Storyteller
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Storyteller (Adventures)

Cost: $5

Type: Action

Text: +1 Action\n+$1\nPlay up to 3 Treasures from your hand. Pay all of your $; +1 Card per $ paid.

Strategy Review

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Storyteller:

Storyteller Strategy Guide

Introduction Storyteller is a unique $5-cost Action card from Adventures that combines elements of both treasure play and card draw. Its ability to convert money into cards during the Action phase makes it a versatile engine component that can help bridge the gap between treasure-based and action-based strategies.

Core Mechanics Let's break down Storyteller's components: - +1 Action: Allows it to chain with other Actions - +$1: Provides basic economy - Play up to 3 Treasures: Activates money from your hand early - Pay all $ for cards: Converts money into card draw at a 1:1 ratio

Basic Usage Patterns

  1. Standard Play Pattern The most straightforward use of Storyteller is playing it with 2-3 Treasures in hand:
  2. Play Storyteller
  3. Play Copper, Silver, and/or Gold from hand

  4. Convert the total money (including Storyteller's +$1) into cards Example: Storyteller + Silver + Gold = $6 total = draw 6 cards

  5. Early Game In the opening turns, Storyteller can help cycle through your deck:

  6. Play with 1-2 Coppers

  7. Draw 2-3 cards This helps find your other early purchases and increases deck velocity

  8. Mid-Late Game As your deck improves:

  9. Play with higher-value Treasures
  10. Convert larger amounts of money into substantial card draw
  11. Use drawn cards for further Actions or buying power

Key Strengths

  1. Action Phase Card Draw
  2. Allows you to draw cards before your Buy phase
  3. Enables finding key cards earlier in your turn

  4. Can power up Action chains mid-turn

  5. Treasure Activation

  6. Gets value from Treasures before Buy phase
  7. Helps prevent terminal collision

  8. Makes Treasures more flexible

  9. Economy Conversion

  10. Transforms unused money into cards
  11. Provides deck cycling

  12. Helps thin out excess money

  13. Action Chain Support

  14. Self-replacing Action (+1 Action)
  15. Can draw into more Actions
  16. Works well in engine builds

Key Weaknesses

  1. Treasure Dependency
  2. Requires Treasures in hand to maximize effect
  3. Can be awkward with low-treasure decks

  4. May conflict with other Treasure-moving effects

  5. Opportunity Cost

  6. $5 cost could buy other engine pieces
  7. Competes with other strong $5 cards

  8. May not provide enough immediate impact

  9. Diminishing Returns

  10. Multiple Storytellers can be redundant
  11. Limited by 3-Treasure cap
  12. May overdraw deck unnecessarily

Synergies and Combinations

Strong Synergies:

  1. Special Treasures
  2. Bank: Increases money available for conversion
  3. Quarry: Provides both money and Action cost reduction
  4. Philosopher's Stone: Can generate large amounts of money

  5. Royal Seal: Helps arrange next turn's draw

  6. Treasure-Focused Cards

  7. Treasury: Can be recovered reliably
  8. Merchant Guild: Extra coin tokens for conversion
  9. Plaza: Helps manage Treasure density

  10. Market Square: Provides both Actions and Treasures

  11. Draw Support

  12. Laboratory: Helps find Treasures
  13. Warehouse: Filters for optimal hand composition
  14. Library: Can work around Storyteller's draw

  15. Hunting Party: Finds unique cards reliably

  16. Action Chains

  17. Village variants: Provide extra Actions
  18. Market variants: Offer flexible benefits
  19. Festival: Provides Actions and money
  20. Fishing Village: Duration effect helps setup

Anti-Synergies:

  1. Treasure Movement
  2. Bureaucrat: Conflicts with Treasure placement
  3. Secret Chamber: Competes for Treasure usage
  4. Vault: May want different Treasure timing

  5. Noble Brigand: Can disrupt Treasure availability

  6. Hand Size Constraints

  7. Militia: Reduces available Treasures
  8. Ghost Ship: Limits hand options
  9. Margrave: Attack can disrupt planning
  10. Minion: May force discarding useful combinations

