| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/guilds/candlestickmaker.jpg) | 241. Candlestick Maker This is the first Dominion card that I looked at and immediately didn't like at all aesthetically. I can appreciate that the "Butcher, Baker, and Candlestick Maker" are attempting to be a fairy tale type thing and have their own cartoony look to get that across, but the biggest problem here is just the slant of the guy's head. What's wrong? Is he hurt? Is he sick? The background looks okay, but so many style points are lost by the pose that it makes the bottom of the list. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/promo/envoy.jpg) | 240. Envoy I mean, do I even have to say it? Just look at his expression! Envoy of Derponia, I'm guessing. This guy doesn't have a clue, and he won't be winning any fashion shows any time soon. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/harem.jpg) | 239. Harem OK, look. Real talk here. I have nothing against Kalusky's art style in particular. He does an interesting wacky style that I can get behind in the right environment. The problem is when you try and put that style in Dominion, which has more of a classical feel. It doesn't help that nobody in this Harem looks like a gal I'd be paying to see, if you know what I mean. $6 is rather pricey all things considered. I'll give this art one thing: the girl on the left has a great facial expression that makes me grin on occasion. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/chancellor.jpg) | 238. Chancellor There's something to be said about how worn down and droopy this guy looks, but... well, he looks a bit too much like Droopy Dog. The choice of hat is plain, the robes are unnatural, and nothing about this guy is right. I wouldn't even be surprised if he were a cardboard cutout posing as a politician, which might be appropriate considering what the card does. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/shantytown.jpg) | 237. Shanty Town It's a funny scene, like a beggar comes knocking at the guy's door asking for cash and he's all 'do you even know where you are?' However, like Harem, the clash with all of the other cards makes this one rub me the wrong way. Funnily, the Shanty Town itself looks really good for what it is. It's just the people turning this in to a mediocre image. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/scout.jpg) | 236. Scout I hate to put a meme card this early in the list. I love the jokes myself. That said, the art on this one never impressed me much. This Scout looks so terribly bored with his job, almost like he knows how useless he really is. The snow scenery is nice, but the hands are all wrong, his face is too weird, and his clothes are so last winter. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/guilds/butcher.jpg) | 235. Butcher Again, it all comes down to being jarring in the full set here. I like the bald head, I like the super-long pig being slaughtered, but let's face it, you wouldn't see this guy chilling out with Junk Dealer and Herbalist. In fact, I imagine with that pale skin tone he spends a whole lot of time in there whacking at chickens. He'd probably have enough free time to code his own Dominion sim. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/woodcutter.jpg) | 234. Woodcutter Everybody knows the joke with this one already, but in case you don't fall under that category, just take a hard look at this art. How does the saw's position make any sense? That's not how you cut wood. I know, cause I had to do it once. Never again. Just look at the wound on the tree and the shape of the tool. I mean, maybe they're still getting set up, but their poses sure don't say that. The gold standard for this is of course those two guys in Link to the Past: (http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090910204631/zelda/images/4/4c/Twin_Lumberjacks.png) |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/wishingwell.jpg) | 233. Wishing Well I wish this card looked better. Eh? Eh? Anyone? |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/seaside/navigator.jpg) | 232. Navigator The thing that bothers me about this one is the sky in the back. There's no detail; it's just like a static blue, at least when compared to the detail seen on other Dominion cards. Those ropes aren't enough to give me the impression of a fantastic voyage. If it weren't for that, the style of the card wouldn't actually bother me too much here, but sadly Navigator is doomed. I don't think he could get a date, much less qualify for Mr. Dominionland. Also, the position of his right arm is way off what it should be. |
I mean, do I even have to say it? Just look at his expression! Envoy of Derponia, I'm guessing. This guy doesn't have a clue, and he won't be winning any fashion shows any time soon.You'd raise an eyebrow too if there were a scroll embedded in your hand.
I mean, do I even have to say it? Just look at his expression! Envoy of Derponia, I'm guessing. This guy doesn't have a clue, and he won't be winning any fashion shows any time soon.You'd raise an eyebrow too if there were a scroll embedded in your hand.
Wishing Well looks quite nice, what's it doing down here. Where is Council Room, the one where the table is in perspective but the chairs are all the same size.
I just don't like the way the people look in the Wishing Well art. The Well itself? It's fine.
Dominion has some pretty bad art. I aint gonna lie.
