Cursed Village
Some card images may not be available for public viewing.

Cursed Village (Nocturne)

Cost: $5

Type: Action-Doom

Text: +2 Actions\nDraw until you have 6 cards in hand.\dWhen you gain this, receive a Hex.

Strategy Review

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Cursed Village:

Cursed Village Strategy Guide

Introduction Cursed Village is a complex draw card from the Nocturne expansion that offers significant drawing power with an important catch: receiving a Hex whenever you gain it. Understanding how to leverage its benefits while managing its drawbacks is key to using it effectively.

Core Benefits 1. +2 Actions - Provides significant action chain potential - Allows you to play multiple terminal actions after it - Helps prevent terminal collision

  1. Draw to 6
  2. Guarantees a specific hand size
  3. Can draw multiple cards if your hand is small
  4. Can potentially draw zero cards if you already have 6+ cards

The Hex Factor Every time you gain a Cursed Village, you receive a Hex. This is a significant drawback that must be factored into any strategy involving multiple Cursed Villages. The possible Hexes are:

  • Bad Omens (Put your deck into your discard pile, then put your discard pile into your deck)
  • Delusion (-1 Card next turn)
  • Envy (Next turn, cards cost $2 more)
  • Famine (Skip your next Buy phase)
  • Fear (Discard down to 3 cards)
  • Greed (Gain a Copper)
  • Misery (Take -1 VP token)
  • Poverty (Next turn, copper produces no money)
  • War (Trash the top card of your deck)
  • Locusts (Trash the top card of your deck, gain a cheaper card that shares a type with it)

Basic Strategy Considerations

  1. Timing of Acquisition
  2. Early Game: Can be a strong early purchase if you can handle the Hex effects
  3. Mid Game: Most effective when you have other draw cards or +Actions

  4. Late Game: Less desirable due to Hex accumulation

  5. Number to Buy The optimal number of Cursed Villages depends on several factors:

  6. Game length
  7. Presence of other draw cards
  8. Kingdom's Hex mitigation options
  9. Opponent's strategy
  10. Available trashing

Generally, 2-3 Cursed Villages is a reasonable number in most decks. More than that increases the risk of multiple Hexes significantly impacting your deck's performance.

Synergies and Combinations

  1. Action Chains Cursed Village works exceptionally well with:
  2. Village variants (Native Village, Fishing Village, etc.)
  3. Laboratory variants

  4. Cantrips (actions that draw at least one card) The +2 Actions makes it an excellent opener for action chains.

  5. Hand Size Manipulation Cards that affect hand size can optimize Cursed Village's draw:

  6. Library (can work together to maintain large hand sizes)
  7. Reserve cards (can be called after Cursed Village draws)

  8. Discard effects (can strategically reduce hand size before playing)

  9. Hex Mitigation Several cards can help manage the Hex effects:

  10. Blessed Village (gives Boons to counter Hexes)
  11. Way of the Mouse (can avoid gaining Hexes when gaining copies)

  12. Bridge Troll (if you're getting Hexed anyway, might as well benefit)

  13. Card Cost Manipulation Since Cursed Village costs $5, cost reduction effects can help acquire it earlier:

  14. Bridge
  15. Highway
  16. Princess
  17. Crown

Counter-Strategies

  1. Rush Strategies
  2. Fast Province rushes can outpace Cursed Village decks

  3. Cursed Village takes time to set up and manage Hexes

  4. Junking

  5. Cursed Village becomes less effective with more junk cards

  6. Ruins and Curses reduce its drawing effectiveness

  7. Alternate Victory Conditions

  8. Gardens strategies can work well as Cursed Village tends to build bigger decks
  9. VP token strategies aren't affected by draw quality

Specific Kingdom Considerations

  1. Strong Kingdoms for Cursed Village
  2. Kingdoms with trashing (Chapel, Steward)
  3. Kingdoms with other strong draw cards
  4. Kingdoms with +Buy and cheap useful cards

  5. Kingdoms with ways to mitigate Hexes

  6. Weak Kingdoms for Cursed Village

  7. Kingdoms without trashing
  8. Kingdoms where terminals are crucial
  9. Kingdoms where hand size matters less
  10. Kingdoms where Hexes would be particularly punishing

Advanced Techniques

  1. Hand Size Management
  2. Track your deck carefully to predict hand sizes
  3. Consider waiting to play Cursed Village until after other draws

  4. Use discard effects strategically to maximize draws

  5. Hex Timing

  6. Try to gain Cursed Villages when certain Hexes would be less impactful
  7. Consider gaining multiple copies in the same turn to concentrate Hex effects

  8. Use Hexes strategically when possible (e.g., Bad Omens to cycle deck)

  9. Deck Composition Planning

  10. Build your deck to be resilient to various Hex effects
  11. Include alternative draw sources
  12. Maintain good treasure density

Sample Strategies

  1. Action-Heavy Engine Components:
  2. 2-3 Cursed Villages
  3. Multiple village cards
  4. Strong payload cards

  5. Trashing Strategy: Build a consistent engine that can handle occasional Hex disruption while maintaining strong turns.

  6. Big Money Hybrid Components:

  7. 1-2 Cursed Villages
  8. Strong treasure cards

  9. Limited actions Strategy: Use Cursed Village to find key treasures while accepting occasional Hex effects.

  10. Rush Strategy Components:

  11. 1 Cursed Village
  12. Strong $5 cards
  13. Multiple buys Strategy: Use Cursed Village to find key cards quickly while racing to end game conditions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Over-Investment
  2. Buying too many Cursed Villages
  3. Not having enough other components to support them

  4. Ignoring the cumulative effect of Hexes

  5. Poor Timing

  6. Gaining Cursed Village when vulnerable to certain Hexes
  7. Playing it too early in your action phase

  8. Not considering opponent's timing

  9. Inadequate Support

  10. Not having enough trashing
  11. Lacking alternate draw sources
  12. Insufficient action support

Special Considerations

  1. Multiplayer Games
  2. Hex effects become more diluted
  3. More opportunities for counter-play

  4. Different optimal numbers of Cursed Villages

  5. Colony Games

  6. Longer game length affects Hex accumulation
  7. More time to build complex engines

  8. Different valuation of draw power

  9. Prosperity Games

  10. Higher treasure density affects draw value
  11. More expensive cards increase draw importance
  12. Different timing considerations

Opening Strategies

  1. $5/$2
  2. Cursed Village/Pearl Diver
  3. Cursed Village/Nothing

  4. Consider alternatives if Hexes would be particularly bad

  5. $4/$3

  6. Usually better to wait for Cursed Village

  7. Consider setting up support cards first

  8. $5/$5

  9. Usually don't want double Cursed Village opening
  10. Consider one Cursed Village plus support card

Conclusion

Cursed Village is a powerful but complex card that requires careful consideration of: - Kingdom context - Hex effects and mitigation - Deck composition - Timing - Number of copies

Success with Cursed Village comes from: 1. Understanding when to include it 2. Managing Hex effects effectively 3. Building appropriate support around it 4. Timing acquisitions and plays carefully

When used properly, it can be a strong engine component or draw card, but it requires more skill and consideration than simpler draw cards. The key is balancing its powerful effects against the inevitable Hex drawbacks.

Final Tips: - Start conservative with 1-2 copies - Build proper support before adding more - Always consider alternative draw cards - Pay attention to Hex timing - Keep track of deck composition - Be prepared to adapt strategy based on received Hexes

Remember that Cursed Village's effectiveness varies significantly based on kingdom composition and player count. Always evaluate the specific context before committing to a Cursed Village strategy.