Elder
Elder | |
---|---|
Info | |
Cost | |
Type(s) | Action - Townsfolk |
Kingdom card? | Yes |
Set | Allies |
Illustrator(s) | Julien Delval |
Card text | |
+ You may play an Action card from your hand. When it gives you a choice of abilities (e.g. “choose one”) this turn, you may choose an extra (different) option. |
Elder is an Action-Townsfolk card from Allies. It increases the number of choices you are able to make when a card prompts you to "choose" something.
It is part of a split pile that it shares with the other Townsfolk, Town Crier, Blacksmith, and Miller, which means there will always be targets for its ability in the Kingdom with it.
FAQ
Official FAQ
- You can play an Action card with no "choose" ability; it will simply do what it normally does.
- If you play one with a "choose" ability, you may take an extra choice, but don't have to; for example, when playing Count (from Dark Ages), you could choose to only get one thing from the first "choose" ability, but two from the second.
- If you choose multiple things, you do those things in the order listed on the card; for example, if you use Elder on Blacksmith and choose "draw until you have 6 cards in hand" and "+1 Card and +1 Action," you first draw up to 6, then get +1 Card and +1 Action.
- If you use Elder on Courtier (from Intrigue), you get one extra choice, not one extra choice per type.
- Elder doesn't affect all choices, just ones that say "choose" and have a list of options; for example Workshop gives you a choice of what card to gain, but Elder playing Workshop doesn't do anything extra.
Other Rules clarifications
- If you Elder a Scrap and trash a card costing Scrap with Elder and trash nothing (because you have nothing in hand to trash), you get no choices. , you get one choice. But if you play a
- If you Elder a Catacombs and choose both options, you won't get anything useful. You will put the 3 cards into your hand, discard them, and get +3 Cards.
- If you Elder an Amulet, you get up to two choices this turn, but only one choice next turn. Elder won't stay in play.
- If you Elder a Stronghold, you can get both + now and +3 Cards next turn. But if you Elder a Barge, you can't choose to get +3 Cards and +1 Buy now and next turn, because Barge's text doesn't say "choose one".
- Way of the Chameleon overrules Elder; if you play Elder and then play a card using Way of the Chameleon, you get the normal number of choices.
- If you Elder a card that gives choices, and then you replay that card with either Royal Carriage or Scepter, you won't get an additional choice on the second play. [1]
Cards that gain extra effects from Elder
- Intrigue: Lurker, Pawn, Steward, Minion, Courtier, Nobles
- Seaside: Native Village, Pirate Ship
- Cornucopia: Trusty Steed
- Hinterlands: Spice Merchant
- Dark Ages: Squire, Catacombs, Count, Graverobber
- Adventures: Amulet, Miser
- Empires: Wild Hunt
- Renaissance: Treasurer
- Menagerie: Scrap
- Allies: Town Crier, Blacksmith, Broker, Innkeeper, Town, Hill Fort, Modify, Specialist, Stronghold
- Promo: Governor
Strategy
Elder is a situational card that can be compared to a Throne Room. While Throne Room can work on a much larger number of action cards and can also allow cards that 'choose one' to pick the same option twice, Elder also provides + and offers a notable advantage when used on action cards that target other cards in your hand, as you don't need multiples of those other cards. For example when using Elder on Broker or Modify you only have to trash one expensive card to get multiple benefits. A particularly noteworthy combination is with Specialist. By using Elder on a Specialist, it can both play another card twice while also gaining another copy of that card. This is particularly effective with powerful and expensive cards like Highway, Grand Market, or Laboratory that you often want a lot of in your deck, enabling a player to quickly snowball with lots of Grand Markets if good deck control is established. Using an Eldered Specialist on Skirmisher is another interesting combination. As the gain happens after executing Skirmisher and you will gain another Skirmisher, Skirmisher will also automatically trigger its attack when played in this way (as well as doubling its Peddler effect). If such cards are not available in the kingdom Elder can often be overlooked.
External strategy articles
Versions
English versions
Other language versions
Trivia
Preview
Secret History
Further comments from Donald X.
I think if normal players think Elder works with Barge, that will be fine, Elder will work with their Barges. I am always having to deal with, what will fit on the card, is this too much to ask of players so this fun thing doesn't get to exist, etc.
Sir Martin hated Patron, tried to kill it, endlessly badmouthed it, in a way that would never get someone hired, lemme tell you. But it's not a paying job and he kept doing it. And I didn't kill Patron and I mean no regrets, people in fact liked it.
We haven't done that test with Elder yet. Good luck, Elder!