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[soulnet]

"Setup: Lay the randomizers for Village, Smithy, Workshop, Peddler, and Woodcutter in the center of the board. These are the District cards."

I think you already know where to go from here   

This would require owning Base and Prosperity, which is probably not ok for an Intrigue-themed Treasure Chest card.

[dghunter79]

Also, I don't like Overseer[...]  I don't hate it, but I would really, really rather not have a card that requires a new mat/tokens to win.  Partly the reason for that is that it makes it harder for those who want to print the cards and play with them to do so[...]

You can make the mat out of pencil and paper without much effort.

If two cards were both good, and one of them didn't have a mat, or was more "Intrigue-y," then, yeah I could see choosing the card that fit in better.  But picking an inferior card because Overseer uses a mat -- that seems counter-productive.  The card should be fun.  That should be the priority.

And in my opinion, Overseer is just clearly several levels up from all the other cards in terms of gameplay. 

Landlord is fine, but not really there yet.  The bottom idea is cute, but the top part doesn't match it.  And "Worth 1 VP for each empty Supply Pile" might be fun -- but not that often.  It's probably kind of boring most of the time.

[Showdown35]

All this talk about seeing the voting results before submitting a vote...

 I have not voted yet, and I can't see the results (other than the results that others have posted).  The poll at the top will not allow me to see results until AFTER I submit my vote.  This is how most polls on forums work.  I'm just informing those that have already voted and are seeing results that don't realize that the ones who haven't voted can't see those results yet.

[Powerman]

It might be only me... but what's with all this love for Overseer?  No offense to whoever made it, but it seems to me like it is a very poor card at best.  It doesn't open up engines, because you can't rely on it for villages without other villages, you can't rely on it for draw without other draw, etc.  It's not good for big money at all.  It can't be used as a workshop for rushes or to gain many copies of engine parts.  So you get a much much much more limited Band of Misfits, that you can't even use to keep copying a key card.

I see this card as a trap / niche card at best, and a flat out poorly designed card at worst.

[GendoIkari]

3 things:

1) Just to confirm was Showdown35 said; you can NOT vote after seeing the results. You get to see the results as soon as you vote; other people can still vote though they can't see the results.

2) I see a lot of people talking about getting to an exact number of cards, like the official expansions did. Is this because some people plan to get these printed? I would think it's ok if there's a couple extra victory cards; therefore 1 more sheet of cards needed than would be otherwise. It's not like they're needing to be printed in bulk, where 1 extra card means lots of extra production cost.

3) I'm not a fan of Overseer. I don't think it's as poorly designed as Powerman seems to, but it definitely seems quite weak, or at least swingy. It's much better if you happen to play it while the mat is empty. But even then, most of the functions it offers are things you want to do multiple times per turn. I think it just wouldn't be that fun to play; given that the options you have available are not consistent.

[Powerman]

Since I offered my criticism of Overseer, I'll post comments on the rest.

Logothete
Types: Action
Cost: $4
+2 Actions. Reveal your hand. +1 Card and +$1 per Victory card revealed. Reveal your hand again and put all the revealed Victory cards at the bottom of your deck in any order.

Basically trade your Victory cards for a random card and +$1 with the promise that your last turn of the reshuffle will be very weak.  Interesting idea, but I think it can either cost $3 or discard the victory cards.

Cold Iron
Types: Treasure – Attack – Victory – Reaction
Cost: $4
Worth $1. When you play this, each other player with 5 or more cards in hand draws a card then puts cards from his hand on top of his deck until he has 4 cards in hand.
Worth 1 VP. When another player plays an Attack card, you may discard this from your hand. If you do, gain a Silver, putting it into your hand, and you are not affected by the Attack.

Don't like the 4 types first of all.  Don't like the idea of a Treasure-Attack because it's way to spammable.  Don't like the idea of a Treasure-(Attack stopping) Reaction because it's way to spammable.  All in all, bleh.

Sphinx (A)
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $4
+1 Card. +1 Action. If this is the first time you played a Sphinx this turn, each other player guesses how many Action cards you will play this turn. At the end of your Action phase, each player who guessed incorrectly gains a Curse.

Clarification: The players guess in turn order.

Seems too highly luck dependent, and not very intrigue-ey.  Either cantrip or familiar, but it doesn't stack at all.  Early on it's almost always cantrip, later on it's almost always familiar.  Cool idea, but I think there is a better way than guessing the number of Action cards.

Sphinx (B)
Types: Action
Cost: $3
Choose one: +3 Cards and discard a card that is not a Victory cards (or reveal a hand of all Victory cards); or +$3 and cards cost $1 more this turn; or trash 3 cards from your hand and gain a card costing $0.

Basically Steward.  We have Steward.  Pass.

Paladin
Types: Action – Attack – Victory
Cost: $4
+1 Action. Choose one: Each player (including you) with 4 or more cards in hand discards a card; or each player (including you) draws until he has 4 cards in hand.
Worth 1 VP for every 4 Attack cards in your deck (rounded down).

I like the idea of counting VP for attacks, and I like the intrigue feel of the card.  Seems weak on play compared to other attacks, but I guess it might have to be to be nonterminal and worth VP.

Landlord
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $5
+2 Cards. You may discard a Victory card. If you do, +1 Action.
Worth 1 VP per empty Supply pile.

Strictly worse Laboratory (minus tunnel) on play but worth 1-3 VP.  Or Great Hall with cycling and maybe an extra VP.  Probably too strong, but perhaps not.

