Editing Peddler variant

[[Image:Peddler.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Peddler]], the archetype for this category.]]

'''[[Peddler]] variant''', or '''cantrip money''', is a catch-all term for [[cantrip|cantrips]] that give +{{Cost|}}. They fit very easily into almost any [[engine]], since, as long as they are not drawn [[dead]] by a [[terminal draw]] card with no actions remaining, they can always be played to increase buying power without obstructing your access to other engine cards.

The simplest possible Peddler variant—a card that simply gives +1 Card, +1 Action, +{{Cost|1}}—does not exist; all Peddler variants carry at least one other bonus, penalty, or quirk aside from the cantrip-money effect. [[Donald X. Vaccarino]] has commented that leaving this niche unfilled gives him more flexibility in designing variants. Consensus among analysts was that such a card, if it existed, would be balanced at a cost of roughly {{Cost|4}}; however, {{card|Poacher}} was eventually introduced with a cost of {{cost|4}}, and is almost [[strictly better|strictly worse]] than "vanilla peddler".

== List of Peddler variants ==

The Peddler variants, and their differences from the notional "vanilla Peddler", are as follows.  Cards in ''italics'' have been [[Removed cards|removed]].

=== Unconditional Peddlers ===

These cards always give at least +1 Card, +1 Action, and +{{Cost|1}} (or the equivalent).

* [[Dominion (base set)|Dominion]]: {{card|Poacher}} — discards a card from hand per empty [[Supply]] pile
* [[Dominion (base set)|Dominion]]: {{Card|Market}} — gives [[+Buy]]
* [[Seaside]]: {{Card|Bazaar}} — gives [[villages|+2 Actions]] instead of +1
* [[Seaside]]: {{Card|Treasury}} — may be top-decked during Clean-up if you do not buy any [[Victory]] cards
* [[Prosperity]]: {{Card|Grand Market}} — gives +Buy and +{{Cost|2}} instead of {{Cost|1}}, but cannot be bought with {{Card|Copper}}
* [[Prosperity]]: {{Card|Peddler}} — has a variable [[cost]] that enables tricks with +Buy and [[trash-for-benefit]]
* [[Hinterlands]]: {{Card|Highway}} — [[Cost reduction|reduces costs]] by {{Cost|1}} instead of giving  +{{Cost|1}}
* [[Guilds]]: {{Card|Baker}} — gives +1 [[Coffers]] instead of +{{Cost|1}}
* [[Adventures]]: {{Card|Caravan Guard}} — the +{{Cost|1}} is delayed until next turn
* [[Adventures]]: {{Card|Artificer}} — also a [[discard for benefit]] [[gainer]]
* [[Empires]]: {{Card|Emporium}} — also has a potential [[Triggered effects|on-gain]] +{{VP}} bonus
* [[Menagerie]]: {{Card|Fisherman}} — can cost {{Cost|3}} less if you have an empty discard pile
* [[Allies]]: {{card|Skirmisher}} — performs a [[discard attack]] if you gain an [[Attack]] card after playing it

Some cards have all three bonuses that make up a peddler but cannot be used in the same way because they do not maintain handsize:
* [[Hinterlands]]: {{Card|Oasis}} — discards a card from hand
* [[Dark Ages]]: {{Card|Junk Dealer}} — [[Trasher|trashes]] a card from hand

=== Conditional Peddlers ===

These cards have cantrip-money effects that are not always activated.

* [[base|Dominion]]: {{card|Merchant}}—is a Peddler variant on a turn on which you play {{card|Silver}}
* [[Intrigue]]: {{Card|Conspirator}}—is a [[terminal silver]] if it is the first or second action played on a turn, but a cantrip later
* [[Cornucopia]]: {{Card|Tournament}}—may have its +Card and +{{Cost|1}} blocked if an opponent has a Province in hand; can gain [[Prize|Prizes]]
* [[Dark Ages]]: {{Card|Ironmonger}}—is a cantrip that gives +{{Cost|1}} if the second card of your deck (from the top) is a Treasure card
* [[Dark Ages]]: {{Card|Mystic}}—gives [[non-terminal]] +{{Cost|2}} but only draws if you can guess the card it's going to draw
* [[Empires]]: {{Card|Settlers}}—instead of giving +{{Cost|1}}, can put a {{card|Copper}} in your hand if you have one in your discard pile.
* [[Empires]]: {{Card|Chariot Race}}—only gives +{{Cost|1}} if you reveal a more expensive card from your deck than the player to your left.
* [[Allies]]: {{card|Courier}}—allows you to choose a card from your discard pile to draw and plays it immediately instead of giving +1 Action—so it's not consistently non-terminal.

