Fairgrounds

Basic Info

• Type: Victory
• Cost: 6
• Effect: Worth 2 VP per 5 differently-named cards you have (round down).

Rating

A unique VP card: cost 6, up to 8 VP at 20 distinct names — matches or beats Province (6 VP at cost 8). 20 distinct names is tight; requires variety-focused construction.

Big draw: cost-6 Province-equivalent VP. 3-pile-out wins are possible without buying Provinces.

Weakness: low VP until distinct count climbs. 10 distinct = 2 VP, 15 = 4 VP. Sub-Province until 20.

Overall A. Strong on variety boards; mid on stripped-down setups.

How to Play

Mid-late, when distinct count nears 15+, start buying Fairgrounds. Ideal: 20+ distinct, then stack 2-3 Fairgrounds.

Distinct counts: Copper / Silver / Gold / Estate / Duchy / Province / Curse / 10 Kingdom = 17 baseline. 20+ needs Colony / Platinum / Cornucopia Prizes / Ruins.

Tricks:

• Buy each Kingdom at least once (duplicates unneeded)
• Keep at least 1 of each base card (don't fully Chapel away)

Key Combos

Fairgrounds + Horn of Plenty: variety synergy, mutual boost.

Fairgrounds + variety gain (Remodel, Expand, Artisan): swap into new names.

Fairgrounds + Library: smoothing draws keeps variety play stable.

Fairgrounds + Menagerie: hand-diversity bonus aligns.

Fairgrounds + Bridge: cost reduction makes variety affordable.

Fairgrounds + Ambassador: pass back keeps types if not zeroed.

Fairgrounds + Banish: thin without losing types.

Synergies

• Horn of Plenty: variety synergy.
• Menagerie: hand diversity.
• Remodel / Expand: convert into new names.
• Bridge: cost reduction.
• Library: smoothing.
• Gardens: alt-VP coexistence.
• Harem (Intrigue): extra type/treasure.
• Duke (Intrigue): Duchy strategy compounds.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Same-name spam: 3 Smithies = 1 type.
• Limited Kingdom (5-6 piles): hard to reach 20.
• Heavy thinning: Chapel-away of Coppers / Estates removes types.
• Rush ends: game ends before Fairgrounds peaks.
• Pure BM: low variety.

Advanced Tips

Always track distinct count. Default: 1 of each Kingdom card.

Caution with thinning: Chapel-trashing all 7 Coppers removes Copper type. Keep 1 each.

Curse counts as a type. If opponent curse-spreads, deliberately keeping 1 Curse is +1 type → +1 VP block (offsets -1 VP).

20 distinct = realistic ceiling. 8 VP × 2-3 Fairgrounds = 16-24 VP, often game-winning.

Prizes (Tournament): all 5 Prizes = +5 distinct. Massive boost on Tournament boards.

Colony games: Colony + Platinum = +2 distinct, easier to reach 20.