Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Artificer:

Artificer Strategy Guide

Overview

Artificer is a flexible $5-cost card from Adventures that offers modest immediate benefits (+1 Action, +1 Card, +$1) along with a powerful optional ability to convert multiple cards into a single more expensive card. This conversion ability makes Artificer both a trasher and a gainer, while also offering deck manipulation by placing the gained card on top of your deck.

Basic Benefits

Before diving into the conversion ability, let's examine Artificer's basic benefits:

• +1 Action: Maintains your action chain
• +1 Card: Replaces itself
• +$1: Provides modest economic boost
• Self-replacing action that doesn't decrease your hand size

These benefits mean that including an Artificer in your deck is rarely actively harmful, as it at minimum cycles while providing a small economic boost.

The Conversion Ability

The key to mastering Artificer lies in understanding its conversion ability: - You can discard any number of cards (including zero) - The gained card must cost exactly $1 per card discarded - The gained card goes on top of your deck - The discard is optional, as is the gain

Key Advantages

1. Converts multiple lower-value cards into a single higher-value card
2. Provides deck-thinning by removing multiple cards from your deck
3. Offers guaranteed access to the gained card on your next turn
4. Flexible timing as the discard is optional

Strategic Uses

1. Early Game Acceleration

In the early game, Artificer can help accelerate your deck development:

• Discard 3 Coppers to gain a $3 card
• Discard 4 Coppers/Estates to gain a $4 card
• Discard 5 cards to gain a key $5 card

This can help you acquire important cards earlier than normal, particularly when you've drawn a hand full of starting cards but can't afford a key component.

2. Deck Thinning

Artificer serves as a selective deck-thinner: - Remove multiple Coppers/Estates while gaining something useful - Unlike Chapel, the thinning comes with an immediate benefit - More selective than mass-trashing as you choose exactly what to discard

3. Card Quality Upgrade

Use Artificer to upgrade multiple lower-value cards into something better: - Convert Victory cards into useful Actions/Treasures - Transform multiple terminal actions into a single village - Replace stop cards with deck-advancing components

4. Deck Manipulation

The top-deck placement of gained cards enables several strategies: - Ensure key cards are available next turn - Set up specific combinations - Protect important cards from attacks - Generate predictable draw sequences

Key Combinations

Strong Synergies

1. Draw Cards
2. Cards that draw multiple cards (Laboratory, Smithy, etc.) help you find more cards to discard
3. More options for conversion means better flexibility

4. Can help assemble specific cost targets

5. Villages

6. Multiple Artificers can be played in the same turn
7. Convert excess terminals into more villages

8. Build reliable action chains

9. Throne Room variants

10. Double Artificer plays allow for multiple conversions
11. Can gain two cards of different costs

12. More basic benefits (+2 Cards, +2 Actions, +$2)

13. Cost Reducers

14. Bridge, Highway, etc. create new conversion targets
15. More flexible gaining options

16. Can hit price points otherwise unavailable

17. Gainers

18. Workshop, Workshop variants can gain more Artificers
19. Build conversion engines faster
20. Multiple conversion options per turn

Anti-Synergies

1. Hand Size Reducers
2. Militia, Ghost Ship limit conversion options
3. Harder to hit specific cost targets

4. May force suboptimal conversions

5. **Alt-VP Strategies

6. Victory tokens/VP chips can't be converted
7. May need those cards for points

8. Reduces effective deck thinning

9. Deck Inspection

10. Oracle, Spy effects can disrupt top-deck placement
11. Reduces reliability of setup plays
12. May force defensive gaining

Kingdom Considerations

When to Buy Artificer

Consider buying Artificer when:

1. Early Game ($5 opening)
2. Kingdom lacks strong trashing
3. Multiple valuable $3-$5 targets available

4. Need deck acceleration

5. Mid Game

6. Accumulated multiple terminal actions
7. Want to thin while maintaining productivity

8. Need specific cost targets

9. Late Game

10. Converting green cards into useful actions
11. Setting up specific end-game sequences
12. Need reliable access to key cards

When to Skip Artificer

Avoid Artificer when:

1. Strong Alternatives Present
2. Better $5 cards available
3. More efficient trashing options

4. Superior deck manipulation

5. Kingdom Conflicts

6. Heavy attack presence
7. Critical cost targets missing
8. Anti-synergistic strategies dominant

Specific Cost Target Analysis

Understanding valuable targets at each cost point helps optimize Artificer use:

$3 Targets (3 cards)

• Silver: Safe default option
• Villages: Build action capacity
• Sifters: Improve deck quality

$4 Targets (4 cards)

• Gardens: In appropriate strategies
• Strong terminals: When actions available
• Economic cards: Build buying power

$5 Targets (5 cards)

• Key engine pieces
• Strong attack protection
• Game-defining cards

$6+ Targets

• Usually requires cost reduction
• Premium cards worth multiple discards
• Game-ending components

Advanced Techniques

1. Multi-Artificer Chains

With multiple Artificers: - Convert cards incrementally - Build to specific cost targets - Maintain hand size while converting

Example sequence: 1. Play Artificer #1, draw card 2. Convert 3 cards for a $3 3. Play Artificer #2, draw card 4. Convert 4 cards for a $4 5. End with two valuable gains

2. Cost Manipulation

Using cost reducers: - Bridge effects create new targets - Highway can adjust multiple costs - Plan conversions around modified costs

3. Defensive Gaining

Against attacks: - Gain reaction cards - Position protective cards - Maintain minimum hand sizes

4. Engine Building

Artificer in engines: 1. Gain component pieces 2. Convert excess parts 3. Maintain critical mass 4. Accelerate setup

Common Mistakes

1. Over-Converting

• Converting too many cards early
• Leaving insufficient resources
• Breaking engine consistency

2. Poor Target Selection

• Gaining suboptimal cards
• Missing critical price points
• Ignoring kingdom context

3. Timing Errors

• Converting before drawing
• Breaking action chains
• Missing key combinations

4. Strategic Misalignment

• Fighting kingdom incentives
• Ignoring opponent strategies
• Forcing inappropriate conversions

Counter-Play

Playing Against Artificer

1. Attack Strategies
2. Handsize attacks disrupt conversions
3. Deck inspection affects gains

4. Junking reduces conversion quality

5. Pace Pressure

6. Rush strategies limit setup time
7. Province pressure forces defensive plays

8. Alt-VP can outrace conversion engines

9. Cost Competition

10. Contest key price points
11. Deny critical components
12. Force suboptimal gains

Kingdom-Specific Considerations

Strong Kingdoms

Artificer shines with: 1. Multiple valuable cost targets 2. Strong card draw 3. Cost reduction 4. Limited trashing 5. Engine support

Weak Kingdoms

Artificer struggles with: 1. Heavy attacks 2. Alt-VP dominance 3. Rush strategies 4. Superior $5 options 5. Anti-synergistic components

Conclusion

Artificer is a flexible card that rewards careful planning and strategic thinking. Its ability to convert multiple cards while maintaining deck velocity makes it valuable in many kingdoms, particularly those lacking strong trashing or requiring specific cost targets.

Key takeaways: 1. Use conversion strategically 2. Plan cost targets carefully 3. Maintain resource balance 4. Consider kingdom context 5. Build supporting infrastructure

Success with Artificer comes from understanding both its immediate utility and long-term strategic implications. Whether using it for deck thinning, acceleration, or engine building, proper timing and target selection are crucial for maximizing its potential.