Ranger (Adventures)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Ranger:

Ranger Strategy Guide

Introduction: Ranger is a $4 Action card from the Adventures expansion that features the Journey token mechanic. It's a card that alternates between being extremely powerful (drawing 5 cards) and doing almost nothing (just giving +1 Buy). Understanding how to maximize Ranger's effectiveness and work around its limitations is key to using it successfully.

Core Mechanics: - Ranger always provides +1 Buy - It flips your Journey token each time you play it - When the Journey token is face up after flipping, you draw 5 cards - The Journey token starts face up, meaning your first Ranger play will flip it face down and give you only +1 Buy - The token is shared between all Rangers you play

Basic Strategies:

1. Timing Your Rangers The most fundamental aspect of playing with Ranger is understanding its alternating nature. Since you know exactly when it will give you the +5 Cards benefit, you can plan your deck and turns accordingly.

Key timing considerations: - First play in a game: Just +1 Buy (token flips face down) - Second play: +5 Cards (token flips face up) - Third play: Just +1 Buy (token flips face down) And so on...

1. Quantity of Rangers Unlike many drawing cards, getting multiple Rangers doesn't always improve your deck linearly. Consider:

Optimal quantities: - 2 Rangers: Allows for one big turn followed by a weak turn - 3-4 Rangers: Provides more consistency but requires careful planning - 5+ Rangers: Generally too many unless you have specific enablers

The sweet spot is often 2-3 Rangers, as this gives you reasonable odds of having one when you need it while not cluttering your deck with too many weak draws.

Advanced Strategies:

1. Multi-Action Enablers Since Ranger doesn't provide +Actions, it's important to have ways to play multiple actions when you draw into them with a successful Ranger play.

Good enablers include: - Villages (any card giving +2 Actions) - King's Court/Throne Room variants - Native Village - Festival - City Quarter

1. Journey Token Management Understanding that the Journey token is shared between all Rangers leads to some interesting strategic decisions:

Tactics: - Track the token status carefully - Consider whether to play a Ranger for just +1 Buy if it will set up a better turn later - Use non-drawing Rangers to flip the token when needed

1. Deck Tracking Because Ranger's effectiveness is predictable, keeping track of your deck becomes even more important:

Important factors: - Number of Rangers remaining in deck - Current Journey token status - Likelihood of drawing into key combo pieces

Synergies and Combinations:

1. Duration Cards Ranger works particularly well with Duration cards because they can help you plan for both strong and weak Ranger turns:

Strong combinations: - Wharf: Provides drawing on your weak Ranger turns - Fishing Village: Ensures Actions for your strong draws - Caravan: Helps smooth out the alternating nature - Bridge Troll: Can build toward big buy turns

1. Throne Room Variants Cards that let you play Actions multiple times have interesting interactions with Ranger:

Notable interactions: - Throne Room: Flips token twice, potentially giving you +5 Cards on both plays - King's Court: Three flips can set up future turns - Procession: Can upgrade Ranger while potentially getting the +5 Cards - Crown: Similar to Throne Room but in Buy phase

1. Trashing Since Ranger alternates between very strong and very weak turns, trashing becomes more important:

Benefits of trashing with Ranger: - Increases consistency for strong turns - Removes weak cards that could dilute your big draws - Makes those +5 Cards more likely to hit important cards

Good trashers to pair with Ranger: - Chapel - Steward - Trading Post - Salvager

1. Virtual Money Cards that provide money without being Treasure cards work well with Ranger:

Good examples: - Market - Grand Market - Festival - Monument - Bank

Counter-Strategies:

1. Attacks to Watch For Certain attacks can be particularly problematic for Ranger strategies:

Dangerous attacks: - Militia/Ghost Ship: Can waste your +5 Cards turn - Minion: Can force a reshuffle at inopportune times - Fortune Teller: Can put Victory cards on top before your draw - Bureaucrat: Similar to Fortune Teller

1. Weaknesses to Consider Understanding Ranger's limitations helps avoid building too heavily around it:

Key weaknesses: - Alternating effectiveness - No +Actions - Requires careful timing - Vulnerable to hand size attacks - Can be awkward with traditional Big Money

Building Around Ranger:

1. Engine Construction When building an engine with Ranger, consider these principles:

Key components: - Multiple sources of +Actions - Strong trashing - Payload cards that work well with variable hand sizes - Card cycling to find Rangers at the right time

1. Opening Strategies Ranger's $4 cost makes it an accessible opening:

Common openings: - Silver/Ranger - Ranger/Silver - Double Ranger (on 4/4) - Ranger/Sentry - Ranger/Ambassador

Consider kingdom context for optimal opening choices.

1. Mid-Game Transitions As the game progresses, adapt your Ranger strategy:

Considerations: - When to stop buying Rangers - How to incorporate green cards - Whether to thin Rangers late-game - Timing of power turns vs. Victory card purchases

Game State Considerations:

1. Player Count Ranger's effectiveness can vary with player count:

2-player games: - More predictable token flipping - Easier to plan turns - Attacks more impactful

3-4 player games: - More time between turns - Need for more resilient strategies - Higher priority on +Buy utility

1. Game Length Consider how Ranger fits into different game lengths:

Colony games: - More time to set up engines - Higher payload needed - Multiple Rangers more viable

Province games: - Faster tempo required - May need to prioritize immediate impact - Consider fewer Rangers

1. Kingdom Composition Adjust your Ranger strategy based on available cards:

Key factors: - Available +Actions - Trashing quality - Alternative draw sources - Payload options - Attack presence

Sample Strategies:

1. Ranger Engine Components:
2. 2-3 Rangers
3. 4-5 Villages
4. Strong trashing
5. Payload cards
6. Card cycling

Goal: Create consistent turns with one Ranger drawing into another while maintaining +Actions.

1. Ranger Big Money Components:
2. 1-2 Rangers
3. Silver/Gold focus
4. Minimal other Actions
5. Market variants

Goal: Use Ranger's +5 Cards to draw large portions of deck for big money turns.

1. Ranger Combo Components:
2. Multiple Rangers
3. Throne Room variants
4. Bridge variants
5. +Action sources

Goal: Set up massive turns using multiple Rangers and multipliers.

Conclusion:

Ranger is a fascinating card that requires careful planning and strong tactical awareness to use effectively. Its alternating nature makes it unique among drawing cards and demands a different approach to deck building and turn sequencing. While it can be powerful in the right circumstances, it requires support cards and careful consideration of the kingdom context to reach its full potential.

Success with Ranger comes from: - Understanding its rhythm and planning accordingly - Building appropriate support around it - Maintaining flexibility in strategy - Careful tracking of the Journey token - Adapting to kingdom context and game state

When properly supported and played, Ranger can be a powerful engine component or the centerpiece of strong buying turns. However, its limitations mean it's rarely a must-buy card and should be evaluated carefully based on the specific game context.