Saboteur
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− | {{ | + | {{Infobox Card |
− | | | + | |name = Saboteur |
− | | | + | |cost = 5 |
− | | | + | |type1 = Action |
− | | | + | |type2 = Attack |
− | + | |illustrator = Dennis Lohausen | |
− | + | |text = Each other player reveals cards from the top of their deck until revealing one costing {{Cost|3}} or more. They trash that card and may gain a card costing at most {{Cost|2}} less than it. They discard the other revealed cards. | |
− | | | + | |
− | | | + | |
}} | }} | ||
+ | '''Saboteur''' is an [[Action]]-[[Attack]] card from the first edition of [[Intrigue]]. When played, it makes all other players reveal cards from their deck until they reveal a card costing {{Cost|3}} or more, and then makes them trash that card; as a consolation, they may gain a card costing up to {{Cost|2}} less; the effect is like a reverse {{Card|Remodel}}. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Unless it can be played every turn reliably, it is fairly weak, since its attack can often hit easy-to-get cards like {{Card|Silver}} and since it gives no direct benefit to the player who plays it. It was [[Removed cards|removed]] from the [[second edition]] of Intrigue. | ||
== FAQ == | == FAQ == | ||
− | === | + | === Unofficial FAQ === |
− | * Each other player turns over the top cards of | + | * Each other player turns over the top cards of their deck until they reveal one costing {{Cost|3}} or more. If a player needs to shuffle to continue revealing cards, they do not shuffle in the already revealed cards. |
− | * If | + | * If a player goes through all of their cards without finding a card costing {{Cost|3}} or more, they just discard everything revealed and are done. |
− | * If | + | * If they do find a card costing {{Cost|3}} or more, they trash it, and then may choose to gain a card costing at most {{Cost|2}} less than the trashed card. For example, if they trashed a card costing {{Cost|5}}, they may gain a card costing up to {{Cost|3}}. |
− | * The gained card must be from the [[Supply]] and is put into | + | * The gained card must be from the [[Supply]] and is put into their discard pile, as are their revealed cards. |
* Costs of cards are affected by Bridge. | * Costs of cards are affected by Bridge. | ||
− | === Other | + | |
+ | === Other rules clarifications === | ||
* Saboteur forces other players to trash their own card; the player who owns the card being trashed is the one who trashes it and gets any on-trash benefits. | * Saboteur forces other players to trash their own card; the player who owns the card being trashed is the one who trashes it and gets any on-trash benefits. | ||
− | == Strategy | + | == Strategy == |
− | + | Before it was removed, Saboteur was a [[trashing attack]] which was usually weak for a number of reasons: | |
+ | # It does nothing for you on the turn you play it. This means it compares unfavorably with cards like {{Card|Barbarian}} and {{Card|Knights}}. | ||
+ | # It is [[terminal]] and costs {{Cost|5}}, which means that it generally has a high [[opportunity cost]]. | ||
+ | # It can help your opponent by [[cycling]] past their [[junk]] cards that cost {{Cost|2}} or less. | ||
− | + | Thus, for Saboteur to be worth gaining, a high proportion of the cards it could potentially hit need to be worthwhile targets. In other words, you’ll want to consider two factors: the impact of trashing particular targets, and the probability of Saboteur actually finding those targets. Against a deck with many {{Card|Silver|Silvers}} or cheap [[cantrips]], for example, it is unlikely to find a good target and do much damage. Good targets for Saboteur are generally [[Victory]] cards and key [[Action]] cards which are expensive or impossible to replace. For example, trashing a village can permanently harm your opponent’s deck if there are none left in the [[Supply]]. Expensive Victory cards such as {{Card|Province}} and {{Card|Colony}} are also ideal targets, as the net reduction in {{VP}} can be fairly large. | |
− | + | Saboteur is thus most likely to be valuable in the midgame in an [[engine]] which has achieved [[deck control]], has extra [[terminal space]], lacks access to better payload cards, and is opposed by a deck with few bad targets. Under these conditions, you can aim to play your Saboteur each turn, hoping to achieve a {{VP}} swing either directly (by hitting your opponent’s Victory cards) or indirectly (by hitting enough key cards that their ability to score is reduced). Saboteur is a good target for [[Throne Room variant]]s (which can allow you to play it multiple times while using up less terminal space), and synergizes with certain [[deck order attack]]s, such as {{Card|Scrying Pool}}, that allow you to manipulate the top card of your opponent’s deck. | |