Dance
Types: Action – Attack – Reaction
Cost: $4
Choose one: Each player (including you) puts a card from his hand on top of his deck; or each player puts his deck into his discard pile.
When another player shuffles, you may reveal and discard this from your hand. If you do, +2 Cards.

No No No.  You can't just play this 5 times to kill your opponents turn forever, pass.

Quartermaster
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $3
+$2. Discard a card. Each other player with 4 or more cards in hand discards a card that shares a type with and costs more than the card you discarded (or reveal a hand with no such card).

I don't think I like it.  Discarding a green is too inconsequential, and discarding a treasure or action is too brutal.

Concerto
Types: Action
Cost: $3
+1 Action. Look through your discard pile. You may reveal a card from it and put it on the bottom of your deck. If it is an… Action card, +1 Action; Treasure card, +$1; Victory card, +1 Card.

Seems really, really weak.

Architect (A)
Types: Action
Cost: $6
+1 Action. +$2.
While this is in play, when an Action Card (including this) would give you any amount of $, you may draw that many cards instead.

+$ and +cards are generally about the same value, although the flexibility to switch between them certainly has some utility.  OTOH, the action part is weak, so I think the overall card is weak.  And it has to be $6 because it's strictly better than Lab.  Close though.

Acropolis
Types: Action
Cost: $5
When you play this, +1 Card per unused action you have (Action, not Action card). +2 Actions.

Interesting idea.  Don't think it's balanced, because any other village basically makes it absurd.

Prefecture
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $5
Reveal cards from your deck until you reveal a Victory card. If you do, put it and one other revealed card into your hand. Discard the rest.
Worth 2 VP.

Basically +2 Cards but one is bad and one is good.  I like the idea, don't know if 2 VP is too much and makes it too much of a no-brainer compared to Duchy except for THE last turn.

Nabob
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $5
+2 Cards. Trash a card from your hand. Choose one: Gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card; or each other player gains a card costing up to the cost of the trashed card.

Way too strong.  It's remodel + 2 cards OR something better than remodel + 2 cards.  For $1 more than remodel.

Courtier
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $4
You may gain a Duchy. If you didn't, gain a Silver. Each other player may gain an Estate. If he didn't, he gains a Copper.

Early on it's gain a Silver, opponents gain Copper.  Late it's gain a Duchy, opponents gain Estate.  First off is this interesting?  It's certainly unique, but I'm not sure I'd call it interesting.  Now for balance... The attack is certainly weak.  The gaining isn't particularly strong either.  Together... probably weak but alright.  I think it's too boring.

Monastery
Types: Action
Cost: $4
Gain a card costing up to $6. For each $1 over $4 it costs, each other player may choose one: he trashes a card from his hand; he gains up to 2 Coppers, putting them into his hand; he discards his hand and draws 5 cards.

Lots of strategic decisions for sure.  I think however it multiplayer it becomes A) absurd and B) somewhat political.  I do like it a lot for 2P though, and tbh I only play 2P.

Lawyer
Types: Action
Cost: $5
+$2. Reveal the top card of your deck. If you reveal a Victory card, discard it and gain an Action card costing up to $5. Otherwise, put the card back and gain an Action card costing up to $3.

So first off it's a terminal silver.  Next, it either cycles a bad card and gains you an action up to $5 (really good) or duchesses and gains you an action card up to $3.  Good if theres Menagerie, bad if only Secret Chamber.  So it's board dependent, but it seems like a very strong card if the Engine is strong.  So good card to me.

Lord
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $4
Reveal your hand. If you revealed a Treasure card, a Victory card, and an Action card (each separate cards), then +$3. Otherwise, +$1.
Worth 1 VP.

Early on very very swingy.  Later in an engine, this easily becomes a terminal gold + 1 VP for $4, which is way too strong.  So, swingy early and unbalanced late makes for a no-no.

Bailey
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $4
Do this three times: Choose one: +1 Action; or discard a Victory card, and +$2 if you did.
Worth 1 VP.

Seems incredibly weak.  Kind of cool idea though.

Wall
Types: Action – Reaction
Cost: $4
Choose two: Look at the top card of your deck and discard it or put it back; or gain a card costing up to $3; or trash a card from your hand. (The choices must be different.)
When another player plays an Attack card, you may reveal this from your hand. If you do, you may discard any number of cards from your hand. At the start of your next turn, draw that many cards.

Very similar to JoaT.  It exchanges a worse action for a fairly strong reaction.  It adds a bit of flexibility in that you can trash any card, but you lose the draw (except in the reaction).  Maybe could cost $3?

Overseer
Types: Action
Cost: $4
Put a marker on an empty District of the Overseer Mat. If you put it on the…
Residential District, +1 Card and +2 Actions
Craftsmen's District, +3 Cards
Commercial District, +1 Card, +1 Action, and +$1
Industrial District, gain a card costing up to $4
Logging District, +1 Buy and +$2
If four districts of the mat have a marker, remove all the markers.

Rules Clarification: There is one communal Overseer mat, split into the five districts.

See my above post, but my vote is NO.

Shrine
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $5
+1 Action. Choose one: trash a card from your hand; or +1 Card.
Worth 2 VP.

Seems too strong.  Cantrip or nonterminal trashing and it's worth 2VP.  Actually... it might be balanced at $5.  A little boring though.

Committee
Types: Action
Cost: $5
+$2. The player to your left names a card. Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck and choose one that is not the named card. Trash it or gain a copy of it. Put the untrashed cards back in any order.

I like it a lot.  Best used in an engine to gain many engine components and trash estates / coppers (but that is slow).  Actually it is pretty strong for BM too, as your opponent will have to proscribe Province VERY early, and you should be able to gain a lot of Gold.

