Haunted Woods

Basic Info

• Type: Action-Attack-Duration
• Cost: 5
• Effect: At the start of your next turn, +3 Cards. Until then, when any other player gains a card they bought, they put their hand onto their deck in any order.

Rating

Adventures terminal-draw fused with a buy-phase attack. +3 next turn = Smithy equivalent, but the duration "topdeck on bought gain" devastates Province phase.

Opponents lose hand size on purchase. Multi-Province turns nearly disabled. Tier A.

How to Play

Buy at $5. Build to 2-3 copies, fire one each turn for continuous lock.

Lock triggers only on bought gains, not on-gain. Opponents may buy nothing to avoid the lock — but that costs them tempo too.

Mid-game when opponent enters Province phase, Haunted Woods peaks: Province bought = entire hand to topdeck = next turn starved.

When to Pick / Skip

Shines on:

1. Opponent build aims for multi-buy Province.
2. No reactions (Moat / Lighthouse).
3. Engine-favorable (fire every turn).

Skip:

1. Heavy reactions in supply.
2. Rush boards.
3. Mirror Haunted Woods cancels.

Key Combos

Haunted Woods + King's Court: Duration doubled. +6 Cards next turn, 2 attack triggers.

Haunted Woods + Inn: shuffle recycling.

Haunted Woods + Distant Lands: pair the Duration with reserves.

Haunted Woods + Witch / itself: stacked harassment.

Haunted Woods + Margrave / Torturer: overlapping attacks.

Synergies

• King's Court: doubled Duration.
• Inn: shuffle control.
• Distant Lands: reserve set.
• Margrave / Torturer: stacked attacks.
• Smithy / Council Room: own draw.
• Port: durable terminal supply.
• Great Hall: durable filler.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Moat / Lighthouse / Caravan Guard: nullify attack.
• Multiple reactions in hand.
• Mirror Haunted Woods.
• Rush games.

Advanced Tips

Fire timing: at end of your turn for full opponent-turn coverage.

Province-phase trigger: peak attack when opponent enters Province line. One Province buy → entire hand topdecked → starved next turn.

Multi-copy engine: 3-4 Haunted Woods firing each turn = +9+ next-turn draws + permanent buy lock.

KC + Haunted Woods: one card pays for two duration triggers + 2 attacks. With one opponent buy, they lose hand entirely.

Witch + Haunted Woods: Witch gives curses, Haunted Woods locks discard cycling.

Mirror match: both lock each other; whoever lands the first Province wins.

Lighthouse on opponent's table = effect nullified. Switch to non-attack disruption (cost reduction, mass gainers).