Herbalist

Basic Info

• Type: Action
• Cost: 2
• Effect: +1 Buy / +1 Coin / Once this turn, when you discard a Treasure from play, you may put it onto your deck.

Rating

Terminal Action with +1 Buy / +1 Coin and Treasure topdecking. Cheap at 2, but terminality limits engine use.

Biggest strength: lock Gold / Platinum / Potion onto next turn's hand. Late-game, drawing Gold + Herbalist together secures Gold for the next turn too — chains Province purchases.

Tier B-. Mediocre cost-2 card. +Buy and +1 Coin are mildly useful, but terminal and no draw makes multi-buy bad.

How to Play

Early: filler for 2-coin slots when 4-coin doesn't show.

Mid: Province turn with Herbalist gives +1 Buy / +1 Coin = 4 + 2 Silvers = 7 coin (Province + extra buy).

Late: Topdeck Gold the turn after drawing it for stable Province economy.

Key Combos

Herbalist + Vineyard: Action density + cheap.

Herbalist + Gold/Platinum: Topdeck high-value Treasure.

Herbalist + Chapel: +Buy support for thinning strategy.

Herbalist + Bridge: Double +Buy for multi-Province turns.

Herbalist + Potion: Topdeck Potion every turn → stable Potion strategy.

Synergies

• Gold/Platinum: Topdeck for stable economy.
• Potion: Lock Potion in alchemy strategies.
• Vineyard: Action density.
• +Buy-needed engines: Bridge, Market combos.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Terminal-heavy supplies: Herbalist itself is terminal.
• Strong +Buy alternatives: Bridge, Market, Spy outclass it.
• Pure BM supplies: Smithy beats Herbalist on terminal economy.

Advanced Tips

Herbalist as 2-coin slot filler. 3 coin → Silver; 4 coin → Silver / better Action priority.

Potion + Herbalist: Topdeck Potion each turn for stable alchemy chain.

Two Golds + Herbalist: Draw both Golds and Herbalist; topdeck one Gold; next turn Gold-guaranteed = Province lock.

Weakness: terminal, no draw. In engines, Villages/cantrips outclass.

Don't pile-buy. One Herbalist suffices; 2-3 collide.