Ruined Village (Dark Ages)

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

Ruined Village Strategy Guide

Introduction Ruined Village is one of the five Ruins cards introduced in Dark Ages, and perhaps the least devastating of them. While no player actively wants Ruins in their deck, understanding how to work with Ruined Village when it appears is crucial for success in games featuring Looters.

Basic Properties - Provides +1 Action - Costs $0 - Is a Ruins card (cannot be bought or gained voluntarily) - Counts as an Action card for card-type-matters effects

Core Characteristics Ruined Village is essentially a strictly worse Village - it provides the same +1 Action as Village but without the +1 Card draw. This makes it primarily useful as an Action splitter, allowing you to play additional Action cards in your turn, albeit inefficiently.

How Ruined Village Enters Your Deck

1. Looter Distribution Ruined Village only enters decks through the effects of Looter cards (like Cultist, Death Cart, and Marauder). When playing with Looters, Ruins piles contain a mix of all five Ruins types, with the total number of Ruins cards being:
2. 2 players: 10 Ruins
3. 3 players: 15 Ruins
4. 4 players: 20 Ruins

Understanding this distribution is important because you can't control which specific Ruins you receive, but Ruined Village will make up roughly 20% of the Ruins pile.

1. Mandatory Gains It's crucial to remember that gaining Ruins from Looters isn't optional. When playing or being attacked by Looter cards, you must take the Ruins if any remain in the pile.

Working With Ruined Village

1. Action Chain Support While inferior to proper villages, Ruined Village can still support action chains:

Advantages: - Enables playing multiple terminal actions in one turn - Costs nothing (if you already have it) - Doesn't take up buy phase resources

Disadvantages: - Doesn't draw cards - Takes up deck space - Can't be deliberately acquired when needed

1. Deck Composition Considerations

When Ruined Village is in your deck:

a) Terminal Space Management - Calculate your terminal space more conservatively - Each Ruined Village provides one additional terminal action slot - Remember that unlike proper villages, these don't help draw your deck

b) Deck Dilution - Ruins dilute your deck quality - May need to emphasize trashing more than usual - Consider whether to prioritize deck thinning or deck drawing strategies

1. Timing Considerations

Early Game: - Ruined Village is most useful early when deck size is small - Can support basic action chains before better villages are acquired - May influence early game buying decisions

Mid Game: - Value decreases as better options become available - May become trashing targets - Can still support secondary action chains

Late Game: - Often becomes dead weight - May be worth keeping if you lack other villages - Consider whether trashing is still worthwhile

Synergies and Interactions

1. Positive Synergies

a) Action-Matters Cards - Conspirator: Helps reach the 3-action threshold - Throne Room variants: Can duplicate other actions even without card draw - City Quarter: Counts as an Action card for drawing - Scholar: Helps enable discarding your hand

b) Trashing Effects - Upgrade: Can upgrade into a 2-cost card - Remodel: Can convert into a 2-cost card - Trading Post: Useful trash fodder - Chapel: Prime target for efficient trashing

c) Other Interactions - Scheme: Can top-deck for reliable action splitting - Fortress: Can create reliable action chains - Library: Can be skipped during drawing - Wav of Life: Can be converted into coin

1. Anti-Synergies

a) Draw-to-X Cards - Library: May need to skip Ruined Village to find payload - Watchtower: Doesn't help reach hand size goals - Scholar: Doesn't contribute meaningful cards to hand

b) Deck Inspection - Hunting Grounds: Reveals dead cards - Oracle: May force revealing weak cards - Wandering Minstrel: Takes up Action card slots

Strategic Approaches

1. Aggressive Trashing

Pros: - Improves deck quality quickly - Removes dead draws - Makes room for better cards

Cons: - Uses up trashing resources - May waste turns on trashing - Could trash villages needed for actions

When to Consider: - Strong trashing available (Chapel, Trading Post) - Fast deck cycling - Better village options available

