Bridge (Intrigue)

Bridge Strategy Guide

Bridge is a powerful $4-cost Action card from Intrigue that combines economic benefits with a cost-reduction effect. Understanding how to leverage Bridge effectively can dramatically improve your deck's purchasing power and enable powerful combinations. Let's dive deep into Bridge strategy.

Core Mechanics and Basic Usage

1. Individual Card Benefits
2. +1 Buy
3. +$1
4. Global cost reduction of $1 (minimum $0)

The combination of +Buy and cost reduction makes Bridge particularly effective for multiple purchases in a single turn. The +$1 bonus, while modest, helps offset Bridge's own Action cost.

1. Key Characteristics
2. Affects all cards, including:
3. Kingdom cards
4. Victory cards
5. Treasure cards
6. Cards in hands
7. Cards in the Supply
8. Cost reduction is mandatory
9. Effect lasts for the entire turn
10. Multiple Bridges stack their effects

Basic Strategy Applications

1. Early Game In the opening turns, Bridge is generally a reasonable buy at $4, though not usually a top priority. Early Bridge acquisition can be valuable when:
2. The kingdom contains valuable $5 cards you want to access quickly
3. Multiple $3-$4 cost cards are key components of your strategy

4. You anticipate building toward a Bridge-based engine

5. Mid Game Bridge becomes increasingly powerful as you:

6. Develop deck drawing capability
7. Acquire multiple copies

8. Build toward specific cost-reduction thresholds

9. Late Game Bridge maintains utility throughout the game, particularly for:

10. Making Victory cards more affordable
11. Enabling massive buying turns
12. Supporting game-ending Province rushes

Advanced Strategy Concepts

1. Stacking Bridges One of the most powerful aspects of Bridge is that multiple plays stack additively:
2. 2 Bridges = $2 cost reduction
3. 3 Bridges = $3 cost reduction
4. 4 Bridges = $4 cost reduction

This creates opportunities for: - Mass purchasing of normally expensive cards - Converting modest treasure into significant buying power - Enabling unique combinations impossible without cost reduction

1. Cost Threshold Planning Understanding important cost thresholds helps maximize Bridge's impact:
2. $8 → $7: Makes Provinces accessible with Gold
3. $5 → $4: Opens up many powerful cards to Silver money
4. $3 → $2: Enables mass purchasing of cheap cards

5. $2 → $1: Critical for certain combo strategies

6. Action Management Bridge requires careful action management:

7. Need terminal action space to play multiple copies
8. Benefits from villages and other action suppliers
9. Works well with card draw to find multiple copies

Powerful Combinations

1. Card Draw Engines Bridge excels with cards that help you draw your deck:
2. Laboratory
3. Council Room
4. Smithy
5. Library
6. Drawing villages like Worker's Village

These enable playing multiple Bridges in one turn while maintaining hand size.

1. Action Suppliers Key cards that help play multiple Bridges:
2. Village and variants
3. Festival
4. Market
5. King's Court/Throne Room

6. Native Village

7. Specific Card Synergies

a) Throne Room/King's Court - Doubles/triples Bridge's effect - Provides cost reduction without requiring additional Bridges - Helps achieve critical cost thresholds

b) Workshop/Mining Village - Can gain cheaper components more easily - Helps establish engine pieces - Benefits from cost reduction themselves

c) Gardens - Bridge makes it easier to build wide decks - Supports rapid deck growth strategies - Can enable quick Gardens victories

d) Market - Provides additional Buys - Helps with action chain - Benefits from cost reduction

Building Bridge-Based Strategies

1. Engine Building Classic Bridge engine components:
2. 2-3 Bridges minimum
3. 3-4 sources of +Actions
4. Reliable deck drawing
5. Additional Buy sources
6. Payload cards

Steps to build: 1. Secure action supply 2. Add deck drawing 3. Acquire Bridges 4. Add payload/victory conditions

