Dame Natalie (Dark Ages)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Dame Natalie:

Dame Natalie Strategy Guide

Introduction: Dame Natalie is one of the ten distinct Knights in Dominion: Dark Ages. Like all Knights, she combines an attack with a beneficial effect and can potentially be destroyed when clashing with other Knights. Understanding how to best utilize both aspects of Dame Natalie is key to maximizing her effectiveness.

Core Mechanics:

1. Gaining Component:
2. The ability to gain a card costing up to $3 is optional
3. This happens before the attack portion
4. The gained card goes to your discard pile

5. You can choose not to gain anything if desired

6. Attack Component:

7. Forces opponents to reveal their top 2 cards
8. Must trash one card if any cost $3-$6
9. Other card is discarded
10. Self-destructs if it trashes another Knight

Basic Strategy:

1. Timing Your Purchase:
2. Dame Natalie is best acquired in the mid-game
3. Early enough to disrupt opponent's deck-building
4. Late enough that opponents have valuable cards to trash
5. Generally purchase between turns 4-8

6. Consider buying earlier if opponents are rushing $5 cards

7. Using the Gain Ability: Strong $3 targets include:

8. Silver (reliable treasure)
9. Village variants (action density)
10. Cantrip actions
11. Sifting cards
12. Defense cards

Key considerations: - Don't feel obligated to gain something every time - Consider your deck's current needs - Think about deck density - Factor in shuffle timing

1. Attack Optimization: The attack portion is most effective when:
2. Opponents have many cards in the $3-$6 range
3. Opponent deck quality is improving
4. You can hit key engine pieces
5. Disrupting treasure density

Common targets: - Silver ($3) - Gold ($6) - Key kingdom cards - Engine components - Other Knights

Advanced Strategies:

1. Deck Tracking:
2. Monitor opponent purchases
3. Track their shuffle timing
4. Note their key cards

5. Adjust timing based on likely targets

6. Multi-Knight Strategies: Pros:

7. Multiple attack vectors
8. Redundancy if some are trashed
9. Increased pressure on opponents

Cons: - Knights can trash each other - Diminishing returns - Opportunity cost

1. Throne Room Effects:
2. Generally poor with Throne Room
3. Attack portion less effective twice
4. Gaining two $3 cards can be useful
5. Consider other $5 priorities

Synergies:

1. Strong Combinations: a) Gainers:
2. Workshop
3. Ironworks
4. Mining Village Reason: Help acquire Dame Natalie earlier

b) Deck Inspection: - Scrying Pool - Oracle - Navigator Reason: Help time the attack effectively

c) Trash-for-benefit cards: - Salvager - Remodel - Upgrade Reason: Can leverage trashed cards

1. Kingdom Card Synergies:
2. Villages (action density)
3. Draw cards (find Dame Natalie)
4. Treasury (reliable payload)
5. Duration cards (protect from attack)

Counter-Strategies:

1. Defending Against Dame Natalie: Direct Counters:
2. Moat
3. Reaction cards
4. Watchtower
5. Other defensive cards

Indirect Counters: - Buy cheaper cards (<$3) - Buy expensive cards (>$6) - Focus on alternate victory paths - Build robust engines

1. Card-Specific Responses:
2. Horse Traders (reaction + redraw)
3. Guardian (protection)
4. Market Square (benefit from trashing)
5. Tunnel (alternate gain method)

Timing Considerations:

1. Early Game: Pros:
2. Disrupts early deck building
3. Can slow opponent development
4. Gains useful $3 cards

Cons: - Fewer valuable targets - Opportunity cost high - May miss better $5 cards

1. Mid Game: Pros:
2. Maximum impact on opponent decks
3. Valuable gain targets available
4. Can pivot strategy if needed

Cons: - May face other Knights - Opponents may have defenses - Competition for $5 slots

1. Late Game: Pros:
2. Can trash key engine pieces
3. Flexible gain option
4. Potential game-ending disruption

Cons: - May be too late to matter - Opponents may be too developed - Better closing options available

Kingdom Considerations:

1. Strong Kingdoms:
2. Limited trashing
3. Key $3-$6 components
4. Action-heavy strategies

5. Limited defense options

6. Weak Kingdoms:

7. Heavy trashing available
8. Many defense cards
9. Alt-VP strategies

10. Better $5 options

11. Colony Games:

12. Generally weaker
13. Better $5 alternatives
14. Less impact on economy
15. Consider skipping

Multiple Knight Interactions:

1. Knight Wars:
2. Consider Knight density
3. Track opponent Knights
4. Time purchases carefully

5. Accept some losses

6. Knight Priority: Dame Natalie vs Other Knights:

7. Sir Martin (better early)
8. Dame Josephine (better late)
9. Dame Anna (better combo)
10. Sir Michael (better attack)

Board Control:

1. Pile Control:
2. Monitor Knight pile
3. Track opponent purchases
4. Consider denial strategy

5. Plan for trashed Knights

6. Kingdom Control:

7. Deny key $3 cards
8. Control village supply
9. Manage treasure density
10. Watch victory cards

Specific Match-ups:

1. vs Big Money: Strengths:
2. Disrupts treasure
3. Slows development
4. Gains Silver

Weaknesses: - May accelerate deck - Limited target range - Better alternatives

1. vs Engines: Strengths:
2. Hits key components
3. Disrupts timing
4. Forces redundancy

Weaknesses: - May be too slow - Better counters exist - Can be defended

1. vs Rush: Strengths:
2. Gains cheap cards
3. Disrupts economy
4. Provides defense

Weaknesses: - Too expensive - Too slow - Better options

Advanced Tips:

1. Optimization:
2. Track gained cards
3. Monitor deck composition
4. Adjust timing

5. Plan sequences

6. Reading Opponents:

7. Watch purchase patterns
8. Note deck composition
9. Anticipate defenses

10. Time attacks

11. Edge Cases:

12. Handling reshuffles
13. Managing multiple Knights
14. Dealing with reactions
15. Timing gains

Common Mistakes:

1. Tactical Errors:
2. Gaining unnecessarily
3. Poor timing
4. Ignoring better options

5. Over-investing

6. Strategic Errors:

7. Wrong strategy choice
8. Poor Knight density
9. Incorrect priorities
10. Missed synergies

Conclusion:

Dame Natalie is a solid Knight that combines useful gaining with a potentially strong attack. While not always the optimal $5 choice, she can be effective in: - Disrupting opponent strategies - Gaining useful cards - Controlling the game pace - Supporting various strategies

Success with Dame Natalie requires: - Careful timing - Good target selection - Strategic flexibility - Board awareness

Key Takeaways:

1. Strengths:
2. Flexible gain option
3. Reliable attack
4. Mid-game power

5. Strategy disruption

6. Weaknesses:

7. Knight vulnerability
8. Timing dependent
9. Better alternatives

10. Limited late game

11. Best Uses:

12. Mid-game control
13. Engine disruption
14. Economy development
15. Strategy support

Remember: - Consider kingdom context - Watch timing - Monitor opponents - Stay flexible - Don't over-invest

With proper understanding and application of these principles, Dame Natalie can be a valuable addition to many strategies and an effective tool for game control.