Taylor-Compton
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $5
+1 Card. +1 Action. Discard any number of Victory cards. +$1 per card discarded.
Worth 1 VP.

If you discard 0, it's a Great Hall. 1 it's an Oasis + 1 VP.  2+ is pretty good, but how likely are you to have 2+VP cards?  I dunno.  Not really an engine card because of that, but I'd imagine BM would prefer terminal draw (or VAULT).

Usurer
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $5
Discard any number of cards. Choose one: +$1 per card discarded; or each other player discards until he has the same number of cards in hand as you.

Nope.  I have a bad hand, you skip your turn.  I don't like you, you skip your turn.  I get a deck of Village-Monument-Usurer, I get 1 VP forever and you die.

Dungeon
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $5
+1 Action. Trash up to 3 cards from your hand.
Worth 1 VP per $ in the cost of the cheapest card in your deck (in Coins).

I like the feel of the card, but i think it should be "Minimum 1 VP" too protect against a last turn curse or something.  Though I guess that is part of the strategy.

Majordomo
Types: Action
Cost: $4
+1 Action. Discard a card. If it is a… Victory card, +1 Card; Treasure card, +2 Cards; Action card, +3 Cards.

Victory Card is powerfully weak, Treasure card is fairly weak (cantrip exchanging a treasure for a random card), Action is decently strong (lab where you exchange an action for a random card).  Kind of similar to Advisor?  Good for engines I'd imagine, terrible for BM.  But not great for engines since the discard is first.

Wedding
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $5
+1 Action. You may trash up to 2 cards from your hand. If you trashed exactly 1 card, each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand. If you trashed exactly 2 cards, each other player gains a Curse.

Seems too strong, plus 1P advantage.

Liege
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $5
+2 Cards. Each other player discards a Victory card (or reveals a hand with no Victory cards). If any player discards a card this way, play this again.

I like the idea.  A bit of first player advantage in multiplayer though.

Traitor
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $4
+$1. Choose one: Name a card costing up to $3 and each other player with 5 or more cards in hand discards a copy of the named card (or reveals a hand without it); or, choose an Attack card from your hand and play it twice.

No no no.  This is either attack or Throne-room attack.  Throne Room costs $4 and yes I realize you can throne other things besides attack, but NO.

Homestead
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $4
+2 Actions. Reveal cards from the top of your deck unti you reveal a Victory card. Put that card into your hand and discard the rest.
Worth 1 VP.

So it's a village with the draw card guaranteed to be a bad card, but it's worth 1 VP.  Seems weak.  Maybe at $3 it'd be ok.

Observatory
Types: Action
Cost: $3
+1 Action. Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. If you revealed a Victory card, put all the revealed cards into your hand. Otherwise, discard them.

Too swingy.

Tiller
Types: Action
Cost: $4
Trash a card from your hand. The player to your left chooses a card in the Supply costing at least $2 more than the trashed card. Gain it.

I like the idea, trash $5's your opponent gives you Provinces.  But that's about it.  Otherwise, worse worse worse than remodel.

Architect (B)
Types: Action
Cost: $5
Trash a card from your hand. Choose one: gain a card costing up to $2 more than the trashed card, which you may put on top of your deck; or +2 Buys and +$ equal to the trashed card's cost in Coins.

Either Remodel with a slight bonus or Salvager with a slight bonus.  Probably balanced but uninteresting.

Groundskeeper
Types: Action
Cost: $5
+1 Card. +$1. Discard a card. Choose one: set aside up to 3 cards from your discard pile, discarding them after your next reshuffle; or shuffle your discard pile and put it at the bottom of your deck.

Hm, too hard to visualize how this will play out.  Basically make 3 bad cards miss your next reshuffle.  Don't really think much of it, but hard to picture.

Heir
Types: Victory
Cost: $4
At the end of the game, choose one: Trash an Estate from your deck and this is worth 1 VP per Estate in your deck; or trash 2 Curses from your deck and this is worth 2 VP; or trash 3 Coppers from your deck and this is worth 3 VP if you have no Treasures in your deck.

Kind of a weird timing, don't like it very much.

Mob
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $5
The player to your left reveals his hand. Choose one of the revealed cards costing up to $6. Either gain a copy of it or each other player gains a copy of it, your choice.

Probably a little swingy, but not too bad.  Kind of boring.

Nouveau Riche
Types: Action
Cost: $4
You may discard an Estate. If you do, +3 Cards. You may discard a Duchy. If you do, +$2. You may discard a Victory card. If you do, +1 Action.

Clarification: It should be clear from the wording here, but you don't choose between these three options. You choose whether or not to do each in order.

I don't like it.

Hidden Passage
Types: Action
Cost: $3
+1 Card. +1 Action. You may trash a card from your hand. Each other player may reveal the top 2 cards of his deck. If he does, he trashes one and discards the other.

I like this card a lot.  Early on you use it as a cantrip trasher, but your opponent can bank off the trashing pretty easily.  Later on they won't use it, but you will.  Nice.

Legate
Types: Action
Cost: $4
+1 Action. +$1. Each player (including you) reveals the top 3 cards of his deck and puts one of them (your choice) in his hand, then puts the rest back on top in an order he chooses.

No, very bad.  I think the effect is stronger for the opponent than it is for you (they get lab, you get peddler).  Yes it's selective draw, but they other cards aren't discarded so big whoop.

Secret Plot
Types: Treasure – Victory
Cost: $3
Worth $1. When you play this, each player may set aside a card face down on his Secret Plot mat. You may look at the cards on your mat at any time; reveal them and return them to your deck at the end of the game.
Worth 1 VP for each differently-named card on your mat that no other player has a copy of on his mat.

