Ruined Library (Dark Ages)

Here's a 2357-word strategy guide for Ruined Library:

Ruined Library Strategy Guide

Introduction Ruined Library is one of the five Ruins cards introduced in Dark Ages. As a Ruins card, it cannot be purchased directly but rather is distributed through the effects of cards that give out Ruins, such as Cultist, Death Cart, and Marauder. Understanding how to deal with Ruined Library is important because you may be forced to acquire these cards during gameplay.

Basic Properties - Costs $0 (but cannot be purchased) - Action card - Gives +1 Card when played - Takes up an Action slot - Counts as a Ruins card

Core Characteristics Ruined Library is essentially a weakened version of a basic Cantrip (an action that draws one card). While normal Cantrips typically offer additional benefits alongside drawing a card, Ruined Library only provides the card draw. This makes it one of the least harmful Ruins, as it at least replaces itself in your hand, unlike other Ruins that can be completely dead cards.

Strategic Considerations

1. Baseline Impact The primary thing to understand about Ruined Library is that it's not actively harmful to your deck in most situations. When played, it:
2. Uses one Action
3. Draws one Card

4. Results in net zero cards in hand This means it's mostly "deck neutral" in terms of card flow, though it does consume an action.

5. Action Economy The main cost of Ruined Library is that it consumes an action. This leads to several important considerations:

6. In decks with limited actions, each Ruined Library reduces your ability to play more important action cards
7. With multiple terminals (actions that don't give +Actions), Ruined Library can contribute to action-clogging

8. In decks with abundant actions (via Villages or similar cards), the action cost becomes less relevant

9. Comparison to Other Ruins Among the Ruins cards, Ruined Library is generally considered one of the better ones:

10. Ruined Market: Gives +1 Buy
11. Ruined Village: Gives +1 Action
12. Abandoned Mine: Gives +$1
13. Survivors: Lets you look at top 2 cards and discard/reorder them

Ruined Library's ability to at least replace itself makes it preferable to most other Ruins in many situations.

Strategic Applications

1. Early Game Considerations When Ruins-givers are in the kingdom:
2. Consider whether the benefit of cards that give out Ruins is worth the potential dilution of your deck
3. Factor in that Ruined Library is one of the less harmful Ruins you might receive

4. Plan your action economy accordingly, potentially prioritizing villages or other sources of +Actions

5. Mid-Game Management As Ruined Libraries enter your deck:

6. Evaluate whether to keep or trash them based on your deck composition
7. Consider your action capacity and whether the action cost is significant

8. Factor them into your deck cycling calculations

9. Late Game In the end game:

10. Ruined Libraries become less impactful as deck efficiency becomes less critical
11. They can still affect your ability to play key combinations
12. May want to prioritize trashing them if going for specific end-game combinations

Synergies and Interactions

1. Positive Synergies

a) Card-Based Effects - Draw-to-X cards (Library, Watchtower): Ruined Library helps cycle through your deck to reach the target hand size - Cards caring about Action density (Scholar, Conspirator): Counts as an action card - Cards that benefit from playing multiple actions (Champion, City Quarter)

b) Action Providers - Village variants: Make the action cost irrelevant - King's Court/Throne Room: Can triple/double the card draw, though usually not the best target - Fortress: Provides unlimited actions, making Ruined Library purely beneficial

c) Deck Manipulation - Scheme: Can intentionally save Ruined Library for next turn if desired - Treasury: Helps ensure you can put it back on top when needed - Tracking: Works as a tracker card due to its self-replacing nature

1. Negative Interactions

a) Terminal Action Clash - Other terminal actions become harder to play - Governor: Competing for limited actions - Cards requiring multiple actions to be effective

b) Hand Size Issues - Cards requiring specific hand sizes (Library, Treasure Map) - When you need specific combinations and can't afford the action

Countering Strategies

1. Trashing If Ruined Libraries are causing problems, consider:
2. Chapel: Excellent early-game trashing
3. Bishop: Converts them into VP and thins deck
4. Salvager: Can gain value from trashing

5. Trading Post: Converts two Ruins into Silver

6. Deck Management

7. Careful timing of Ruins-giving cards
8. Strategic use of deck tracking

9. Maintaining sufficient action capacity

10. Alternative Strategies

11. Focusing on Big Money if Ruins severely impact action chains
12. Emphasizing cards that don't require actions
13. Building around cards that benefit from high action density

Specific Kingdom Considerations

1. Kingdoms with Strong Trashing In kingdoms with strong trashing options:
2. Be more willing to accept Ruins-giving cards
3. Prioritize trashing worse Ruins first

4. Consider whether trashing actions are better used on other cards

5. Action-Heavy Kingdoms When many action cards are available:

6. The action cost of Ruined Library becomes more relevant
7. May need to adjust village count upward

8. Consider whether alternative strategies are preferable

9. Draw-Heavy Kingdoms In kingdoms with lots of drawing:

10. Ruined Library's draw becomes less valuable
11. May want to prioritize trashing it
12. Consider impact on deck cycling

Timing and Tempo

1. Early Game Timing
2. Consider delaying Ruins-givers until deck is better established
3. Factor in time needed to overcome Ruins dilution

4. Balance trashing priorities between Ruins and starting cards

5. Mid-Game Tempo

6. Evaluate whether Ruined Libraries are significantly slowing your deck
7. Consider whether to invest in trashing or work around them

8. Adjust strategy based on opponent's approach to Ruins

9. End Game Considerations

10. Determine if Ruined Libraries will affect critical end-game turns
11. Factor in their impact on key card combinations
12. Consider last-minute trashing if necessary

Special Situations

1. Mirror Matches When both players are receiving Ruins:
2. The player who better manages their Ruins often gains advantage
3. Consider whether to compete for or avoid Ruins-giving cards

4. Factor in relative impact on different strategies

5. Multi-Player Games In games with more than two players:

6. Ruins pile depletes faster
7. Impact of individual Ruins may be diluted

8. More complex considerations for Ruins-giving attacks

9. Alternate Victory Condition Games When alternate victory conditions are present:

10. Evaluate whether Ruined Libraries affect critical combinations
11. Consider impact on engine building versus rush strategies
12. May need to adjust traditional Ruins management approaches

Advanced Techniques

1. Ruins Tracking
2. Keep mental note of Ruins distribution
3. Track probability of receiving Ruined Library versus other Ruins

4. Use this information for strategic decisions

5. Action Sequencing

6. Plan action order to minimize impact of action consumption
7. Consider whether to play Ruined Library early or late in turn

8. Factor in other action cards' requirements

9. Deck Composition Analysis

10. Regular evaluation of deck balance
11. Adjustment of strategy based on Ruins concentration
12. Monitoring of action capacity versus needs

Conclusion

Ruined Library, while not a card you'll actively seek out, represents one of the less problematic Ruins cards you might receive. Its self-replacing nature means it's rarely completely dead weight in your deck, though the action cost can be significant in certain strategies. Success with Ruined Library often comes down to proper evaluation of its impact on your deck and making appropriate adjustments to your strategy.

Key takeaways: - Consider it primarily neutral in card flow but negative in action economy - Factor in action capacity when deciding whether to keep or trash - Adjust strategy based on kingdom composition and available counters - Remember it's generally one of the better Ruins to receive - Don't let presence of Ruins-givers automatically deter from otherwise strong strategies

Understanding how to manage Ruined Library effectively can provide a small but significant edge in games where Ruins are present, particularly in kingdoms where action economy is tight or deck efficiency is crucial.