Doctor (Guilds)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Doctor in Dominion:

Doctor Strategy Guide

Introduction Doctor is a unique card from the Guilds expansion that combines trashing capabilities with deck inspection and manipulation. Its flexibility comes from two distinct abilities: a base action that can selectively trash cards, and an overpay effect that provides card filtering when purchased. Understanding how to leverage both aspects of Doctor is key to using it effectively.

Basic Mechanics

Action Effect: - Name a card - Reveal top 3 cards - Trash any matches - Return non-matches in any order

Overpay Effect: - Can pay extra when buying - For each $1 overpaid: - Look at top card - Choose to trash, discard, or keep it - Maximum overpay determined by available money

Core Strategic Uses

1. Targeted Trashing The primary use of Doctor as an action is to remove specific cards from your deck. Unlike many trashers that can only hit certain card types or costs, Doctor can potentially trash any named card, making it highly versatile.

Key aspects: - Can name any card you want gone - Sees three cards at once - Multiple copies can be trashed simultaneously - Provides deck tracking information - Allows reordering of non-trashed cards

1. Deck Inspection and Manipulation Even when not trashing, Doctor provides valuable information about your deck composition and lets you arrange the top cards, which can be valuable for planning future turns.

2. Overpay Flexibility The overpay ability provides immediate deck improvement upon purchase, making Doctor unique among trashers. This can be especially valuable in the mid-game when deciding whether to invest in trashing.

Optimal Timing

Early Game: - Best purchased early if using as a primary trasher - Consider overpaying significantly (2-3 extra) to immediately start deck improvement - Target starting Coppers and Estates - Can help thin deck quickly if you hit multiple copies

Mid Game: - Transitions well to targeting specific cards that have outlived their usefulness - Overpay becomes less important as deck quality improves - Use for deck manipulation when trashing becomes less crucial

Late Game: - Generally less useful for trashing - Can help locate specific cards needed for engine operation - May still be valuable for reordering cards

Strategic Considerations

1. Naming Strategy Choosing what to name with Doctor requires careful consideration:

Priority Targets: - Starting Coppers and Estates early - Mid-game transitional cards - Dead cards in late game - Cards that clash with your strategy

Factors to Consider: - Current deck composition - Probability of hitting named card - Alternative cards you might reveal - Whether keeping revealed cards on top is beneficial

1. Overpay Decision Making

Amount to Overpay: - Early game: Higher overpay (2-4) to accelerate deck improvement - Mid game: Moderate overpay (1-2) if deck still needs work - Late game: Minimal overpay unless seeking specific cards

Factors Affecting Overpay: - Available money - Current deck quality - Game tempo - Presence of other deck improvement options - Whether you need the Doctor action immediately

1. Deck Manipulation The ability to reorder non-trashed cards and choose what to do with overpay reveals provides significant deck manipulation potential:

Uses: - Setting up next turn's draw - Ensuring critical cards are drawn together - Avoiding dead draws - Preparing for shuffle timing

Synergies and Combinations

1. Draw Cards Doctor works well with cards that draw multiple cards:
2. Laboratory
3. Smithy
4. Council Room
5. Drawing engines in general

Benefits: - More likely to see named cards - Can set up strong draws - Helps find Doctor when needed

1. Deck Inspection Cards Combines effectively with other cards that care about deck order:
2. Scrying Pool
3. Oracle
4. Navigator

5. Cartographer

6. Action-Heavy Engines Doctor fits well in action-based engines:

7. Village variants provide actions for Doctor
8. Can help find key engine pieces

9. Allows selective removal of unnecessary components

10. Treasury Effects Works well with cards that care about top-deck quality:

11. Watchtower
12. Treasury
13. Scheme
14. Market Square

Counter-Strategies and Weaknesses

1. Limited Immediate Impact
2. Base action doesn't guarantee trashing
3. Requires good naming choices

4. May miss entirely if named card isn't in top 3

5. Action Cost

6. Competes for actions in engine decks
7. May not always justify action use late game

8. Can be terminal dead weight if drawn with wrong cards

9. Cost Effectiveness

10. $3 base cost plus overpay can be expensive
11. Competing options might provide more reliable trashing
12. Opportunity cost of money spent on overpay

Comparing to Other Trashers

Advantages over other trashers: - Can target any card - Provides deck manipulation - Immediate impact through overpay - Flexible trashing options

Disadvantages: - Less reliable than Chapel - More expensive than Chapel or Steward - Requires good naming choices - Takes an action to use

When to Buy Doctor

Favorable Conditions: 1. Early game with sufficient money to overpay 2. No stronger trashing alternatives available 3. Deck benefits from selective trashing 4. Engine components present that benefit from deck manipulation 5. Kingdom lacks other deck improvement options

Unfavorable Conditions: 1. Strong trashing alternatives present (Chapel, Steward) 2. Action-constrained environments 3. Rush strategies where time is critical 4. Very late in the game 5. Insufficient money for meaningful overpay

Sample Game Situations

Early Game Example: Turn 2 with $6: - Could buy Doctor+$3 overpay - Look at/trash/discard three cards immediately - Set up for strong turn 3 - Target Coppers/Estates on subsequent plays

Mid Game Engine Building: - Use Doctor to name key cards you need multiples of - Arrange engine pieces in optimal order - Remove transitional cards that no longer help

Late Game Optimization: - Name Province to avoid drawing when buying others - Arrange Victory cards to minimize dead draws - Set up specific combinations needed for final turns

Tips and Tricks

1. Tracking and Information
2. Keep mental note of cards seen
3. Use information to improve future naming choices

4. Track shuffle timing to maximize effectiveness

5. Overpay Optimization

6. Consider whether to overpay based on next turn's needs
7. Use overpay to set up or break up specific combinations

8. Don't feel compelled to trash everything during overpay

9. Timing Considerations

10. Play Doctor before draw cards when possible
11. Consider whether to save for critical turns

12. Use as last action when reordering cards matters

13. Naming Strategy

14. Name most common unwanted card when uncertain
15. Consider naming cards you want to find (not trash) for information
16. Adjust naming priority as deck composition changes

Conclusion

Doctor is a versatile card that requires careful thought to use optimally. Its combination of selective trashing, deck manipulation, and overpay flexibility makes it a unique tool in the right circumstances. While not as consistently powerful as some other trashers, its ability to adapt to different game stages and provide additional utility beyond pure trashing makes it a valuable addition to many strategies.

Success with Doctor comes from: - Understanding when to buy and how much to overpay - Making good naming choices based on deck composition - Leveraging the deck manipulation aspects - Combining effectively with other cards - Recognizing when its utility is diminishing

When used thoughtfully, Doctor can provide the precise deck improvements needed while offering additional strategic options through its deck manipulation capabilities. While it may not always be the optimal choice, understanding its strengths and limitations will help you recognize the situations where it can shine.