Don't like this.

Castellan
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $5
Do the following three things in any order; you get the version in parentheses: Each player draws until he has 5 (6) cards in hand; each player discards down to 3 (3) cards in hand; each player trashes up to 1 (2) cards from his hand.

Interesting.  Not sure if it's priced right, but I like the feel of the card.

Inquisitor
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $5
+$2. Each other player may discard any number of cards. Choose one: Each other player gains a Curse for each card in hand over 3; or each other player trashes a card from his hand and draws until he has 3 cards in hand.

Kind of like pick your poison.  Don't really like it.  Multiplayer is VERY political.  P2 discards to 3, P3 doesn't discard.  Now I choose which one to attack.

Narcissist
Types: Action
Cost: $4
You may reveal then discard any number of differently-named cards. For each card discarded this way, if it is an… Action card, +2 Actions; Treasure card, +$2; Victory card, +2 Cards.

No, don't like it. 

Ironworker
Types: Action
Cost: $2
Discard a card. If it is an… Action card, +3 Actions; Treasure card, +$3; Victory card, +3 Cards.

I like this better.  Treasure makes it (effectively) a terminal silver, victory makes it (effectively) moat + cycling, Action is a bit weak.

Warden
Types: Action
Cost: $6
+1 Action. Choose two in any order: Draw until you have 6 cards in hand; play an Action card from your hand; trash a card from your hand and gain a card costing up to $2 more, putting it on top of your deck. (The choices must be different.)

Seems very strong, even for $6.

Cannoneer
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $5
+2 Cards. +$1. Each other player with at least 5 cards in hand reveals one of them. He either discards it and gains a copy of it or he trashes it, your choice.

So the opponent is going to want to reveal coppers or silvers the whole time pretty much.  (I mean, ideally pearl divers).  But, mixing cards and $ is generally not so good.

Visiting Dignitary
Types: Action
Cost: $4
+1 Action. Trash this. Gain a Visiting Dignitary and a Victory card costing up to $6.

[/quote]

So each play of this is gain a Duchy / Duke / Fairgrounds.  I mean it's limited by the number of Visiting Dignitary's, but seems like it's really good in alt-vp and extremely useless otherwise.

[dghunter79]

It might be only me... but what's with all this love for Overseer?  No offense to whoever made it, but it seems to me like it is a very poor card at best.  It doesn't open up engines, because you can't rely on it for villages without other villages, you can't rely on it for draw without other draw, etc.  It's not good for big money at all.  It can't be used as a workshop for rushes or to gain many copies of engine parts.  So you get a much much much more limited Band of Misfits, that you can't even use to keep copying a key card.

I see this card as a trap / niche card at best, and a flat out poorly designed card at worst.

While we're on it, what's with all this love for Boardwalk?  It's really expensive!  And you can't even build houses or hotels on it without Park Place -- which you might not even own.  In fact your opponent might own Park Place, and then they'll be able to charge you an arm and a leg for it!  Seems really poorly thought out.  PASS.

Q in Scrabble?  Newsflash, there aren't a lot of words with a Q in them.  And most of those words have a U.  So if you have a Q with no U, you're in pretty bad shape.  Bad card.  MY VOTE IS NO.

[eHalcyon]

It might be only me... but what's with all this love for Overseer?  No offense to whoever made it, but it seems to me like it is a very poor card at best.  It doesn't open up engines, because you can't rely on it for villages without other villages, you can't rely on it for draw without other draw, etc.  It's not good for big money at all.  It can't be used as a workshop for rushes or to gain many copies of engine parts.  So you get a much much much more limited Band of Misfits, that you can't even use to keep copying a key card.

I see this card as a trap / niche card at best, and a flat out poorly designed card at worst.

While we're on it, what's with all this love for Boardwalk?  It's really expensive!  And you can't even build houses or hotels on it without Park Place -- which you might not even own.  In fact your opponent might own Park Place, and then they'll be able to charge you an arm and a leg for it!  Seems really poorly thought out.  PASS.

Q in Scrabble?  Newsflash, there aren't a lot of words with a Q in them.  And most of those words have a U.  So if you have a Q with no U, you're in pretty bad shape.  Bad card.  MY VOTE IS NO.

I don't understand your point.  I think Powerman's criticism is fair -- Overseer may provide some flexibility but it's very unreliable and thus may be a trap card in practice.  Your sarcastic comparisons don't make sense.

[Robz888]

Since we can still vote, I guess I'll continue my review.

Courtier
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $4
You may gain a Duchy. If you didn't, gain a Silver. Each other player may gain an Estate. If he didn't, he gains a Copper.

I really like this card a lot. Really neat. I'm glad it's doing well--although I guess I shouldn't say that, since the results are still unknown to those who haven't voted? It's a new mechanic, like an attack but your opponent has the choice. It's quite a weak attack, and probably a weak card overall but will be really cool with Duke and Silk Road, and will actually help your opponent's Silk Roads. It may need some tweak to stop it from being too weak, though. Maybe a +$1.

Monastery
Types: Action
Cost: $4
Gain a card costing up to $6. For each $1 over $4 it costs, each other player may choose one: he trashes a card from his hand; he gains up to 2 Coppers, putting them into his hand; he discards his hand and draws 5 cards.

I like this a lot, too. Of course the third possible penalty, or benefit to the opponent or whatever, is really good for them. And playing multiples of this is also really good for your opponent. So this might just be too weak. Gaining a card costing up to $6 is nice, though.

