• Type: Action-Attack
• Cost: 4
• Effect: +2 Cards. Discard 2 cards. Each other player may reveal a Bane card from their hand; if they don't, they gain a Curse.
• Setup: Add an extra Kingdom card pile costing 2 or 3 to the Supply. Cards from that pile are Bane cards.

One of Dominion's strongest cursers. At cost 4 it delivers Witch-equivalent (cost 5) cursing plus +2 draw — the 1-coin discount is enormous, since the 4/3 opening reliably hits the 4-coin slot.

The defining feature is the Bane: a cost-2 or 3 Kingdom pile is added, and opponents holding the Bane in hand can dodge the Curse. The Bane defines the game — weak Banes (Moat, Pearl Diver, Lighthouse, Ambassador) make Young Witch effectively unconditional, while strong Banes (Village, Nomad Camp, Spy) become must-buys for everyone, blunting cursing efficiency.

Overall S (or A- with a strong Bane). Top priority when present. The strongest 4-coin card on its boards.

Open with Young Witch on any 4-coin opener. Top 4-coin pick on 4/3. Multiple Witches (2-3) for sustained curse-flow. Earlier cursing dominates.

The 2-card discard hurts but lets you dump Estates / Coppers / Curses — effectively built-in thinning. 3-in-1: thin + curse + draw.

Mid-late game, fire Young Witch every turn for asymmetric curse advantage.

Bane choice reshapes strategy:

• Strong Bane (Village, Nomad Camp, Spy, Scout): opponents naturally collect it, blunting cursing. You also build engine using Bane.
• Weak Bane (Moat, Lighthouse, Pearl Diver, Hovel): opponents must buy purely defensively, dragging their decks. Young Witch shines.
• Special Bane (Gardens, Duke): strategy-dependent. Gardens decks happily collect Bane.

Young Witch + Chapel / Masquerade: trash own Curses immediately while opponents pile up. Massive asymmetry.

Young Witch + Smithy / Hunting Party: drawing more = playing more Young Witches.

Young Witch + Throne Room: TR + Young Witch = +4 cards / 4 discards / 2 curses.

Young Witch + Village: required for stacking; Young Witch is terminal.

Young Witch + Remake: thinning + curse-spread combo.

Young Witch + Ambassador (Seaside): return Curses + Estates.

• Chapel / Masquerade / Bishop: thin own Curses.
• Smithy / Hunting Party / Library: stable draw.
• Throne Room / King's Court: doubling.
• Villages (Hamlet, Nomad Camp): terminal collision relief.
• Remake: thin + cycle.
• Ambassador: return Curses to opponents.

• Strong Bane: opponents naturally defend.
• No thinner: own Curses bloat deck.
• Heavy terminal collision: Young Witch is terminal.
• Curser mirror: race to first Young Witch matters.

Mandatory open. Sometimes prioritized over Silver even on 4/3 (best 4-coin card).

The Bane card effectively becomes a "must buy for everyone" cost-2-3 pile. If it's an inherently strong card (e.g., Nomad Camp), the entire table snatches it for defense, accelerating engines.

After Curse pile empties, Young Witch is still a +2-card terminal with 2-discard — usable as endgame thinning.

In mirrors, going first with Young Witch dominates. Sequence priority matters (drawing from top after Province purchase, etc.).

Bane competition: when Bane is an engine piece (e.g., Village), the curse-war becomes a Bane-pile race. Bane pile depletion doesn't stop Young Witch's effect — it just removes the defense.