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/guilds/baker.jpg) | 231. Baker The final of the trio to appear, Baker still has the style clash issue that the others suffer from, but it fares a little better. Those globs of bread evoke the feeling of coin tokens well, and her confused and critical expression is both as baffling as it is cute. The strangest thing about this art is the Baker's neck. What is she, a giraffe? I'm not sure they even know how to bake. You'd better watch out if you go to get a biscuit at this bakery. |
| (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/images/e/ea/Prince.jpg) | 230. Prince Ooh, how controversial! Let's pick on the new guy! No, no, it's not that. Again, I just don't like how the cartoonier style looks compared to the other cards in Dominion. Prince fares better than most since he's meeting up with a meme reaction image faced Baron here, which evokes jollies in my heart. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/steward.jpg) | 229. Steward I get that the pose is meant to make the guy look snooty, but maybe I never thought of him that way because I was exposed to the isotropic art first. I'm not sure why Dick Tracy is talking to the Steward either. This guy doesn't even want to be here, so why should I butter him up and put him higher on the list? |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/foolsgold.jpg) | 228. Fool's Gold Admittedly, an artist can only do so much when asked to draw 'a pile of rocks,' but actually I want to place this one here to say I don't care for how the blue and yellow backgrounds on the cards clash. It has to be some kind of fashion crime unless you're displaying your loyalty to the Ukraine. The image is OK, just dull on the eyes. I'm sure you guys'll let me know how wrong I am about this one. WHERE'S COUNCIL ROOM?? |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/seaside/seahag.jpg) | 227. Sea Hag In one sense, this card art is a success. The hag is chubby and looks slightly off-human, and it's a cool setting for the lady. On the other hand, her face has this weird uncanny valley effect that really throws it off for me. The fact is, I don't think she'd even make the first step on the stairs to the beauty pageant. Interesting detail I never noticed about this card art: the moon appears in the background behind her. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/baron.jpg) | 226. Baron Another great meme image. I know what he looks like, and that's hilarious, but I just can't ignore the shoddy proportions here. The weird shading on the wall to the Baron's left has always bugged me a little, too, not to mention the design of the windowsill isn't as consistent as it should be. This is one I've possibly underrated, but in fairness, the art is already starting to improve as we climb the list. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/dameanna.jpg) | 225. Dame Anna No, no, no! She closed her eyes and they didn't even get another take? What photographer was responsible for this one? He needs to be fired immediately because, otherwise, the picture is quite nice. Anyone ever noticed how similar her expression is to trollface? |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/countinghouse.jpg) | 224. Counting House First off: I wonder if this card and Bank got switched around somehow. Second: The weird paint strokes on the wall look unfinished to me. It hurts an otherwise solid image somewhat. Other than that, I do like the perspective on this card, and the victory token on the wall is a nice touch. The image itself is a little boring aside from those details, and kind of a confusing shot too. Like, if it's a Counting House, why isn't he carrying money out? You can barely see what the guys at the desks are doing either. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/talisman.jpg) | 223. Talisman It's a big coin, ok, but it took me ages to notice there was a scroll or something on top of it. Why is there a scroll? Why does the random presence of a scroll make this and Envoy look so derpy somehow? I feel like this image could have been more exciting and really evoked the image of a Talisman, but maybe that's me. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/sage.jpg) | 222. Sage The Sage is just a mediocre-looking guy. He's past his prime and not getting anywhere with the ladies. Okay, and he also doesn't look sagely at all. That's really the issue I have here. When I think of a sage, I think of glorious, whitened hair and a beard full of knowledge, not... this scrawny hunchback guy reading scribbles out of a book. I think this man may be a poser. |
Every time I look at Talisman I see a giant eye, like one belonging to a lizard or something. I really have to struggle to remind myself that it's a coin.yeah, only when I really focus on that can I actually see what it's supposed to be. That makes it fairly bad art in my view.
Every time I look at Talisman I see a giant eye, like one belonging to a lizard or something. I really have to struggle to remind myself that it's a coin.
