Knight

From DominionStrategy Wiki
(Difference between revisions)
Jump to: navigation, search
(Alternate versions: added Czech image)
(Synergies/Combos)
(14 intermediate revisions by 9 users not shown)
Line 7: Line 7:
 
  |illustrator = Matthias Catrein
 
  |illustrator = Matthias Catrein
 
  |text = Shuffle the Knights pile before each game with it. Keep it face down except for the top card, which is the only one that can be bought or gained.
 
  |text = Shuffle the Knights pile before each game with it. Keep it face down except for the top card, which is the only one that can be bought or gained.
 +
|nocats = Yes
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 13: Line 14:
 
Every Knight costs {{Cost|5}} except {{Card|Sir Martin}}, who costs {{Cost|4}}.  
 
Every Knight costs {{Cost|5}} except {{Card|Sir Martin}}, who costs {{Cost|4}}.  
  
Every Knight is an [[Action]]–[[Attack]]–Knight card ({{Card|Dame Josephine}} is also a [[Victory]] card) with the same main [[trashing attack]] ability—''''Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them costing from {{Cost|3}} to {{Cost|6}}, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card''"—and each Knight has a unique second ability.
+
Every Knight is an [[Action]]–[[Attack]]–Knight card ({{Card|Dame Josephine}} is also a [[Victory]] card) with the same main [[trashing attack]] ability—''''Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of their deck, trashes one of them costing from {{Cost|3}} to {{Cost|6}}, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card''"—and each Knight has a unique second ability.
  
 
== List of Knights (and their secondary abilities) ==
 
== List of Knights (and their secondary abilities) ==
Line 30: Line 31:
  
 
=== Official FAQ ===
 
=== Official FAQ ===
* This is a pile in which each card is different. There is the same basic ability on each card, but also another ability unique to that card in the pile, and they all have different names.  
+
* This is a pile in which each card is different.  
* Shuffle the Knights pile before playing with it, keeping it face down except for the top one, which is the only card that can be gained from the pile.  
+
* There is the same basic ability on each card, but also another ability unique to that card in the pile, and they all have different names.  
* Follow the rules on Knights in order from top to bottom; Sir Michael causes players to discard before it trashes cards.
+
* Shuffle the Knights pile before playing it, keeping it face down except for the top one, which is the only card that can be gained from the pile. See Additional Rules and Preparation.  
* The ability they have in common is that each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them that he chooses that costs from {{Cost|3}} to {{Cost|6}}, and discards the rest; then, if a Knight was trashed, you trash the Knight you played that caused this trashing. Resolve this ability in turn order, starting with the player to your left.
+
* Follow the rules on Knights in order from top to bottom; Sir Michael causes players to discard before it trashes cards.  
* Cards with {{Card|Potion}} in the cost (from [[Alchemy]]) do not cost from {{Cost|3}} to {{Cost|6}}.  
+
* The ability they have in common is, each other player reveals the top two cards of their deck, trashes one of them that they choose that costs from {{Cost|3}} to {{Cost|6}}, and discards the rest; then, if a Knight was trashed, you trash the Knight you played that caused this trashing.  
* The player losing a card only gets a choice if both cards revealed cost from {{Cost|3}} to {{Cost|6}}; if they both do and one is a Knight but the player picks the other card, that will not cause the played Knight to be trashed.
+
* Resolve this ability in turn order, starting with the player to your left. Cards with {{Cost|P}} (from [[Alchemy]]) or {{Debt}} (from [[Empires]]) in the cost do not cost from {{Cost|3}} to {{Cost|6}}.  
* When {{Card|Sir Martin}} is the top card of the pile, it can be gained with an {{Card|Armory}} and so on.
+
* The player losing a card only gets a choice if both cards revealed cost from {{Cost|3}} to {{Cost|6}}.
* If {{Card|Sir Vander}} is trashed, you gain a {{Card|Gold}}; this happens whether it is trashed on your turn or someone else's. The player who had Sir Vander is the one who gains the Gold, regardless of who played the card that trashed it.
+
* If they both do and one is a Knight but the player picks the other card, that will not cause the played Knight to be trashed.
* The Gold from Sir Vander, and the card gained for {{Card|Dame Natalie}}, comes from the Supply and is put into your discard pile.
+
* The Knight pile is not a [[Victory]] pile, and does not get a counter for {{Card|Trade Route}} (from [[Prosperity]]) even if Dame Josephine starts on top.  
* When playing {{Card|Dame Anna}}, you may choose to trash zero, one, or two cards from your hand.
+
* If you choose to use the Knights with {{Card|Black Market}} (a [[promo|promotional card]]), put a Knight directly into the Black Market deck, rather than using the randomizer card.
* {{Card|Dame Josephine}} is also a [[Victory]] card, worth 2 {{VP}} at the end of the game. The Knight pile is not a Victory pile though, and does not get a counter for {{Card|Trade Route}} (from [[Prosperity]]) even if Dame Josephine starts on top.
+
 
* If you choose to use the Knights with {{Card|Black Market}} (a [[Promo|promotional card]]), put a Knight directly into the Black Market deck, rather than using the randomizer card.  
+
* Sir Martin only costs {{Cost|4}}, though the other Knights all cost {{Cost|5}}.
+
 
=== Other Rules clarifications ===
 
=== Other Rules clarifications ===
 
== Strategy Article ==
 
== Strategy Article ==
Line 52: Line 51:
  
 
=== What do Knights do? ===
 
=== What do Knights do? ===
 
 
Playing a Knight forces each opponent to reveal the top two cards of their deck, and trash a moderately costed card from those two, if there are any.  Each Knight also has an individual bonus and a cute unique name.  These bonuses vary in usefulness, and the usefulness of each will vary depending on the kingdom.  And if a Knight trashes another Knight, the first Knight is also trashed.
 
