Editing Opening

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An [[opening]] consists of the cards purchased in the first two turns. The starting deck of each player usually consists of 7 {{Card|Copper|Coppers}} and 3 {{Card|Estate|Estates}} or [[Shelter|Shelters]]. Therefore, under ordinary circumstances, if your first hand has 4 Coppers, your second hand will have 3 Coppers, and vice versa. This is called a {{Split|4|3}} or {{Split|3|4}} split, respectively. A {{Split|5|2}} (or {{Split|2|5}}) split means you have a first hand of 5 Coppers and second hand of 2 Coppers (and vice versa). In an ordinary kingdom, players receive {{Split|5|2}} or {{Split|2|5}} splits 16.67% of the time.

== Openers ==
An '''opener''' is a card that a player buys on their first or second turn. Some cards are better openers than others. [[Trasher|Trashers]] and [[curser|cursers]] tend to be good openers, and opening with a {{Card|Silver}} or a [[terminal Silver]] is also usually a good idea in order to build up buying power early. Some cards, like {{Card|Moneylender}}, {{Card|Coppersmith}}, or {{Card|Baron}}, are usually either bought as an opener or not at all, due to their interactions with cards in the starting deck. Usually, {{Card|Village|Villages}} are poor openers because there are no terminal actions in your deck at first.

== Unusual openings ==
If {{Card|Baker}}, from [[Guilds]], is in the supply, players begin the game with an extra [[Coffers|Coffer]], allowing openings of {{Split|6|2}}, {{Split|5|3}}, or {{Split|4|4}} if the Coffer is spent immediately.  {{Event|Borrow}} gives a similar effect, by letting you "steal" a card from your next turn for +{{Cost|1}} now.  [[Event|Events]] in general, particularly in combination with the cards listed below, can produce many weird and varied openings.  {{Debt}}-costing cards also mess with opening strategy. {{Event|Tax}} forces the player to spend one {{Cost|1}} on their second turn.

In games using [[Shelter|Shelters]], certain [[Way|Ways]] can result in unusual openings, as {{Card|Necropolis}} can be played to produce {{Cost|}} or have other effects.

[[Heirloom|Heirlooms]] {{Card|Cursed Gold}} and {{Card|Pouch}} give {{Coin|3}} and +buy, respectively.

Some cards with on-buy or on-gain effects can also alter the usual {{Split|4|3}} or {{Split|5|2}} split when bought on the first turn:

