DOMINION: A Strategic Deckbuilding Card Game is a popular game that challenges players to build their deck, gather resources, and earn victory points. This article provides an overview of the game setup, gameplay mechanics, and the objective of Dominion. Players will learn how to strategically play Action cards, buy cards from the Supply, and clean up their deck. With variations and expansions available, Dominion offers countless hours of deckbuilding fun for confirmed card game players. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the game, this article serves as a comprehensive guide to mastering the art of Dominion.
Objective of Dominion
The objective of Dominion is to have the most victory points in your deck at the end of the game. Victory points are earned by acquiring victory cards, which are worth a certain number of points each. The player with the most victory points in their deck is declared the winner.
Number of Players
Dominion can be played with 2 to 4 players. The game is designed to accommodate different player numbers and scales well with more players.
Materials
To play Dominion, you will need a set of 500 cards, including 130 treasure cards. The treasure cards consist of 60 Copper cards, 40 Silver cards, and 30 Gold cards. There are also 48 victory cards, which include 24 Domains, 12 Duchies, and 12 Provinces. Additionally, there are 252 Kingdom cards, 30 Curse cards, and 1 Trash card.
Type of Game
Dominion is a precursory deckbuilding card game. In this type of game, players start with a small deck of basic cards and gradually build their deck by acquiring new cards from a central supply. The goal is to create a powerful and efficient deck that maximizes the player’s ability to score victory points.
Audience
Dominion is designed for confirmed card game players who enjoy strategic gameplay and deckbuilding mechanics. It offers a deep and engaging experience that rewards tactical decision-making and long-term planning.
Overview of Dominion
In Dominion, players strive to build a deck that represents their Dominion. At the beginning of the game, each player starts with a deck consisting of a poor collection of properties and copper coins. However, as the game progresses, players will acquire gold coins, provinces, citizens, and buildings that will expand and strengthen their deck.
The deck in Dominion is not only a source of resources but also a representation of a player’s kingdom. As players acquire more cards, their deck will grow in complexity and diversity, reflecting the growth and development of their kingdom.
Setup
To set up a game of Dominion, start by randomly choosing a first player. Each player then receives 7 Copper cards and 3 Domain cards. These 10 cards are shuffled and placed face down in front of the player to form their starting deck. Each player draws 5 cards from their deck to form their starting hand.
In addition to the initial player decks, the remaining cards are used to create the Supply. This includes Copper, Silver, and Gold cards, which are always available in every game. The Domain, Duchy, and Province cards are also included, with 12 of each (or 8 in a 2 player game). Curse cards are available as well, with the number based on the number of players. Finally, 10 Kingdom cards are chosen at random and added to the Supply.
Example of 2 Player Setup
In a 2 player game of Dominion, each player starts with their own deck, consisting of 7 Copper cards and 3 Domain cards. The Supply includes 60 Copper cards, 40 Silver cards, 30 Gold cards, 24 Domain cards, 12 Duchy cards, 12 Province cards, 30 Curse cards, and the chosen 10 Kingdom cards. All other cards are placed in the Trash pile.
Gameplay
Dominion is played over a series of rounds, with each round consisting of three phases: the Action phase, the Buy phase, and the Clean-up phase.
During the Action phase, players can play an Action card from their hand. Action cards allow players to perform various actions, such as gaining additional actions, cards, coins, or buys. Players can play one Action card per turn unless they have other cards or effects that allow them to play more. Action cards remain in front of the player until the Clean-up phase, unless otherwise stated.
In the Buy phase, players can buy one card from the Supply by paying its cost. The cost of a card is shown in the bottom-left corner of the card. Players can play Treasure cards from their hand to add their value to the coins obtained from Action cards played that turn. They can then choose a card from the Supply to purchase. Treasure cards played remain in front of the player until the Clean-up phase.
The Clean-up phase is the final phase of each round. Players must discard the cards they played during their turn and any cards remaining in their hand. They then draw 5 new cards from their deck to form their new hand for the next round.
The game continues with players taking turns until one of the endgame conditions is met. The game ends when either the Province card pile is empty or when any three piles from the Kingdom card pile are empty. When the game ends, players count the victory points on all the cards in their deck, including those in their hand and discard pile. The player with the most victory points is declared the winner.
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