Playing a Knight forces each opponent to reveal the top two cards of their deck, and trash a moderately costed card from those two, if there are any.  Each Knight also has an individual bonus and a cute unique name.  These bonuses vary in usefulness, and the usefulness of each will vary depending on the kingdom.  And if a Knight trashes another Knight, the first Knight is also trashed.
  
 
=== How is this different from {{Card|Saboteur}}? ===
 
=== How is this different from {{Card|Saboteur}}? ===
 
 
Well, if you’ve spent more than five minutes on [http://forum.dominionstrategy.com f.ds], or read the wiki page for {{Card|Saboteur}}, you’re probably aware that Saboteur kind of sucks as a card.  It does absolutely nothing for the player, and more often than not will trip on {{Card|Silver|Silvers}}, and at the very worst will simply give your opponent’s deck a good cycling.  Knights fix all of those problems, but at a cost, since we can’t have cards that are [[strictly better]] than one another at the same price.  Saboteur and Knights have different purposes, and both can shine in certain instances.  But let’s look at how they differ.
 
Well, if you’ve spent more than five minutes on [http://forum.dominionstrategy.com f.ds], or read the wiki page for {{Card|Saboteur}}, you’re probably aware that Saboteur kind of sucks as a card.  It does absolutely nothing for the player, and more often than not will trip on {{Card|Silver|Silvers}}, and at the very worst will simply give your opponent’s deck a good cycling.  Knights fix all of those problems, but at a cost, since we can’t have cards that are [[strictly better]] than one another at the same price.  Saboteur and Knights have different purposes, and both can shine in certain instances.  But let’s look at how they differ.
  
Line 62: Line 59:
  
 
=== So how do I play with Knights? ===  
 
=== So how do I play with Knights? ===  
 
 
That really depends on the board, and it depends also on how your opponent plays them.  Knights are one of those cards that can force you into a mirroring strategy, because allowing your opponent to win the Knights race can be extremely detrimental to you.  Compare to other races - if you lose the {{Card|Fool's Gold}} race you can still come back by turning your Fool's Golds in to real {{Card|Gold|Golds}}, or by trying a different strategy.  But when you lose the Knights race, you not only are being hurt more severely than you're causing hurt, but inevitably you will lose all your Knights while your opponent retains a few.  Such a situation can almost force you into a pin, particularly in the context of an engine, where your opponent can play his four remaining Knights every turn, ensuring you just don't have a deck.  But not all Knights games will devolve into this race, and you may often ignore them altogether.  Their bonuses can be helpful, but aren't usually game-changing.
 
That really depends on the board, and it depends also on how your opponent plays them.  Knights are one of those cards that can force you into a mirroring strategy, because allowing your opponent to win the Knights race can be extremely detrimental to you.  Compare to other races - if you lose the {{Card|Fool's Gold}} race you can still come back by turning your Fool's Golds in to real {{Card|Gold|Golds}}, or by trying a different strategy.  But when you lose the Knights race, you not only are being hurt more severely than you're causing hurt, but inevitably you will lose all your Knights while your opponent retains a few.  Such a situation can almost force you into a pin, particularly in the context of an engine, where your opponent can play his four remaining Knights every turn, ensuring you just don't have a deck.  But not all Knights games will devolve into this race, and you may often ignore them altogether.  Their bonuses can be helpful, but aren't usually game-changing.
  
Line 68: Line 64:
  
 
=== How do I know which Knight is desirable? ===  
 
=== How do I know which Knight is desirable? ===  
 
 
That depends on the kingdom, silly.  {{Card|Sir Bailey}} is never a bad investment, since he's essentially a zero-space card. {{Card|Dame Molly}} and {{Card|Sir Michael}} are usually strong, but with lots of [[Village (card category)|villages]] or a better discard Attack (respectively), they're more middling.  The others are far more dependent on the Kingdom.  {{Card|Dame Natalie}} is a good Knight to get if you're losing the Knights race, as she can help fill your deck with Silver, which is usually better to have trashed than a more important card.  The two that are least useful are {{Card|Sir Vander}} and {{Card|Dame Josephine}}, as the former simply gives you a consolation prize when knocked off his horse by another Knight, and the latter might, in rare instances, be a tie-breaker - neither actually do anything for you when played aside from their Knight Attack, which makes them even more equivalent to Saboteur.  Dame Josephine is a little less desirable than Sir Vander, because it's highly likely that your Knights are going to end up trashed to your opponent's Knights, so that 2 {{VP}} usually won't even end up added to your total anyway.
 
That depends on the kingdom, silly.  {{Card|Sir Bailey}} is never a bad investment, since he's essentially a zero-space card. {{Card|Dame Molly}} and {{Card|Sir Michael}} are usually strong, but with lots of [[Village (card category)|villages]] or a better discard Attack (respectively), they're more middling.  The others are far more dependent on the Kingdom.  {{Card|Dame Natalie}} is a good Knight to get if you're losing the Knights race, as she can help fill your deck with Silver, which is usually better to have trashed than a more important card.  The two that are least useful are {{Card|Sir Vander}} and {{Card|Dame Josephine}}, as the former simply gives you a consolation prize when knocked off his horse by another Knight, and the latter might, in rare instances, be a tie-breaker - neither actually do anything for you when played aside from their Knight Attack, which makes them even more equivalent to Saboteur.  Dame Josephine is a little less desirable than Sir Vander, because it's highly likely that your Knights are going to end up trashed to your opponent's Knights, so that 2 {{VP}} usually won't even end up added to your total anyway.
  
Line 74: Line 69:
  
 
=== What goes well with Knights? ===  
 
=== What goes well with Knights? ===  
 
 
{{Card|Highway}} (and sometimes {{Card|Bridge}}).  Two Highways means that your Knights can now trash {{Card|Province|Provinces}}.  Three Highways means that your Knights no longer trash other Knights, so you don’t have to worry about losing them.  Just don’t play too many - it’ll look pretty silly when Provinces cost {{Cost|2}}, and you’re only cycling your opponent’s deck for him. Bridge can be used for the same purpose, but if you're in a position where you can play multiple Bridges per turn, it might be simpler to just end the game with a mega-turn rather than fiddle around with using just a few bridges to help your Knights.  
 