* {{Card|Noble Brigand}}: When bought by your opponents on their first turn makes you discard the top two cards from your deck, resulting in various possible unusual openings.
* {{Card|Nomad Camp}}: Goes on the top of your deck, which can result in a Nomad Camp/{{Cost|5}} or Nomad Camp/{{Cost|4}} split.
* {{Card|Inn}}: Can be shuffled into your deck and if so will likely be drawn next turn, giving you a {{Split|5|3}} split. 
* {{Card|Mandarin}}: Puts the five Coppers you played back on top of your deck, giving you another {{Cost|5}} turn before you [[reshuffle]], turning a {{Split|5|2}} opening into a {{Split|5|5|2}} opening. 
* {{Card|Stonemason}}: Allows you to gain two extra cards if you [[overpay]] when you buy it, meaning you can gain more than the usual one card per opening turn.
* {{Card|Doctor}}: Allows you to trash or discard cards from the top of your deck on-buy; so buying it on your first turn with {{Cost|4}} or more can change the makeup of your second turn in various ways depending on what is trashed.
* {{Card|Messenger}}: Gives each player an effective extra {{Cost|4}} to their opening per player that opens with it, with the caveat that they may not get to choose which card they get, and it may miss their reshuffle.
* {{Card|Lost City}}: If another player opens with it, causing you to draw a card, it can completely change your {{Cost}} output on your opening turns.
* {{Card|Villa}}: Lets you pick up an additional {{Cost|1}} or {{Cost|2}} with it, depending on your split.
* {{Card|Forum}}: If you open {{Split|5|2}}, you can pick up a {{Cost|0}} card with Forum.
* {{Card|Guardian}}: If you gain Guardian in your first turn, you can spend an additional {{Cost|1}} in your second turn, which turns a {{Split|2|5}} opening effectively to {{Split|2|6}}.  This can also turn a {{Split|3|4}} into a {{Split|2|5}} when there is an early {{Cost|5}} card that is more desireable than the available {{Cost|4}} and {{Cost|3}} cards.
* {{Card|Den of Sin}}: On a {{Split|5|2}} opening you can buy and play den of Sin, triggering a reshuffle of your starting 5 Coppers on your second turn, effectively getting a {{Split|5|4}} with guaranteed {{Coin|3}}+ on your third turn.
* {{Card|Night Watchman}}: On a {{Split|4|3}} opening, you can buy a Silver or a [[terminal silver]] on the first turn.  Then buy and play a Night Watchman on your second turn, triggering a reshuffle of your cards from the first turn.  Discard the Estate if it is in the top 5 cards, which will guarantee  {{Cost|6}} on your third turn and an early reshuffle at the end of your third turn.  This effectively gives you a {{Split|3|3|6}} Opening (or {{Split|4|3|6}} in the presence of terminal silvers such as {{Card|Militia}})
* {{Card|Importer}}: With many allies, it can change the opening since it gives 4 Favors when starting the game. In general, having any game with a Liaison card can also change up the opening slightly since you start with 1 Favor, though there are less chances to do so than with Importer.

With Baker, Lost City, Borrow and Pooka (which comes with the {{Card|Cursed Gold}} Heirloom) in a game, it's possible to field {{Cost|11}} on an opening turn. If you go 3rd or later, the two players ahead of you buy Lost City, you have a Cursed Gold and you buy Borrow, you can get {{Cost|7}} in your hand at the beginning (with Cursed Gold), add {{Cost|2}} by drawing 2 Coppers from the Lost Cities, and you buy Borrow, it is possible to get a Colony on your first turn.

== Examples of strong openers ==
* Strong [[Curser|cursers]] and [[Junker|junkers]]:
** {{Card|Witch}}
** {{Card|Mountebank}}
** {{Card|Cultist}}
* Pseudo- and real [[Trasher|Trashers]]
** {{Card|Chapel}}
** {{Card|Masquerade}}
** {{Card|Trading Post}}
** {{Card|Remake}}
** {{Card|Amulet}}
** {{Card|Ambassador}}

== Examples of strong openings ==

According to [http://CouncilRoom.com CouncilRoom.com], the top 20 openings (pre-[[Dark Ages]]) are as follows:<ref>http://councilroom.com/openings</ref>

# {{Card|Mountebank}} / {{Card|Chapel}}
# {{Card|Tournament}} / {{Card|Ambassador}}
# {{Card|Governor}} / Chapel
# {{Card|Mint}} / {{Card|Fool's Gold}}
# Tournament / Chapel
# {{Card|Witch}} / Chapel
# {{Card|Caravan}} / Ambassador
# Tournament / {{Card|Masquerade}}
# {{Card|Wharf}} / Fool's Gold
# Witch / Fool's Gold
# {{Card|Upgrade}} / Chapel
# {{Card|Vault}} / Chapel
# {{Card|Hunting Party}} / Chapel
# {{Card|Trading Post}} / {{Card|Haven}}
# {{Card|Minion}} / Chapel
# Witch / {{Card|Crossroads}}
# Mountebank / {{Card|Hamlet}}
# {{Card|Laboratory}} / Chapel
# Mountebank / {{Card|Native Village}}
# Mountebank / Haven

* Only three openings were {{Split|3|4}}.
* Most {{Split|5|2}} openings were Curser/Trasher or Booster/Trasher.

== References ==

<references />

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[[Category:Strategic concepts]]