Combo: Bishop and Fortress
| Bishop / Fortress | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Info | |||
| Set(s) | Prosperity / Dark Ages | ||
| Type | Golden Deck | ||
Bishop and Fortress is an extremely powerful Golden Deck variant. It does not require Chapel or any other trasher besides Bishop; in addition, it can be sustained indefinitely, as it does not cause any piles to run out. The goal is to create a deck with 4 Bishops and 4 (or more) Fortresses. With only 4 Bishops, you are guaranteed to have a Fortress in hand, allowing you to draw through your remaining few Fortresses and Bishops. You then play four Bishops, repeatedly trashing the same Fortress and returning it to your hand. This gets you 12 
and does not change the state of the game in any other way.
It is theorized that in some cases, this combo will give rise to stalemates, where one or more players are earning 12 per turn and do not have the ability to end the game without giving up their advantage. In most cases, however, there is a way out.
- The player executing the combo can safely buy cantrips of cost
or less. If there are three different cantrips in the Kingdom costing or less (including Fortress itself), the player with the lead can buy those to end the game.
- If only one player has gone for the combo, they can buy all the Fortresses to prevent the other player(s) from mirroring. They can then build up an unsurmountable points lead before allowing the combo to break down while they run down three piles.
- If both players have attempted this combo, Bishops and Fortresses may run out quickly. If there is any one other pile of cantrips costing or less, whoever is leading can buy up all the cards from that pile, one by one, to end the game.
- If both players have bought 4 bishops and 4 fortresses and are close enough in points so that each player takes the lead at the end of their turn, a stalemate may in fact be possible.