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/haggler.jpg) | 221. Haggler The Haggler is a jolly guy. I'd probably buy him a burger. Unfortunately, he's so dingy and washed-out that it's a bit hard for me to appreciate his art to the full extent. Still, you can't really hate on a guy who's having that good a time getting free stuff with his purchases. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/seaside/pearldiver.jpg) | 220. Pearl Diver What's wrong with your face?! And why is there a trail of bubbles behind him? Granted, I have never done any deep sea diving, but I don't think they'd quite look like that. I think this Pearl Diver might be poisoning the 8 foot section. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/damemolly.jpg) | 219. Dame Molly I am aware this is a huge nit-pick, but it bugs me how Dame Molly is only taking up like 1/4 of the image and the rest is just a wasteland. Shouldn't she be stabbing at an ogre or something? The art is good; it's just an odd choice to not make her the focal point of the image. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/smithy.jpg) | 218. Smithy Anyone else just think these guys are goofy looking? I actually never noticed until just now that the guy on the left is holding an axe that the Smithy is pounding on. The Smithy's nose is pretty abnormal too. He could probably do with some surgery for that. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/mint.jpg) | 217. Mint This picture is one I've always found a little dull. His clothes are uninteresting to look at and the folds down the chest seem a little off. At least he has one of the manliest beards in Dominion card art, though. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/basecards/platinum.jpg) | 216. Platinum So here's the first Base Card. As one might expect, a lot of these won't rank too highly, although they're decent pictures. Platinum is just the one I've never cared for out of the set. Somehow the single piece of Platinum doesn't evoke that feeling of "tons of cash!" like the other Treasures do. The isotropic art was actually a lot cooler to me, though the color was wrong. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/promo/governor.jpg) | 215. Governor This man's coat is the least fashionable piece of attire I've ever laid eyes on. How does he hope to govern a nation when he looks THAT uncool? At least he knows how to hold a pen correctly. That gets you a long way in politics. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/develop.jpg) | 214. Develop Develop's another one of those 'great concept, meh execution' pictures for me. The whole thing looks super wavy and the buildings they're looking at just kind of blend in to everything. I think I'd appreciate the art more blown up and with a bit more distinction between the mountain and the buildings. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/damejosephine.jpg) | 213. Dame Josephine You had better watch out there, Dame. You're going to put someone's eye out or worse holding the blade that way. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/bishop.jpg) | 212. Bishop For some reason, Bishop always struck me as a Magic card reject. I kind of like how it looks (again, we're climbing the list here) but it always felt a little out of place in the full set. I do like the colors a lot, though. The blue background helps to give the card a mysterious feeling. |
I love the idea of this list!
I agree that Molly is a bit too inactive in the picture, but I believe those black silhouettes in the background are an army she's leading.
Anyone else just think these guys are goofy looking? I actually never noticed until just now that the guy on the left is holding an axe that the Smithy is pounding on. The Smithy's nose is pretty abnormal too. He could probably do with some surgery for that.
Huh, you may be right. To me, it just looked like trees.
At least he knows how to hold a pen correctly. That gets you a long way in politics.Best line.
I used to like IGG, but now it just seems pretty weak.
215. GovernorMan, Duke's outfit matches the chair.
This man's coat is the least fashionable piece of attire I've ever laid eyes on. How does he hope to govern a nation when he looks THAT uncool? At least he knows how to hold a pen correctly. That gets you a long way in politics.
I can't believe you put Bishop this far down. That might be in my top 10 card arts, and definitely top 20. The colors are just fantastic.The artist submitted the art darker, and reluctantly brightened it.
(http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/damemolly.jpg) 219. Dame Molly
I am aware this is a huge nit-pick, but it bugs me how Dame Molly is only taking up like 1/4 of the image and the rest is just a wasteland. Shouldn't she be stabbing at an ogre or something? The art is good; it's just an odd choice to not make her the focal point of the image.
My question is, how is she sprinting with all that armor on?You would sprint too, with an army that big chasing after you, no matter how much armor you had.
I'm not sure, if the army is chasing her. For me it looks like this is her army. They don't look like chasing and running after her. They look more like standing still and doing nothing.My question is, how is she sprinting with all that armor on?You would sprint too, with an army that big chasing after you, no matter how much armor you had.
I'm not sure, if the army is chasing her. For me it looks like this is her army. They don't look like chasing and running after her. They look more like standing still and doing nothing.My question is, how is she sprinting with all that armor on?You would sprint too, with an army that big chasing after you, no matter how much armor you had.
