Cache
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Cache (Hinterlands)

Cost: $5

Type: Treasure

Text: Worth $3\dWhen you gain this, gain two Coppers.

Strategy Review

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Cache:

Cache Strategy Guide

Introduction: Cache is a unique $5-cost Treasure card from Hinterlands that provides $3 when played and forces you to gain two Coppers when you gain it. This combination of effects creates interesting strategic considerations and makes Cache a card that requires careful evaluation before incorporating it into your deck-building strategy.

Core Characteristics: - Provides $3 when played - Gains two Coppers when gained - $5 cost - Treasure type

Basic Value Assessment: To understand Cache's value, let's break down its key aspects:

  1. Money Density Cache provides $3 for one card, which is an excellent money density ratio. This is the same ratio as Gold, making it efficient in terms of buying power per card played.

  2. The Copper Gaining "Drawback" The forced gaining of two Coppers is generally a drawback, as it:

  3. Dilutes deck density
  4. Adds low-value cards to your deck
  5. Can clog your hand with weak treasures
  6. Makes your deck less efficient overall

However, this "drawback" can sometimes be turned into an advantage with the right support cards.

When to Buy Cache:

Good Situations for Cache:

  1. Trash-for-Benefit Engines If your deck has reliable trashing cards that can benefit from the extra Coppers, Cache becomes more attractive. Examples include:
  2. Forge (turning Coppers into better cards)
  3. Apprentice (trashing Coppers for cards)
  4. Bishop (getting VP from trashing Coppers)

  5. Moneylender (converting Coppers to $3)

  6. Copper Synergy Cards Some cards specifically benefit from having Coppers:

  7. Apothecary (drawing Coppers to hand)
  8. Counting House (collecting Coppers from your discard pile)
  9. Loan (revealing more Treasures)

  10. Merchant Guild (more Treasures = more +Buy tokens)

  11. Card-Gaining Benefits When there are rewards for gaining cards:

  12. Tunnel (revealing for Gold when gaining Coppers)
  13. Watchtower (transforming gained Coppers)
  14. Trader (turning gained Coppers into Silvers)

  15. Market Square (discarding for Gold when trashing Coppers)

  16. Strong Deck Control When you have excellent deck control through:

  17. Strong drawing power
  18. Good trashing capabilities
  19. Efficient deck cycling
  20. Card selection abilities

Poor Situations for Cache:

  1. Thin Deck Strategies Avoid Cache when:
  2. Running a lean engine
  3. Using Chapel without other trashers
  4. Focusing on deck efficiency

  5. Playing Province rush strategies

  6. Limited Actions Skip Cache when:

  7. You lack extra actions
  8. Your deck relies on action chains

  9. You can't handle dead Copper draws

  10. No Copper Synergy Avoid when:

  11. You have no way to leverage extra Coppers
  12. Deck dilution would hurt your strategy
  13. You lack trashing capabilities

Advanced Strategy Considerations:

  1. Timing Your Cache Purchase

Early Game: - Generally avoid early Cache purchases - Exception: Strong trasher openings - Consider if strong Copper synergies exist

Mid Game: - Best time to add Cache if conditions are right - Ensure engine can handle extra Coppers - Have trashing/synergy pieces in place

Late Game: - Avoid unless desperate for money - Consider only with strong deck control - May help reach Province cost quickly

  1. Multiple Cache Considerations

Pros of Multiple Caches: - High money density - Efficient when drawn together - Can create big money turns

Cons of Multiple Caches: - More Coppers flooding deck - Increased deck dilution - Higher risk of dead draws

  1. Cache in Different Deck Types:

Engine Decks: - Need strong trashing - Require extra actions - Best with Copper synergies - Consider deck space carefully

Big Money: - Can work in modified big money - Needs support cards - Consider money density carefully - Watch deck dilution

Rush Strategies: - Generally poor fit - Exception: Copper synergy rushes - Avoid in Province rush - Consider in alternate VP strategies

Key Synergies and Combinations:

