Duchess

Basic Info

• Type: Action
• Cost: 2
• Effect: +$2. Each player looks at the top card of their deck and may discard it. In games using this, when you gain a Duchy, you may gain a Duchess.

Rating

Hinterlands' weaker terminal. Cost 2 +$2 = Silver-equivalent (Silver costs 3). Top-card scry shared with opponents.

Duchy-tied gain enables 3-pile-to-go.

Community consensus: low-mid Hinterlands, niche utility. Tier B-.

How to Play

Buy at $2. 3/4-split $2-slot option.

3-pile-to-go: Mass-buy Duchess + Duchy.

Key Combos

Duchess + Duchy: Bonus Duchess on Duchy gain.

Duchess + Crossroads: Scry helps deck.

Duchess + Tunnel: Top-discard for Tunnel.

Synergies

• Duchy: Linked gain.
• Crossroads: VP + scry.
• Tunnel: Top discard.
• Border Village: Action support.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Pure engines: Weak terminal.
• Strong trashers: Duchess pile-up against thinning.

Advanced Tips

3-pile-to-go: 10 Duchess + 8 Duchy + 3rd pile.

Duchy + Duchess strat: 2 VP cards per turn (Duchess = 0 VP itself).

Cap: 5-8 copies.