Curser

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Witch, a curser card.

A curser is any card which has the potential to distribute CurseCurse.jpg cards to other players. Cursers are generally considered among the strongest cards at their price points, since the effect of putting CursesCurse.jpg into an opponent's deck is very powerful: it simultaneously reduces their VP, puts useless cards in their future hands, and usually slows down their future deck cycling. The presence of one or more cursers in a kingdom therefore has a major influence on gameplay; most winning strategies will involve gaining cursers. This early-game strength is sometimes offset by late-game weakness: since there are a finite number of CursesCurse.jpg in the supply, cursers often lose most or all of their value after all the CursesCurse.jpg have been distributed, for example WitchWitch.jpg is a very strong card, but its secondary effect of drawing two cards is very weak at $5. Most cursers are ActionAttack cards.

Contents

[edit] List of cursers

The cards in italics have been removed.

[edit] Primary cursers

These are Kingdom cards that consistently cause other players to acquire Curses in ways that they do not always have the option to avoid:

Circle of WitchesCircle of Witches.jpg, from Allies, is not a Kingdom card itself, but it allows you to use Liaison Kingdom cards as cursers.

[edit] Secondary cursers

These cards can cause opponents to gain Curses, but in more restricted circumstances:

Cards that depend on the top card of your opponent's deck:

Cards that require a specific condition from the user:

Cards whose effect can be avoided by your opponent in some circumstances:

  • Intrigue: TorturerTorturer.jpg—your opponent is always free to not take the Curse and discard instead; in games without villages it's relatively likely that few Curses will be distributed by Torturer
  • Seaside: BlockadeBlockade.jpg—it only distributes Curses to players who gain the same card you chose
  • Cornucopia: Young WitchYoung Witch.jpg—your opponent can reveal the Bane to avoid gaining a Curse
  • Adventures: Swamp HagSwamp Hag.jpg — your opponent may avoid gaining a Curse if they choose to buy no cards on their turn
  • Menagerie: Black CatBlack Cat.jpg—distributes a Curse only when another player gains a Victory card
  • Allies: SorcererSorcerer.jpg—distributes a Curse only to opponents who can't guess what card is on top of their deck.

[edit] Other cards that can distribute Curses but are not usually considered cursers

Unlike the primary and secondary cursers which always affect other players, the cards in this category have other primary purposes than handing out CursesCurse.jpg or they do not only affect the opponent of the user.

  • MasqueradeMasquerade.jpg (from Intrigue) and AmbassadorAmbassador.jpg (from Seaside) can only redistribute CursesCurse.jpg after they have been gained through other means.
  • Seaside: EmbargoEmbargo.jpg— is an effect that can sometimes be played around and which also affects the user.
  • Adventures: MessengerMessenger.jpg—causes all players to gain a card costing up to $4, which can be a Curse; but it affects the user as well as their opponents and is more likely to be used for something else.

Some effects use gaining CursesCurse.jpg as a drawback or penalty to the user:

Doom cards are cursers when they reveal certain Hexes: PlaguePlague.jpg, and sometimes LocustsLocusts.jpg. This can both be from an attack like WerewolfWerewolf.jpg or as a drawback to an effect, in the case of LeprechaunLeprechaun.jpg or Cursed VillageCursed Village.jpg.

[edit] Strategy

For strategic advice, refer to the strategy sections on the relevant card pages, especially Witch.

[edit] Gallery

[edit] Primary Cursers

Charlatan.jpgCoven.jpgFamiliar.jpgOld Witch.jpgSea Witch.jpgSiren.jpgSoothsayer.jpgTrickster.jpgWitch.jpgCircle of Witches.jpg

[edit] Secondary Cursers

Barbarian.jpgBlack Cat.jpgBlockade.jpgCatapult.jpgCauldron.jpgFollowers.jpgGiant.jpgIdol.jpgJester.jpgReplace.jpgSorcerer.jpgSorceress.jpgSwamp Hag.jpgSwindler.jpgTorturer.jpgYoung Witch.jpgWitch's Hut.jpg

[edit] Removed cards

Ill-Gotten Gains.jpgMountebank.jpgSea Hag.jpg

[edit] Trivia

Dark Ages is the only expansion that does not contain a curser; however, it does contain two cards (MarauderMarauder.jpg and CultistCultist.jpg) that cause opponents to gain Ruins, serving a similar function.

[edit] Cursers relating to expansion theme

It can be argued that the main curser from most expansions (with the exception of Guilds) closely represents the expansion's theme:

It was just a coincidence. Or, if you like, a natural consequence of "each other player gains a CurseCurse.jpg" being simple, every set wanting simple on-theme cards, and no set wanting too many ways to give out Curses.

[edit] More Cursing attacks in recent expansions

Many of the more recent expansions/second editions (specifically MenagerieMenagerie (expansion).jpg, AlliesAllies.jpg, Seaside 2ESeaside2.jpg, Hinterlands 2EHinterlands2.jpg, and PlunderPlunder (expansion).jpg) have included multiple Cursing attacks.

It's something I've decided to embrace, due to all the ways Witches are the best attacks. They're simpler, they work, they're the most fun. As you know, MilitiaMilitia.jpgs are less fun and harder to vary the attack on; KnightsKnights.jpg are hated/loved; SpiesSpy.jpg are awful; and none-of-the-above Duration attacks are just hard to come by.

[edit] See Also


Attacks Attack immunityCurserDeck inspection attackDeck order attackHandsize attackJunking attackTrashing attackTurn-worsening attack
Buy/Money +BuyCost-reducerDisappearing moneyOverpayPeddler variantTerminal silverVirtual coinVirtual +Buy
Cycling Deck discarderDeck inspectorDiggingDiscard for benefitSifter
Terminality CantripNon-terminalNon-terminal drawSoft terminalTerminalTerminal drawThrone Room variantVillageConditional non-terminal
Other Alt-VPBasic cardsDuration drawCommand variantGainerLuck-basedNon-Attack interactionOne-shotRemodelerSplit pileTop deckerTrasherVanillaExtra turn
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