Caravan

Basic Info

• Type: Action-Duration
• Cost: 4
• Effect: +1 Card / +1 Action. At the start of your next turn: +1 Card.

Rating

Seaside's premier duration cantrip. Cost 4 for "this turn +1 Card / +1 Action, next turn +1 Card" totals +2 Cards / +1 Action — Lab-equivalent (Lab: cost 5, +2 Cards / +1 Action) for $1 less, spread over two turns.

Biggest strength is "duration cantrip" deck cycling. With +1 Action, no collision with terminals. Excellent engine glue.

Caveat: the second +1 Card is mandatory next turn, occasionally over-drawing.

A tier overall. Community consensus puts it among Seaside's best engine pieces.

How to Play

Early game: $4 buy candidate. Compare with Silver — engine-leaning take Caravan.

Mid-game: stack 2-3 Caravans for guaranteed +2 Cards / +1 Action per turn.

End-game: ride duration draw to deck flush, push Province turns.

Duration Cantrip Mechanic

Maintaining at least one Caravan per turn guarantees +1 Card each next-turn:

1. Turn 1: Caravan A → +1 Card / +1 Action. Stays.
2. Turn 2: A's duration → +1 Card (auto). New B → +1 Card / +1 Action. B stays.
3. Turn 3+: same. Continuous +2 Cards advantage.

Key Combos

Caravan + Chapel: Thinned deck cycles every Caravan reliably.

Caravan + Smithy: Action slack to fire Smithy.

Caravan + Market: +1 Buy + draw harmony.

Caravan + Fishing Village: Action support, dual duration synergy.

Caravan + Throne Room: TR-Caravan = +2 / +2 / next turn +2.

Caravan + King's Court: KC-Caravan = +3 / +3 / next turn +3.

Caravan + Ambassador: Thin + draw for long engine.

Synergies

• Chapel: Thinning.
• Smithy: Draw boost.
• Market: Buy add.
• Fishing Village: Action + duration.
• Throne Room: Doubles.
• King's Court: Triples.
• Ambassador: Thinning support.
• Lab: Cantrip stack.
• Conspirator: Action-count payoff.
• Wharf: Duration + duration.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Strong $4 alternatives: Militia / Remodel.
• High attack density: Militia / Ghost Ship breaks hand.
• Over-thinning: Decks deck-out under stacked draws.
• BM strategy: +1 Action wasted in BM.
• Fast races: Caravan's incremental advantage too slow.

Advanced Tips

Caravan count: engine wants 3-5 Caravans. Two active per turn = +4 Cards continuous.

Caravan vs Lab: Lab is one-shot $5 / +2 Cards. Caravan is $4 spread over 2 turns with next-turn guarantee.

Stacking pulse: each turn fires last turn's duration + this turn's new = +2 Cards / +1 Action. Engine baseline rhythm.

Caravan-BM: Silver / Caravan / Caravan adds +2 Cards mid-game for Province hit rate.

KC-Caravan: Prosperity required. KC plays Caravan 3x = +3 Cards / +3 Actions / +3 next turn.

3-pile-out: Caravan at $4 is easy to drain.