− | + | ===External strategy articles=== | |
+ | ''Note: Article(s) below are by individual authors and may not represent the community's current views on cards, but may provide more in-depth information or give historical perspective. Caveat emptor.'' | ||
+ | * [http://dominionstrategy.com/2010/11/29/intrigue-saboteur/ theory's 2010 article] | ||
− | + | == Versions == | |
+ | ===English versions=== | ||
+ | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||
+ | ! Print !! Digital !! Text !! Release !! Date | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | {{CardLangVersionImage|o=1}} || {{CardVersionImage|SaboteurDigitalOld|Saboteur from Goko/Making Fun}} || Each other player reveals cards from the top of his deck until revealing one costing {{Cost|3}} or more. He trashes that card and may gain a card costing at most {{Cost|2}} less than it. He discards the other revealed cards. || Intrigue 1st Edition || July 2009 | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | || {{CardVersionImage|SaboteurDigital|Saboteur from Temple Gates Games}} || Each other player reveals cards from the top of their deck until revealing one costing {{Cost|3}} or more. They trash that card and may gain a card costing at most {{Cost|2}} less than it. They discard the other revealed cards. || Intrigue 1st Edition || November 2021 | ||
+ | |} | ||
− | + | ===Other language versions=== | |
+ | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||
+ | ! Language !! Name !! Print !! Digital !! Text !! Notes | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !Chinese | ||
+ | | 炸彈客 (pron. ''zhàdàn kè'', lit. ''bomber'') || || || || | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !Czech | ||
+ | | Sabotér || || || || | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !Dutch | ||
+ | | Saboteur || {{CardLangVersionImage|Dutch}} || || Iedere andere speler moet kaarten van zijn trekstapel tonen totdat hij een kaart toont die {{Cost|3}} of meer waard is. Hij moet deze kaart vernietigen en mag daarna een kaart pakken die ten hoogte {{Cost|2}} minder waard is dan de vernietigde kaart. Hij legt de andere getoonde kaarten af. || Eerste editie<br>(2009) | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !Finnish | ||
+ | | Tihulainen (lit. ''little troublemaker'') || || || || | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !French | ||
+ | | Saboteur || || || || | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !German | ||
+ | | Saboteur || {{CardVersionImage|SaboteurGerman|German language Saboteur 2009 by HiG}} || {{CardLangVersionImage|German|d=g}} ||Jeder Mitspieler muss solange Karten von seinem Nachziehstapel aufdecken, bis er eine Karte aufdeckt, die {{Cost|3}} oder mehr kostet. Er muss diese Karte entsorgen und darf sich eine Karte nehmen, die mindestens {{Cost|2}} weniger kostet. Die übrigen aufgedeckten Karten legt er ab. || (2009) | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !Hungarian | ||
+ | | Szabotőr || || || || | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !Italian | ||
+ | | Sabotatore || || || || | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !Japanese | ||
+ | | 破壊工作員 (pron. ''hakai kōsaku-in'', lit. ''destruction operative'') || || || || | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !Korean | ||
+ | | 파괴 공작원 (pron. ''pagoe gongjag-won'', lit. ''destroying agents'') || || || || | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !Norwegian | ||
+ | | Sabotør || || || || | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !Polish | ||
+ | | Sabotażysta || {{CardLangVersionImage|Polish}} || || || | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !Russian | ||
+ | | Саботажник (pron. ''sabotazhnik'') || || || || | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | !Spanish | ||
+ | | Saboteador || {{CardLangVersionImage|Spanish}} || || Cada jugador (menos tú) revela cartas de su mazo hasta que aparezca una con un coste de {{Cost|3}} o más. Esa carta se elimina y el jugador gana otra carta que cueste hasta {{Cost|2}} menos. Las demás cartas reveladas se descartan. || Errors: gain obligatory, and makes cards trash and discard themselves instead of the player revealing them doing it. Relevant for "when you gain" and "when you trash" effects.<br>"[...] ''Ese jugador elimina esa carta'' y ''puede ganar'' otra carta [...] ''Ese jugador descarta'' las demás cartas reveladas."<br>(2009) | ||
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== Trivia == | == Trivia == | ||
+ | [[Image:SaboteurArt.jpg|thumb|right|354px|Official card art.]] | ||
=== Secret History === | === Secret History === | ||
