Editing Curser

[[Image:Witch.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Witch]], a curser card.]]

A '''curser''' is any card which has the potential to distribute {{Card|Curse}} cards to other players. Cursers are generally considered among the strongest cards at their price points, since the effect of putting {{Card|Curse|Curses}} into an opponent's deck is very powerful: it simultaneously reduces their {{VP}}, puts useless cards in their future hands, and usually slows down their future deck cycling. The presence of one or more cursers in a kingdom therefore has a major influence on gameplay; most winning strategies will involve gaining cursers. This early-game strength is sometimes offset by late-game weakness: since there are a finite number of {{Card|Curse|Curses}} in the supply, cursers often lose most or all of their value after all the {{Card|Curse|Curses}} have been distributed, for example {{Card|Witch}} is a very strong card, but its secondary effect of drawing two cards is very weak at {{Cost|5}}. Most cursers are [[Action]]–[[Attack]] cards.

== List of cursers ==
The cards in ''italics'' have been removed.
=== Primary cursers ===

These are [[Kingdom card|Kingdom cards]] that consistently cause other players to acquire Curses in ways that they do not always have the option to avoid:

* [[Dominion (base set)|Dominion]]: {{Card|Witch}}
* [[Seaside]]: ''{{Card|Sea Hag}}'', {{card|Sea Witch}}
* [[Alchemy]]: {{Card|Familiar}}
* [[Prosperity]]: {{Card|Charlatan}}, ''{{Card|Mountebank}}''
* [[Hinterlands]]: ''{{Card|Ill-Gotten Gains}}''
* [[Guilds]]: {{Card|Soothsayer}}
* [[Renaissance]]: {{Card|Old Witch}}
* [[Menagerie (expansion)|Menagerie]]: {{card|Coven}}
* [[Plunder (expansion)|Plunder]]: {{card|Siren}}, {{card|Trickster}}

{{ally|Circle of Witches}}, from [[Allies]], is not a Kingdom card itself, but it allows you to use [[Liaison]] Kingdom cards as cursers.

=== Secondary cursers ===

These cards can cause opponents to gain Curses, but in more restricted circumstances:

'''Cards that depend on the top card of your opponent's deck:'''
* [[Intrigue]]: {{Card|Swindler}}—may give a Curse when they reveal a card costing {{cost|0}}, often a Copper.
* [[Cornucopia]]: {{Card|Jester}}—gives a Curse when they reveal a [[Victory]] card.
* [[Adventures]]: {{Card|Giant}}—gives a Curse when they reveal a card not costing between {{cost|3}} and {{cost|6}}.
* [[Allies]]: {{card|Barbarian}}—gives a Curse when they reveal a card not costing {{cost|3}} or more. 

'''Cards that require a specific condition from the user:'''
* [[Intrigue]]: {{card|Replace}}—it only distributes Curses if you gain a [[Victory]] card
* [[Cornucopia]]: {{Card|Followers}}—as this is a [[Prize]], there is only a single copy which is rather difficult to gain.
* [[Hinterlands]]: {{card|Cauldron}}—only distributes a Curse when you gain your third Action card of the turn
* [[Hinterlands]]: {{card|Witch's Hut}}—only distributes a Curse if you discard two Action cards
* [[Empires]]: {{Card|Catapult}} — distributes a Curse only if you trash a card costing {{cost|3}} or more
* [[Nocturne]]: {{Card|Idol}} — distributes a Curse only if you have an even number of Idols in play
* [[Allies]]: {{card|Sorceress}}—distributes a Curse only if you can guess what card is on top of your deck

'''Cards whose effect can be avoided by your opponent in some circumstances:'''
* [[Intrigue]]: {{Card|Torturer}}—your opponent is always free to not take the Curse and discard instead; in games without [[villages]] it's relatively likely that few Curses will be distributed by Torturer
* [[Seaside]]: {{card|Blockade}}—it only distributes Curses to players who gain the same card you chose
* [[Cornucopia]]: {{Card|Young Witch}}—your opponent can reveal the Bane to avoid gaining a Curse
* [[Adventures]]: {{Card|Swamp Hag}} — your opponent may avoid gaining a Curse if they choose to buy no cards on their turn
* [[Menagerie (expansion)|Menagerie]]: {{card|Black Cat}}—distributes a Curse only when another player gains a [[Victory]] card
* [[Allies]]: {{card|Sorcerer}}—distributes a Curse only to opponents who can't guess what card is on top of their deck.

=== Other cards that can distribute Curses but are not usually considered cursers ===

Unlike the primary and secondary cursers which always affect other players, the cards in this category have other primary purposes than handing out {{Card|Curse|Curses}} or they do not only affect the opponent of the user.

* {{Card|Masquerade}} (from [[Intrigue]]) and ''{{Card|Ambassador}}'' (from [[Seaside]]) can only redistribute {{Card|Curse|Curses}} after they have been gained through other means.
* [[Seaside]]: ''{{Card|Embargo}}''— is an effect that can sometimes be played around and which also affects the user.
* [[Adventures]]: {{Card|Messenger}}—causes all players to gain a card costing up to {{Cost|4}}, which can be a Curse; but it affects the user as well as their opponents and is more likely to be used for something else.

Some effects use gaining {{Card|Curse|Curses}} as a drawback or penalty to the user: 

* [[Nocturne]]: {{Card|Cursed Gold}}
* [[Empires]]: {{Event|Ritual}}
* [[Renaissance]]: {{Card|Hideout}}—gives you a Curse if you trash a [[Victory]] card
* [[Menagerie (expansion)|Menagerie]]: {{Event|Desperation}}

[[Doom]] cards are cursers when they reveal certain [[Hex]]es: {{Hex|Plague}}, and sometimes {{Hex|Locusts}}. This can both be from an attack like {{Card|Werewolf}} or as a drawback to an effect, in the case of {{Card|Leprechaun}} or {{Card|Cursed Village}}.

