it is worth going for.
Graverobber--I am still working on this card, trying to figure it out. Like I said, I haven't had enough time to play with this batch of DA cards to truly make solid judgments. Overall, I think it can be strong. It allows you turn $5's into Provinces. If you have a way to draw most of your deck, then adding Graverobber might be worth it, so you can transform a $5 into a Province. You lose the $5, but usually a Province is better. But, it depends. To be honest, this is a tricky card. Cool though. At the moment, I am not sure where to rank it.
Hunting Grounds--This is a nice $6. In BM games, pick up two of these before your first gold. You might not even have to pick up gold with two of these in your deck. Although, if another card drawer is on the board like Smithy or Envoy just go for that instead. Or, if you have one Smithy, use your first $6 on a single Hunting Grounds. For engines, getting that one extra card makes a difference. And, if for some reason, it goes to the trash, you can get a Duchy in its place. I would say it is a decent $6, but not an amazing $6. Maybe more testing will show otherwise though.
Poor House--On many boards, this is a bad card. But, on some boards, it is super strong. However, I have found that good trashing isn't good enough. To make this card work, you will always need a source of +Action. Also, card draw goes a long way. I feel that Hamlet would be amazing card for Poor House decks, but I haven't had a chance to play it yet since Cornucopia is not on Goko. I did play a game though with Chapel, Poor House, and Squire. It was nice having won a game with only $2 and $1 cost cards that weren't Fool's Gold. Provinces don't count. So, all in all, on the right board, a single Poor House often adds $3 or $4 and is well worth going after.
Storeroom--The fact this is terminal makes it more like Secret Chamber than Cellar. To be honest, this needs the right deck. I have bought it a few times and regretted it. I am sure though there are times when it will come in handy. I think I need to playtest this card more. But, I would say it is weaker than it looks.
On another note, I have played around with Procession and Mystic more. Mystic is decent, but a weaker $5, for sure. It feels a lot like Wishing Well and not Conspirator. Some cards do make it worth buying such as Wandering Minstrel, which is an amazing Village. In those cases, if you have a source of +Buy, Mystic can act like a Grand Market. Regarding, Procession, the board has to be right, but Fortress goes along well with Procession, as does Squire. Sometimes, being able to play an action twice and getting an action $1 more than it, is worth losing that action, but it is a tricky card. I would love to try this out on a Border Village board though. Procession is not one of my favorite cards, though, but I will play around with it more and see what works and what doesn't.
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Topic: Now that Dark Ages has been out for a while...Thoughts on cards? (Read 21317 times)