Research

Basic Info

• Type: Action-Duration
• Cost: 4
• Effect: +1 Action / Trash a card from your hand. Per $1 it costs, set aside 1 card from your deck. Next turn, put them all into your hand.

Rating

Renaissance's "trash → future hand burst." Cost 4: +1 Action + trash + multi-set-aside. Trash cost-4 = +4 cards next turn; cost-5 = +5. Thinning + draw permanent buff.

Biggest strength: thin while staging massive hand. Chapel-grade thinning plus +4-5 cards next turn (effectively 9-10 hand) for guaranteed Province turns.

Overall A tier. Engine core, especially decisive late.

How to Play

Early: 4-coin terminal pick.

Mid: Trash Silver / mid-Action for +3-4 set-aside.

Late: Trash $4-5 cards for +5 next turn, multi-Province.

Trash Targets

Priority:

1. Silver ($3) — +3 set-aside, accept economy hit.
2. Estate ($2) — +2 set-aside + VP thin.
3. Mid-Action — +3-4 set-aside.
4. Self via Throne Room — double buff.

Key Combos

Research + Chapel: Bulk-thin + future-turn payoff.

Research + Witch: Trash Witch ($5) → +5 cards (lose curser).

Research + Inventor: Trash Inventor → +4 set-aside.

Research + City Gates: +1 hand size.

Research + Throne Room: TR + Research = 2 trashes, double set-aside.

Synergies

• Chapel: Thin + draw chain.
• Mid-cost Actions: Trash targets.
• Remodel / Improve: Trash + gain.
• City Gates Project: +1 hand.
• Throne Room: Doubled.
• Priest: +$2 per trash buff.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Thin decks: No trash targets.
• Quick-finish: Duration value lost.
• Pure Big Money: Terminal inefficient.
• Empty deck: Set-aside count short.

Advanced Tips

Timing: Research turn loses cards to set-aside (drawn from deck), expecting next-turn payoff.

Target choice: Silver hurts economy; Estate is safe; self-trash gives +4.

Province setup: Late Research = +5 next-turn hand, guaranteed Province.

Note: deck-empty triggers reshuffle; set-aside may fall short of trashed-card cost.