Curser
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(→Secondary cursers: consistency with Giant &c) |
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* [[Nocturne]]: {{hex|Locusts}}—distributes a Curse only to opponents who trash a {{card|Copper}} or {{card|Estate}} | * [[Nocturne]]: {{hex|Locusts}}—distributes a Curse only to opponents who trash a {{card|Copper}} or {{card|Estate}} | ||
* [[Menagerie (expansion)|Menagerie]]: {{card|Black Cat}}—distributes a Curse only when another player gains a [[Victory]] card | * [[Menagerie (expansion)|Menagerie]]: {{card|Black Cat}}—distributes a Curse only when another player gains a [[Victory]] card | ||
− | * [[Allies]]: {{card|Barbarian}} | + | * [[Allies]]: {{card|Barbarian}}— whether it distributes a Curse depends on the top card of the opponent's deck |
* [[Allies]]: {{card|Sorcerer}}—distributes a Curse only to opponents who can't guess what card is on top of their deck. | * [[Allies]]: {{card|Sorcerer}}—distributes a Curse only to opponents who can't guess what card is on top of their deck. | ||
* [[Allies]]: {{card|Sorceress}}—distributes a Curse only if the person playing it can guess what card is on top of their deck | * [[Allies]]: {{card|Sorceress}}—distributes a Curse only if the person playing it can guess what card is on top of their deck |
Revision as of 20:29, 10 March 2022
A curser is any card which has the potential to distribute Curse cards to other players. Cursers are generally considered among the strongest cards at their price points, since the effect of putting Curses into an opponent's deck is very powerful: it simultaneously reduces their score, 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 either gaining cursers or finding a way to defend against them. This early-game strength is offset somewhat by late-game weakness: since there are a finite number of Curses in the supply, cursers often lose most or all of their value after all the Curses have been distributed. Most cursers are Action–Attack cards.
Contents |
List of cursers
Primary cursers
These are Kingdom cards that specifically cause other players to acquire Curses in ways that they do not always have the option to avoid:
- Dominion: Witch
- Seaside: Sea Hag
- Alchemy: Familiar
- Prosperity: Mountebank
- Cornucopia: Young Witch
- Hinterlands: Ill-Gotten Gains
- Guilds: Soothsayer
- Renaissance: Old Witch
- Menagerie: Coven
Circle of Witches, from Allies, is not a Kingdom card itself, but it allows you to use Liaison Kingdom cards as cursers.
Secondary cursers
These cards can cause opponents to gain Curses, but in more restricted circumstances:
- Intrigue: Swindler—whether it can distribute a Curse depends on the top card of the opponent's deck; may give a Curse only when they reveal a card costing , often a Copper.
- Intrigue: Replace—it only distributes Curses if the player playing Replace gains a Victory card
- Intrigue: Torturer—the 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: Ambassador—it can only distribute a Curse if the player playing Ambassador has a Curse in hand
- Cornucopia: Followers—as this is a Prize, it is difficult to gain, especially early in the game when cursing is most valuable
- Cornucopia: Jester—whether it distributes a Curse depends on the top card of the opponent's deck
- Adventures: Giant—whether it distributes a Curse depends on the top card of the opponent's deck
- Adventures: Swamp Hag — the opponent may forgo gaining a Curse if they choose to buy no cards on their turn
- Empires: Catapult — distributes a Curse if the player is willing to trash a card costing or more
- Nocturne: Idol — distributes a Curse only if the current player has an even number of Idols in play
- Nocturne: Locusts—distributes a Curse only to opponents who trash a Copper or Estate
- Menagerie: Black Cat—distributes a Curse only when another player gains a Victory card
- Allies: Barbarian— whether it distributes a Curse depends on the top card of the opponent's deck
- Allies: Sorcerer—distributes a Curse only to opponents who can't guess what card is on top of their deck.
- Allies: Sorceress—distributes a Curse only if the person playing it can guess what card is on top of their deck
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 may affect the current player.
- Intrigue: Masquerade—cannot cause Curses to be gained, but can pass a Curse from one player's custody to another's
- Seaside: Embargo—causes anyone who buys a certain card in the supply to gain a Curse; this affects the player who plays Embargo as well as all opponents
- Adventures: Messenger—causes all players to gain a card costing up to , which can be a Curse
- Empires: Ritual—gives the buyer a Curse when bought, as a penalty
- Renaissance: Hideout—gives the current player a Curse if they trash a Victory card
Doom cards are cursers when they reveal Plague, and sometimes when they reveal Locusts. The current player can receive a Hex if given by Leprechaun or Cursed Village.
Trivia
Dark Ages is the only expansion that does not contain a curser; however, it does contain two cards (Marauder and Cultist) that cause opponents to gain Ruins, serving a similar function.
It can be argued that the main curser from most expansions (with the exception of Guilds) closely represents the expansion's theme:
- Dominion: Witch has only a minor "vanilla" effect other than cursing; the base game's theme is cards with simple effects.
- Intrigue: Torturer gives the opponent a choice about whether to be cursed; Intrigue's theme is cards with a choice of effects.
- Seaside: Sea Hag puts a Curse on top of the opponent's deck; one of Seaside's theme is cards that affect the top of your deck.
- Alchemy: Familiar is non-terminal and has in its cost; Alchemy's theme is Potions and action chaining.
- Prosperity: Mountebank distributes Copper in addition to Curses; one of Prosperity's themes is Treasures.
- Cornucopia: Young Witch increases the number of differently-named cards in the Kingdom; Cornucopia's theme is variety.
- Hinterlands: Ill-Gotten Gains distributes Curses when it is gained, not when it is played; Hinterlands's theme is cards with on-gain effects.
- Adventures: Giant uses the Journey token, and Swamp Hag is a duration; Adventures expands on Duration cards and uses miscellaneous tokens.
- Empires: Catapult is part of a split pile; split piles are one of the themes in Empires.
- Nocturne: Idol can give you Boons, and Plague is a Hex, which are new mechanics in Nocturne.
- Renaissance: Old Witch allows attacked players to trash a Curse from their hand, and is relatively simple; One of Renaissance's themes is trashing, and having simpler cards than previous expansions.
- Menagerie: Coven and Black Cat match two of Menagerie's themes: Exiling and Reactions, respectively.
See Also