Guide (Adventures)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Guide in Dominion:

Guide Strategy Guide

Introduction Guide is a $3 Action-Reserve card from Adventures that offers flexible hand cycling and deck manipulation. Its initial play provides minimal benefits (+1 Card, +1 Action), but its real power lies in its Reserve ability to completely refresh your hand at the start of any future turn.

Basic Mechanics When played, Guide gives: - Draw 1 card - +1 Action - Goes to your Tavern mat

Once on your Tavern mat, at the start of any future turn, you can call Guide to: - Discard your entire hand - Draw 5 new cards

Key Characteristics 1. Flexibility: You choose when to call it 2. Net neutral cards initially (+1 Card played, -1 Card from playing it) 3. Start-of-turn timing 4. Complete hand refresh when called 5. Multiple Guides can accumulate on your Tavern mat

Core Strategy Elements

1. Timing Your Guide Calls

The most crucial aspect of Guide is deciding when to call it. Key considerations: - Bad opening hands - Hands with terminal collision - When you need specific cards for a combo - After opponent's attacks - Before your deck reshuffles

Generally, call Guide when: - Your current hand is clearly worse than an average 5-card draw - You need specific components for an engine or combo - You've been hit by a discard attack - You have unwanted green cards clogging your hand

Don't call Guide when: - Your current hand is already strong - You need specific cards that you just discarded - You might need the Guide call later in the game - Your deck quality is currently poor (waiting might be better)

1. Early Game Usage

Early game Guide strategies focus on:

Acquisition Timing - Can be bought on $3 opening - Works well as an early addition to most decks - Multiple Guides can be beneficial

Opening Considerations - Guide/Silver opening can help smooth out early deck variance - Guide/Terminal Action opening provides flexibility - Double Guide opening is viable but slow

Early Game Benefits - Helps find key $5 purchases - Mitigates poor shuffle luck - Provides protection against early attacks - Helps manage terminal collision

1. Mid-Game Integration

As the game progresses, Guide becomes more versatile:

Engine Building - Helps find engine components - Reduces terminal collision - Can save strong hands for key turns - Multiple Guides enable more consistent engine assembly

Deck Control - Allows selective discarding of unwanted cards - Helps manage deck composition during greening - Can reset hands after reshuffles - Works well with deck tracking

1. Late Game Applications

Guide remains useful in the late game:

Victory Card Management - Discards green cards for fresh draws - Helps find remaining key cards among Provinces - Enables more efficient endgame turns

Timing Considerations - Save Guide calls for critical turns - Use to find specific cards needed for ending the game - Can help recover from desperate situations

Synergies and Combinations

1. Strong Guide Synergies

Duration Cards - Guide can help find Duration cards early - Can save good hands when Duration effects are active - Works well with Fishing Village, Wharf, etc.

Deck Inspection - Navigator - Patrol - Scout - Helps maximize knowledge of upcoming cards

Card Draw Engines - Laboratory - Smithy - Council Room - Guide helps find draw cards consistently

Treasury/Haven Effects - Cards that care about top-decking - Cards that benefit from hand knowledge - Reserve card synergies

1. Specific Card Combinations

Strong Pairs: - Fishing Village: Provides actions for Guide and other terminals - Laboratory: Consistent draw power - Market: Balanced benefits complement Guide - Village variants: Help manage multiple terminals - Warehouse: Additional hand filtering - Throne Room variants: Can double Guide's initial benefits

Complex Interactions: - Watchtower: Can respond to opponents' Guides - Royal Seal: Helps manipulate deck after Guide calls - Treasury: Can save money for key turns - Ghost: Can copy Guide's Reserve ability

1. Kingdom Considerations

Guide shines in: - Kingdoms with strong but terminal actions - Engines requiring specific combinations - Kingdoms with minimal trash effects - Games where hand consistency matters

Guide struggles in: - Heavy trashing kingdoms - Kingdoms with abundant non-terminal draw - Rapid rush strategies - Kingdoms where hand size varies significantly

Counter-Strategies and Weaknesses

1. Main Weaknesses

Tempo Loss - Initial play provides minimal benefits - Requires future turns to realize value - Can be too slow in racing situations

Opportunity Cost - Competes with other $3 cards - Takes up Actions - Reserve mat space can be limited

Deck Quality Dependence - Only as good as your deck's average draw - Can't improve poor deck composition - May reveal weak hands

1. Counter-Play

Opponents can: - Rush provinces before Guide engines set up - Use discard attacks after Guide calls - Compete for key kingdom cards - Focus on trashing strategies

1. Defending Guide Strategies

To protect Guide-based strategies: - Build deck quality quickly - Maintain alternative draw sources - Consider multiple Guides - Keep track of deck composition

Building Around Guide

1. Number of Guides to Buy

Factors to consider: - Kingdom speed - Available actions - Presence of other Reserve cards - Deck size and composition

General guidelines: - 1-2 in most decks - 2-3 in heavy engine builds - 3+ only in specific situations

1. Support Cards

Priority support cards: - Action providers - Card draw - Deck inspection - Trashing - Economy

1. Strategy Adjustments

With Guide, consider: - More aggressive terminal action buying - Earlier greening - Different trashing priorities - Modified engine building approaches

Advanced Techniques

1. Guide Chaining

Multiple Guides enable: - Sequential hand cycling - Improved probability of finding key cards - Protection against multiple attacks - More flexible turn planning

1. Deck Tracking

Guide rewards careful deck tracking: - Know when to call Guide - Track important cards - Predict reshuffle timing - Optimize hand quality

1. Reserve Mat Management

Consider: - Other Reserve cards - Calling sequence - Mat space limitations - Timing of calls

Conclusion

Guide is a versatile $3 card that offers: - Hand quality improvement - Engine consistency - Attack protection - Late game flexibility

Success with Guide requires: - Careful timing - Deck awareness - Strategic planning - Kingdom analysis

While not always essential, Guide can significantly improve deck consistency and provide crucial flexibility in many kingdoms. Its low cost and flexible nature make it a valuable addition to many strategies, particularly in engine-based approaches.

Quick Tips: - Don't automatically call Guide every turn - Track your deck composition - Consider multiple Guides in engine builds - Use Guide to manage green cards - Plan Guide calls around reshuffles - Combine with complementary card draw - Watch for terminal action density

Common Mistakes to Avoid: - Calling Guide too early - Discarding strong hands - Over-investing in Guides - Neglecting deck quality - Ignoring kingdom context - Failing to track important cards - Missing timing opportunities

With proper usage and understanding, Guide can be a powerful tool for improving deck consistency and maintaining hand quality throughout the game. Its flexibility and reliability make it a valuable addition to many Dominion strategies.