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[GeronimoRex]

Boost ($3)
Action
+$2
-------
When you gain this, set it aside; at the start of your next turn, +1 action and put this card into your hand.


Came up with this as a way of creating some new opening options. Figure this can turn a $3/$4 opening split into a $3/$6 opening split with a terminal silver clogging your hand. Or a $4/$3 opening into a $4/$5 opening. This card would guarantee that everyone has the option to pick up a powerful $5 card in the first shuffle, hopefully helping to balance early games.

Obviously, this would make a $3/$4 opening split a noticeable advantage on boards with Goons or Border Village and, to a lesser degree, with Altar or Hunting Grounds, but every board has better and worse opening splits. I don't think those few cards are enough to break this, and even so, the issues aren't nearly as severe as the issues that potential imbalance issues that can rise in Baker kingdoms.

My thought is that this card would also be a good option during games with hand-size attacks, since, even with a reduced hand, you will often be able to purchase a Boost if you want to guarantee you make your next hand better, or (with Guilds cards) if you want to help guarantee the ability to overpay for a particular card.

In general, you wouldn't want more than one or two of these clogging up a deck, but purchased at the right moments, I think a Boost could be used strategically, especially in the first few shuffles to accelerate acquiring early power cards.

[Warfreak2]

It's an interesting card, seems like there shouldn't be a problem with it. I like the possibility of using the +1 Action on something else instead, it could be a boost to an engine too! Not sure about the name, though. Jeweller, perhaps?

It becomes a junk card in many decks; could be great with Procession.

[GeronimoRex]

It's an interesting card, seems like there shouldn't be a problem with it. I like the possibility of using the +1 Action on something else instead, it could be a boost to an engine too! Not sure about the name, though. Jeweller, perhaps?

It becomes a junk card in many decks; could be great with Procession.

You're right -- name is weak and needs to be revisited. Was going for form over function.

At this point, I'm working on getting together enough interesting fan cards that work together to try to complete a fan expansion (small set), at which point I'll probably give everything new titles to help fit a theme.

Thanks, as always, for your feedback.

[eHalcyon]

This card is very similar to Nomad Camp.  Here are the differences:

Nomad Camp gives +1 Buy all the time
Boost gives +1 Card, +1 action on the turn after you gain it

I say Boost gives +1 card because it adds itself to your next hand (giving you a 6 card hand) whereas Nomad Camp only topdcks itself.

Boost is a little more powerful on the turn after you gain it, then weaker after that.  The weakness depends on how much you want +Buy in that particular kingdom.  Given your intended design goal, the +1 action on Boost actually doesn't matter so much, since you are very unlikely to have another action in your hand in the opening (Necropolis notwithstanding).

The +1 action is otherwise interesting later in the game, but it's hard to imagine a case where it is really game changing.  Probably it would be a crazy mega-turn setup where you somehow gain a bunch of Boosts at once (Talisman?) so you can play them all next turn.

OK, Boost can turn a 4/3 into a 4/5 and a 3/4 into a 4/6.  Nomad Camp will turn 4/3 into 4/4 or 4/5, while on a 3/4 it can't improve your opening much but it can still give a jump start on turn 3.

Boost is fairly interesting, but I feel it overlaps too much with Nomad Camp.  As far as changing the opening, Baker and Nomad Camp have it covered.  Boost is different, but not all that much.

[Awaclus]

The +1 action is otherwise interesting later in the game, but it's hard to imagine a case where it is really game changing.

When you draw your villages without your +card.

[eHalcyon]

The +1 action is otherwise interesting later in the game, but it's hard to imagine a case where it is really game changing.

When you draw your villages without your +card.

Not sure what you mean.  My point was that it acts like an extra Village, but it only works on-gain and then you have a really weak terminal clogging your deck after that.  It's hard to guarantee that the bonus action is even useful on the turn you get it.

[Awaclus]

The +1 action is otherwise interesting later in the game, but it's hard to imagine a case where it is really game changing.

When you draw your villages without your +card.

Not sure what you mean.  My point was that it acts like an extra Village, but it only works on-gain and then you have a really weak terminal clogging your deck after that.  It's hard to guarantee that the bonus action is even useful on the turn you get it.