  1. Trashing Synergies:

Strong Combinations: - Chapel + Cache: Basic but effective - Forge + Cache: Convert Coppers to better cards - Trading Post + Cache: Turn Coppers into Silvers - Apprentice + Cache: Draw cards from trashing

  1. Copper Utilization:

Direct Synergies: - Apothecary: Draws Coppers efficiently - Counting House: Makes Coppers valuable - Bank: More Treasures = more value - Merchant Guild: More Buy opportunities

  1. Gaining Synergies:

Beneficial Interactions: - Watchtower: Control gained Coppers - Trader: Convert gained Coppers - Mining Village: Extra actions for Copper plays - Market Square: Profit from trashing

  1. Draw and Deck Control:

Supporting Cards: - Laboratory: Extra cards and actions - Warehouse: Filter unwanted Coppers - Cellar: Discard dead Coppers - Library: Draw to specific hand size

Counter-Strategy:

Playing Against Cache:

  1. Deck Attack:
  2. Use discard attacks to strand Coppers
  3. Employ deck inspection attacks

  4. Consider hand size reduction

  5. Rush Strategies:

  6. Pressure provinces before engine setup
  7. Target alternative victory cards

  8. Exploit slower Cache deck building

  9. Resource Denial:

  10. Drain key support cards
  11. Contest important trashers
  12. Block crucial engine pieces

Defending Your Cache Strategy:

  1. Deck Protection:
  2. Maintain strong deck control
  3. Include multiple trashing options

  4. Have backup money sources

  5. Engine Resilience:

  6. Build redundant action sources
  7. Include multiple draw cards

  8. Maintain flexibility in strategy

  9. Tempo Management:

  10. Balance Cache purchases
  11. Time support card acquisitions
  12. Monitor deck efficiency

Sample Strategies:

  1. Cache Engine:
  2. Open: Chapel/Silver
  3. Early: Add draw and actions
  4. Mid: Add Cache with support

  5. Late: Focus on provinces

  6. Cache Money:

  7. Open: Silver/Silver
  8. Early: Build money base
  9. Mid: Add Cache selectively

  10. Late: Buy provinces

  11. Cache Combo:

  12. Open: Key combo piece
  13. Early: Establish engine
  14. Mid: Add Cache for synergy
  15. Late: Execute combo

Kingdom Recommendations:

Good Kingdoms for Cache:

  1. Heavy Trashing:
  2. Multiple trashers available
  3. Action generation present

  4. Draw cards available

  5. Copper Synergy:

  6. Clear Copper utilization
  7. Supporting actions present

  8. Deck control available

  9. Gaining Benefits:

  10. Cards rewarding gains
  11. Trash for benefit options
  12. Resource conversion available

Poor Kingdoms for Cache:

  1. Lean Strategies:
  2. Limited actions
  3. No trashing

  4. Province rush viable

  5. Attack Heavy:

  6. Hand size attacks
  7. Discard attacks

  8. Deck inspection

  9. Alternative VP:

  10. Gardens strategies
  11. Duke strategies
  12. Fast VP rush

Conclusion:

Cache is a complex card that requires careful consideration and support to use effectively. Its high money density is balanced by the forced gaining of Coppers, making it a card that can either enhance or hinder your strategy depending on your deck composition and available kingdom cards.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Support Required:
  2. Need trashing or Copper synergy
  3. Require strong deck control

  4. Benefits from card gaining rewards

  5. Timing Matters:

  6. Avoid early without support
  7. Best in mid-game with infrastructure

  8. Late game requires careful evaluation

  9. Kingdom Context:

  10. Evaluate available support cards
  11. Consider opponent's strategy

  12. Account for kingdom timing

  13. Strategy Integration:

  14. Must fit overall plan
  15. Requires proper support
  16. Benefits from synergistic combinations

When properly supported, Cache can be a powerful addition to your deck, providing excellent money density while turning its apparent drawback into an advantage. However, it requires careful planning and the right kingdom cards to reach its full potential.