Trusty Steed (Cornucopia)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Trusty Steed:

TRUSTY STEED STRATEGY GUIDE

Introduction Trusty Steed is one of the five Prize cards from Cornucopia, only obtainable through the Tournament card. While its individual effects might seem modest compared to some powerful terminal Actions, its flexibility and guaranteed availability (once you win a Tournament) make it a valuable addition to many strategies.

Basic Characteristics - Only obtainable through winning Tournament - Offers choice of two effects from four options - Cannot be bought directly - One-time use (not in supply) - Non-terminal (can choose +2 Actions)

Getting Trusty Steed The first consideration with any Prize card is actually obtaining it. This requires: 1. Having Tournament in the Kingdom 2. Successfully playing Tournament 3. Revealing a Province (or having opponent not reveal one) 4. Choosing Trusty Steed over other Prize options

Understanding the Options

1. +2 Cards
2. Basic draw effect
3. Helps maintain hand size
4. Particularly useful when combined with +Actions

5. Can enable draw chains

6. +2 Actions

7. Turns card non-terminal
8. Enables playing multiple terminal actions
9. Essential for action-heavy decks

10. Valuable village effect

11. +$2

12. Simple economy boost
13. Equivalent to Silver play
14. Helps reach important price points

15. Most straightforward option

16. Gain 4 Silvers + Deck to Discard

17. Massive deck change
18. Immediate injection of buying power
19. Deck cycling effect
20. Most complex option

Optimal Combinations

1. +2 Cards and +2 Actions Best for:
2. Action-heavy decks
3. Draw chains
4. Engine building

5. When hand needs refreshing This combination essentially makes Trusty Steed a Laboratory variant, which is always powerful.

6. +2 Cards and +$2 Best for:

7. Reaching specific price points
8. Hybrid money/engine decks

9. When needing both cards and money Similar to Market without the +1 Action, useful for immediate gains.

10. +2 Actions and +$2 Best for:

11. Terminal-heavy hands
12. When needing both actions and money

13. Supporting other terminals Helps enable both economy and action chains.

14. +2 Actions and 4 Silvers Best for:

15. Early/mid game transitions
16. Building basic money density

17. Enabling future turns The deck reset can be powerful but timing is crucial.

18. +2 Cards and 4 Silvers Best for:

19. Immediate deck improvement
20. When needing massive economy boost

21. Transitioning deck strategies Combines immediate benefit with long-term improvement.

22. +$2 and 4 Silvers Best for:

23. Pure money strategies
24. Maximum buying power
25. Early game economy boost Most economically focused option.

Timing Considerations

Early Game - Silver gain option is strongest - Action splitting can enable early engine development - Card draw less valuable due to smaller deck

Mid Game - All options viable depending on strategy - Action splitting becomes more valuable - Deck cycling can enable strategy transitions

Late Game - Card draw and actions typically most valuable - Silver gain loses relative value - Money boost can help clinch Province purchases

Strategic Contexts

In Engine Decks - Prioritize +2 Cards and +2 Actions - Use as supplemental village - Can help reach critical mass - Silver gain usually less relevant

In Big Money Decks - Focus on economic options - Silver gain particularly valuable - Can help reach Province price point faster - Less need for actions

In Hybrid Strategies - Flexibility is key advantage - Can adapt choice to current needs - Both economy and engine support valuable - Timing of Silver gain crucial

Synergies and Combinations

Strong Synergies: 1. Draw engines (Laboratory, Smithy) - +2 Cards/+2 Actions supports engine building - Can enable critical draw chains

1. Terminal draw cards
2. +2 Actions enables playing multiple draws

3. Helps prevent terminal collision

4. Treasure Map

5. Silver gain can supplement treasure explosion

6. Deck cycling helps find combinations

7. Counting House

8. Deck cycling puts Coppers in discard

9. Economic boost supports strategy

10. Terminal silver variants (Silver Mine, Mine)

11. More Silvers provide targets

12. Economic enhancement compounds

13. Warehouse/Cellar effects

14. Help manage added Silvers
15. Can control deck composition

Anti-Synergies: 1. Gardens - Deck cycling can hurt card count - Silver gain reduces deck diversity

1. Bank
2. Silver gain dilutes Copper density

3. Less effective with treasure variety

4. Grand Market

5. Added Silvers can interfere with purchases
6. Economic focus may conflict

Special Considerations

Deck Cycling Effect The deck-to-discard option requires careful timing: - Can reset bad deck order - Enables immediate use of gained Silvers - May disrupt carefully built deck structure - Consider current deck composition

Tournament Timing When to claim Trusty Steed: - Early if economy needed - Mid-game for engine support - Consider other Prize options - Watch opponent's Tournament plans

Multiple Tournaments If multiple Tournaments available: - First Trusty Steed often for economy - Later ones for tactical advantage - Consider diminishing returns on Silvers - May want different Prizes

Advanced Tactics

Deck Tracking - Monitor Silver density - Track terminal/non-terminal ratio - Consider discard pile contents - Plan for deck cycling impact

Option Sequencing - Choose options based on immediate needs - Consider future turn requirements - Plan for opponent's likely moves - Balance short vs. long-term gains

Counter-Play - Deny Tournament wins when possible - Force suboptimal timing - Compete for Prize selection - Adapt strategy to opponent's choices

Kingdom Considerations

Strong Kingdoms: - Heavy terminal actions - Draw-based engines - Economic acceleration needed - Deck manipulation present

Weak Kingdoms: - Alternative villages abundant - Silver alternatives present - Big treasure strategies - Card-count victory conditions

Sample Turn Examples

Early Game Example: Hand: Tournament, Estate, Copper, Copper, Copper Play Tournament, win, choose Trusty Steed Select +$2 and gain 4 Silvers Result: Immediate economic boost, better future draws

Mid Game Example: Hand: Tournament, Laboratory, Smithy, Village, Copper Play Tournament, win, choose Trusty Steed Select +2 Cards and +2 Actions Result: Engine support, continued draw chain

Late Game Example: Hand: Tournament, Province, Gold, Silver, Silver Play Tournament, win, choose Trusty Steed Select +2 Cards and +$2 Result: Additional resources for final turns

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Poor Option Selection
2. Choosing Silver gain too late
3. Ignoring immediate needs

4. Over-valuing long-term benefits

5. Bad Timing

6. Cycling deck at wrong moment
7. Claiming too early/late

8. Not considering opponent's position

9. Strategic Misalignment

10. Forcing engine support in money deck
11. Adding Silvers to tight engine

12. Ignoring kingdom context

13. Tournament Priority

14. Not competing for first Prize
15. Poor Prize selection order
16. Mismanaging Province reveals

Conclusion

Trusty Steed's flexibility makes it valuable in nearly any strategy, but maximizing its impact requires careful consideration of: - Current deck composition - Strategic goals - Game timing - Kingdom context - Opponent's position

The ability to choose between immediate benefits and long-term improvements makes it particularly powerful when obtained at the right moment. While not always the optimal Prize choice, its versatility ensures it's rarely a poor selection.

Final Tips: - Plan Tournament plays carefully - Consider all option combinations - Time deck cycling strategically - Balance immediate vs. future needs - Adapt choices to game state

Understanding these aspects will help maximize Trusty Steed's potential in your games and improve your overall Tournament play.