Royal Carriage (Adventures)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Royal Carriage:

Royal Carriage Strategy Guide

Introduction Royal Carriage is a $5-cost Action-Reserve card from the Adventures expansion that allows you to double the effect of an Action card. Its unique placement on the Tavern mat and ability to be called at the right moment make it a versatile engine component with significant combo potential.

Basic Mechanics - When played, Royal Carriage gives +1 Action and goes to your Tavern mat - You can call it from your Tavern mat immediately after resolving an Action card - The Action card must still be in play to be replicated - Multiple Royal Carriages can be called on the same Action - The called Royal Carriage stays in play for the turn

Key Strengths 1. Flexibility - Can be saved for the perfect moment - Doesn't need to be in hand with your target card - Multiple copies can stack on one Action - Provides +1 Action when played initially

1. Engine Support
2. Helps achieve critical mass in engine decks
3. Can double important effects

4. Works well with card-drawing Actions

5. Combo Potential

6. Excellent with duration cards
7. Strong with one-shot powerful Actions
8. Can create explosive turns

Key Limitations 1. Setup Required - Needs to be played to the Tavern mat first - Takes an Action to set up - $5 cost can be awkward to acquire

1. Timing Restrictions
2. Must be used directly after the target Action resolves
3. Target Action must remain in play
4. Can't save for later in the turn

Strategic Considerations

1. When to Buy Royal Carriage

Early Game: - Generally not a priority first buy - Better to establish basic deck functionality first - Exception: If planning specific combos from the start - Can be worth getting if hitting exactly $5

Mid Game: - Ideal timing for most strategies - Engine pieces are established - Can start setting up powerful combinations - Multiple copies become valuable

Late Game: - Still useful for closing out games - Less valuable if deck is already running smoothly - Can help with final VP push

1. Number of Copies to Acquire

Factors to Consider: - Available Actions in deck - Quality of targets - Deck cycling speed - Competition for $5 slots

General Guidelines: - 1-2 copies: Minimal support for key cards - 2-3 copies: Standard engine support - 3+ copies: Heavy combo focus

Target Cards and Combinations

1. Duration Cards Royal Carriage excels with Duration cards because:
2. Duration cards typically stay in play
3. Effects can be worth doubling
4. Can set up for future turns

Strong Duration Targets: - Wharf: Draw 6 cards next turn - Bridge Troll: Double toll effect - Haunted Woods: Stronger attack - Gear: More card setup - Lost City: Extra cards next turn

1. Villages and Draw
2. Laboratory variants
3. Hunting Party
4. Lost City
5. Market variants

6. Any card providing both +Actions and +Cards

7. Payload Cards

8. Bridge/Bridge Troll
9. Monument
10. Tactician
11. Governor

12. Crown

13. Attack Cards

14. Ghost Ship
15. Militia/Mountebank
16. Witch
17. Sea Hag
18. Young Witch

Special Combinations

1. Bridge Chains Using Royal Carriage with Bridge effects:
2. Each replay reduces costs further
3. Enables bigger payload turns
4. Can create megaturn potential

5. Works with Bridge Troll for sustained cost reduction

6. Draw Chain Support With cards like:

7. Laboratory
8. Hunting Party
9. Lost City
10. Enables deeper deck cycling

11. Helps hit critical mass faster

12. Monument Stacking Benefits:

13. Doubles VP gain
14. Increases money generation
15. Scales well with multiple Royal Carriages

16. Strong in slogs

17. Tactician Doubling Considerations:

18. Must have enough cards to discard
19. Sets up massive next turn
20. Can be game-ending with proper support
21. Requires careful timing

Gameplay Strategies

1. Engine Building

Setup Phase: - Play Royal Carriage to Tavern mat early - Establish core engine pieces - Build toward critical mass - Position multiple copies if possible

Execution Phase: - Call Royal Carriage on key draw cards - Chain together multiple copies - Maintain Action count - Build toward payload turn

1. Big Turn Setup

Preparation: - Accumulate Royal Carriages on mat - Get key Action cards in hand - Ensure sufficient Actions available - Calculate payload potential

Execution: - Start with crucial Actions - Layer Royal Carriages appropriately - Maintain card flow - Build toward victory condition

1. Slog Support

Using Royal Carriage in slower games: - Double crucial effects - Maximize limited resources - Support key attacks - Build incremental advantages

Counter Strategies

1. Rush Strategies Against Royal Carriage setups:
2. End game before combinations develop
3. Contest key kingdom cards
4. Pressure VP early

5. Deny engine pieces

6. Artifact Control When relevant:

7. Compete for key Artifacts
8. Deny combo pieces
9. Control game pace
10. Force suboptimal plays

Synergies with Other Cards

Strong Synergies: 1. Throne Room variants - Can multiply effects further - Creates powerful combinations - Enables massive turns - Scales well

1. Cost reducers
2. Bridge
3. Highway
4. Bridge Troll
5. Enables earlier acquisition

6. Supports bigger turns

7. Duration cards

8. Wharf
9. Caravan
10. Gear
11. Haunted Woods

12. Stays in play for Royal Carriage

13. Draw engines

14. Laboratory variants
15. Lost City
16. Hunting Party
17. Maintains momentum

Kingdom Considerations

When to Include Royal Carriage: - Strong Action cards present - Engine potential exists - Duration cards available - Combo pieces present

When to Skip Royal Carriage: - Big Money dominant - Rush strategies viable - Limited Action targets - Better $5 options

Optimization Tips

1. Timing Considerations
2. Plan Royal Carriage calls ahead
3. Consider order of operations
4. Maintain Action count

5. Watch for timing windows

6. Resource Management

7. Balance deck composition
8. Manage Action economy
9. Consider opportunity costs

10. Plan acquisition timing

11. Position Planning

12. Track Tavern mat status
13. Plan multiple calls
14. Maintain engine flow
15. Consider turn structure

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Setup Errors
2. Playing too many too early
3. Neglecting engine basics
4. Poor timing of calls

5. Insufficient support cards

6. Strategic Mistakes

7. Over-investing
8. Poor target selection
9. Ignoring opportunity costs

10. Inflexible planning

11. Tactical Errors

12. Missing timing windows
13. Poor order of operations
14. Wasting Actions
15. Suboptimal targeting

Conclusion

Royal Carriage is a versatile engine component that requires careful planning and execution to use effectively. Its strength lies in its flexibility and combo potential, particularly with Duration cards and powerful one-shot effects. Success with Royal Carriage depends on:

• Proper timing of acquisition
• Strategic positioning on the Tavern mat
• Careful selection of target cards
• Understanding of combo potential
• Proper engine support

When used correctly, Royal Carriage can enable powerful turns and support various strategies from engines to slogs. However, it requires investment in both time and resources to set up effectively. Consider the kingdom context and your overall strategy when deciding how heavily to invest in Royal Carriage.

Final Tips: - Start with clear strategy in mind - Build proper support structure - Time acquisitions carefully - Practice combinations - Stay flexible in execution - Watch for key opportunities - Balance investment with returns

With proper understanding and application of these principles, Royal Carriage can be a powerful addition to many strategies and enable some of Dominion's most exciting combinations.