It's quite likely that it will be useful if you have enough +card cards and have just drawn a hand of Villages without drawing any of your +card cards. An engine going off once is game changing and this card can sometimes allow it.

[GeronimoRex]

Thanks for the feedback. I agree with most of the comments -- it is similar to Nomad Camp and Baker, but I think it's enough different from both to warrant trying out. Yes, in theory, Nomad Camp is the closest card, but Nomad Camp doesn't address the possible power deficit in a 3/4 vs 5/2 opening with a power $5 on the board.

Baker does address the opening split it a really interesting way. I think, in spirit, Boost is closer to Baker, but without the Coin token dynamic. Boost wants to give a choice that helps even out game opening, while also allowing for some fun potential mega-turns later in the game.

I've toyed with the idea of adding a single use +1 Buy to Boost, to accompany the +1 Action, to make it more interesting later in the game, but was afraid that would make the card too powerful for a $3, and I want to keep it a $3.

Boost ($3)
Action
+$2
-------
When you gain this, set it aside; at the start of your next turn, +1 Action, +1 Buy and put this card into your hand.

Or what if I nerf it this way:

Boost ($3)
Action
Gain a copper card; put it into your hand.
-------
When you gain this, set it aside; at the start of your next turn, +1 Action, +1 Buy, +$1 and put this card into your hand.

This way, it still makes a $5 turn guaranteed within the first shuffle, but becomes a much more interesting late-game card to set up big plays. Late game, the turn before reshuffle, buy one of these to kickstart a series of hopefully great turns -- buy these without the intent of ever playing them.

Or, a third option, with slow trashing.

Boost ($3)
Action
Gain two copper cards; put them into your hand. Trash a card from your hand.
-------
When you gain this, set it aside; at the start of your next turn, +1 Action, +1 Buy and put this card into your hand.

I really like this third option--it's potentially strong as an opening because it allows the crucial $5 purchase, and the trashing does make it possible to clear Estates out of your hand, but because the trashing doesn't actually make your deck smaller -- it just turns dead cards into coppers -- the trashing doesn't overpower the card. Especially because with any TFB cards in the kingdom, trashing Estates for Coppers actually makes those TFB cards less useful, so you would be unlikely to use that functionality.

Mid-game, it's helpful to turn Curses/Ruins/Estates (if no TFB) into Coppers in-hand, helping reduce dead-turns, but at the expense of adding Coppers to your deck. Though this does help guarantee more $5 turns early, helping build a powerful deck.

Late-game, it can be purchased for it's on-gain effects to set up some big turns.

Thoughts (on any of the versions)?

[GeronimoRex]

Oh, and I realize that, for better or worse, that third version would be one of the best Gardens enablers in the game, and would actually be HELPED by cursers, since it would clear curses and would three-pile faster. But I don't think that's a breaking point (it's still slower than something like Beggar/Gardens). The number of games that Boost3/Gardens appear should be minimal, and at that point, a mirror strategy would inevitably play out, giving the game it's own sort of challenge.

But here's the simplest way it plays out:

Open with $3, buy a Boost.
Turn 2 has $4 and a Boost; play the Boost to gain two Coppers and trash an Estate for a total of $6 and two buys; buy two Boosts.
Turn 3 probably has $4 and two Boosts; play both Boosts to gain four coppers and trash two cards for a total of at least $6 and two buys; buy two Boosts.
repeat.

Assuming your opponent isn't mirroring and you did nothing but buy and play Boosts, you should be able to clear out the Boosts no later than turn 5 and should finish turn 5 with 30 cards in your deck. Subsequent turns, every hand should have at least one Boost. Play the Boost to gain a copper and buy a Gardens. At the end of turn 13, you'd have 46 cards and all the Gardens. At that point, pile out whatever your opponent has purchased the most of, gaining Copper + X every turn until the game three piles. Worst case, pile out the Estates, so at the end of turn 21, you'd clear the Estates and have 62 cards in your deck, giving you 56-59 points, depending on how many Estates you trashed for Coppers in the early game.

Again, powerful combo, but I don't think a card-breaker because of the precedent of several other cards that have similarly powerful combos with Gardens.