Pawn (Intrigue)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Pawn:

Pawn Strategy Guide

Introduction Pawn is a flexible $2 Action card from Intrigue that lets you choose two different bonuses from four options: +1 Card, +1 Action, +1 Buy, and +$1. Its versatility makes it an interesting opening purchase and utility card throughout the game, though its modest benefits mean it rarely forms the core of a winning strategy.

Key Strengths 1. Flexibility - Can adapt to your needs each turn - Helps smooth out hands that are missing specific components - Low opportunity cost at $2 - Non-terminal when +Action is chosen

1. Reliability
2. Always provides two useful benefits
3. Never dead in hand

4. Can't be blocked by attacks

5. Early Game Utility

6. Strong opening buy
7. Helps establish engine components
8. Provides economic boost when needed

Basic Usage Patterns

1. Opening Buy Considerations Pawn makes a solid opening buy for several reasons:
2. Helps hit important price points early ($5/$6)
3. Provides deck velocity through drawing
4. Can facilitate 5/2 openings by providing extra buying power

5. Works well paired with most other opening cards

6. Common Choice Combinations

a) +Card/+Action - Best for engine building - Maintains action chain while cycling deck - Similar to Laboratory but more flexible when needed

b) +Card/+$1 - Helps hit key price points - Good for money-focused strategies - Useful when you need both components but lack actions

c) +Action/+$1 - Enables playing other terminals while providing economy - Good for hands with multiple terminal actions - Helps establish early engine pieces

d) +Buy/+$1 - Essential for multiple-buy turns - Useful in strategies requiring frequent small purchases - Helps optimize turn efficiency

e) +Card/+Buy - Good for finding key cards while enabling multiple purchases - Useful in engine builds that generate excess money

f) +Action/+Buy - Enables playing terminals while setting up multiple purchases - Less common but valuable in specific situations

Strategic Considerations

1. Early Game
2. Strong contender for opening buy
3. Helps establish consistency
4. Provides flexibility while developing strategy
5. Can complement virtually any other opening card

Opening Pairs: - Pawn/Silver: Solid economic foundation with flexibility - Pawn/Terminal Action: Action helps prevent collision - Double Pawn: Reasonable but usually inferior to mixed openings

1. Mid Game Uses evolve as the game progresses:
2. Engine support card
3. Economy booster
4. Buy enabler

5. Deck velocity maintenance

6. Late Game Remains useful through:

7. Finding key cards
8. Enabling crucial multiple buys
9. Providing terminal space
10. Contributing small economic boosts

Synergies and Combinations

1. Engine Components Pawn works well with:
2. Village variants (can choose +Card when actions abundant)
3. Draw cards (can skip +Card for other benefits)
4. Throne Room effects (flexibility multiplied)

5. Duration cards (helps fill gaps between duration effects)

6. Economic Enhancers Synergizes with:

7. Treasure Map (helps find pairs)
8. Bank (adds another Treasure card)
9. Venture (increases Treasure density)

10. Market Square (complements flexible benefits)

11. Buy-Focused Strategies Particularly useful with:

12. Gardens (enables multiple cheap buys)
13. Monument (maximizes VP gain)
14. Port (helps build critical mass)

15. Haggler (enables trigger turns)

16. Action Chains Supports:

17. Laboratory variants (provides flexibility when needed)
18. Hunting Party (helps find unique cards)
19. Library (contributes to hand size)
20. Draw-to-X cards (helps reach targets)

Counter-Strategies and Weaknesses

1. Limited Impact
2. Individual benefits are modest
3. May be outclassed by more focused cards

4. Requires multiple copies for significant effect

5. Opportunity Cost

6. Competes with other $2 cards
7. May delay crucial purchases

8. Takes deck space from more impactful cards

9. Scaling Issues

10. Benefits don't improve over time
11. May become less relevant in mature engines
12. Can be dead weight in highly optimized decks

Comparing to Alternative Cards

1. Other $2 Cards vs. Chapel:
2. More flexible but less transformative
3. Better for gradual improvement
4. Worse for deck transformation

vs. Cellar: - More reliable benefits - Less sifting power - Better economic contribution

vs. Harbor Village: - Less focused on actions - More flexible benefits - Better early game utility

1. Similar Effect Cards vs. Market:
2. Cheaper but fewer benefits
3. More flexible in choosing effects
4. Better early game purchase

vs. Worker's Village: - Less powerful but more adaptable - Better early game accessibility - Worse for dedicated engine building

Building Around Pawn

1. Engine Support
2. Use as supplementary engine piece
3. Choose benefits based on hand composition

4. Maintain flexibility for varying needs

5. Money Strategies

6. Provide economic boost when needed
7. Enable crucial additional buys

8. Help find key treasures

9. Rush Strategies

10. Enable multiple cheap purchases
11. Provide necessary deck velocity
12. Support fast Province gaining

Kingdom Analysis

When evaluating Pawn in a kingdom, consider:

1. Available Engine Pieces
2. Strong villages suggest less need for +Action
3. Draw cards reduce value of +Card

4. Terminal space affects choice patterns

5. Economic Environment

6. Presence of alternate economy sources
7. Value of +$1 in context

8. Buy requirements of key cards

9. Victory Card Considerations

10. Alternate VP sources
11. Rush potential

12. Endgame timing

13. Attack Environment

14. Handsize attacks increase +Card value
15. Action attacks increase +Action value
16. Buy attacks increase +Buy value

Number of Pawns to Buy

1. Minimal Investment (1-2)
2. Basic utility
3. Support role

4. Early game focus

5. Medium Investment (3-4)

6. Consistent access
7. Regular flexibility

8. Engine support

9. Heavy Investment (5+)

10. Rare but possible
11. Specific strategies only
12. Usually suboptimal

Timing Considerations

1. Early Game
2. Priority on +Card/+Action for setup
3. +Buy/+$1 for key purchases

4. Flexibility for varying needs

5. Mid Game

6. Support engine development
7. Enable multiple buys

8. Provide economic boost

9. Late Game

10. Find key cards
11. Enable crucial purchases
12. Maintain engine function

Advanced Techniques

1. Choice Optimization
2. Track deck composition
3. Consider next turn needs

4. Balance immediate vs. future value

5. Multi-Pawn Sequencing

6. Order Pawns effectively
7. Maintain option flexibility

8. Maximize benefit combinations

9. Endgame Transitions

10. Adapt choices for sprint
11. Enable key purchases
12. Find crucial cards

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Over-Investment
2. Buying too many copies
3. Relying too heavily on flexibility

4. Neglecting more impactful cards

5. Poor Choice Selection

6. Choosing suboptimal combinations
7. Not adapting to game state

8. Ignoring hand composition

9. Timing Errors

10. Playing too early/late in turn
11. Missing key purchase opportunities
12. Poor sequencing with other cards

Conclusion

Pawn is a solid utility card that provides consistent value through flexibility. While rarely the centerpiece of a winning strategy, it excels in supporting roles and helping establish early game consistency. Its greatest strength lies in its ability to adapt to varying needs while maintaining a low opportunity cost.

Key Takeaways: - Strong opening buy - Flexible support card - Consistent utility - Adaptable benefits - Low opportunity cost

Success with Pawn comes from understanding its role as a support card and maximizing its flexibility while not over-investing or relying too heavily on its modest benefits. Used properly, it can smooth out early game development and provide crucial support throughout the game.

Remember: - Choose benefits based on current needs - Maintain flexibility in planning - Don't over-invest - Adapt usage as game develops - Consider kingdom context

With proper understanding and application, Pawn can be a valuable addition to many strategies while rarely detracting from overall deck effectiveness.