Find the starters the deal left behind.
Laggard Lady uses the Intrigue family foundation sequences and Queen-based columns. During the initial deal, a 5 or 6 can start a foundation only while fewer foundations have started than Queens have appeared. Once play begins, that restriction is gone.
Last updated: September 2026
Separate deal restriction from play
If two Queens have appeared and two foundations have already started during the deal, the next 5 or 6 goes into a tableau column even if a matching type of foundation is empty. After the complete deal, an exposed 5 or 6 may start any empty foundation of its type, without a Queen-count test. Later cards build by rank without suit restrictions.
Count the unopened five-down and six-up piles, then locate the 5s and 6s in the columns. A starter buried under cards whose foundations are not yet open may block several useful plays. Favor moves that expose such a starter, especially when a Queen-only column can temporarily hold the card above it.
Use the vacancy for a concrete reveal
Suppose a 6 lies beneath an exposed Jack while no six-up foundation has started. Moving that Jack onto a Queen-only column reveals the 6, which can start the foundation in play. The Jack needs a six-up pile that has reached 10 before it can later leave. Compare that chain with other possible uses of the vacant column before moving.
Intrigue permits more starters to leave during the deal; the play-stage moves are the same. Laggard Lady therefore puts more weight on finding accessible 5s and 6s in the finished layout.