Strategic Considerations

  1. Opening Considerations When to open Storyteller:
  2. Board has strong $5+ cards you want to hit
  3. Kingdom lacks other strong $5 options
  4. Plan to build treasure-heavy deck

  5. Need flexible card draw

  6. Building Around Storyteller

Early Game Focus: - Acquire basic Treasures (Silver/Gold) - Get +Action support - Consider deck thinning - Maintain Treasure density

Mid Game Development: - Add supplementary draw - Improve money density - Build Action chains - Consider payload options

Late Game Adjustments: - Balance draw efficiency - Manage deck cycling - Optimize money conversion - Prepare for game end

  1. Number of Storytellers

General Guidelines: - 1-2: Standard engine support - 2-3: Treasure-heavy strategies - 3+: Rarely optimal

Factors affecting quantity: - Treasure density - Deck size - Other draw sources - Victory card ratio

  1. Timing Considerations

When to play Storyteller: - Early in Action chains - Before crucial decisions - When needing specific cards - To enable larger plays

Counter Strategies

When Facing Storyteller:

  1. Deck Attack
  2. Use deck inspection attacks
  3. Implement hand size reduction
  4. Disrupt Treasure availability

  5. Force discarding

  6. Tempo Pressure

  7. Rush Victory points
  8. Build faster engines
  9. Control key piles

  10. Maintain buying pressure

  11. Resource Denial

  12. Drain Treasure supply
  13. Contest Action support
  14. Block key supplementary cards
  15. Control pace

Example Kingdoms

  1. Storyteller Engine Kingdom includes:
  2. Village
  3. Storyteller
  4. Market
  5. Laboratory
  6. Militia

Strategy: - Build Action density - Maintain Treasure balance - Use Storyteller for draw - Pressure opponents with attacks

  1. Treasure-Heavy Build Kingdom includes:
  2. Storyteller
  3. Bank
  4. Royal Seal
  5. Monument
  6. Chapel

Strategy: - Thin deck aggressively - Stack valuable Treasures - Use Storyteller for conversion - Build point engine

  1. Hybrid Approach Kingdom includes:
  2. Storyteller
  3. Fishing Village
  4. Warehouse
  5. Treasury
  6. Garden

Strategy: - Balance Actions/Treasures - Use Storyteller flexibly - Maintain deck velocity - Contest Gardens

Sample Turn Sequences

  1. Basic Engine Turn
  2. Village
  3. Storyteller (play Gold, Silver)
  4. Draw 6 cards
  5. Continue Action chain

  6. Buy phase

  7. Treasure Conversion

  8. Storyteller
  9. Play 3 Golds
  10. Draw 10 cards
  11. Second Storyteller

  12. Continue building

  13. Mixed Strategy

  14. Fishing Village (from previous turn)
  15. Storyteller (play Silver, Copper)
  16. Draw 4 cards
  17. Market
  18. Buy phase

Tips and Tricks

  1. General Tips
  2. Track deck composition
  3. Plan Treasure placement
  4. Consider draw timing

  5. Maintain Action balance

  6. Advanced Techniques

  7. Use for deck tracking
  8. Time with shuffle points
  9. Combine with duration effects

  10. Optimize money conversion

  11. Common Mistakes

  12. Overbuying Storytellers
  13. Neglecting Action support
  14. Poor Treasure management
  15. Inefficient conversion timing

Conclusion

Storyteller is a versatile card that excels in: - Supporting engine builds - Converting economy to draw - Enabling flexible strategies - Bridging deck styles

Success with Storyteller requires: - Careful deck composition - Understanding timing - Resource management - Strategic flexibility

While not always a game-defining card, Storyteller provides unique capabilities that can enhance many strategies and deserves consideration in appropriate kingdoms.

Remember: - Balance Treasure density - Support with Actions - Consider alternatives - Adapt to kingdom context

This understanding of Storyteller's strengths, weaknesses, and strategic considerations will help improve your use of this interesting card across various Dominion scenarios.