I loooove this game. Have a few questions, though. First off, is there any strategic reason to purchase Curse cards? Perhaps there are cards in other expansions that allow you to give cards in your hand to other players? Also, it seems to me like Kingdom cards that allow you to trash things are some of the most valuable, since it means you can trim the fat in your deck and more reliably draw the cards that you want. Gardens seems like a really interesting card too and I was wondering if anyone had specific strategies pertaining to that when it's in play.
Finally, which do you guys think is the "best" expansion beyond the base set and which expands player interactivity the most? I ask the latter part because my friend group is big on being able to screw people over for both in-game strategic reasons and meta-game reasons.
Curse cards are pretty much ONLY for fucking people over, but be sure the moat or an equivalent defense card is in play to keep it fun. Expansion-wise... I think Intrigue is a good expansion. Lots of fun action cards in there.
You want Alchemy and Prosperity first. You should have gotten the Big Box. Perhaps you can find some good cheap used expansions.
$70, way too steep for a game I had barely ever played. But I did get my copy of the base set "used" for only $25, even though it ended up being completely new and unopened save for the box being slightly damaged. I'm sure I could find similar deals for other sets.
FYI, for those who don't want the base game but wants the expansions, Rio Grande now sales the base cards with pretty cool and different art. So you can in essence buy this base set and all the other expansions other than Intrigue to play the game.
I loooove this game. Have a few questions, though. First off, is there any strategic reason to purchase Curse cards? Perhaps there are cards in other expansions that allow you to give cards in your hand to other players?
Yep - Ambassador in particular, though Masquerade can also do it. The other reason you would buy Curse cards is to end the game by depleting the Curse pile.
Also, it seems to me like Kingdom cards that allow you to trash things are some of the most valuable, since it means you can trim the fat in your deck and more reliably draw the cards that you want.
Trashing is on average the most powerful, bu there are certain card combinations where trashing is not the way to go. I tend to go for the trash cards right away. If you look through my game history, you will find times that I get crushed because of this.
Recently I played a game where my opponent was able to dish out the curses very quickly. I ended up getting cursed much faster than I could trash the curses. The opponent quickly emptied two other piles while my deck was moving slow as molasses. I don't remember exactly, but they may have used militia or margrave to keep me from getting the ball rolling again.
From what I understand, it's situational, and it's also important to note that there's a big difference between a good trasher and a bad one.
The biggest gamble in all of trashing is the first turn mint. I've had cases where I've seen, and experienced, it make a deck turn into nothingness. I've also seen cases where it crushes.
From what I understand, it's situational, and it's also important to note that there's a big difference between a good trasher and a bad one.
The biggest gamble in all of trashing is the first turn mint. I've had cases where I've seen, and experienced, it make a deck turn into nothingness. I've also seen cases where it crushes.
It's not so much a gamble as a matter of what you do with the $2 buy - you have to make up for the fact that with 5 coppers gone you're left with only $2 of purchasing power, which isn't even enough for a silver.
From a quick glance here, there is only one card that really works with Mint - Fool's Gold - but it works fucking brilliantly. Mint / Lighthouse is apparently also viable, which makes sense since it at least helps with the silver.
From what I understand, it's situational, and it's also important to note that there's a big difference between a good trasher and a bad one.
The biggest gamble in all of trashing is the first turn mint. I've had cases where I've seen, and experienced, it make a deck turn into nothingness. I've also seen cases where it crushes.
It's not so much a gamble as a matter of what you do with the $2 buy - you have to make up for the fact that with 5 coppers gone you're left with only $2 of purchasing power, which isn't even enough for a silver.
From a quick glance here, there is only one card that really works with Mint - Fool's Gold - but it works fucking brilliantly. Mint / Lighthouse is apparently also viable, which makes sense since it at least helps with the silver.
Well, another option is to just buy some replacement coppers.
Well, another option is to just buy some replacement coppers.
If you do that, you're costing yourself way too much time. You've spent two turns and done a half-assed trashing job that leaves you with 3 coppers, 3 estates, and an action that only starts to be worth its weight once it can start duplicating Gold several turns later. Someone who did straight-up Silver/Silver is beating you at that point.
Well, another option is to just buy some replacement coppers.
If you do that, you're costing yourself way too much time. You've spent two turns and done a half-assed trashing job that leaves you with 3 coppers, 3 estates, and an action that only starts to be worth its weight once it can start duplicating Gold several turns later. Someone who did straight-up Silver/Silver is beating you at that point.
Yeah, my usual mint strategy is not to get it right away, but to pick it up if there is a good opportunity. Maybe one turn you have a militia and 3 copper.
