Handsize attack
Several Attack cards reduce the handsize of opponents by making them discard cards from their hand or return them to the deck—forcing them to start their next turn with fewer than the ordinary 5 cards, and thus reducing the amount they can accomplish on that turn.
List of handsize attacks
Hexes listed function as the relevant Attack when revealed by an Attack-Doom card.
Cards in italics have been removed.
Discard to target handsize
These attacks reduce the victim's handsize to a specific number of cards—usually 3, occasionally 4—regardless of how many they had to begin with. This means that additional plays of the Attack after the first don't hurt opponents; they are already down to the target handsize.
Down to 3 cards:
- Berserker
- Catapult — Only if trashing a Treasure.
- Cutthroat
- Followers
- Footpad
- Ghost Ship — Cards are topdecked instead of discarded.
- Goons
- Legionary — Only attacks if a Gold is revealed. Discards down to two cards and then draws one.
- Margrave — Draws a card before discarding down to three.
- Mercenary — Only attacks if two cards are trashed.
- Militia
- Ninja
- Poverty
- Samurai
- Sir Michael
- Skirmisher — Only attacks when an attack card is gained.
Down to 4 cards:
- Frigate — Every time another player plays an Action card until the start next turn.
- Minion — Only attacks as one of two choices. Discards entire hand and draws four cards.
- Sword
- Urchin
Stackable handsize attacks
These attacks can be repeated and continue to reduce players' handsize after the first play. These attacks either target specific cards, and will not continue reducing handsize if a player has none of the targeted cards in hand, or they still have a limit that prevents the handsize from dropping below a certain number.
- Bureaucrat — targets Victory cards
- Clerk — causes opponents to top-deck 1 card, but not if they have fewer than 5 cards in hand.
- Cutpurse — targets Coppers
- Fear — causes opponents to discard 1 Action or Treasure card, but not if they have fewer than 5 cards in hand.
- Haunting — causes opponents to top-deck 1 card, but not if they have fewer than 4 cards in hand.
- Maelstrom — causes opponents to trash 1 card from their hand, but not if they have fewer than 5 cards in hand.
- Soldier — causes opponents to discard 1 card, but not if they have fewer than 4 cards in hand.
- Torturer — has no limit whatsoever on the number of cards that can be discarded but the victim always has the choice of discarding or not; it allows a player to gain a Curse instead even if Curses have run out.
- Villain — causes opponents to discard 1 card costing or more, but not if they have fewer than 5 cards in hand.
Attacker's choice
These cards target a specific card (or cards) of the attacker's choice to discard, but do not affect players with fewer than 5 cards in hand:
Related
- Masquerade, could prior to the 2016 errata be used to reduce another player's hand if the previous player had no cards in hand to pass.
- Haunted Woods, from Adventures, forces a player to top-deck their hand when they buy a card; in most situations this has no effect on their current turn, making the card not very effective as a handsize attack, but it can matter when a player wants to retain cards in hand while buying, such as Night cards from Nocturne.
- Haunted Castle, from Empires, has an on-gain effect that works like a handsize attack, but the card is not actually an Attack card.
- Relic and Raid (the latter is not technically an Attack) act like delayed handsize attacks; rather than making opponents discard, they prevent them from drawing the next time they try to.
- Gang of Pickpockets and Sickness affect all players equally with discard effects, rather than being inflicted by one player against others.
Strategy
Subjecting your opponent to handsize attacks can have a pronounced effect on the game, especially if it is done early or consistently. It is typically not possible to make an opponent discard their entire hand, almost all attack cards have limitations that prevent this.
Handsize attacks can sometimes be defended against by draw-to-X cards that replenish your hand (e.g. Cursed Village or Guide), and by cards that are more likely to achieve their best effects if played in a small hand (Menagerie or Diplomat). Horse Traders is also a useful counter to most handsize attacks, since it increases your handsize after you're attacked. On the other hand, decks built on other cards that reduce their owners' handsize when played, such as Warehouse or Cathedral, are especially vulnerable to these Attacks.
A powerful move involves playing a handsize attack and then Masquerade—forcing the victims to either discard their bad cards to the attack and pass a good card to the Masquerade, or to potentially discard good cards in order to keep a bad card in hand to pass. Another good use case is playing cards that have the drawback of drawing cards for your opponent (like Council Room) then negate the benefit with a handsize attack. Many handsize attacks completely negate effects that increase handsize at the end of your turn such as Expedition.
Gallery
Discard to target handsize
Stackable handsize attacks
Attacker's choice
Removed cards