Catacombs (Dark Ages)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Catacombs:

Catacombs Strategy Guide

Introduction Catacombs is a powerful $5 Action card from Dark Ages that offers significant deck manipulation and card draw flexibility. Its unique "look and choose" mechanism, combined with a beneficial on-trash effect, makes it a versatile addition to many strategies. Let's explore how to maximize its potential.

Core Mechanics and Basic Usage

1. Primary Effect
2. Look at top 3 cards and choose:
3. Option A: Put all 3 into your hand
4. Option B: Discard all 3 and draw 3 new cards
5. This creates a "sifting" effect that helps you find useful cards

6. Effectively lets you see up to 6 cards from your deck in one action

7. On-Trash Effect

8. Gain a cheaper card when trashed
9. Provides value even when removing it from your deck
10. Can facilitate deck thinning while maintaining card count

Key Strengths

1. Deck Control
2. Allows you to preview cards before deciding
3. Can help avoid dead draws

4. Provides flexibility in handling both good and bad reveals

5. Card Draw

6. Guarantees +3 cards one way or another
7. Can potentially draw better cards than those revealed

8. Never worse than Laboratory in terms of raw card draw

9. Decision Making Power

10. Informed choices about keeping or discarding
11. Can adapt to current game state
12. Helps manage deck composition during play

Strategic Considerations

1. When to Keep Revealed Cards
2. Strong action combinations
3. Victory cards during endgame
4. Treasure cards when needed for specific purchases

5. Cards that complement your current hand

6. When to Discard and Draw

7. Revealed cards don't synergize well
8. Multiple terminal actions without +Actions
9. Victory cards early game

10. When seeking specific cards/combinations

11. Deck Composition Impact

12. Works best in decks with clear "good" and "bad" cards
13. Benefits from deck thinning
14. Strong with card-based engines
15. Can help manage green cards effectively

Optimal Usage Patterns

1. Early Game
2. Excellent opener at $5
3. Helps find early game economy
4. Can manage starting Estates effectively

5. Assists in transitioning to engine building

6. Mid Game

7. Facilitates engine assembly
8. Helps find key combo pieces
9. Can manage growing Victory card density

10. Supports treasure-based strategies

11. Late Game

12. Helps find Victory cards when needed
13. Can avoid drawing dead Victory cards
14. Maintains deck velocity
15. Supports end-game rushing strategies

Synergies and Combinations

1. +Action Cards
2. Village variants
3. Fishing Village
4. Native Village

5. Market These allow multiple Catacombs plays per turn

6. Trashing Effects

7. Chapel
8. Steward

9. Remake Help optimize deck for Catacombs decisions

10. Deck Inspection Cards

11. Scrying Pool
12. Oracle

13. Navigator Provide additional deck control

14. Draw-to-X Cards

15. Library
16. Watchtower

17. Jack of all Trades Can benefit from strategic discarding

18. On-Gain Effects

19. Border Village
20. Haggler
21. Innovation Capitalize on the trash-gain effect

Counter-Synergies and Weaknesses

1. Shuffle-Heavy Strategies
2. Cards like Warehouse or Cellar
3. Frequent reshuffling reduces preview value

4. Can make decisions less meaningful

5. Random-Draw Effects

6. Cards like Tournament or Fool's Gold
7. Can disrupt planned draws

8. May reduce Catacombs' effectiveness

9. Deck Order Dependency

10. Messenger
11. Scheme
12. Haven Can conflict with Catacombs' manipulation

Countering Catacombs

1. Rush Strategies
2. Fast Province rushing
3. Gardens rush

4. Can outpace Catacombs' engine building

5. Deck Attack

6. Militia
7. Ghost Ship

8. Discard attacks reduce Catacombs' effectiveness

9. Junking

10. Curse givers
11. Ruins
12. Makes Catacombs decisions more difficult

Building Around Catacombs

1. Engine-Based Strategy Components:
2. Multiple Catacombs
3. +Action sources
4. Payload cards

5. Deck thinning Goal: Consistent deck cycling with quality draws

6. Big Money Variant Components:

7. 2-3 Catacombs
8. Treasure cards

9. Light trashing Goal: Efficient treasure drawing and management

10. Combo-Based Approach Components:

11. Key combo pieces
12. Multiple Catacombs
13. Support cards Goal: Reliable combo assembly

Timing and Quantity

1. How Many to Buy
2. Engine: 3-5 copies
3. Big Money: 2-3 copies
4. Combo: 2-4 copies
5. Consider terminal space

6. Balance with other terminals

7. When to Buy

8. Early priority at $5
9. Can delay for critical $5 alternatives
10. Stop buying when deck is highly optimized

11. Consider trashing late game

12. When to Trash

13. When deck is very thin
14. When actions are abundant
15. To gain specific cheaper cards
16. Late game for Victory cards

Kingdom Considerations

1. Favorable Kingdoms
2. Strong trashing available
3. +Action support
4. Clear payload cards

5. Limited shuffle effects

6. Unfavorable Kingdoms

7. Heavy junking attacks
8. Lack of +Actions
9. Shuffle-heavy mechanisms
10. Strong alternate $5 cards

Sample Opening Strategies

1. $5/$2
2. Catacombs/Pearl Diver
3. Catacombs/Native Village

4. Catacombs/Nothing

5. $4/$3

6. Silver/Silver (then Catacombs)
7. Chapel/Silver (then Catacombs)
8. Monastery/Silver (then Catacombs)

Advanced Techniques

1. Deck Tracking
2. Monitor deck composition
3. Track shuffle timing
4. Plan discards strategically

5. Anticipate needed cards

6. Multi-Card Sequencing

7. Order multiple Catacombs plays
8. Combine with other sifting effects
9. Plan action chains

10. Optimize gain timing

11. Endgame Optimization

12. Managing Victory card density
13. Timing key purchases
14. Trashing for specific gains
15. Maintaining engine functionality

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Over-Investment
2. Buying too many copies
3. Neglecting +Action sources
4. Ignoring other key cards

5. Poor terminal spacing

6. Poor Decision Making

7. Keeping mediocre cards
8. Discarding good combinations
9. Not considering current needs

10. Failing to plan ahead

11. Timing Errors

12. Wrong purchase timing
13. Poor trashing decisions
14. Suboptimal play order
15. Missed opportunities

Conclusion

Catacombs is a versatile and powerful card that rewards skilled play and careful decision-making. Its flexibility in handling both good and bad draws, combined with its trash-for-benefit effect, makes it a valuable addition to many strategies. Success with Catacombs comes from:

• Understanding when to keep vs. discard revealed cards
• Building appropriate support around it
• Managing terminal actions effectively
• Making informed trashing decisions
• Adapting its use throughout the game

The card excels in engines but can support various strategies, making it a strong contender in many kingdoms. Mastering Catacombs requires practice and good judgment, but the reward is enhanced deck control and improved game consistency.

Tips for Practice

1. Track Decisions
2. Note keep/discard choices
3. Analyze results
4. Learn from mistakes

5. Identify patterns

6. Experiment with Builds

7. Try different quantities
8. Test various supports
9. Explore synergies

10. Challenge assumptions

11. Study Game States

12. Practice timing
13. Learn transitions
14. Understand power curves
15. Master endgame uses

Remember that Catacombs' true strength lies in its flexibility - it can adapt to many situations and strategies while providing consistent value throughout the game. Practice and experience will help develop the judgment needed to maximize its potential.