{{Card|Highway}} (and sometimes {{Card|Bridge}}).  Two Highways means that your Knights can now trash {{Card|Province|Provinces}}.  Three Highways means that your Knights no longer trash other Knights, so you don’t have to worry about losing them.  Just don’t play too many - it’ll look pretty silly when Provinces cost {{Cost|2}}, and you’re only cycling your opponent’s deck for him. Bridge can be used for the same purpose, but if you're in a position where you can play multiple Bridges per turn, it might be simpler to just end the game with a mega-turn rather than fiddle around with using just a few bridges to help your Knights.  
  
Line 84: Line 78:
  
 
=== How do I counter Knights, or, when should I not get them? ===  
 
=== How do I counter Knights, or, when should I not get them? ===  
 
 
{{Card|Fortress}}.  This card makes Knights not just pointless, but usually helpful to your opponents.  Revealing and trashing a Fortress puts it into your opponent’s hand.  That’s not something you really ever want to do.  Maybe you can combo this with playing multiple {{Card|Pillage|Pillages}} per turn, but I doubt that.
 
{{Card|Fortress}}.  This card makes Knights not just pointless, but usually helpful to your opponents.  Revealing and trashing a Fortress puts it into your opponent’s hand.  That’s not something you really ever want to do.  Maybe you can combo this with playing multiple {{Card|Pillage|Pillages}} per turn, but I doubt that.
  
Line 100: Line 93:
 
=== Knight Qvist Rankings ===
 
=== Knight Qvist Rankings ===
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
! Card !! 2013 Ed. !! 2014 Ed. !! +/-
+
! Card !! 2013 !! 2014 !! +/- !! 2015 !! +/- !! 2016 !! +/- !! 2017 !! +/-
 
|-
 
|-
|{{Card|Sir Michael}} || data-sort-value=01 | 1 || data-sort-value=01 | 1 || 0
+
|{{Card|Dame Anna}} || 5 || 3 || +2 || 1 || +2 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0
 
|-
 
|-
|{{Card|Sir Bailey}} || data-sort-value=02 | 2 || data-sort-value=02 | 2 || 0
+
|{{Card|Sir Bailey}} || 2 || 2 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 2 || 0
 
|-
 
|-
|{{Card|Dame Anna}} || data-sort-value=05 | 5 || data-sort-value=03 | 3 || +2
+
|{{Card|Sir Michael}} || 1 || 1 || 0 || 3 || -2 || 3 || 0 || 3 || 0
 
|-
 
|-
|{{Card|Dame Molly}} || data-sort-value=04 | 4 || data-sort-value=04 | 4 || 0
+
|{{Card|Dame Molly}} || 4 || 4 || 0 || 4 || 0 || 4 || 0 || 4 || 0
 
|-
 
|-
|{{Card|Sir Destry}} || data-sort-value=06 | 6 || data-sort-value=05 | 5 || +1
+
|{{Card|Sir Destry}} || 6 || 5 || +1 || 5 || 0 || 5 || 0 || 5 || 0
 
|-
 
|-
|{{Card|Dame Sylvia}} || data-sort-value=03 | 3 || data-sort-value=06 | 6 || -3
+
|{{Card|Dame Natalie}} || 10 || 7 || +3 || 7 || 0 || 7 || 0 || 6 || +1
 
|-
 
|-
|{{Card|Dame Natalie}} || 10 || data-sort-value=07 | 7 || +3
+
|{{Card|Dame Sylvia}} || 3 || 6 || -3 || 6 || 0 || 6 || 0 || 7 || -1
 
|-
 
|-
|{{Card|Sir Vander}} || data-sort-value=08 | 8 || data-sort-value=08 | 8 || 0
+
|{{Card|Sir Vander}} || 8 || 8 || 0 || 8 || 0 || 8 || 0 || 8 || 0
 
|-
 
|-
|{{Card|Sir Martin}} || data-sort-value=09 | 9 || data-sort-value=09 | 9 || 0
+
|{{Card|Sir Martin}} || 9 || 9 || 0 || 9 || 0 || 9 || 0 || 9 || 0
 
|-
 
|-
|{{Card|Dame Josephine}} || data-sort-value=07 | 7 || 10 || -3
+
|{{Card|Dame Josephine}} || 7 || 10 || -3 || 10 || 0 || 10 || 0 || 10 || 0
 
|}
 
|}
 +
 
=== Synergies/Combos ===
 
=== Synergies/Combos ===
 
* {{Card|Scheme}}/{{Card|Sage}}
 
* {{Card|Scheme}}/{{Card|Sage}}
Line 132: Line 126:
 
** {{Card|Horn of Plenty}}
 
** {{Card|Horn of Plenty}}
 
** {{Card|Menagerie}}
 
** {{Card|Menagerie}}
 +
 
=== Antisynergies ===
 
=== Antisynergies ===
 
* {{Card|Fortress}} [[engine|engines]] counter Knights
 
* {{Card|Fortress}} [[engine|engines]] counter Knights
Line 142: Line 137:
 
