Library

Basic Info

• Type: Action
• Cost: 5
• Effect: Draw until you have 7 cards in hand. You may set aside any Action cards drawn this way; discard them afterwards.

Rating

A "draw to 7" forced draw card. Terminal, but draw amount scales with current hand size. Weak in thinned decks, strong in thick decks.

The signature feature is "set aside Actions." If hand already has terminals, set aside additional Actions to dig deeper for non-Action cards.

Works in both Big Money and engine builds. Unlike Smithy's fixed +3, Library guarantees hand size. Useful in village-poor engines as terminal-collision-resistant draw.

Overall B to A tier. Among Base's cost-5 cards, just behind Witch/Remodel/Sentry. Replaces Smithy in engines lacking that card.

How to Play

5/2 opening: Library is mid-tier. Weak with thinned decks, strong with thick BM-style.

Mid-game: 1-2 Libraries usually suffice.

End-game: Drawing Library on the final-deck-burning turn delivers full draw.

Library BM Advantages

Library is the classic Smithy-BM alternative:

• Hand 5 → Library → 7 = +2 cards
• Hand 3 → Library → 7 = +4 cards

Sims show Library-BM is slightly slower (~0.5 turn) than Smithy-BM, but with hand-size guarantee. Province-purchase miss rate is lower.

Key Combos

Library + Village: Village preserves Action, Library for max hand.

Library + Chapel: Thinning reduces Library's draw but improves Library hit rate.

Library + Witch/Militia: Library finds attacks for firing.

Library + Throne Room: TR + Library = 7-card hand twice. After playing first 7, set aside actions, refill again.

Library + Festival: Terminal support + hand refill.

Library + Cellar/Warehouse: Cycling improves Library's draw quality.

Synergies

• Village: Hand refill + other terminals.
• Throne Room: Doubled draw-to-7.
• Chapel: Balance trade-off.
• Witch / Militia: Attack support.
• Festival: Terminal support.
• Cellar: Cycling synergy.
• Silver / Gold: BM workhorses.
• Vineyard (Alchemy): Action stacking.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Thinned decks: Library's +draw drops.
• Other drawers present: Smithy/Council Room/Margrave reduce Library's role.
• Heavy terminal collisions: Library is terminal — needs Villages.
• Already hand-rich decks: Council Room or other hand-builders make Library redundant.

Related Drawers

• Smithy (Base, 4): Fixed +3, hand-size independent.
• Council Room (Base, 5): +4 / +1 buy, opponents draw too.
• Hunting Grounds (Dark Ages, 6): +4 + trash bonus.
• University (Alchemy, 2P): +2 actions + gain.
• Dungeon (Adventures, 3): Adjusting draw.
• Warehouse (Seaside, 3): +3 / +1 action / discard 3.
• Hireling (Seaside, 5): Permanent +1 card.
• Scholar (Renaissance, 5): Discard hand, draw 7.

Scholar is roughly Library's strict upgrade (same cost, guaranteed +7 draw, also acts as cycler). Library is preferred when you don't want to discard hand.

Advanced Tips

When to play: Hand 3-4 cards = max effect. Hand 5-6 = only +1-2 cards, low efficiency.

"Set aside" decision: Set aside terminals already in hand or unused actions. Set-aside cards return via discard reshuffle.

Play Library first in turn. Library reveals draws that inform later actions.

Second Library: Often unnecessary. Library 2 plays after 7-hand → drop a few → Library again. Multi-Library only for engine megadraw.

TR + Library: Massive draw potential — 7 cards, play actions, refill to 7 again.