Pearl Diver

Basic Info

• Type: Action
• Cost: 2
• Effect: +1 Card / +1 Action. Look at the bottom card of your deck. You may put it on top.

Rating

Seaside's cantrip + bottom-deck manipulation card. +1 Card / +1 Action = no deck-slot drain. Side effect: peek bottom and optionally topdeck.

Defining trait: $2 cantrip. Doesn't shrink hand or actions. Bottom manipulation fine-tunes next-turn draws — Province/Gold = topdeck, Copper = leave.

Tier B. Solid $2-slot but unflashy. Engine connector.

How to Play

Early: $2 buy candidate (when nothing else available).

Mid: Spam Pearl Diver for cycling + bottom manipulation.

End: Topdeck Province/Gold for next-turn pickup.

Bottom Card Decisions

Priority bottom:

1. Province/Gold/strong actions → topdeck (next draw to hand).
2. Copper/Estate/Curse → leave bottom.
3. Silver/medium actions → situational.

Key Combos

Pearl Diver + Pearl Diver: Spam draw amp.

Pearl Diver + King's Court: KC = +3 Cards / +3 Actions / 3 bottom peeks.

Pearl Diver + Throne Room: TR = +2 / +2 / 2 peeks.

Pearl Diver + Smithy/Council Room: Draw amp.

Pearl Diver + Chapel: Thinning + cantrip.

Pearl Diver + Market: Cantrip chain.

Pearl Diver + Lighthouse: Defense + cantrip.

Synergies

• King's Court: Triple cantrip + peek.
• Throne Room: Doubles.
• Smithy / Council Room: Draw amp.
• Chapel: Thinning + cantrip.
• Market: Cantrip chain.
• Lighthouse: Defense + cantrip.
• Masquerade: Thin + draw.
• Fishing Village: Duration cantrip.
• Caravan: Duration draw.
• Duke: $5 frequency support.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Strong-trasher engines: Bottom manipulation moot.
• Pure BM: Cantrip wasted.
• Heavy attacks: Bottom info disrupted.
• Short games: Cumulative gains lost.
• Pure-draw engines: Deck often empty, bottom peek useless.
• Strong $2 alternatives: Other priorities.

Advanced Tips

"First Pearl Diver": $2 first-turn buy. Engine glue.

"Predict bottom": Thin decks = predictable bottom. Easy Province topdeck call.

KC + Pearl Diver: KC + Pearl Diver 3x = +3 Cards / +3 Actions / 3 peeks. 3 bottom-cards topdecked in one turn.

3-pile-out: Pearl Diver 10 + 2 piles.

"Pearl Diver vs Silver": Silver (Base, $3, +$2) vs Pearl Diver ($2, cantrip + peek). Silver = econ, Pearl Diver = manip. Engine = Pearl Diver.

Duke strategy: Pearl Diver supports $5 frequency.

Pearl Diver mirror: Both cantrip. Engine speed race.

Pearl Diver cap: 2-3 copies sufficient. Don't crowd $2 slot.

VP value: 0 VP plain Action. Don't overbuy late.