Fortune Teller

Basic Info

• Type: Action-Attack
• Cost: 3
• Effect: +2 Coin. Each other player reveals cards from the top of their deck until they reveal a Victory card or a Curse. They put it on top and discard the rest.

Rating

Cost-3 with +2 Coin (Silver-equivalent) plus a light attack denying opponents draw quality. The attack locks an opponent's next-turn opening to a Victory or Curse.

Biggest strength: "cost-3 Silver-equivalent + attack". Replaces Silver in BM mirrors. Especially nasty after curse-floods (forces re-drawing Curses).

Weakness: probabilistic, weak vs thinned engines (no Estates / Curses left). Strong vs BM, weak vs engines.

Overall B- (between B+ and B-). Solid BM counter / minor attack; unreliable in engines.

How to Play

Open 3-coin slot vs Silver. In BM mirrors, often outranks Silver. Single is enough; multiple redundant.

Mid-game: fire each turn to disrupt opponents. +2 Coin steady contribution.

End-game: opponents' Victory pileup makes Fortune Teller still hit (effect remains active vs increasingly polluted decks).

Effect Details

"Victory or Curse" check:

• Estate / Duchy / Province / Gardens / Duke / Great Hall / Harem → top
• Curse → top
• Silver / Gold / Action → discard

In a 50-card deck with 5-6 VP + 5 Curses ≈ 10-11 cards stuck on top.

Key Combos

Fortune Teller + Witch / Young Witch: curse-spread → Fortune Teller forces drawing Curses.

Fortune Teller + Ghost Ship (Seaside): stacked top-deck attack.

Fortune Teller + Library: self-immunity while attacking.

Fortune Teller + +Buy: +2 Coin enabling double-buys.

Fortune Teller + Ambassador (Seaside): return Estates + force redraw.

Synergies

• Witch / Young Witch: lock curses on top.
• Ghost Ship: top-deck stacking.
• Library: self-defense.
• Chapel: thin own VP/Curse to dodge own Fortune Tellers (in 2P only relevant against opponent's).
• Harem / Gardens / Duke: VP increase compounds attack target on opponents.
• Throne Room: 2× = +4 Coin + 2 attacks.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Thinned engines: opponent has no VP/Curses.
• Top-deck manipulators: Scout, Royal Seal counter.
• Speed games: minor disruption insufficient.
• 4-player: attack diluted across 3 opponents.
• Mass-draw: Council Room / Library bury the locked card.

Advanced Tips

True value: blocking opponent's thinning. Curse / Estate piles get re-drawn before they can be trashed.

Pair with cursers: curse → Fortune Teller → opponent draws Curses → next turn Fortune Teller again. Lock chain.

Self +2 Coin reliable in BM mirrors.

Multi-Fortune Teller: 1 = +2 Coin, 2 = +4 Coin (Province line). Mostly diminishing returns on attack.

Note: revealed → Moat / Lighthouse blocks attack. Anti-attack boards weaken.

5-6 player (informal) effect compounds, but 2-3 player optimal.