− | {{Quote|Text= This is one end result in the quest for a working version of "each other player trashes the top card of their deck." That concept, as I have previously mentioned, has three problems: 1) it's often weak, trashing Coppers and Estates; 2) it's too random, sometimes trashing one player's Copper and another's Province; 3) it can lead to a weird game state in which everyone only has 5 cards left and can't get anywhere, which is cool if it just happens once ever, but bad if it happens every time a particular card is on the table. | + | {{Quote|Text=<p>This is one end result in the quest for a working version of "each other player trashes the top card of their deck." That concept, as I have previously mentioned, has three problems: 1) it's often weak, trashing Coppers and Estates; 2) it's too random, sometimes trashing one player's Copper and another's Province; 3) it can lead to a weird game state in which everyone only has 5 cards left and can't get anywhere, which is cool if it just happens once ever, but bad if it happens every time a particular card is on the table.</p><p>Saboteur solves all of those problems. It can't hit Coppers or Estates; it has a much more even effect on your opponents; and the weird game state is much harder to achieve. And all it took was lots of tiny text!</p> |
− | < | + | |Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]] |
− | Saboteur solves all of those problems. It can't hit Coppers or Estates; it has a much more even effect on your opponents; and the weird game state is much harder to achieve. And all it took was lots of tiny text!|Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]] | + | |
|Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=116.0 The Secret History of the Intrigue Cards] | |Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=116.0 The Secret History of the Intrigue Cards] | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | + | === Retrospective === | |
− | + | {{Quote| | |
+ | |Text=Saboteur is the biggest mistake here. Some people hate it because it can trash {{Card|Province|Provinces}}, some because it's an attack that doesn't make resources (which was a surprise but there it is), some just don't like it because it's weak. Some people like it, but the kind of person who wants an attack like this deserves one that has fewer strikes against it - like, {{Card|Swindler}}, there you go. | ||
+ | |Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]] | ||
+ | |Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=3179.msg56362#msg56362 What Donald X. Might Do With a Dominion Time Machine] | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | === Second Edition Removal === | ||
+ | {{Quote|Text=Long ago my pick for worst card relative to its cost. It's got three huge problems: some people hate that it's an attack that doesn't otherwise help you; it's weak; and it's crazy wordy. On top of that some people just don't like trashing attacks, and the set already has Swindler. Some people do like them, but did I mention that the set has Swindler? | ||
+ | |Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]] | ||
+ | |Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=16338.0 The Secret History of the Dominion 2nd Editions] | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | === Alternatives === | ||
+ | {{Quote|Text= For me the premise was just "trashing attack." If you accept that then there are other better trashing attacks, hooray. Specifically digging for a good-enough card to trash is problematic. Inverse {{Card|Remodel}} does exist on the Hex {{Hex|Locusts}}. | ||
+ | |Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]] | ||
+ | |Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=19983.0 Product Idea - Dominion: Memories] | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{Navbox Intrigue}} | ||
{{Navbox Cards}} | {{Navbox Cards}} | ||
+ | [[category:trashing attack]] | ||
+ | [[category:attack]] | ||
+ | [[category:offense]] | ||
+ | [[category:terminals]] | ||
+ | [[category:handsize negative]] |
Latest revision as of 11:52, 14 March 2024
Saboteur | |
---|---|
Info | |
Cost | |
Type(s) | Action - Attack |
Kingdom card? | Yes |
Set | Intrigue |
Illustrator(s) | Dennis Lohausen |
Card text | |
Each other player reveals cards from the top of their deck until revealing one costing or more. They trash that card and may gain a card costing at most less than it. They discard the other revealed cards. |
Saboteur is an Action-Attack card from the first edition of Intrigue. When played, it makes all other players reveal cards from their deck until they reveal a card costing or more, and then makes them trash that card; as a consolation, they may gain a card costing up to less; the effect is like a reverse Remodel.