Lawyer
Types: Action
Cost: $5
+$2. Reveal the top card of your deck. If you reveal a Victory card, discard it and gain an Action card costing up to $5. Otherwise, put the card back and gain an Action card costing up to $3.

Dislike. Just too swingy. Not in like a meaningful way, but swingy nonetheless.

Lord
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $4
Reveal your hand. If you revealed a Treasure card, a Victory card, and an Action card (each separate cards), then +$3. Otherwise, +$1.
Worth 1 VP.

I don't like the "each separate cards" thing, but that can probably be fixed. The benefit is pretty boring, though. Interesting idea, but probably far off from working here, and maybe better for Cornucopia or something.

Bailey
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $4
Do this three times: Choose one: +1 Action; or discard a Victory card, and +$2 if you did.
Worth 1 VP.

So let's see, with 2 Victory cards in hand, this could be +1 Action, +$4. Obviously that would be quite strong, but you would have to start with 2 Victory cards in hand. And this itself is a Victory card worth 1 VP. So it combos with Scout (obvious plus), and likes things like Crossroads and Great Hall. Yeah, this is sort of a variant of a bunch of cards I've submitted before. I like this one just fine. Might be too strong, who knows.

Wall
Types: Action – Reaction
Cost: $4
Choose two: Look at the top card of your deck and discard it or put it back; or gain a card costing up to $3; or trash a card from your hand. (The choices must be different.)
When another player plays an Attack card, you may reveal this from your hand. If you do, you may discard any number of cards from your hand. At the start of your next turn, draw that many cards.

You have to remember how many cards you discarded, so I don't love the reaction. I don't love the top, either. The choices don't really go together to me, it's just 3 weak things that you can do.

Overseer
Types: Action
Cost: $4
Put a marker on an empty District of the Overseer Mat. If you put it on the…
Residential District, +1 Card and +2 Actions
Craftsmen's District, +3 Cards
Commercial District, +1 Card, +1 Action, and +$1
Industrial District, gain a card costing up to $4
Logging District, +1 Buy and +$2
If four districts of the mat have a marker, remove all the markers.

Rules Clarification: There is one communal Overseer mat, split into the five districts.

Well, this card has too much text. And no way is it balanced. Yeah, I don't like it. Shame on the people who voted for it! Shame! The best I can say is it's an idea that should be saved for Cornucopia.

Shrine
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $5
+1 Action. Choose one: trash a card from your hand; or +1 Card.
Worth 2 VP.

Nice enough. Flexible alt-VP and Upgrade-ish thing. Don't love the name, though.

Committee
Types: Action
Cost: $5
+$2. The player to your left names a card. Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck and choose one that is not the named card. Trash it or gain a copy of it. Put the untrashed cards back in any order.

Intriguing (oh, that's a good sign!). He names Copper, okay you can't trash Copper, but you can just gain a copy of some good card. He names some good card, you trash Copper or Estate or Curse or whatever. As long as you have multiple engine pieces, you can always be gaining them though. Hang on, eventually he always has to name Province. Yeah, this needs some limitation, like "he can't name a Victory card" probably. Interesting though.

Taylor-Compton
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $5
+1 Card. +1 Action. Discard any number of Victory cards. +$1 per card discarded.
Worth 1 VP.

Similar to lots of submitted cards, including ones I've submitted. I like it, I don't love it.

Usurer
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $5
Discard any number of cards. Choose one: +$1 per card discarded; or each other player discards until he has the same number of cards in hand as you.

Ack! You can spite pin them, can't you? Hard pass on this one.

Dungeon
Types: Action – Victory
Cost: $5
+1 Action. Trash up to 3 cards from your hand.
Worth 1 VP per $ in the cost of the cheapest card in your deck (in Coins).

1VP per $ in cost of cheapest card strikes me as a tad too much, especially since this card really efficiently clears out your low cost cards. Another great idea, though. Some strong submissions for the Intrigue contest.

Majordomo
Types: Action
Cost: $4
+1 Action. Discard a card. If it is a… Victory card, +1 Card; Treasure card, +2 Cards; Action card, +3 Cards.

Discard Victory and it's a cantrip, so worse than Pearl Diver. Discard Treasure and it's like a Spice Merchant without the choice or trashing. Discard Action and it's cheap Stables, though you discarded a Stables. Really strong with alt-VP though, discard like a Great Hall and you get +4 Cards. Harem would be even more lucrative. Perhaps should cost $3 overall though, it can't be too strong.

Wedding
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $5
+1 Action. You may trash up to 2 cards from your hand. If you trashed exactly 1 card, each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand. If you trashed exactly 2 cards, each other player gains a Curse.

Why is this called Wedding? In any case, this seems pretty strong. Reminds me of Mercenary. I have a bias against adding more discard attacks to the game, though.

[scott_pilgrim]

It might be only me... but what's with all this love for Overseer?  No offense to whoever made it, but it seems to me like it is a very poor card at best.  It doesn't open up engines, because you can't rely on it for villages without other villages, you can't rely on it for draw without other draw, etc.  It's not good for big money at all.  It can't be used as a workshop for rushes or to gain many copies of engine parts.  So you get a much much much more limited Band of Misfits, that you can't even use to keep copying a key card.

I see this card as a trap / niche card at best, and a flat out poorly designed card at worst.

While we're on it, what's with all this love for Boardwalk?  It's really expensive!  And you can't even build houses or hotels on it without Park Place -- which you might not even own.  In fact your opponent might own Park Place, and then they'll be able to charge you an arm and a leg for it!  Seems really poorly thought out.  PASS.

