Deck inspector

Revision as of 02:15, 17 June 2013

A deck inspector is a card that lets you reveal or look at one or more cards at the top of your deck. Deck inspectors that are also Attacks, like Spy, tend to look at fewer cards than those that aren't, like Scout. These cards can allow you to discard or trash undesired cards, draw a particular type of card into your hand, or simply rearrange their order.

In order to be a deck inspector, it has to:

• Allow the option to put cards back onto your deck
• Reveal/look at a specified number of cards

For counterexample, Adventurer, while it reveals cards and draws certain ones into your hand, discards the rest, and will reveal an unspecified number of cards; this makes it, instead, a digger.

Strategy

While deck inspectors tend not to directly provide useful resources, such as coins or cards, or at least not in any significant amount, deck inspectors can be useful to make your current or next turn go more smoothly. For example, using a Cartographer or two to filter out less useful cards, and to ensure cards are drawn in the right order, can give a noticeable advantage to that player in a mirror match.

Examples

• Spy - the archetypal Attack deck inspector
• Scout - the archetypal non-Attack deck inspector
• Pearl Diver - notably inspects the bottom of your deck instead of the top
• Lookout
• Navigator
• Apothecary
• Scrying Pool - only the Attack portion is deck inspection - the rest of the card falls under non-terminal draw
• Duchess
• Oracle
• Jack of all Trades - one of this card's many roles
• Cartographer
• Survivors
• Ironmonger
• Wandering Minstrel
• Doctor