* Colony games
 
* Colony games
  
== Alternate versions ==
+
== Versions ==
<gallery>
+
===English versions===
File:KnightsDigital.jpg|Digital version for [[Dominion Online]]
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
File:Knights German-HiG.jpg|German Version  
+
! Print !! Digital !! Text !! Release !! Date
File:KnightsCzech.jpg|Czech version
+
|-
</gallery>
+
| {{CardVersionImage|KnightsOld|Knights}} || {{CardVersionImage|KnightsDigitalOld|Knights from Goko/Making Fun}} || Shuffle the Knights pile before each game with it. Keep it face down except for the top card, which is the only one that can be bought or gained. || Dark Ages 1st Edition || August 2012
 +
|-
 +
| {{CardVersionImage|Knights|Knights}} || {{CardVersionImage|KnightsDigital|Knights from Shuffle iT}} || Shuffle the Knights pile before each game with it. Keep it face down except for the top card, which is the only one that can be bought or gained. || Dark Ages [[Second Edition|2nd Edition]] || September 2017
 +
|}
 +
===Other language versions===
 +
In general, the specific names of the Knights do not change in different languages.
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
 +
! Print !! Digital !! Language !! Name !! Text
 +
|-
 +
| {{CardVersionImage|KnightsCzech|Czech language Knights}} || || Czech || Rytíři ||
 +
|-
 +
| || || Dutch || Ridders ||
 +
|-
 +
| || || Finnish || Ritarit ||
 +
|-
 +
| || || French || Chevalier ||
 +
|-
 +
| {{CardVersionImage|Knights German-HiG|German Version }} || || German || Ritter || Werden die Ritter im Spiel verwendet,<br>werden alle Ritter-Karten gemischt<br>und als verdeckter Stapel in den Vorrat<br>gelegt. Die oberste Karte wird auf-<br>gedeckt. Nur dir oberste Karte kann<br>gekauft oder genommen werden.
 +
|-
 +
| || || Japanese || 騎士 (pron. ''kishi'') || 騎士を使用する各ゲ一ムの開始前に、騎士の山をシャッフルする。一番上のカード以外は裏にする。山の一番上のカードのみ購入•獲得可能。
 +
|-
 +
| || || Korean || 기사 (pron. ''gisa'') ||
 +
|-
 +
| || || Russian || Рыцари (pron. ''rytsari'') ||
 +
|-
 +
| || || Spanish || Caballero ||
 +
|}
  
 
== Trivia ==
 
== Trivia ==
 
[[Image:KnightsArt.jpg|thumb|right|354px|Official randomizer card art.]]
 
[[Image:KnightsArt.jpg|thumb|right|354px|Official randomizer card art.]]
=== In other languages ===
 
In general, the specific names of the Knights do not change in different languages.
 
* Czech: Rytíři
 
* Dutch: Ridders
 
* Finnish: Ritarit
 
* French: Chevalier
 
* German: Ritter
 
* Japanese: 騎士 (pron. ''kishi'')
 
* Korean: 기사 (pron. ''gisa'')
 
* Russian: Рыцари (pron. ''rytsari'')
 
* Spanish: Caballero
 
  
 
=== Secret History ===
 
=== Secret History ===
 
{{Quote
 
{{Quote
|Text=How about a pile where every card is different? To keep from being too much to remember, they could be variations on a theme. Thus was my thinking back when, and the 2007 version of the set had a pile of Knights. They each had "Each other player trashes the top card of his deck," which was my standard trashing attack in those days, plus a bonus that varied by Knight. At that time kingdom card piles were 12 cards, and exactly 12 people had played Dominion when I made the first version of the expansion, so I had a Knight for each of them.
+
|Text=How about a pile where every card is different? To keep from being too much to remember, they could be variations on a theme. Thus was my thinking back when, and the 2007 version of the set had a pile of Knights. They each had "Each other player trashes the top card of his deck," which was my standard [[trasher|trashing]] [[attack]] in those days, plus a bonus that varied by Knight. At that time [[kingdom]] card piles were 12 cards, and exactly 12 people had played Dominion when I made the first version of the expansion, so I had a Knight for each of them.
  
When the top-card-trashing attacks all died their deserved deaths, I had to find a way to fix up the Knights. I settled on trashing cards in the range {{Cost|3}}–{{Cost|6}}. I tried other ranges, man, don't think I didn't. If the lower limit is {{Cost|4}}, you always buy Silver over {{Cost|4}}'s, which makes the game less fun. If the top limit is {{Cost|5}}, you always buy Gold over {{Cost|5}}'s, which makes the game less fun. {{Cost|3}}–{{Cost|6}} is the range that does not actually stop you from building a deck with actions, while not helping your opponents by trashing junk, and not being so swingy as to trash Provinces. I could have gone {{Cost|3}}–{{Cost|7}} but decided to let the {{Cost|7}}'s be excitingly immune to Knights.
+
When the top-card-trashing attacks all died their deserved deaths, I had to find a way to fix up the Knights. I settled on trashing cards in the range {{Cost|3}}–{{Cost|6}}. I tried other ranges, man, don't think I didn't. If the lower limit is {{Cost|4}}, you always buy {{Card|Silver}} over {{Cost|4}}'s, which makes the game less fun. If the top limit is {{Cost|5}}, you always buy {{Card|Gold}} over {{Cost|5}}'s, which makes the game less fun. {{Cost|3}}–{{Cost|6}} is the range that does not actually stop you from building a deck with [[action]]s, while not helping your opponents by trashing junk, and not being so swingy as to trash {{Card|Province|Provinces}}. I could have gone {{Cost|3}}–{{Cost|7}} but decided to let the {{Cost|7}}'s be excitingly immune to Knights.
  
The Knights slowed down the game, and needed some penalty to mildly keep them in check. They still slow down the game, but you know, not quite as much. They are for the people who like this kind of thing, and well some people adore them, slower game and all. Some people are all, my cards, my precious cards, and well there are plenty of other cards in the set for those guys. Sometimes someone else's cool fun thing trashes your cards, that's just the way it is. Anyway where was I. A penalty. I let them Moat each other, which was okay, and also tried letting any attack Moat them. I think Bill Barksdale suggested having them kill each other. It's a good penalty because it means if people go heavy into Knights, they kill each other off and then there are not as many of them.
+
The Knights slowed down the game, and needed some penalty to mildly keep them in check. They still slow down the game, but you know, not quite as much. They are for the people who like this kind of thing, and well some people adore them, slower game and all. Some people are all, my cards, my precious cards, and well there are plenty of other cards in the set for those guys. Sometimes someone else's cool fun thing trashes your cards, that's just the way it is. Anyway where was I. A penalty. I let them {{Card|Moat}} each other, which was okay, and also tried letting any attack Moat them. I think Bill Barksdale suggested having them kill each other. It's a good penalty because it means if people go heavy into Knights, they kill each other off and then there are not as many of them.
  
