What am I missing?

[Syelni]

Hey everyone, fairly new to the game. I've played other TCGs like Pokemon, a little MtG, and I was pretty big into Yu-Gi-Oh for a few years there until the slew of new changes kinda killed my interest. So I have an idea about things like card advantage, but I'm a bit rusty and this is a new game, so I have to ask... Why exactly do people play Bazaar and Bad Santa? Don't get me wrong, I get happy when my opponents play these cards, but why do they play them? With Bazaar, my opponent uses resources and a card from his hand to give me a free +1 next turn. He makes up the card he lost his next turn, but then the turn after that I'm at +2 since he played Bazaar, and there's no catching up. With Bad Santa, he's at a net +2 minus some resources, whereas I get +3 at no cost.

Is my math wrong? What am I missing?

[CodeDomination]

Usually its a lack of a better draw engine, but bs is good in a pinch to get to your better draw cards.

[Warr Byrd]

Bazaar is a poor card and should not be used in most decks. However, it has its use in mill decks, which try to make you run out of cards; in certain class decks that do not have a unilateral draw engine of their own; and in the decks of new players/physical card players, who may not have enough copies of unilateral draw engines, as many unilateral draw engines are uncommon (Ill-Gotten Gains) or rare (Wulven Tracker). You can also diminish the opponents benefit from it it you are player 1 and player 2 did not get to play a card on their first turn, or to diminish the effects of an opponents unilateral draw engine (a 3:2 disadvantage is not as bad as a 2:1 disadvantage).

Bad Santa is a good card that is difficult to play; done properly, the user will get three cards and the opponent will only get one or two, which they would have drawn on their next turn anyways. It can also be used to rapidly dig through your deck for that card you need to win the game. Finally, you may want to look for BlanketEffect's Zaladar Total Control / Feedbomb deck and tactic.

[Woeden]

i use 2 bazaar in my deck. I try to deckout my oponent with it, I use kinda of a Tank deck. Defense.

[Syelni]

Wow, Warr Byrd. I took a look at that deck. That combined with your helpful post has given me quite a bit to think about. Thank you!

[Bluejet24]

Due to the maximum 7 card hand, BS and bazaar are best played when your opponent has 6/7 (or even 5) cards in hand. You get maximum value from BS/Bazaar while the opponent gets none (or only +1 card).

[Caitlyn0]

you can also build a deck (like solo ter adun) where card advantage is actually different. you might be drawing 2 cards and they range from 2cc-5cc where as my solo ter adun is drawing 2 cards and 90% of the time they are all 5cc or higher. so, we are both drawing the same extra cards but my advantage is higher because of the QUALITY of the cards i am drawing. (plus, i can destroy it at will when i am completely set and you lose that extra card and every card in my hand is 5cc)... and then things can become really strange. i dont have to cast many cards at this point. i dont even have to draw a card and i still have the advantage.

this is a rare case but it is possible. once solo ter adun gets set, only a mage can beat him.