Nomad Camp
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=== Preview === | === Preview === | ||
{{Quote | {{Quote | ||
− | |Text=In your deck, Nomad Camp is just a {{Card|Woodcutter}} with a {{Cost|4}} in the corner. When you gain it though, it goes on your deck. Bam! Instant Woodcutter. | + | |Text= |
− | + | In your deck, Nomad Camp is just a {{Card|Woodcutter}} with a {{Cost|4}} in the corner. When you gain it though, it goes on your deck. Bam! Instant Woodcutter. | |
The "when-gain" mechanic carries with it the promise that turns 1-2 will no longer be that familiar place where everyone gets a {{Split|3|4}} or {{Split|4|3}} or {{Split|2|5}} or {{Split|5|2}}. Turn one you buy Nomad Camp. Turn two you might have {{Cost|5}}! You also might have {{Cost|4}}, in which case, do you buy another Nomad Camp? Or maybe there's a {{Cost|2}} you want two of - a {{Split|4|2}}+{{Cost|2}} opening. Of course Nomad Camp's {{Split|4|5}} opening isn't really a {{Split|4|5}}, since the {{Cost|4}} is always Nomad Camp. If you think of Nomad Camp as really a Woodcutter after that, it's a {{Split|3|5}} opening, or more precisely, a Woodcutter/{{Cost|5}} opening. Anyway it's something different. | The "when-gain" mechanic carries with it the promise that turns 1-2 will no longer be that familiar place where everyone gets a {{Split|3|4}} or {{Split|4|3}} or {{Split|2|5}} or {{Split|5|2}}. Turn one you buy Nomad Camp. Turn two you might have {{Cost|5}}! You also might have {{Cost|4}}, in which case, do you buy another Nomad Camp? Or maybe there's a {{Cost|2}} you want two of - a {{Split|4|2}}+{{Cost|2}} opening. Of course Nomad Camp's {{Split|4|5}} opening isn't really a {{Split|4|5}}, since the {{Cost|4}} is always Nomad Camp. If you think of Nomad Camp as really a Woodcutter after that, it's a {{Split|3|5}} opening, or more precisely, a Woodcutter/{{Cost|5}} opening. Anyway it's something different. | ||
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Later in the game you can buy Nomad Camp anytime you would really like a Woodcutter next turn. It's nice when you're buying {{Card|Province|Provinces}} but only have {{Cost|4}} this turn; next turn you have a better shot at {{Cost|8}}, or hey, maybe more, with the [[+Buy]] to go with it. | Later in the game you can buy Nomad Camp anytime you would really like a Woodcutter next turn. It's nice when you're buying {{Card|Province|Provinces}} but only have {{Cost|4}} this turn; next turn you have a better shot at {{Cost|8}}, or hey, maybe more, with the [[+Buy]] to go with it. | ||
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|Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=909.0 The Secret History of the Hinterlands Cards] | |Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=909.0 The Secret History of the Hinterlands Cards] | ||
}} | }} | ||
+ | === Why does it cost 4? === | ||
+ | {{Quote | ||
+ | |Text= | ||
+ | A key thing to understand here is that costs in the {{Cost|2}}-{{Cost|4}} range are very similar. The differences for most cards boil down to 1) openings, 2) +Buys, and 3) perception. Here you don't want to load up on either, so +Buys isn't a factor (even though the card itself means we know they're available), and the Nomad Camp opening is deceptive, it does give you a shot at a {{Card|Woodcutter}}/{{Cost|5}} opening but it passes it off as a {{Cost|4}}/{{Cost|5}} opening, which it isn't. What really matters though is perception. Nomad Camp looks like {{Card|Woodcutter}} with a bonus, and so has to cost more than {{Cost|3}}... because there are some people who hate strictly better cards! I got to use the term the way I like to. There are people who hate it if one card is strictly better than another, and there's no pull the other way, no reason I need to make strictly better cards. So, Nomad Camp costs $4. | ||
+ | I said "most cards" because sometimes the cost is relevant to the power level in some sneaky way; the example I always think of first is, {{Card|Border Village}} was too weak, so I raised its cost from {{Cost|5}} to {{Cost|6}}. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Anyway Nomad Camp is of course intended to be {{Card|Woodcutter}} with a bonus. Most players do not regularly draw their deck, even if they'd like to. Sometimes you are lamenting not having +Buy, and Nomad Camp gets it into your next hand. But when you're drawing your deck and decide oops now you need +Buy, putting Nomad Camp on top hurts your chance of drawing your deck next turn, since it's a "stop card." And some players draw their deck often enough that therefore overall Nomad Camp looks worse than {{Card|Woodcutter}} to them. | ||
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+ | Nomad Camp is of course worse than lots of {{Cost|2}}'s and {{Cost|3}}'s, including some that give +1 Buy. It's impossible to avoid, especially when e.g. you can't make cards strictly better than {{Card|Woodcutter}}. | ||
+ | |Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]] | ||
+ | |Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=18297.msg748266#msg748266 a very short strategy article] | ||
+ | }} | ||
{{Navbox Hinterlands}} | {{Navbox Hinterlands}} | ||
{{Navbox Cards}} | {{Navbox Cards}} |
Revision as of 23:26, 20 April 2021
Nomad Camp | |
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Info | |
Cost | |
Type(s) | Action |
Kingdom card? | Yes |
Set | Hinterlands |
Illustrator(s) | Garret DeChellis |
Card text | |
+1 Buy + This is gained onto your deck (instead of to your discard pile). |
Nomad Camp is an Action from Hinterlands. When played it has the exact same effect as Woodcutter—i.e., it's a terminal silver that provides +Buy. The only difference is that when it is gained, it is placed on top of your deck instead of in your discard.
