Smithy

Basic Info

Type: Action
Cost: 4
Effect: +3 Cards

Rating

The most basic and powerful drawer in Dominion. The "+3 Cards at cost 4" stat line is the benchmark against which every later expansion's draw card is measured. In Base, Smithy delivers the best cost-efficiency among terminal actions.

In Big Money, "Smithy-BM" is the textbook simple build: Silver/Silver, then Smithy + Gold + Provinces. Community simulations show Smithy-BM finishes Provinces about 1-2 turns faster than vanilla Big Money.

In engines, Smithy is also indispensable. Paired with Villages, you get a "+3 Cards every turn" engine. Unless stronger cost-4 drawers (Wharf-class effects, Worker's Village, etc.) are present, Smithy is the default engine drawer.

Overall A to S tier (board-dependent). Competes with cost-5 drawers (Council Room, Library) but wins on simplicity and accessibility.

How to Play

In the opening, Smithy is the canonical 4-coin buy. On 4/3, the 4-coin slot becomes Smithy in many Big Money lines.

For Big Money, 1-2 Smithies is usually optimal. A third Smithy collides with itself.

For engines, target a 1:1 to 1:2 ratio with Villages. 3-4 Smithies + 3-4 Villages forms the backbone of a draw-the-deck engine.

Mid to late game, decisions depend on the supply:

Strong 5-coin cards (Witch, Council Room, Remodel) → Cap Smithies at 2, prioritize 5-cost
Big Money plan → 1-2 Smithies, then Silver/Gold ramp
Engine plan → keep adding Smithies as needed

Smithy Big Money

One of the simplest viable Dominion strategies. Strong on Base-only or low-counterplay boards:

Turn 1-2: Silver/Silver (4/3) or Smithy/Silver (5/2)
Turn 3-4: Add a Smithy (total 1)
Turn 5+: Buy Gold → buy Provinces

Smithy-hand averages 8-10 coins (Smithy + 3 drawn + 2 leftover), reliably hitting Province (cost 8). Non-Smithy hands average 5-6 coins → Duchy or money.

The ceiling of Smithy-BM is the "Smithy-less turn" variance. Without thinning, Smithy hits roughly half the turns.

Synergies

Village: The classic 1:1 to 1:2 engine ratio.
Throne Room: TR + Smithy = +6 cards, near-full deck draw. One of the strongest Base-set combos.
Chapel: Thinning improves Smithy hit rate. Works for Smithy-BM too.
Council Room: +4 / +1 buy terminal. Both terminal, but more total draw possible.
Throne Room + Throne Room + Smithy: 4× = +12 cards effectively. The strongest Base-set turn.
Remodel: Convert obsolete Smithy → Duchy (cost 4 → 6).
Silver / Gold: Big Money workhorses.

Counters & Bad Matchups

Heavy terminal boards: Smithy is terminal — without Villages, collisions happen.
Stronger drawers present: Council Room, Library, Wharf, Hunting Grounds — Smithy drops in priority.
Thick decks (no thinning): Smithy hit rate drops with deck size.
Wharf (Seaside) on board: Wharf's duration +2 cards / +1 buy outclasses Smithy economically.

Related Drawers

Council Room (Base, 5): +4 cards / +1 buy.
Library (Base, 5): Draw to 7.
Hunting Grounds (Dark Ages, 6): +4 cards + trash bonus.
Bandit Camp (Dark Ages, 5): +1 card / +2 actions / Spoils. Hybrid.
Wharf (Seaside, 5): Duration +2 / +1 ×2 turns.
Fishing Village (Seaside, 3): Duration village.
Merchant Ship (Seaside, 5): Duration +2 coins ×2.
Hireling (Seaside, 5): +1 card forever.
Warehouse (Seaside, 3): +3 / +1 action / discard 3.

Compared to all of these, Smithy's "cost 4 / +3 cards" simplicity is its strength.

Advanced Tips

Track the coin total of Smithy-hands. Smithy + 3 drawn + 2 leftover = 6 cards. 8+ coins → Province.

Don't push beyond 3 Smithies without Villages or Throne Rooms.

Probability matters: 20-card deck with 5 Silvers → ~65% Smithy hits Silver in 3 cards drawn. Thinning raises this.

For engines, count Smithy as "+3 draw, -1 action slot" and balance accordingly.