Merchant Guild

Basic Info

• Type: Action
• Cost: 5
• Effect: +1 Buy / +[1]. At end of your Buy phase this turn, +1 Coffers per card gained during it.

Rating

Cost-5 Coffers-stacking engine. The +1 Buy / +[1] body is solid; the Coffers payoff per gained card snowballs in multi-buy turns.

Rating A. Cost 5 for "+1 Buy / +[1] / Coffers per gain" is premium. Pairs perfectly with cost reducers and +1 Buys to explode Coffers stacks.

Overall A. Always buy 1-2 on Merchant Guild boards. With Bridge or other +Buy/cost-reduction, the engine becomes a Coffers factory.

How to Play

Early-game 5-coin slot competes with Witch / Throne. Engine builds prioritize Merchant Guild.

Mid-game 2-3 copies. Stack +1 Buys + cost reduction; gain multiple cards per turn → multi-Coffers gain.

End-game, dump Coffers for multi-Province turns.

Coffers per Gain

• 1 buy: +1 Coffers.
• 2 buys (with +1 Buy): +2 Coffers.
• 3+ buys (with +Buys / cost-reduction): +3+ Coffers.

Bridge stacks: cheap purchases × Merchant Guild = Coffers windfall.

Multiple Merchant Guilds

Each MG fires "+[1] / Coffers per gain". 3-4 MGs in play = exponential Coffers.

MG + MG + Bridge: +2 Buy / cost reduction → 4-5 buys per turn → 12+ Coffers gained per turn.

Key Combos

MG + Bridge: Cost-reducing multi-buys for big Coffers.

MG + Candlestick Maker: Stacked +Buy + Coffers.

MG + Market: +1 Buy + Coffers.

MG + Baker: Both Coffers sources.

MG + Butcher: Coffers stack + spend chain.

MG + Throne Room: TR + MG = +2 Buy / +[2] / 2× Coffers per gain.

Synergies

• Bridge: Cost reduction + multi-buy.
• Candlestick Maker / Baker: Coffers stack.
• Butcher: Coffers consumer.
• Market / Peddler: +1 Buy support.
• Throne Room: Doubled effect.
• Worker's Village: +1 Buy + draw.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Terminal-heavy: MG itself terminal; needs Villages.
• Short games: Coffers wasted.
• BM style: 1 buy/turn → Coffers slow.
• No +1 Buy elsewhere: Halved value.

Advanced Tips

How many you buy matters most. +1 Buy → 2 buys = 2 Coffers; +Buys/Bridge stack massively.

Bridge + MG aims for "Province + Estate" or "Province + Silver" same-turn.

2-3 MG copies in engine, 3-4 in dedicated builds.

End-of-game: dump Coffers for stable multi-Province turns.

MG-BM: Mid-mid-tier; Coffers stack mid-game enables Silver/Gold buys.

"Play MG, buy nothing" is worst-case. Use +1 Buy + Coffers always.