Q in Scrabble?  Newsflash, there aren't a lot of words with a Q in them.  And most of those words have a U.  So if you have a Q with no U, you're in pretty bad shape.  Bad card.  MY VOTE IS NO.

I don't understand what you're saying.  Do you think that Powerman is only pointing out the negatives of the card without mentioning the positives?  If so, it would be much more helpful to point out what the positives are, rather than just writing a sarcastic response implying that they exist.  Personally, I think Powerman made some reasonable points, and I expect those who voted for Overseer to come back and explain why they don't think it's too weak, and have a rational discussion about the card.

If you're actually trying to make an argument by comparison to Boardwalk or Q, then the comparison is quite unhelpful.  Boardwalk and Q have both been quite thoroughly playtested, so we know that they're okay.  Overseer, as far as we know, has literally never been played with, so we have to theory craft; there's no other way for us to know how good or bad it is.  Blindly asserting that it's a good card has no weight compared to the arguments given as to why it might be a bad one.

If you're trying to say that Overseer will be a sort of "high risk, high reward" card like Boardwalk or Q, then that requires a much more detailed explanation, because I don't see it at all.  What aspect of Overseer is high risk, and what aspect of it pays off if you commit?

If people don't agree with your position, then you're not going to convince them by leaving a comment like that.

[KingZog3]

It might be only me... but what's with all this love for Overseer?  No offense to whoever made it, but it seems to me like it is a very poor card at best.  It doesn't open up engines, because you can't rely on it for villages without other villages, you can't rely on it for draw without other draw, etc.  It's not good for big money at all.  It can't be used as a workshop for rushes or to gain many copies of engine parts.  So you get a much much much more limited Band of Misfits, that you can't even use to keep copying a key card.

I see this card as a trap / niche card at best, and a flat out poorly designed card at worst.

While we're on it, what's with all this love for Boardwalk?  It's really expensive!  And you can't even build houses or hotels on it without Park Place -- which you might not even own.  In fact your opponent might own Park Place, and then they'll be able to charge you an arm and a leg for it!  Seems really poorly thought out.  PASS.

Q in Scrabble?  Newsflash, there aren't a lot of words with a Q in them.  And most of those words have a U.  So if you have a Q with no U, you're in pretty bad shape.  Bad card.  MY VOTE IS NO.

These are examples of risk vs. payoff. It's hard to use Q, but when you do you'll get a lot of points. Boardwalk again is expensive, but when someone lands on it more than once it'll pay off big time. Overseer has no big payoff. It's a bunch of $3-$4 cards that you get to choose from, and sometimes not all of them. Even Counting House can have a huge payoff by pulling up 5-6 coppers or something.

EDIT: Didn't read the last post. Scott_Pilgrim already covered all I said.

[dghunter79]

These are examples of risk vs. payoff. It's hard to use Q, but when you do you'll get a lot of points. Boardwalk again is expensive, but when someone lands on it more than once it'll pay off big time. Overseer has no big payoff. It's a bunch of $3-$4 cards that you get to choose from, and sometimes not all of them. Even Counting House can have a huge payoff by pulling up 5-6 coppers or something.

EDIT: Didn't read the last post. Scott_Pilgrim already covered all I said.

Imagine a Scrying Pool deck in which you can draw your whole deck and create a lot of cash.  But the only way you can get plus buy is with Overseer, and you manage to play it for two buys, and buy two extra Provinces.  That is a big pay-off.

[GendoIkari]

Courtier
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $4
You may gain a Duchy. If you didn't, gain a Silver. Each other player may gain an Estate. If he didn't, he gains a Copper.

...It's a new mechanic, like an attack but your opponent has the choice...

Torturer says hi.

[Robz888]

Courtier
Types: Action – Attack
Cost: $4
You may gain a Duchy. If you didn't, gain a Silver. Each other player may gain an Estate. If he didn't, he gains a Copper.

...It's a new mechanic, like an attack but your opponent has the choice...

Torturer says hi.

Oh hai Torturer.

Yeah that was phrased badly.

[GendoIkari]

Committee
Types: Action
Cost: $5
+$2. The player to your left names a card. Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck and choose one that is not the named card. Trash it or gain a copy of it. Put the untrashed cards back in any order.

Intriguing (oh, that's a good sign!). He names Copper, okay you can't trash Copper, but you can just gain a copy of some good card. He names some good card, you trash Copper or Estate or Curse or whatever. As long as you have multiple engine pieces, you can always be gaining them though. Hang on, eventually he always has to name Province. Yeah, this needs some limitation, like "he can't name a Victory card" probably. Interesting though.

Disallowing him from naming a victory card would make this way too strong, as it could then simply gain Provinces.

[Robz888]

Committee
Types: Action
Cost: $5
+$2. The player to your left names a card. Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck and choose one that is not the named card. Trash it or gain a copy of it. Put the untrashed cards back in any order.

Intriguing (oh, that's a good sign!). He names Copper, okay you can't trash Copper, but you can just gain a copy of some good card. He names some good card, you trash Copper or Estate or Curse or whatever. As long as you have multiple engine pieces, you can always be gaining them though. Hang on, eventually he always has to name Province. Yeah, this needs some limitation, like "he can't name a Victory card" probably. Interesting though.

Disallowing him from naming a victory card would make this way too strong, as it could then simply gain Provinces.

You can't CHOOSE a Victory card, is I think what I meant.

[Warfreak2]

These are examples of risk vs. payoff. It's hard to use Q, but when you do you'll get a lot of points. Boardwalk again is expensive, but when someone lands on it more than once it'll pay off big time. Overseer has no big payoff. It's a bunch of $3-$4 cards that you get to choose from, and sometimes not all of them. Even Counting House can have a huge payoff by pulling up 5-6 coppers or something.

