Elder

Elder
Info
Cost
Type(s)	Action - Townsfolk
Kingdom card?	Yes
Set	Allies
Illustrator(s)	Julien Delval
Card text
+ You may play an Action card from your hand. When it gives you a choice of abilities (e.g. “choose one”) this turn, you may choose an extra (different) option.

Elder is an Action-Townsfolk card from Allies. It increases the number of choices you are able to make when a card prompts you to "Choose" by one.

It is part of a split pile that it shares with the other Townsfolk, Town Crier, Blacksmith, and Miller, which means there will always be targets for its ability in the kingdom with it.

FAQ

Other Rules clarifications

• If you Elder a Scrap and trash a card costing , you get one choice. But if you play a Scrap with Elder and trash nothing, you get no choices.
• If you Elder a Catacombs choose both options, you won't get anything useful. You will put the 3 cards into your hand, discard them, and get +3 Cards.
• If you Elder an Amulet, you get two choices this turn, but only one choice next turn.
• You resolve all choices in the order printed on the card. So if you Elder a Blacksmith and choose the first and second option, you first draw up to 6 cards, and then get +2 Cards.
• If you Elder a card with multiple choose-one's (like Count), Elder may be used for both of them.

Cards that gain extra effects from Elder

• Intrigue: Lurker, Pawn, Steward, Minion, Courtier, Nobles
• Seaside: Native Village, Pirate Ship
• Cornucopia: Trusty Steed
• Hinterlands: Spice Merchant
• Dark Ages: Squire, Catacombs, Count, Graverobber
• Adventures: Amulet, Miser
• Empires: Wild Hunt
• Renaissance: Treasurer
• Menagerie: Scrap
• Allies: Town Crier, Blacksmith, Broker, Town, Modify
• Promo: Governor

Versions

English versions

Print	Digital	Text	Release	Date
		+ You may play an Action card from your hand. When it gives you a choice of abilities (e.g. “choose one”) this turn, you may choose an extra (different) option.	Allies	March 2022

Other language versions

Language	Name	Print	Digital	Text	Notes

Trivia

Official card art.

Preview

Elder ties the pile together, giving you an extra choice when choose-one-ing (or choose-two-ing). It's optional; you can Elder a Count and take an extra good thing but not an extra bad thing. If I made a card like Elder as a regular pile, game after game there'd be no choose-one on the same board. But it's in a split pile so there are always at least two, Town Crier and Blacksmith. And then Miller can help you line up the combo.

—Donald X. Vaccarino, Allies Preview 3:Choose One

Further comments from Donald X.

Maybe it's better not to do really cool cards like Elder. I dunno, it always seems worth it to me. I don't think anything needs errata due to Elder. I mean, zero cards. For sure having the game in many languages means any reference to text on a card can run into trouble.

—Donald X. Vaccarino, Dominion Discord, 2022

I needed to have a clear answer to what Elder worked with, and care more about that than about any particular combo. Otherwise sure it would be nice to get those combos [with Barge and Village Green] too.

I think if normal players think Elder works with Barge, that will be fine, Elder will work with their Barges. I am always having to deal with, what will fit on the card, is this too much to ask of players so this fun thing doesn't get to exist, etc.

Sir Martin hated Patron, tried to kill it, endlessly badmouthed it, in a way that would never get someone hired, lemme tell you. But it's not a paying job and he kept doing it. And I didn't kill Patron and I mean no regrets, people in fact liked it.

We haven't done that test with Elder yet. Good luck, Elder!

—Donald X. Vaccarino, Dominion Discord, 2022