The 12-card pile had a few abilities that have not survived. There were a few that scaled with the number of players in a way that I sometimes am okay with but which wasn't great. Like, +{{Cost|1}} per treasure trashed. There was one that attacked the turn you got it: the Hinterlands Knight. And all of the original resource abilities were weaker—it was +1 Card etc. rather than +2 Cards etc. The Knights needed to be better, and improving the bonuses was more fun than improving the attack.
+
The 12-card pile had a few abilities that have not survived. There were a few that scaled with the number of players in a way that I sometimes am okay with but which wasn't great. Like, +{{Cost|1}} per [[treasure]] trashed. There was one that attacked the turn you got it: the {{Set|Hinterlands}} Knight. And all of the original resource abilities were weaker—it was +1 Card etc. rather than +2 Cards etc. The Knights needed to be better, and improving the bonuses was more fun than improving the attack.
  
 
The Knights are still all named after real people, so hey let's meet them! Some of them are even illustrated on the cards, although two declined, two are small children, and some of the remaining six resemble the actual person more than others.
 
The Knights are still all named after real people, so hey let's meet them! Some of them are even illustrated on the cards, although two declined, two are small children, and some of the remaining six resemble the actual person more than others.
  
Dame Josephine / Dame Natalie / Dame Sylvia: My wife and daughters.
+
{{Card|Dame Josephine}} / {{Card|Dame Natalie}} / {{Card|Dame Sylvia}}: My wife and daughters.
  
Dame Molly / Sir Destry: Two friends who were in the first game of Dominion, along with me and Dame Josephine. For you Prosperity fans, Dame Molly is the one who suggested "spendy" as an expansion theme.
+
{{Card|Dame Molly}} / {{Card|Sir Destry}}: Two friends who were in the first game of Dominion, along with me and Dame Josephine. For you {{Set|Prosperity}} fans, Dame Molly is the one who suggested "spendy" as an expansion theme.
  
Sir Martin / Dame Anna: A friend who would have been in that game, but he'd moved away some months earlier, and his girlfriend.
+
{{Card|Sir Martin}} / {{Card|Dame Anna}}: A friend who would have been in that game, but he'd moved away some months earlier, and his girlfriend.
  
Sir Bailey: Dame Molly's boyfriend, and the second person to have a copy of Dominion. He was also the first person to make homemade cards, if mine don't count, and he made Courtyard.
+
{{Card|Sir Bailey}}: Dame Molly's boyfriend, and the second person to have a copy of Dominion. He was also the first person to make homemade cards, if mine don't count, and he made {{Card|Courtyard}}.
  
Sir Vander / Sir Michael: My e-friend who suffered through endless conversations about Dominion but did not playtest much, and another e-friend who playtested a bunch.
+
{{Card|Sir Vander}} / {{Card|Sir Michael}}: My e-friend who suffered through endless conversations about Dominion but did not playtest much, and another e-friend who playtested a bunch.
 
|Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]]
 
|Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]]
 
|Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=4318.0 The Secret History of the Dark Ages Cards]
 
|Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=4318.0 The Secret History of the Dark Ages Cards]
Line 190: Line 200:
 
{{Navbox Dark Ages}}
 
{{Navbox Dark Ages}}
 
{{Navbox card types}}
 
{{Navbox card types}}
 +
[[Category:Single-expansion special card types]]

Revision as of 10:34, 31 January 2019

Knights
Knights.jpg
Info
Cost $5
Type(s) Action - Attack - Knight
Kingdom card? Yes
Set Dark AgesDark Ages icon.png
Illustrator(s) Matthias Catrein
Card text
Shuffle the Knights pile before each game with it. Keep it face down except for the top card, which is the only one that can be bought or gained.

Knight is a type of Kingdom card from the Dark Ages expansion. There are 10 differently-named unique Knights with a single randomizer card; when Knights are selected as a Kingdom card for a game, they are shuffled into a single supply pile, of which only the top card can be seen and gained at any given time.

Every Knight costs $5 except Sir MartinSir Martin.jpg, who costs $4.

Every Knight is an ActionAttack–Knight card (Dame JosephineDame Josephine.jpg is also a Victory card) with the same main trashing attack ability—''Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of their deck, trashes one of them costing from $3 to $6, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card"—and each Knight has a unique second ability.

Contents

List of Knights (and their secondary abilities)

FAQ

Official FAQ

  • This is a pile in which each card is different.
  • There is the same basic ability on each card, but also another ability unique to that card in the pile, and they all have different names.
  • Shuffle the Knights pile before playing it, keeping it face down except for the top one, which is the only card that can be gained from the pile. See Additional Rules and Preparation.
  • Follow the rules on Knights in order from top to bottom; Sir Michael causes players to discard before it trashes cards.
  • The ability they have in common is, each other player reveals the top two cards of their deck, trashes one of them that they choose that costs from $3 to $6, and discards the rest; then, if a Knight was trashed, you trash the Knight you played that caused this trashing.
  • Resolve this ability in turn order, starting with the player to your left. Cards with P (from Alchemy) or D (from Empires) in the cost do not cost from $3 to $6.
  • The player losing a card only gets a choice if both cards revealed cost from $3 to $6.
  • If they both do and one is a Knight but the player picks the other card, that will not cause the played Knight to be trashed.
  • The Knight pile is not a Victory pile, and does not get a counter for Trade RouteTrade Route.jpg (from Prosperity) even if Dame Josephine starts on top.
  • If you choose to use the Knights with Black MarketBlack Market.jpg (a promotional card), put a Knight directly into the Black Market deck, rather than using the randomizer card.

Other Rules clarifications

Strategy Article

Original article by werothegreat

And lo, after the release of Cornucopia, Dominionaters rejoiced at the capricious card TournamentTournament.jpg, and said unto Donald X: “Oh, great Donald X, we want more like this!” And yea, Donald X bestowed upon his chosen people the Knights.