EDIT: Didn't read the last post. Scott_Pilgrim already covered all I said.

Imagine a Scrying Pool deck in which you can draw your whole deck and create a lot of cash.  But the only way you can get plus buy is with Overseer, and you manage to play it for two buys, and buy two extra Provinces.  That is a big pay-off.

Is this really a "Overseer is very powerful because +buy allows you to buy multiple Provinces" argument? The card is really good because it can give +buy?

[eHalcyon]

These are examples of risk vs. payoff. It's hard to use Q, but when you do you'll get a lot of points. Boardwalk again is expensive, but when someone lands on it more than once it'll pay off big time. Overseer has no big payoff. It's a bunch of $3-$4 cards that you get to choose from, and sometimes not all of them. Even Counting House can have a huge payoff by pulling up 5-6 coppers or something.

EDIT: Didn't read the last post. Scott_Pilgrim already covered all I said.

Imagine a Scrying Pool deck in which you can draw your whole deck and create a lot of cash.  But the only way you can get plus buy is with Overseer, and you manage to play it for two buys, and buy two extra Provinces.  That is a big pay-off.

And that doesn't invalidate Powerman's criticism at all.  What if the +Buy spot was already taken previously?  You can't go there again.  And if it's free, you go there once and then you have to play a bunch more in order to free up the spot again.  Yeah it can pay off, but it's extremely unreliable.  Powerman said that it's very niche and very weak, and I think he's right.  It's only going to be useful on a board where important thing X is missing, where X is probably +Buy or +action.  But then you can get screwed if an opponent happens to take your needed spot before you get a chance, and even if you get it, it's hard to get it more than once per turn and near impossible to get it more than twice.  Not as big a deal for +Buy, but a huge problem for other bonuses.

Powerman's points are good.  It doesn't mean that Overseer can't work, but it's certainly something to think about.

[dghunter79]

These are examples of risk vs. payoff. It's hard to use Q, but when you do you'll get a lot of points. Boardwalk again is expensive, but when someone lands on it more than once it'll pay off big time. Overseer has no big payoff. It's a bunch of $3-$4 cards that you get to choose from, and sometimes not all of them. Even Counting House can have a huge payoff by pulling up 5-6 coppers or something.

EDIT: Didn't read the last post. Scott_Pilgrim already covered all I said.

Imagine a Scrying Pool deck in which you can draw your whole deck and create a lot of cash.  But the only way you can get plus buy is with Overseer, and you manage to play it for two buys, and buy two extra Provinces.  That is a big pay-off.

Is this really a "Overseer is very powerful because +buy allows you to buy multiple Provinces" argument? The card is really good because it can give +buy?

I was asked to describe a way in which Overseer can have a big payoff.  So, I did.  Any card with +buy can provide a big payoff.  Some cards make you jump through a hoop to get the +buy, though.  That can be pretty fun!  Like, imagine just barely ending a game by three-piling, making use of the Overseer's Village to play its Woodcutter and Workshop.

Overseer is not a card you can just spam-play.  Many engines will want it, though.  Some more than others.  Like Boardwalk and Q, it has internal tension built into it.  I find that tension interesting and unique.  It imports tested elements from other games into Dominion in a way that I think might really play well. 

A good comparable is Ironmonger, which also isn't reliable, but does a number of useful things well enough that it can be a key card on many boards.

[cluckyb]

These are examples of risk vs. payoff. It's hard to use Q, but when you do you'll get a lot of points. Boardwalk again is expensive, but when someone lands on it more than once it'll pay off big time. Overseer has no big payoff. It's a bunch of $3-$4 cards that you get to choose from, and sometimes not all of them. Even Counting House can have a huge payoff by pulling up 5-6 coppers or something.

EDIT: Didn't read the last post. Scott_Pilgrim already covered all I said.

Imagine a Scrying Pool deck in which you can draw your whole deck and create a lot of cash.  But the only way you can get plus buy is with Overseer, and you manage to play it for two buys, and buy two extra Provinces.  That is a big pay-off.

Is this really a "Overseer is very powerful because +buy allows you to buy multiple Provinces" argument? The card is really good because it can give +buy?

I was asked to describe a way in which Overseer can have a big payoff.  So, I did.  Any card with +buy can provide a big payoff.  Some cards make you jump through a hoop to get the +buy, though.  That can be pretty fun!  Like, imagine just barely ending a game by three-piling, making use of the Overseer's Village to play its Woodcutter and Workshop.

Overseer is not a card you can just spam-play.  Many engines will want it, though.  Some more than others.  Like Boardwalk and Q, it has internal tension built into it.  I find that tension interesting and unique.  It imports tested elements from other games into Dominion in a way that I think might really play well. 

A good comparable is Ironmonger, which also isn't reliable, but does a number of useful things well enough that it can be a key card on many boards.

But ironmonger at least has a cantrip level of consistency so it isn't going to hurt your engine. Potentially terminal inconsistency really hurts its usefulness in an engine because you might be stuck at woodcutter vs workshop and not have the actions to spare. Sure it can be fun if everything aligns properly, but in general I wouldn't incorporate it into an engine.

Its probably most useful in slog-type games where you're going to enjoy always having some choices but are already expecting inconsistency. It might also be useful in some rushes, given two of the five choices help gain cards, a third still gives money and a 4th lets you play more Overseers (so three overseers is fine, whereas three workshops isn't). Won't be as strong as ironworks for rushes though, but still better at rushes than engines.