Unless it can be played every turn reliably, it is fairly weak, since its attack can often hit easy-to-get cards like Silver and since it gives no direct benefit to the player who plays it. It was removed from the second edition of Intrigue.
Contents |
[edit] FAQ
[edit] Unofficial FAQ
- Each other player turns over the top cards of their deck until they reveal one costing or more. If a player needs to shuffle to continue revealing cards, they do not shuffle in the already revealed cards.
- If a player goes through all of their cards without finding a card costing or more, they just discard everything revealed and are done.
- If they do find a card costing or more, they trash it, and then may choose to gain a card costing at most less than the trashed card. For example, if they trashed a card costing , they may gain a card costing up to .
- The gained card must be from the Supply and is put into their discard pile, as are their revealed cards.
- Costs of cards are affected by Bridge.
[edit] Other rules clarifications
- Saboteur forces other players to trash their own card; the player who owns the card being trashed is the one who trashes it and gets any on-trash benefits.
[edit] Strategy
Before it was removed, Saboteur was a trashing attack which was usually weak for a number of reasons:
- It does nothing for you on the turn you play it. This means it compares unfavorably with cards like Barbarian and Knights.
- It is terminal and costs , which means that it generally has a high opportunity cost.
- It can help your opponent by cycling past their junk cards that cost or less.
Thus, for Saboteur to be worth gaining, a high proportion of the cards it could potentially hit need to be worthwhile targets. In other words, you’ll want to consider two factors: the impact of trashing particular targets, and the probability of Saboteur actually finding those targets. Against a deck with many Silvers or cheap cantrips, for example, it is unlikely to find a good target and do much damage. Good targets for Saboteur are generally Victory cards and key Action cards which are expensive or impossible to replace. For example, trashing a village can permanently harm your opponent’s deck if there are none left in the Supply. Expensive Victory cards such as Province and Colony are also ideal targets, as the net reduction in can be fairly large.
Saboteur is thus most likely to be valuable in the midgame in an engine which has achieved deck control, has extra terminal space, lacks access to better payload cards, and is opposed by a deck with few bad targets. Under these conditions, you can aim to play your Saboteur each turn, hoping to achieve a swing either directly (by hitting your opponent’s Victory cards) or indirectly (by hitting enough key cards that their ability to score is reduced). Saboteur is a good target for Throne Room variants (which can allow you to play it multiple times while using up less terminal space), and synergizes with certain deck order attacks, such as Scrying Pool, that allow you to manipulate the top card of your opponent’s deck.
[edit] External strategy articles
Note: Article(s) below are by individual authors and may not represent the community's current views on cards, but may provide more in-depth information or give historical perspective. Caveat emptor.
[edit] Versions
[edit] English versions
[edit] Other language versions
[edit] Trivia
[edit] Secret History
This is one end result in the quest for a working version of "each other player trashes the top card of their deck." That concept, as I have previously mentioned, has three problems: 1) it's often weak, trashing Coppers and Estates; 2) it's too random, sometimes trashing one player's Copper and another's Province; 3) it can lead to a weird game state in which everyone only has 5 cards left and can't get anywhere, which is cool if it just happens once ever, but bad if it happens every time a particular card is on the table.
Saboteur solves all of those problems. It can't hit Coppers or Estates; it has a much more even effect on your opponents; and the weird game state is much harder to achieve. And all it took was lots of tiny text!
[edit] Retrospective
[edit] Second Edition Removal
[edit] Alternatives