=== Marginal Peddlers ===

These cards are not normally thought of as Peddler variants.

* [[Base|Dominion]]: {{Card|Vassal}}—a [[terminal silver]] that can play the top card of your deck if it is an [[Action]], which is kind of like giving +1 Card and +1 Action when it happens.
* [[Intrigue]]: ''{{Card|Tribute}}''—can give +2 Cards, +2 Actions, and +{{Cost|2}} under rare circumstances depending on the top of the deck of the opponent to your left.
* [[Intrigue]]: {{card|Mill}}—gives +{{cost|2}} only if you discard two cards, so it doesn't maintain handsize.
* [[Intrigue]]: {{Card|Mining Village}}—is a [[villages|village]] with an optional [[one-shot]] +{{Cost|2}}
* [[Prosperity]]: {{Card|City}}—acts as combination {{Card|Village}}, {{Card|Laboratory}}, {{Card|Market}} if two supply piles are empty
* [[Nocturne]]: {{Card|Secret Cave}}—requires you to discard 3 cards first, so it does not maintain handsize, and its +{{Cost|3}} is delayed until next turn.

{{Event|Lost Arts}}, {{Event|Training}}, {{Event|Pathfinding}} can all turn an Action card pile into a Peddler variant, depending on what else the card already does. 

==Gallery==
===Unconditional===
{{CardImage|Artificer}}{{CardImage|Baker}}{{CardImage|Bazaar}}{{CardImage|Caravan Guard}}{{CardImage|Emporium}}{{CardImage|Fisherman}}{{CardImage|Grand Market}}{{CardImage|Highway}}{{CardImage|Junk Dealer}}{{CardImage|Market}}{{CardImage|Oasis}}{{CardImage|Peddler}}{{card|Poacher}}{{CardImage|Skirmisher}}{{CardImage|Treasury}}

===Conditional===
{{CardImage|Chariot Race}}{{CardImage|Conspirator}}{{CardImage|Courier}}{{CardImage|Ironmonger}}{{CardImage|Merchant}}{{CardImage|Mystic}}{{CardImage|Settlers}}{{CardImage|Tournament}}

== Donald X.'s remarks on the lack of Vanilla Peddler ==
In 2015, before the introduction of {{card|Poacher}}, [[Donald X.]] was asked why there was no "vanilla Peddler" costing {{coin|4}}. His answer

{{Quote|Text=
A {{Cost|4}} Peddler (are we clear on what I mean here, yes, okay) would probably be fine. I mean it would be good, but it would be acceptable power-level-wise.

The [[Vanilla]] card problem is, vanilla cards limit what other cards can do (in games where cards can't naturally just be blatantly different in power level). For example {{Card|Village}} at {{Cost|3}} means {{Card|Village}}-with-a-bonus has to cost {{Cost|4}}+. Otherwise some people are unhappy. It is really about that unhappiness, not necessarily any other issues. If say {{Card|Walled Village}} cost {{Cost|3}}, there would be people who were pissed. It would have no other negative consequences; it's still worth avoiding.

So, again just in certain kinds of games, you want to ration out the vanilla cards. They're valuable for being very simple cards, but limit what other cards can do.

My feeling was that {{Cost|4}}-Peddler was a good one not to do. I did it, right away, but didn't use it; the main set got {{Card|Market}} instead. With {{Card|Market}} I can replace the +1 Buy with a different bonus and get a parade of cards that aren't clearly better/worse across the board. And then at {{Cost|4}} there are a couple cards that are some mix of better and worse than {{Cost|4}}-Peddler, although that makes them more complex cards.

In the end, well the decision not to do {{Cost|4}}-Peddler was an early one, and the years did not produce as many comparable {{Cost|4}}'s as expected. It probably would have been fine to have had {{Cost|4}}-Peddler exist all these years. {{Card|Tournament}} is obviously both better and worse; {{Card|Ironmonger}} has acceptable differences. And {{Card|Peddler}} itself you are hoping to pay {{Cost|0}} for.
|Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]]
|Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=5799.msg462134#msg462134 Interview with Donald X.]
}}
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[[Category: Buy/Money]]