[KingZog3]

I was asked to describe a way in which Overseer can have a big payoff.  So, I did.  Any card with +buy can provide a big payoff.  Some cards make you jump through a hoop to get the +buy, though.  That can be pretty fun!  Like, imagine just barely ending a game by three-piling, making use of the Overseer's Village to play its Woodcutter and Workshop.

By this logic, Woodcutter can give a huge payoff. It doesn't, it just gives +buy. But at least I know that whenever I play it that's what I'll get. Overseer could be a woodcutter, unless it's already been played recently. I mean, I love Ruined Market. I gives me such a huge payoff every time I use it to buy an extra card!

A good comparable is Ironmonger, which also isn't reliable, but does a number of useful things well enough that it can be a key card on many boards.

No, I know Ironmonger will filter and give me a bonus. In addition, the bonus is 1.Based on my deck which I have control over 2. Always something I want and 3. Ironmonger is always a cantrip. Overseer can get stuck as terminal for one player. I've used Ironmonger as a village, because I can fill my deck with Actions and reliably have it as a village. On occasion it may hit a victory card and be a lab, but it's definitely reliable.

[dghunter79]

I was asked to describe a way in which Overseer can have a big payoff.  So, I did.  Any card with +buy can provide a big payoff.  Some cards make you jump through a hoop to get the +buy, though.  That can be pretty fun!  Like, imagine just barely ending a game by three-piling, making use of the Overseer's Village to play its Woodcutter and Workshop.

By this logic, Woodcutter can give a huge payoff.

Yes.  Any card with plus buy can deliver a huge payoff.

No, I know Ironmonger will filter and give me a bonus. In addition, the bonus is 1.Based on my deck which I have control over 2. Always something I want and 3. Ironmonger is always a cantrip. Overseer can get stuck as terminal for one player. I've used Ironmonger as a village, because I can fill my deck with Actions and reliably have it as a village. On occasion it may hit a victory card and be a lab, but it's definitely reliable.

Yeah, occasionally Ironworks will be a Lab when you wanted a Village.  Occasionally it will be a Peddler.  That's the point.  Mountebank will occasionally be a Silver that costs an action.  Overseer will also occasionally be one thing when you wanted another.

Cards don't need to be 100% reliable to be worthwhile.  The costs have to outweigh the benefits.  Is that true about Overseer?  I think so, yeah.  I tend to think that it would be both a frequently bought card and create interesting choices. 

About the arguments that it's "unreliable" -- I feel like, yeah, that's very clearly the point.

[GendoIkari]

Committee
Types: Action
Cost: $5
+$2. The player to your left names a card. Reveal the top 4 cards of your deck and choose one that is not the named card. Trash it or gain a copy of it. Put the untrashed cards back in any order.

Intriguing (oh, that's a good sign!). He names Copper, okay you can't trash Copper, but you can just gain a copy of some good card. He names some good card, you trash Copper or Estate or Curse or whatever. As long as you have multiple engine pieces, you can always be gaining them though. Hang on, eventually he always has to name Province. Yeah, this needs some limitation, like "he can't name a Victory card" probably. Interesting though.

Disallowing him from naming a victory card would make this way too strong, as it could then simply gain Provinces.

You can't CHOOSE a Victory card, is I think what I meant.

Yeah, thought you might have. That could be a good change.

[KingZog3]

No, I know Ironmonger will filter and give me a bonus. In addition, the bonus is 1.Based on my deck which I have control over 2. Always something I want and 3. Ironmonger is always a cantrip. Overseer can get stuck as terminal for one player. I've used Ironmonger as a village, because I can fill my deck with Actions and reliably have it as a village. On occasion it may hit a victory card and be a lab, but it's definitely reliable.

Yeah, occasionally Ironworks will be a Lab when you wanted a Village.  Occasionally it will be a Peddler.  That's the point.  Mountebank will occasionally be a Silver that costs an action.  Overseer will also occasionally be one thing when you wanted another.

Cards don't need to be 100% reliable to be worthwhile.  The costs have to outweigh the benefits.  Is that true about Overseer?  I think so, yeah.  I tend to think that it would be both a frequently bought card and create interesting choices. 

About the arguments that it's "unreliable" -- I feel like, yeah, that's very clearly the point.

My point was the Ironmonger can become nearly 100% reliable in a deck of all action cards. Also, cards that are unreliable tend to be bad. Tribute, Harvest etc. Do you like these cards? Are they strong, or fun? Have you ever based your engine off Tribute's +2Actions? My guess is most often you don't, because it has too much of a chance (most of the time) to not get what you want.

I really don't think either is that much fun, but at least Tribute can give me a crazy effect, and Harvest can give a bunch of money. It`s hard to get excited for a card that has a +buy in it. Like I said, Ruined Market has no big payoff. It's junk card. Just...just...it doesn't have any payoff. This is my last post about this if the conclusion is that Ruined Market has a big risk vs. reward payoff.

[eHalcyon]

I think the criticism is that the design leaves it unable to fulfill any particular niche.  If you need +Buy, it is extremely unreliable, and I think this is still a valid criticism.  Ironmonger and Mountebank are different.  With Ironmonger, you can build you deck to make it reliable.  With Mountebank, it only becomes unreliable if the other player is swamped in curses, in which case its job is already done.  Moreover, if you need actions or draw or what have you, Overseer is poor because you can't stack them for those effects. 

So what niche is left?  I'm not sure, and I'm starting to think the card may not be worthwhile in any deck.  The idea is still interesting to me but it still needs a lot of work.

If you say that the point is to be unreliable... well then, the payoff doesn't really reflect that.  It's high risk, medium reward except in super niche situations.  So again, Powerman's criticism stands.