Peddler (Prosperity)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Peddler:

Peddler Strategy Guide

Introduction Peddler is one of the most interesting cards in Prosperity, featuring a unique cost-reduction mechanism that makes it potentially very cheap during the Buy phase. While its base effects (+1 Card, +1 Action, +$1) are modest, the ability to acquire it cheaply when playing action-heavy turns makes it a versatile addition to many engines.

Basic Mechanics - Base cost is $8, but reduces by $2 for each Action card you have in play during your Buy phase - Minimum cost is $0, no matter how many Actions you have in play - Provides +1 Card, +1 Action, and +$1 when played - Cost reduction only applies during your Buy phase, not during other players' turns or during other phases of your turn

Core Strengths 1. Self-replacing action that provides money - Doesn't take up action slots in your deck - Contributes to both drawing and economy - Helps maintain engine consistency

1. Flexible acquisition cost
2. Can be bought for as little as $0 with enough Actions in play
3. Allows for efficient deck-building when paired with village/draw engines

4. Can sometimes grab multiple copies in a single turn

5. Natural engine component

6. Helps maintain action chains
7. Provides small but useful bonuses
8. Doesn't compete with terminal actions

Strategic Considerations

1. Timing Your Purchases The key to maximizing Peddler's effectiveness is understanding when to buy it. Several factors influence this decision:

a) Early Game - Usually too expensive to buy early without specific support cards - Better to focus on building engine components first - Exception: kingdoms with strong cost reduction or mega-turn potential

b) Mid Game - Prime time to start acquiring Peddlers - Engine should be established enough to play multiple Actions - Can often get them at significant discount

c) Late Game - Still valuable if engine is running well - Can sometimes grab multiple copies cheaply - Consider victory card priority

1. Engine Requirements

To make Peddler truly shine, you need:

a) Villages/Splitters - Multiple actions per turn enable cost reduction - Allow you to play many Peddlers in one turn - Examples: Village, Festival, Market Square

b) Card Draw - Helps find your Peddlers - Enables playing more Actions for cost reduction - Examples: Laboratory, Council Room, Smithy

c) Action density - More Actions in deck = cheaper Peddlers - Need reliable way to play multiple Actions - Balance between support cards and Peddlers

Key Synergies

1. Village/Draw Engines
2. Native Villagers (Renaissance)
3. Laboratory variants

4. Worker's Village These provide the foundation for playing multiple Actions, making Peddlers cheaper and more effective.

5. Cost Reducers

6. Bridge
7. Highway

8. Quarry Stack additional cost reduction to potentially get Peddlers for free earlier.

9. Throne Room Effects

10. Throne Room
11. King's Court

12. Crown Double/triple the benefits while increasing Action count for cost reduction.

13. Action-heavy Cards

14. Market
15. Festival

16. Grand Market Cards that naturally want to be played in quantity help reduce Peddler's cost.

17. Duration Cards

18. Fishing Village
19. Caravan
20. Wharf Actions that stay in play help reduce Peddler's cost on future turns.

Counter Strategies

1. Rush Strategies
2. Aggressive Province rushing can end game before Peddler engine develops

3. Gardens strategies can outpace Peddler's deck improvement

4. Attacks

5. Militia/Discard attacks can disrupt Action chains
6. Ghost Ship can prevent drawing key components

7. Possession can steal cheap Peddlers

8. Alternative Engines

9. Big Money might be faster in some kingdoms
10. Treasure-based strategies don't care about Action count

Playing Against Peddler

When opposing a Peddler strategy:

1. Pressure the game length
2. Don't give them time to fully develop
3. Contest key kingdom piles

4. Consider alternate victory conditions

5. Compete for key components

6. Target crucial village/draw cards

7. Split piles that enable their engine

8. Use attacks effectively

9. Time attacks to disrupt crucial turns
10. Focus on breaking Action chains

Building Around Peddler

1. Basic Engine Template
2. 2-3 Villages/Splitters
3. 2-3 Draw cards
4. 3-5 Peddlers

5. Additional payload/victory cards

6. Optimization Considerations

7. Balance between engine pieces and Peddlers
8. Timing of Peddler acquisitions

9. Victory card strategy

10. Deck Composition Goals

11. Aim for 65-75% Action cards
12. Include reliable treasure for early game
13. Maintain proper village/terminal ratio

Common Mistakes

1. Buying Too Early
2. Purchasing at full price
3. Neglecting essential engine pieces

4. Insufficient Action support

5. Overcommitting

6. Too many Peddlers
7. Not enough payload

8. Neglecting victory cards

9. Poor Timing

10. Missing optimal purchase windows
11. Wrong phase of game development
12. Incorrect turn ordering

Advanced Techniques

1. Multi-Peddler Turns
2. Set up turns to buy multiple copies
3. Calculate optimal Action sequencing

4. Maintain enough buying power

5. Engine Acceleration

6. Use Peddlers to enhance existing engines
7. Time purchases for maximum impact

8. Balance with other priorities

9. Endgame Optimization

10. Know when to pivot to victory cards
11. Calculate remaining turn efficiency
12. Manage pile control

Kingdom Evaluation

When evaluating Peddler in a kingdom, consider:

1. Support Cards
2. Village availability
3. Draw quality

4. Cost reduction presence

5. Competing Strategies

6. Rush potential
7. Attack presence

8. Alternative engines

9. Board Context

10. Colony/Platinum presence
11. Event/Project availability
12. Landscape effects

Conclusion

Peddler is a fascinating card that rewards careful deck building and tactical play. Its variable cost mechanism makes it uniquely suited to action-heavy engines while requiring thoughtful timing and strategy. Success with Peddler depends on:

• Building appropriate engine support
• Timing purchases effectively
• Maintaining proper deck composition
• Understanding kingdom context

While not always the optimal strategy, Peddler can be extremely powerful in the right circumstances and provides interesting decisions throughout the game.

Quick Tips: - Don't rush to buy early without support - Focus on engine development first - Time purchases when Actions are in play - Consider multiple copies when cheap - Balance with victory card acquisition

Sample Opening Strategies:

Strong: - Silver + Village - Double Silver (if no good $3-4) - Terminal draw + economy

Weak: - Early Peddler at full price - Double terminal draw - Pure economy without Actions

Remember that Peddler's strength comes from its flexibility and ability to enhance existing engines rather than being a primary strategy focus. Use it to complement your deck's core strategy while taking advantage of cost reduction when available.

Additional Considerations

1. Online Play
2. Track Action count carefully
3. Plan turns in advance

4. Watch for timing windows

5. Multiplayer Dynamics

6. More competition for key components
7. Increased attack probability

8. Different pile depletion patterns

9. Tournament Play

10. Higher skill ceiling
11. More complex timing decisions
12. Greater need for adaptation

With proper understanding and application of these principles, Peddler can be a powerful tool in your Dominion strategy arsenal. Its unique cost mechanism and solid basic effects make it a valuable addition to many action-based strategies while requiring careful timing and deck building considerations for optimal use.