It's interesting how rapidly the game optimization changes based on the card set. Before the expansions, trashing would often lose to simple gold rush (except in specific cases, e.g., witches). The combinatorial explosion of strategies brought about by the expansion has made for extremely deep machines to be developed within a given card set.
It's interesting how rapidly the game optimization changes based on the card set. Before the expansions, trashing would often lose to simple gold rush (except in specific cases, e.g., witches). The combinatorial explosion of strategies brought about by the expansion has made for extremely deep machines to be developed within a given card set.
The hardest thing for me is what to do if there are a bunch of really good cards? Imagine a deck with every kind of village, laboratory, etc. You probably want to get border villages to collect other villages faster. You also probably want more villages that give +$ and +buy since you won't see +card or +action as much. But what exact sequence is really the fastest path to all the points?
Also, whenever alchemists appear I tend to go for them, as that usually wins if I can make it work. But once in awhile the combination of other cards breaks the alchemist pile and you're fucked.
If there are zero attack cards, I'll go for mostly gold rush and cards that let me cycle through the desk faster. In a sorter game, that's more efficient than trashing.
But if there is even one effective attack card, or if some other facter will extend the game, there's no way I'll try that (unless my opponents aren't good).
When you get a whole slew of good cards to play with, don't underestimate the value of the +buy. The ability to throw an extra duchy or estate on during the last round or two of panic time can put you over the top.
I wish there was some way to eliminate luck in Dominion. As good as the game is, luck is still too much of a factor.
I just played a game five minutes ago. Oh, hello familiar! I buy potion. Other guy buys potion. I buy scheme, other guy buys silver. I draw 1 potion, one copper, and three estates. Other guy draws enough to buy a familiar. We both were equally smart and had very similar strategies. I was completely crushed score-wise because of that one draw on that one turn. It ended up being a score of 30+ to my 6. I even got a bunch of upgrades and tried to get rid of the curses, but even with 4 or 5 upgrades there were turns when I drew 3 curses and no upgrades, and other turns where I drew all upgrades with no curses.
I wonder how dominion would work if there were permanent luck mitigating options. For example, at any time you can discard three cards to draw one. Or at any time you can discard any two action cards for +1 action. Or at any time spend $5 get +1 buy. The same way that Eclipse and Settlers let you trade in lots of one resource for a few of another at any time. This mitigates luck tremendously, but has to be balanced carefully.
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Finally, which do you guys think is the "best" expansion beyond the base set and which expands player interactivity the most? I ask the latter part because my friend group is big on being able to screw people over for both in-game strategic reasons and meta-game reasons.
Expansion-wise... I think Intrigue is a good expansion. Lots of fun action cards in there.
Also, from what I recall the final expansion comes out next month?
The other reason you would buy Curse cards is to end the game by depleting the Curse pile. Exactly. Chapel in particular is super strong.
Recently I played a game where my opponent was able to dish out the curses very quickly. I ended up getting cursed much faster than I could trash the curses. The opponent quickly emptied two other piles while my deck was moving slow as molasses. I don't remember exactly, but they may have used militia or margrave to keep me from getting the ball rolling again.
From a quick glance here, there is only one card that really works with Mint - Fool's Gold - but it works fucking brilliantly. Mint / Lighthouse is apparently also viable, which makes sense since it at least helps with the silver.
Someone who did straight-up Silver/Silver is beating you at that point.
Also, whenever alchemists appear I tend to go for them, as that usually wins if I can make it work. But once in awhile the combination of other cards breaks the alchemist pile and you're fucked.
But if there is even one effective attack card, or if some other facter will extend the game, there's no way I'll try that (unless my opponents aren't good).
I just played a game five minutes ago. Oh, hello familiar! I buy potion. Other guy buys potion. I buy scheme, other guy buys silver. I draw 1 potion, one copper, and three estates. Other guy draws enough to buy a familiar. We both were equally smart and had very similar strategies. I was completely crushed score-wise because of that one draw on that one turn. It ended up being a score of 30+ to my 6. I even got a bunch of upgrades and tried to get rid of the curses, but even with 4 or 5 upgrades there were turns when I drew 3 curses and no upgrades, and other turns where I drew all upgrades with no curses.
I wonder how dominion would work if there were permanent luck mitigating options. For example, at any time you can discard three cards to draw one. Or at any time you can discard any two action cards for +1 action. Or at any time spend $5 get +1 buy. The same way that Eclipse and Settlers let you trade in lots of one resource for a few of another at any time. This mitigates luck tremendously, but has to be balanced carefully.