Monastery (Nocturne)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Monastery:

Monastery Strategy Guide

1. Overview

Monastery is a $2 Night-duration card from the Nocturne expansion that provides flexible trashing based on the number of cards gained during your turn. Its unique timing and conditional nature make it both powerful and challenging to use optimally.

Key Features: - Night phase timing - Flexible trashing target selection (hand or Coppers in play) - Scales with card gaining - Low cost ($2)

1. Basic Use Cases

2.1 Early Game Trashing In the early game, Monastery can serve as a reliable trasher when paired with basic gaining effects: - Buy a card + gain a Copper from your normal buy = 2 trashes - Buy Monastery + gain a Copper = 2 trashes on the following turn - Standard opening of Silver + Monastery allows for 1 trash on turn 3/4

2.2 Copper Management Monastery's ability to trash Coppers in play provides unique advantages: - Can trash Coppers after using them for money - Helps thin deck while maintaining purchasing power during the turn - Particularly useful with cards that want you to play Coppers (like Market Square or Bank)

2.3 Hand Cleanup The flexibility to trash from hand allows for: - Removing starting Estates - Culling situational cards that have outlived their usefulness - Trimming duplicate terminal actions - Removing curses or other attacks

1. Advanced Strategies

3.1 Gaining-Based Scaling Monastery becomes more powerful when paired with cards that gain multiple cards: - Workshop variants - Cursers (giving opponents Curses counts as gains for you) - Multiple buy engines - Cards that gain to hand or deck

Strong gainers that pair well: - Workshop - Artificer - Border Village - Engineer - Artisan - Haggler - Game Plan - Horn of Plenty

3.2 Timing Considerations Being a Night card creates unique opportunities: - Can assess what needs trashing after seeing your entire turn play out - Can trash cards drawn by +Card effects that were dead during the turn - Can remove duration cards after they've had their effect - Works well with Scout and other deck inspection effects

3.3 Engine Building Monastery can support engine building in several ways: - Early deck thinning - Removing unnecessary treasure during the transition phase - Trimming support cards once engine is established - Maintaining deck quality as you add components

1. Key Combinations

4.1 Strong Synergies

Gainers: - Workshop: Reliable $4 gain enables consistent 2-trash turns - Engineer: Multiple cheap gains fuel multiple trashes - Artificer: Can gain multiple cards while improving hand quality - Border Village: Gains two cards at once

Draw: - Library: Can trash dead cards drawn at end of turn - Hunting Grounds: Multiple gains plus draw - Ghost Town: Night phase draw works well with timing

Copper synergy: - Market Square: Play Coppers, trash them, gain Gold - Bank: Similar to Market Square - Merchant: Extract value from Copper before trashing - Counting House: Can trash Coppers selectively

Other: - Wandering Minstrel: Deck inspection helps planning trashes - Scheme: Can plan trashing around key cards - Tragic Hero: Gain and draw combination - Archive: Helps plan future trashes

4.2 Counter-Synergies

Cards that conflict with Monastery: - Gardens: Wants high card count - Death Cart: Needs Actions to trash - Rats: Forces unwanted gains - Fool's Gold: Wants specific Treasure ratios - Cards that want specific cards in deck (e.g., Menagerie)

1. Kingdom Considerations

5.1 When to Buy Monastery

Early Game Factors: - Presence of other trashers - Availability of gainers - Terminal space in starting deck - Importance of deck thinning to strategy

Favorable conditions: - Multiple cheap gainers available - Few other trashing options - Engine-building potential - Need for selective trashing

Less favorable conditions: - Strong alternate trashers present - Big money strategy preferred - Limited gaining effects - Kingdom rewards high card count

5.2 How Many to Buy

Usually one Monastery is sufficient because: - Night cards can't collide - Trashing needs decrease over time - $2 cost makes opportunity cost low - Can only trash based on gains

Consider multiple copies when: - Heavy gaining strategy - Need to trash quickly - Few other trashing options - Can consistently gain multiple cards

1. Strategy Tips

6.1 Opening Considerations

Strong openings with Monastery: - Silver/Monastery: Basic but effective - Workshop/Monastery: Enables quick trashing - Engineer/Monastery: Multiple gains and trashes - Monastery/Monastery: Aggressive trashing approach

6.2 Mid-Game Tactics

Maximize effectiveness by: - Planning gains around trashing needs - Keeping track of gains during turn - Considering what to trash before Night phase - Balancing deck thinning with functionality

6.3 Late Game Usage

Late game considerations: - Removing unnecessary engine components - Trimming excess money - Maintaining deck quality - Preparing for end game sprint

1. Counter-Play

7.1 Playing Against Monastery

When opponent has Monastery: - Consider rushing strategies before engine builds - Look for ways to force unwanted gains - Watch for tipping points in deck composition - Consider alternate victory conditions

7.2 Defending Against Monastery-Based Strategies

Counter measures: - Rushing alternate victory conditions - Forcing opponent to gain unwanted cards - Building more robust engines - Competing for key kingdom cards

1. Kingdom Examples

8.1 Engine Kingdom Kingdom includes: - Monastery - Village - Workshop - Market - Library

Strategy: 1. Open Workshop/Monastery 2. Use Workshop to gain components while trashing 3. Build engine while maintaining quality 4. Transition to bigger plays 5. Remove excess components late game

8.2 Big Money Kingdom Kingdom includes: - Monastery - Merchant - Silver Mine - Platinum - Colony

Strategy: 1. Open Silver/Monastery 2. Trash Coppers after use 3. Build to Platinum economy 4. Maintain lean deck 5. Rush Colonies

1. Common Mistakes

Avoid these common errors: - Overvaluing trashing versus gaining - Forgetting to count gains - Trashing too aggressively - Neglecting economy while thinning - Poor timing of Night phase decisions

1. Conclusion

Monastery is a versatile trashing card that rewards careful planning and strategic gaining. Its Night phase timing and scaling ability make it unique among trashers. Success with Monastery requires: - Understanding gaining opportunities - Careful timing of trashes - Balancing deck composition - Maintaining economic viability

Key takeaways: 1. Plan gains to maximize trashing 2. Use Night timing advantageously 3. Balance trashing with deck function 4. Consider kingdom context 5. Adapt strategy as game progresses

Monastery's $2 cost makes it an accessible option for deck improvement, while its scaling ability keeps it relevant throughout the game. Master its use by focusing on gaining synergies and timing considerations, while remaining mindful of overall strategy and kingdom context.

Remember that Monastery's effectiveness often depends more on the gaining capabilities of the kingdom than on the card itself. Building your strategy around maximizing both gains and meaningful trashes will help you make the most of this flexible card.