Contents |
FAQ
Official FAQ
- When you gain this card, it goes on top of your deck rather than into your discard pile.
- This is true whether you gained it due to buying it, or gained it some other way.
Other Rules clarifications
- An effect that moves Nomad Camp somewhere else as it is gained (such as Transmogrify's) overrides Nomad Camp's effect, and it goes directly to where the other effect is moving it.
- An effect that moves Nomad Camp somewhere after it is gained (such as Summon's) will move it directly from your deck without losing track of it; such cards just look for a card being gained, not a card in the discard pile.
- If you buy Nomad Camp but reveal a Trader to exchange it for a Silver, the Silver goes in your discard pile, not on top of your deck.
- If you gain this to your hand (with e.g. Artisan), you didn't gain it to your discard pile, so Nomad Camp's ability doesn't trigger and it stays in your hand.
Strategy
As a terminal silver that is otherwise short on beneficial effects, Nomad Camp is a weak source of +Buy and is typically only gained when there is no other source of +Buy in the Kingdom. A strong engine with good deck control can likely use the +Buy for faster building, but even then, you might skip Nomad Camp if the terminal space is better used for something else.
Nomad Camp is weak for a few reasons. First, it competes with other terminal cards, many of which are stronger. Second, Nomad Camp is gained to the top of your deck. Since Nomad Camp is a stop card, gaining it to the top of your deck usually just makes it less likely that your next turn will be good.
There are a few scenarios where gaining Nomad Camp to the top of your deck can be helpful. First, on a / opening split, using your turn 1 Buy on Nomad Camp gives you a 40% chance to hit on turn 2. However, given the 60% chance to still not hit , this is often not worth doing. Another use case is if there are strong cards that you would like to buy multiple of on turn 2. Finally, near the end of a sloggy game when your deck does not have very many terminal Actions in it, buying Nomad Camp on a weak hand can help make sure your next hand has enough to hit important price points, such as to buy Province.
Versions
English versions
Digital | Text | Release | Date | |
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+1 Buy. +. When you gain this, put it on top of your deck. |
Hinterlands 1st Edition | October 2011 | ||
+1 Buy. +. This is gained onto your deck (instead of to your discard pile). |
Hinterlands 2nd Edition | December 2016 |
Other language versions
Trivia
Preview
The "when-gain" mechanic carries with it the promise that turns 1-2 will no longer be that familiar place where everyone gets a / or / or / or /. Turn one you buy Nomad Camp. Turn two you might have ! You also might have , in which case, do you buy another Nomad Camp? Or maybe there's a you want two of - a /+ opening. Of course Nomad Camp's / opening isn't really a /, since the is always Nomad Camp. If you think of Nomad Camp as really a Woodcutter after that, it's a / opening, or more precisely, a Woodcutter/ opening. Anyway it's something different.
Later in the game you can buy Nomad Camp anytime you would really like a Woodcutter next turn. It's nice when you're buying Provinces but only have this turn; next turn you have a better shot at , or hey, maybe more, with the +Buy to go with it.Secret History
Why does it cost 4?
I said "most cards" because sometimes the cost is relevant to the power level in some sneaky way; the example I always think of first is, Border Village was too weak, so I raised its cost from to .
Anyway Nomad Camp is of course intended to be Woodcutter with a bonus. Most players do not regularly draw their deck, even if they'd like to. Sometimes you are lamenting not having +Buy, and Nomad Camp gets it into your next hand. But when you're drawing your deck and decide oops now you need +Buy, putting Nomad Camp on top hurts your chance of drawing your deck next turn, since it's a "stop card." And some players draw their deck often enough that therefore overall Nomad Camp looks worse than Woodcutter to them.
Nomad Camp is of course worse than lots of 's and 's, including some that give +1 Buy. It's impossible to avoid, especially when e.g. you can't make cards strictly better than Woodcutter.