1. Big Money Hybrid When pure engine isn't viable:
2. 1-2 Bridges
3. Focus on treasure
4. Selective action cards

5. Emphasize Province buying

6. Rush Strategies Bridge can support various rush approaches:

7. Gardens rush with cheap cards
8. Duchy rush with reduced costs
9. Province rush with stacked effects

Counter-Strategy and Competition

1. Defending Against Bridge When opponents pursue Bridge strategies:
2. Contest key components
3. Rush alternate victory conditions
4. Pursue pile-ending strategies

5. Build opposing engines

6. Mirror Matches In Bridge mirrors, focus on:

7. Securing action supply first
8. Controlling Bridge split
9. Developing superior draw
10. Maintaining Buy advantage

Kingdom Considerations

1. Favorable Kingdoms Bridge thrives with:
2. Strong card draw
3. Multiple action suppliers
4. Cards with useful cost breakpoints
5. Alternative victory cards

6. Limited attack cards

7. Challenging Kingdoms Bridge struggles against:

8. Heavy attacks
9. Cursers
10. Possession
11. Limited action supply

12. Strong alt-VP strategies

13. Card Cost Considerations Pay attention to supply cards costing:

14. $5 (reduced to $4)
15. $3 (reduced to $2)
16. $2 (reduced to $1) These breakpoints often determine strategy viability.

Timing and Tempo

1. Opening Decisions Consider Bridge opening when:
2. Kingdom supports multiple action plays
3. Key cards cost $5
4. Plan to build engine

5. Limited alternative $4 options

6. Development Phase Key timing decisions:

7. When to start acquiring Bridges
8. Balance between engine pieces and Bridges
9. Transition timing to victory cards

10. Pile control considerations

11. Endgame Timing Bridge affects endgame pace through:

12. Accelerated Province buying
13. Multiple pile endings
14. Cost reduction chains
15. Victory card accessibility

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Strategic Errors
2. Over-investing in Bridges without support
3. Neglecting action supply
4. Ignoring deck drawing
5. Missing critical cost breakpoints

6. Failing to secure enough +Buys

7. Tactical Mistakes

8. Playing Bridges too early in turn
9. Miscounting cost reductions
10. Forgetting global effect
11. Poor order of operations

12. Insufficient treasure management

13. Engine Building Errors

14. Wrong component priorities
15. Insufficient quantity of key cards
16. Poor balance of elements
17. Delayed engine assembly

Advanced Tips and Techniques

1. Order of Operations Optimal Bridge turn structure:
2. Play action suppliers
3. Draw cards
4. Play Bridges
5. Make purchases

6. Consider order of buys

7. Buy Phase Optimization

8. Calculate total cost reduction
9. Plan multiple purchases
10. Consider pile ordering
11. Account for opponent responses

12. Maintain flexibility

13. Engine Optimization Fine-tuning considerations:

14. Minimum Bridge count needed
15. Action balance
16. Draw reliability
17. Buy efficiency
18. Victory card acquisition

Sample Strategies

1. Basic Bridge Engine
2. 3x Bridge
3. 4x Village variant
4. 3x Drawing card
5. 2x Market

6. Treasure as needed Goal: Consistent Province turns

7. Bridge Rush

8. 2x Bridge
9. Silver emphasis
10. Minimal actions

11. Early Duchy pressure Goal: Quick victory through cost reduction

12. Bridge Mega-Turn

13. 4x Bridge
14. Multiple throne effects
15. Heavy drawing
16. Extra Buys Goal: Single turn massive victory point gain

Conclusion

Bridge is a versatile and powerful card that rewards careful planning and strategic depth. Its cost reduction effect enables unique strategies and combinations while remaining relevant throughout the game. Success with Bridge requires: - Understanding cost breakpoints - Building appropriate support - Managing actions effectively - Timing transitions properly - Adapting to kingdom context

When properly supported, Bridge can enable some of Dominion's most powerful turns and strategies. However, it requires careful deck construction and strong fundamental play to reach its full potential. Master these concepts, and Bridge will become a valuable tool in your Dominion arsenal.