Obviously I’m being sarcastic here - quite a lot of people detest the “first come, first serve” nature of the Prizes, which seems to undermine the equality of opportunity that, for most, is the defining feature of Dominion, at least when comparing it to games like Magic: The Gathering. But the Knights are at once like and unlike Tournament. Yes, they all have different bonuses, some better than others, but at the end of the day you only get them for one reason - to trash the shit out of your opponent’s deck - and really, they all do this equally well. But some are more equal than others, naturally.

What do Knights do?

Playing a Knight forces each opponent to reveal the top two cards of their deck, and trash a moderately costed card from those two, if there are any. Each Knight also has an individual bonus and a cute unique name. These bonuses vary in usefulness, and the usefulness of each will vary depending on the kingdom. And if a Knight trashes another Knight, the first Knight is also trashed.

How is this different from SaboteurSaboteur.jpg?

Well, if you’ve spent more than five minutes on f.ds, or read the wiki page for SaboteurSaboteur.jpg, you’re probably aware that Saboteur kind of sucks as a card. It does absolutely nothing for the player, and more often than not will trip on SilversSilver.jpg, and at the very worst will simply give your opponent’s deck a good cycling. Knights fix all of those problems, but at a cost, since we can’t have cards that are strictly better than one another at the same price. Saboteur and Knights have different purposes, and both can shine in certain instances. But let’s look at how they differ.

Each Knight does something for the player, some more actively than others. Knights only flip over two cards, so they won’t turn over your opponent’s entire deck like Saboteur can. So if your opponent has mainly cheap cards, Saboteur can sometimes be better, since it will seek out the expensive cards like a missile. But most decks feature a fair amount of expensive cards, so Saboteur ends up being a lot like Knights a lot of the time. But Knights also don’t let your opponent take a consolation prize - Duchies are no longer un-Rebuild'edRebuild.jpg into Estates - they’re simply destroyed. That can really hurt in the endgame.

So how do I play with Knights?

That really depends on the board, and it depends also on how your opponent plays them. Knights are one of those cards that can force you into a mirroring strategy, because allowing your opponent to win the Knights race can be extremely detrimental to you. Compare to other races - if you lose the Fool's GoldFool's Gold.jpg race you can still come back by turning your Fool's Golds in to real GoldsGold.jpg, or by trying a different strategy. But when you lose the Knights race, you not only are being hurt more severely than you're causing hurt, but inevitably you will lose all your Knights while your opponent retains a few. Such a situation can almost force you into a pin, particularly in the context of an engine, where your opponent can play his four remaining Knights every turn, ensuring you just don't have a deck. But not all Knights games will devolve into this race, and you may often ignore them altogether. Their bonuses can be helpful, but aren't usually game-changing.

Generally you want to go for Knights when a few conditions appear - if you can play them often, if there isn't a viable cheap (or extremely expensive) strategy, and if the top Knight is desirable.

How do I know which Knight is desirable?

That depends on the kingdom, silly. Sir BaileySir Bailey.jpg is never a bad investment, since he's essentially a zero-space card. Dame MollyDame Molly.jpg and Sir MichaelSir Michael.jpg are usually strong, but with lots of villages or a better discard Attack (respectively), they're more middling. The others are far more dependent on the Kingdom. Dame NatalieDame Natalie.jpg is a good Knight to get if you're losing the Knights race, as she can help fill your deck with Silver, which is usually better to have trashed than a more important card. The two that are least useful are Sir VanderSir Vander.jpg and Dame JosephineDame Josephine.jpg, as the former simply gives you a consolation prize when knocked off his horse by another Knight, and the latter might, in rare instances, be a tie-breaker - neither actually do anything for you when played aside from their Knight Attack, which makes them even more equivalent to Saboteur. Dame Josephine is a little less desirable than Sir Vander, because it's highly likely that your Knights are going to end up trashed to your opponent's Knights, so that 2 VP usually won't even end up added to your total anyway.

But certain of the Knights will be especially useful in different Kingdoms. You should be on the lookout for Knights which complement the rest of the set - if there's a LaboratoryLaboratory.jpg engine but no villages on the board, Dame MollyDame Molly.jpg is amazing; if Dame AnnaDame Anna.jpg is the only trasher on the board, or if Sir MartinSir Martin.jpg is the only source of +Buy, they instantly become desirable just for their bonus ability. Dame NatalieDame Natalie.jpg is excellent with FeodumFeodum.jpg, Sir MartinSir Martin.jpg can be WorkshoppedWorkshop.jpg and goes excellently with Fool's GoldFool's Gold.jpg. So make sure you take a look at what else is in the kingdom before deciding to pass on the Knights or dive into them pell-mell.

What goes well with Knights?

HighwayHighway.jpg (and sometimes BridgeBridge.jpg). Two Highways means that your Knights can now trash ProvincesProvince.jpg. Three Highways means that your Knights no longer trash other Knights, so you don’t have to worry about losing them. Just don’t play too many - it’ll look pretty silly when Provinces cost $2, and you’re only cycling your opponent’s deck for him. Bridge can be used for the same purpose, but if you're in a position where you can play multiple Bridges per turn, it might be simpler to just end the game with a mega-turn rather than fiddle around with using just a few bridges to help your Knights.

Knights are also best when played often, so any card or combo that allows for that is awesome, whether it be SchemeScheme.jpg, SageSage.jpg, an engine, or whatever else you can come up with.

SaboteurSaboteur.jpg also paradoxically does well on Knights boards, as it can safely trash your opponent’s Knights - even just hitting one with Saboteur makes it worth having bought one. Also, Knights can clear out everything costing from $3-$6 in your opponent’s deck, leaving only more expensive cards, like Provinces, for the Saboteurs to find.

GraverobberGraverobber.jpg (and sometimes RogueRogue.jpg) goes excellently with the Knights. Since they're trashing left and right and sometimes getting trashed themselves, Graverobber can pick them right back up or scoop up their leavings, and in the endgame can turn them into Provinces if necessary.

