Carpenter

Basic Info

• Type: Action
• Cost: 4
• Effect: While no Supply piles are empty: +1 Action, gain a card costing up to [4]. Otherwise trash a card from hand, gain a card costing up to [2] more than it.

Rating

Two-mode card. Mode 1 (early): +1 Action Workshop. Mode 2 (late): Remodel +2. Adapts to game state.

Killer feature: pre-empty-pile, it's a Workshop with built-in Village. Gain a cost-4 every turn while building engine pieces. Massive efficiency.

Late-game pivots to Remodel mode for Province conversion.

Overall A-tier. Carries from early to late.

How to Play

Strong open-4 candidate.

Mid-game: Carpenter every turn for cost-4 gains (Silver, Village, draw).

End-game: pile emptied → Remodel mode. Estate→Duchy, Silver→Gold, Gold→Province.

Key Combos

Carpenter + Guildmaster: gain triggers Favor.

Carpenter + Throne Room: TR + Carpenter = +2 Actions + 2 gains.

Carpenter + Bridge: +1 Buy + multi-gain.

Carpenter + pile-empty strategy: deliberately empty piles to trigger Remodel mode.

Carpenter + cost-5 villages/actions: mid-game ladder up.

Synergies

• Liaisons (Guildmaster, Underling): double Favor.
• Throne Room: 2x gain.
• Bridge / Royal Seal: +1 Buy multi-gain.
• Strong cost-4 actions: gain → mid-game core.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Cost-4 Action thin supplies: gain efficiency drops.
• Quick-empty supplies: Workshop mode shorts out early.
• BM: Workshop weak in BM.

Advanced Tips

Mode 1: gain strong cost-4s every turn = engine.

Silver-gain every turn = economy boost. Estate-gain for tempo points.

Time the pile empty deliberately for Remodel mode.

2-3 copies enough. Excess wastes after pile empty.

Pair with gain-synergies (Guildmaster, Artisan, Royal Seal) for snowball.