First Mate

Basic Info

• Type: Action
• Cost: 5
• Effect: Play any number of Actions with the same name from your hand, then draw until you have 6 cards in hand.

Rating

A Plunder engine-of-engines. Cost 5: "play any number of same-named Actions + draw to 6." 3-4 same Actions chain in one Action slot.

Strength: same-name mass-play. A deck of 3 Villages + 3 Smithies fully deploys via one First Mate. Massive Action-slot savings.

Overall A-S tier. Centerpiece for same-name-stack decks.

How to Play

Early: hard to gain. Mid: gather same-name Actions then First Mate.

Mid: 3 Villages chained = +6 Actions +3 Cards → Smithy line for big draw.

Late: Draw-to-6 for finisher consistency.

Key Combos

First Mate + Village: 3 Villages played = +6 Actions +3 Cards.

First Mate + Smithy: 3 Smithies = +9 Cards.

First Mate + Siren (Plunder): Multi-Siren = mass Curse + mass draw.

First Mate + Trail (Allies): Same-name combo.

Synergies

• Villages (Village, Farming Village, Fishing Village): Same-name mass play.
• Smithy: Mass draw.
• Siren (Plunder): Curse spam.
• Mining Road: +$ stack.
• Harbor Village: +$ stack.
• King's Cache: Economy.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Variety-engine boards: Few same-name copies hurt FM.
• Built draw engines: Draw-to-6 redundant.
• Short games: Same-name stacking takes time.

Advanced Tips

"Same name": Exact match. Village ≠ Farming Village.

Draw-to-6: After play, hand fills to 6 — direct finisher path.

Second First Mate: One usually suffices.

First Mate-BM: First Mate + Silver/Gold BM hits Province quickly.