How do I counter Knights, or, when should I not get them?

FortressFortress.jpg. This card makes Knights not just pointless, but usually helpful to your opponents. Revealing and trashing a Fortress puts it into your opponent’s hand. That’s not something you really ever want to do. Maybe you can combo this with playing multiple PillagesPillage.jpg per turn, but I doubt that.

When there are more powerful Attacks, like Cursers, Looters or discarding Attacks, you’ll probably want to go with those over Knights. An extreme case is CultistCultist.jpg: not only does it quickly fill your deck with Ruins, but when it's trashed, it gives your opponent +3 cards.

If you find yourself in a situation where you’ve lost the Knights split (or just didn’t go for Knights in the first place), fill your deck with junk. Knights can’t do anything to Coppers and Estates, and trashing superfluous Silvers doesn’t hurt too much. This is one instance where having Dame NatalieDame Natalie.jpg would be nice - she can fill you up on Silver, until she inevitably succumbs to your foes.

TunnelTunnel.jpg is also a decent deterrent - when it’s revealed with another $3-$6 card, you’ll naturally want to trash the other, discarding the Tunnel for a GoldGold.jpg. Also beware of playing HighwayHighway.jpg (or BridgeBridge.jpg) before a Knight when Tunnel’s around, because then Tunnel automatically gets discarded, even if it’s the only $3-$6 card around. Likewise Market SquareMarket Square.jpg is a good deterrent ("Oh, you trashed my Silver? Well, I'll just get three Golds to replace it. Thanks!"). BeggarBeggar.jpg also does well, as it ensures that Knights will trash a trivial card, and gives you an extra SilverSilver.jpg to boot. Or you could reveal a Secret ChamberSecret Chamber.jpg, so that your opponent just discards your top-decked EstatesEstate.jpg for you.

Any strategy that revolves around cheap cards will kick chivalric butt. Poor HousePoor House.jpg and Fool's GoldFool's Gold.jpg can't be trashed by Knights, and offer up insane amounts of money to recompense the loss of other cards. And once you've gotten ProvincesProvince.jpg with them, those Provinces aren't affected either. In a similar vein, the $7 and $8star cost cards are also immune, so don't be surprised if your opponent ignores Knights in favor of BanksBank.jpg or PeddlersPeddler.jpg. SpoilsSpoils.jpg, MadmanMadman.jpg, MercenaryMercenary.jpg and Prizes are also handily resistant to the Knights' Attack. As such, Knights are essentially useless in ColonyColony.jpg games. Once a player has two PlatinaPlatinum.jpg, they're essentially immune to your Knights and can just keep buying Colonies at their leisure.

Besides direct counters like LighthouseLighthouse.jpg or MoatMoat.jpg, another protection from Knights is to fill the deck with $2-cost cantrips, such as PawnPawn.jpg, HamletHamlet.jpg, or Pearl DiverPearl Diver.jpg. This counter is particularly beneficial in situations where the cards are desirable for other reasons, like HamletHamlet.jpg+MenagerieMenagerie.jpg, which also benefits from the Knights' variety. Lighthouse is particularly useful as it provides the equivalent buying power of a SilverSilver.jpg, while occasionally protecting from the Knight, but it cannot be trashed.

It's also noteworthy that P-cost cards are never trashed by knights, so an engine based on them is entirely safe.

Knight Qvist Rankings

Card 2013 2014 +/- 2015 +/- 2016 +/- 2017 +/-
Dame AnnaDame Anna.jpg 5 3 +2 1 +2 1 0 1 0
Sir BaileySir Bailey.jpg 2 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0
Sir MichaelSir Michael.jpg 1 1 0 3 -2 3 0 3 0
Dame MollyDame Molly.jpg 4 4 0 4 0 4 0 4 0
Sir DestrySir Destry.jpg 6 5 +1 5 0 5 0 5 0
Dame NatalieDame Natalie.jpg 10 7 +3 7 0 7 0 6 +1
Dame SylviaDame Sylvia.jpg 3 6 -3 6 0 6 0 7 -1
Sir VanderSir Vander.jpg 8 8 0 8 0 8 0 8 0
Sir MartinSir Martin.jpg 9 9 0 9 0 9 0 9 0
Dame JosephineDame Josephine.jpg 7 10 -3 10 0 10 0 10 0

Synergies/Combos

Antisynergies

  • FortressFortress.jpg engines counter Knights
  • Gainers can flood the opponent's deck with cheap cards they don't mind trashing
  • junking Attacks
  • most Reaction cards
  • Extreme anti-synergy with CultistCultist.jpg
  • Strategies based on expensive (>$6), cheap (<$3), or P-cost cards
  • Colony games

Versions

English versions

Print Digital Text Release Date
Knights Knights from Goko/Making Fun Shuffle the Knights pile before each game with it. Keep it face down except for the top card, which is the only one that can be bought or gained. Dark Ages 1st Edition August 2012
Knights Knights from Shuffle iT Shuffle the Knights pile before each game with it. Keep it face down except for the top card, which is the only one that can be bought or gained. Dark Ages 2nd Edition September 2017

Other language versions

In general, the specific names of the Knights do not change in different languages.

Print Digital Language Name Text
Czech language Knights Czech Rytíři
Dutch Ridders
Finnish Ritarit
French Chevalier
German Version German Ritter Werden die Ritter im Spiel verwendet,
werden alle Ritter-Karten gemischt
und als verdeckter Stapel in den Vorrat
gelegt. Die oberste Karte wird auf-
gedeckt. Nur dir oberste Karte kann
gekauft oder genommen werden.
Japanese 騎士 (pron. kishi) 騎士を使用する各ゲ一ムの開始前に、騎士の山をシャッフルする。一番上のカード以外は裏にする。山の一番上のカードのみ購入•獲得可能。
Korean 기사 (pron. gisa)
Russian Рыцари (pron. rytsari)
Spanish Caballero

Trivia

Official randomizer card art.