1. Keep and Utilize

Pros: - Maintains action splitting capability - No resources spent on trashing - Flexible utility

Cons: - Dilutes deck - Inefficient compared to proper villages - Takes up draw slots

When to Consider: - Limited trashing available - Heavy terminal action strategy - Lack of better village options

1. Hybrid Approach

Pros: - Maintains some utility while improving deck - Flexible response to game state - Balanced resource usage

Cons: - May be suboptimal compared to committed strategy - Requires careful management - Can be indecisive

When to Consider: - Moderate trashing available - Mixed strategy deck - Uncertain village availability

Countering Ruined Village Attacks

1. Preventive Measures

a) Rush Strategies - End game before Ruins become problematic - Focus on provinces or alternate victory conditions - Minimize time for Ruins accumulation

b) Defense Cards - Moat blocks Ruins from attacks - Lighthouse provides ongoing protection - Horse Traders can dodge some Ruins attacks

1. Reactive Measures

a) Trashing Focus - Prioritize trashing options in opening - Consider multiple trashing cards - Balance trashing with economy

b) Deck Acceleration - Emphasize card draw - Build engine faster than Ruins accumulate - Consider workshops or gainers

Game State Considerations

1. Opening Decisions

When Looters are present: - Evaluate trashing options more highly - Consider defense cards - Plan for potential Ruins

Without Looters: - Standard opening considerations apply - No special preparation needed

1. Kingdom Evaluation

Factors to Consider: - Available trashing - Village alternatives - Engine components - Victory path speed

1. Scaling Considerations

Two Players: - Fewer total Ruins - More control over distribution - Faster game pace possible

Three/Four Players: - More Ruins in play - Less predictable distribution - Longer games likely

Advanced Techniques

1. Ruins Pile Tracking

Benefits: - Know when pile might deplete - Track approximate distribution - Plan for remaining gains

Method: - Count Ruins gained - Note visible Ruins - Calculate probabilities

1. Timing Optimization

Considerations: - When to trash vs. keep - Order of gains and trashing - Action sequencing with villages

1. Alternative Uses

Creative Applications: - Upgrade fodder - Scheme targets - Discard fuel - Action counting

Sample Strategies

1. Chapel Engine

Early Game: - Acquire Chapel - Trash Copper and Estates - Selectively trash Ruins - Build toward engine pieces

Mid Game: - Complete engine assembly - Maintain minimal Ruins - Accelerate deck cycling

Late Game: - Focus on payload - Consider keeping some villages - Push for win condition

1. Big Money Hybrid

Early Game: - Accept Ruins presence - Focus on economy - Minimal trashing

Mid Game: - Use villages opportunistically - Build toward key price points - Selective improvement

Late Game: - Push Province pace - Ignore minor inefficiencies - Race to end game

Specific Kingdom Examples

1. Engine Kingdom Kingdom includes:
2. Chapel
3. Laboratory
4. Village
5. Smithy
6. Market

Strategy: - Aggressive early trashing - Build proper engine - Minimize Ruins impact

1. Slow Kingdom Kingdom includes:
2. Bureaucrat
3. Gardens
4. Workshop
5. Monument
6. Militia

Strategy: - Keep most villages - Accept slower pace - Use for occasional splitting

Conclusion

Ruined Village represents an interesting challenge in Dominion strategy. While never a desired card, understanding how to work with it - whether through aggressive trashing, careful utilization, or a balanced approach - is crucial for success in games featuring Looters.

Key Takeaways: - Evaluate trashing opportunities carefully - Consider kingdom context for strategy - Balance efficiency with utility - Adapt approach based on game state - Track Ruins distribution when relevant

Remember that while Ruined Village is among the least impactful Ruins, managing it effectively can provide small advantages that accumulate throughout the game. The key is neither overvaluing nor completely dismissing its potential utility while maintaining focus on your primary strategy.