Cavalry

Basic Info

• Type: Action
• Cost: 4
• Effect: +$2. Gain 2 Horses. If you gained this during your Buy phase, end the Buy phase, +1 Card, +1 Action, +1 Buy, and return to your Action phase.

Rating

Exceptional value at cost 4. +$2 plus 2 Horses (each gives +2 Cards / +1 Action when played) — effectively +4 cards / +2 actions / +$2 over 1-2 turns. The "buy-phase to action-phase" effect is uniquely powerful.

Biggest strength: on-gain effect. Buying Cavalry mid-Buy phase rewinds you to Action phase, letting you immediately use the gained Horses.

Tier A. Top contender at $4.

How to Play

Early: $4 → Cavalry. On-gain triggers Horse-gain + Action phase return.

Mid: Build Cavalry + Horse + draw engine. Horses are single-use (return to Horse pile, not your deck).

Late: +$2 for Province pickups. Horse pile may be empty.

Horse Mechanic Tactics

Horses (Menagerie's special pile of 30) work thus:

1. Play = +2 Cards / +1 Action (cantrip + extra draw).
2. After play, return to Horse pile (not your deck).
3. Gained from Cavalry / Groom / Hostelry / Livery / Gatekeeper / Sheepdog / Supplies / etc.

Cavalry is the premier Horse-gainer because of the buy-phase rewind.

Key Combos

Cavalry + Smithy: +3 cards plus 2 Horses = +5 draw potential.

Cavalry + Groom: Horse-gain plus VP card synergies.

Cavalry + Livery: Core $5 Horse engine.

Cavalry + Sheepdog: On-gain trigger draw extra.

Cavalry + Mastermind: Triple-Cavalry next turn = +$6 / 6 Horses / 3 phase rewinds.

Cavalry + Throne Room / King's Court: Doubled or tripled gains.

Cavalry + Hostelry: +2 Actions and discard-to-draw enables Horse usage.

Synergies

• Smithy / Council Room: Draw to find Cavalry.
• Groom: Horse + VP.
• Livery: Engine base.
• Sheepdog: On-gain reaction.
• Hostelry: Action support.
• Snowy Village: +4 Actions chain.
• Mastermind: 3x firing.
• Throne Room / King's Court: Doubling.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Empty Horse pile: drops to +$2 only.
• Terminal-collision boards: Cavalry is terminal, needs Villages.
• Heavy attacks (Minion etc): Action phase rewind blunted.
• No trash needed: Horses cycle out, no deck pollution.

Advanced Tips

The on-gain is the core. Flow:

1. Action phase: deploy actions.
2. Buy phase: buy Cavalry.
3. On-gain → 2 Horses + return to Action phase + 1 card + 1 Buy.
4. Play Horses for more draw.
5. Buy phase again.

This phase-loop expands buys per turn dramatically.

Horse pile management: With 3 Cavalry / 2 Groom / 1 Livery, 30 Horses run dry fast. 3+ player games risk Horse exhaustion.

Horse timing: Horses are throwaway. Burn them all each turn — they shuffle back from deck regardless.

Mirror: Whoever stockpiles Cavalry first wins. Aim 3-4 copies.

Cavalry-BM: Silver / Cavalry → Silver → Cavalry for $2 + Horses → Gold → Province.

3-pile end: Cavalry empties Horse pile + 2 others (Estates / Duchies).

Cardinal / Gatekeeper competition: Other $4-5 Horse-gainers compete; pick by board.