Secret History

How about a pile where every card is different? To keep from being too much to remember, they could be variations on a theme. Thus was my thinking back when, and the 2007 version of the set had a pile of Knights. They each had "Each other player trashes the top card of his deck," which was my standard trashing attack in those days, plus a bonus that varied by Knight. At that time kingdom card piles were 12 cards, and exactly 12 people had played Dominion when I made the first version of the expansion, so I had a Knight for each of them.

When the top-card-trashing attacks all died their deserved deaths, I had to find a way to fix up the Knights. I settled on trashing cards in the range $3$6. I tried other ranges, man, don't think I didn't. If the lower limit is $4, you always buy SilverSilver.jpg over $4's, which makes the game less fun. If the top limit is $5, you always buy GoldGold.jpg over $5's, which makes the game less fun. $3$6 is the range that does not actually stop you from building a deck with actions, while not helping your opponents by trashing junk, and not being so swingy as to trash ProvincesProvince.jpg. I could have gone $3$7 but decided to let the $7's be excitingly immune to Knights.

The Knights slowed down the game, and needed some penalty to mildly keep them in check. They still slow down the game, but you know, not quite as much. They are for the people who like this kind of thing, and well some people adore them, slower game and all. Some people are all, my cards, my precious cards, and well there are plenty of other cards in the set for those guys. Sometimes someone else's cool fun thing trashes your cards, that's just the way it is. Anyway where was I. A penalty. I let them MoatMoat.jpg each other, which was okay, and also tried letting any attack Moat them. I think Bill Barksdale suggested having them kill each other. It's a good penalty because it means if people go heavy into Knights, they kill each other off and then there are not as many of them.

The 12-card pile had a few abilities that have not survived. There were a few that scaled with the number of players in a way that I sometimes am okay with but which wasn't great. Like, +$1 per treasure trashed. There was one that attacked the turn you got it: the HinterlandsHinterlands.jpg Knight. And all of the original resource abilities were weaker—it was +1 Card etc. rather than +2 Cards etc. The Knights needed to be better, and improving the bonuses was more fun than improving the attack.

The Knights are still all named after real people, so hey let's meet them! Some of them are even illustrated on the cards, although two declined, two are small children, and some of the remaining six resemble the actual person more than others.

Dame JosephineDame Josephine.jpg / Dame NatalieDame Natalie.jpg / Dame SylviaDame Sylvia.jpg: My wife and daughters.

Dame MollyDame Molly.jpg / Sir DestrySir Destry.jpg: Two friends who were in the first game of Dominion, along with me and Dame Josephine. For you ProsperityProsperity.jpg fans, Dame Molly is the one who suggested "spendy" as an expansion theme.

Sir MartinSir Martin.jpg / Dame AnnaDame Anna.jpg: A friend who would have been in that game, but he'd moved away some months earlier, and his girlfriend.

Sir BaileySir Bailey.jpg: Dame Molly's boyfriend, and the second person to have a copy of Dominion. He was also the first person to make homemade cards, if mine don't count, and he made CourtyardCourtyard.jpg.

Sir VanderSir Vander.jpg / Sir MichaelSir Michael.jpg: My e-friend who suffered through endless conversations about Dominion but did not playtest much, and another e-friend who playtested a bunch.


Cards $0 Ruins (Abandoned MineAbandoned Mine.jpgRuined LibraryRuined Library.jpgRuined MarketRuined Market.jpgRuined VillageRuined Village.jpgSurvivorsSurvivors.jpg) $0star SpoilsSpoils.jpg $1 Poor HousePoor House.jpgShelters (HovelHovel.jpgNecropolisNecropolis.jpgOvergrown EstateOvergrown Estate.jpg) $2 BeggarBeggar.jpgSquireSquire.jpgVagrantVagrant.jpg $3 ForagerForager.jpgHermitHermit.jpg (MadmanMadman.jpg) • Market SquareMarket Square.jpgSageSage.jpgStoreroomStoreroom.jpgUrchinUrchin.jpg (MercenaryMercenary.jpg) $4 ArmoryArmory.jpgDeath CartDeath Cart.jpgFeodumFeodum.jpgFortressFortress.jpgIronmongerIronmonger.jpgMarauderMarauder.jpgProcessionProcession.jpgRatsRats.jpgScavengerScavenger.jpgWandering MinstrelWandering Minstrel.jpg $5 Band of MisfitsBand of Misfits.jpgBandit CampBandit Camp.jpgCatacombsCatacombs.jpgCountCount.jpgCounterfeitCounterfeit.jpgCultistCultist.jpgGraverobberGraverobber.jpgJunk DealerJunk Dealer.jpgKnightsKnights.jpg (Dames AnnaDame Anna.jpgJosephineDame Josephine.jpgMollyDame Molly.jpgNatalieDame Natalie.jpgSylviaDame Sylvia.jpg • Sirs BaileySir Bailey.jpgDestrySir Destry.jpgMartinSir Martin.jpgMichaelSir Michael.jpgVanderSir Vander.jpg) • MysticMystic.jpgPillagePillage.jpgRebuildRebuild.jpgRogueRogue.jpg $6 AltarAltar.jpgHunting GroundsHunting Grounds.jpg
Combos and Counters Apprentice/Market SquareBeggar/GardensBishop/FortressDonate/Market SquareHermit/Market SquareLurker/Hunting GroundsMasterpiece/FeodumProcession/FortressTrader/Feodum
Other concepts When trashLooter
Dominion Card types
Basic types ActionTreasureVictoryCurseCurse.jpg
Multi-expansion special types AttackDurationReactionCommand
Single-expansion special types PrizeRewardShelterRuinsLooterKnightReserveTravellerGatheringCastleNightHeirloomFateDoomSpiritZombieAugurClashFortLiaisonOdysseyTownsfolkWizardLoot
Non-card types EventLandmarkBoonHexStateArtifactProjectWayAllyTrait
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Toolbox