==Strategy==
For strategic advice, refer to the strategy sections on the relevant card pages, especially [[Witch#Strategy|Witch]]. 

==Gallery==
===Primary Cursers===
{{CardImage|Charlatan}}{{CardImage|Coven}}{{CardImage|Familiar}}{{CardImage|Old Witch}}{{CardImage|Sea Witch}}{{CardImage|Siren}}{{CardImage|Soothsayer}}{{CardImage|Witch}}{{CardImage|Young Witch}}{{CardImage|Trickster}}{{LandscapeImage|Circle of Witches}}

===Secondary Cursers===
{{CardImage|Barbarian}}{{CardImage|Black Cat}}{{CardImage|Blockade}}{{CardImage|Catapult}}{{CardImage|Cauldron}}{{CardImage|Followers}}{{CardImage|Giant}}{{CardImage|Idol}}{{CardImage|Jester}}{{CardImage|Replace}}{{CardImage|Sorcerer}}{{CardImage|Sorceress}}{{CardImage|Swamp Hag}}{{CardImage|Swindler}}{{CardImage|Torturer}}{{CardImage|Witch's Hut}}

===Removed cards===
{{CardImage|Ill-Gotten Gains}}{{CardImage|Mountebank}}{{CardImage|Sea Hag}}

== Trivia ==
[[Dark Ages]] is the only expansion that does not contain a curser; however, it does contain two cards ({{Card|Marauder}} and {{Card|Cultist}}) that cause opponents to gain [[Ruins]], serving a similar function.

=== Cursers relating to expansion theme ===
It can be argued that the main curser from most expansions (with the exception of [[Guilds]]) closely represents the expansion's theme:

* {{Set|Dominion}}: {{Card|Witch}} has only a ''minor "[[vanilla]]" effect'' other than cursing; the [[base]] game's theme is cards with simple effects.
* {{Set|Intrigue}}: {{Card|Torturer}} gives the opponent a ''choice'' about whether to be cursed; Intrigue's theme is cards with a choice of effects.
* {{Set|Seaside}}: {{Card|Blockade}} and {{Card|Sea Witch}} are [[Duration]] attacks; Seaside's main theme is Duration cards.
* {{Set|Alchemy}}: {{Card|Familiar}} is ''[[non-terminal]]'' and has ''{{p}}'' in its cost; Alchemy's theme is {{Card|Potion|Potions}} and action chaining.
* {{Set|Prosperity}}: {{Card|Charlatan}} turns {{Card|Curse}}s into {{Card|Copper}}s; one of Prosperity's themes is [[Treasure]]s.
* {{Set|Cornucopia}}: {{Card|Young Witch}} increases the number of ''differently-named cards'' in the Kingdom; Cornucopia's theme is variety.
* {{Set|Hinterlands}}: {{Card|Cauldron}} cares about how many cards you've ''gained'', while {{Card|Witch's Hut}} is a sifter; Hinterland's main theme is on-gain effects, with a sub-theme of discarding.
* {{Set|Adventures}}: {{Card|Giant}} uses the ''Journey token'', and {{Card|Swamp Hag}} is a ''duration''; Adventures expands on [[Duration]] cards and uses miscellaneous tokens.
* {{Set|Empires}}: {{Card|Catapult}} is part of a ''split pile''; split piles are one of the themes in Empires.
* {{Set|Nocturne}}: {{Card|Idol}} can give you ''Boons'', and {{Hex|Plague}} is a ''Hex'', which are new mechanics in Nocturne.
* {{Set|Renaissance}}: {{Card|Old Witch}} allows attacked players to ''trash'' a Curse from their hand, and is relatively ''simple''; One of Renaissance's themes is trashing, and having simpler cards than previous expansions.
* {{Set|Menagerie}}: {{Card|Coven}} and {{Card|Black Cat}} match two of Menagerie's themes: ''Exiling'' and ''Reactions'', respectively.
* {{set|Allies}}: {{card|Sorcerer}} and {{card|Sorceress}} are part of ''[[split pile]]s'', and {{ally|Circle of Witches}} is an ''[[Ally]]''; those are the Allies expansion's main structural themes.
* {{set|Plunder}}: {{card|Siren}} is a ''[[Duration]]'', and {{card|Trickster}} interacts with ''[[Treasure]]s''; Plunder's main themes are Durations and Treasures.

{{Quote
|Text=
It was just a coincidence. Or, if you like, a natural consequence of "each other player gains a {{Card|Curse}}" being simple, every set wanting simple on-theme cards, and no set wanting too many ways to give out Curses.
|Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]]
|Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=5799.msg358383#msg358383 Interview with Donald X.]
}}

=== More Cursing attacks in recent expansions ===
Many recent expansions/second editions ({{Set|Menagerie}}, {{Set|Allies}}, {{Set|Seaside|ed=2|Seaside 2E}}, {{Set|Hinterlands|ed=2|Hinterlands 2E}}, and {{Set|Plunder}}) have included multiple Cursing attacks.
{{Quote
|Text=
It's something I've decided to embrace, due to all the ways Witches are the best attacks. They're simpler, they work, they're the most fun. As you know, {{Card|Militia}}s are less fun and harder to vary the attack on; {{Card|Knights}} are hated/loved; {{Card|Spy|Spies}} are awful; and none-of-the-above Duration attacks are just hard to come by.
|Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]]
|Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=5799.msg899462#msg899462 Interview with Donald X.]
}}
== See Also ==

* [[Junking attack]]

{{Navbox card categories}}

[[Category:Attacks]]