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/saboteur.jpg) | 211. Saboteur So first off, that shirt's arms are way too baggy for effective sabbing. He needs to be able to escape in a tough situation. The look on his face is also... quite flat, in an unnatural way. These things kind of jump out while staring at the image, but I'll commend the artist otherwise. Just a few touch ups would have made Saboteur jump a few tiers. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/bridge.jpg) | 210. Bridge It's kind of a dull picture. From afar, it's nice enough, but when you get up close you can see that the rocks aren't the best (where is this Bridge going anyway?) and that white... foam? at the bottom is sort of nonsensical. Overall, the card art does nothing for me here. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/cornucopia/fairgrounds.jpg) | 209. Fairgrounds My problem with this card's art is just that it misses the atmosphere of Fairgounds entirely. They're supposed to be bright and colorful, not drab and morose. It doesn't help that the details are so small you may never even notice this is depicting Fairgrounds. I feel like this card started off intended for some other landscape like a swamp, which would have been a lot better fit. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/moneylender.jpg) | 208. Moneylender This is another card that just looks sort of bland. A lot of the ones in this tier do. That isn't the biggest sin in the world, but the fact remains that if you want to win the beauty pageant you have to put some gusto in to it. I like his hat, and the characterization of the Moneylender comes through, but nothing else is exciting here. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/remodel.jpg) | 207. Remodel Until examining every card intently, I never noticed how strangely shaped that scroll is. What is with scroll art lowering the aesthetic appeal of these cards? I do see what the artist was trying to do: make the paper look all foldy. I don't think it entirely worked out, though. It's another ho-hum image. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/militia.jpg) | 206. Militia Okay, there is no way this art started off as 'militia.' These guys are clearly crooked. They're raiders or pillagers for sure. I'd be interested in knowing some of the backstory of this art; it's interesting to get some perspective on the creative process. Anyway, I don't care for the guy on the left's head, though the second one looks like a cool Pirates of the Caribbean reject. His armor looks a little unnatural, though: could use some cuts or smudges to get across half the ruggedness needed for an Old Spice commercial. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/survivors.jpg) | 205. Survivors I like all of the Ruins images a lot other than this one. The people at the bottom are all stretched and blurry, which I guess is just a stylistic choice that may appeal to some people (but not me). The burning building is rad, though, I'll give it that. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/storeroom.jpg) | 204. Storeroom This one is kind of a tough call because I think it's well-drawn; it's just a dull setting that doesn't inspire much excitement, and the way it's drawn is about what you'd expect to see with no interesting details. Hey, they can't all be the winners. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/bordervillage.jpg) | 203. Border Village Don't get me wrong here. This is a very nice scene, and the color choice is mostly good. My problem is that the blue colors all blend together when you're looking at a tiny card, which makes this just look like a tidal wave to me. It's another one that benefits from looking at scans. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/seaside/smugglers.jpg) | 202. Smugglers We are getting to the top of the lower tiers here, and you can tell because the pictures on this post are significantly better on the whole than the ones before it. I like the style of Smugglers a lot. It evokes a cool mood and the Smugglers, despite not looking super realistic, fit it well. It could be a little bit TOO blue overall, but who am I to judge? I'd give them a snuggle |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/duchess.jpg) | 201. Duchess And here it is, the final image of the lower tiers. Oh, it's pretty enough. The baby is adorable. The problem is... the Duchess herself freaks me out. I am pretty sure she is an axe murderer or some kind of Stepford Wife, so my main man the Duke had better watch out. I'm serious; sometimes I avoid looking at this card because her smile is more than a little creepy. Actually, now that I look at the baby close... oh, man, it's staring in to my soul! Enough! Enough for now! |
I used to think Cellar had great artwork, but then Warehouse came out.Warehouse costs $3 though.
I used to think Cellar had great artwork, but then Warehouse came out.Warehouse costs $3 though.
My question is, how is she sprinting with all that armor on?
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/quarry.jpg) | 200. Quarry Things are looking up these days. When picking these apart, we're looking less at the quality of the image and more at how exciting it is. Quarry's a good first start. It's a plain picture of what it's supposed to represent, and it looks nice. The rock wall leaves a bit to be desired detail-wise, but rock detail is stupidly hard to get right anyway. It still looks a bit bloom-y, and it's still a big pile of rocks. What do you want from me here? |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/monument.jpg) | 199. Monument I love the basic idea of this image, but it looks all... squiggly for some reason. Observe the top dome of the central structure on the left side, how it differs so much from the right, and not just in shading. There are a whole lot of odd technical details wrong with this picture if you squint at it enough, and I know I just said we were moving past technical problems, but I'm a freakin' liar. This here's a Monument to FOOLS. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/cornucopia/tournament.jpg) | 198. Tournament The ring in the back is one of the laziest sections of a Dominion card. Something about the perspective is just way off there, and the tents don't fare a whole lot better but they stand out less. I am also pretty sure the knights are holding those lances incorrectly, but I am not an expert, so any resident jousters ought to weigh in. Nonetheless, at least Tournament depicts an entertaining scene. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/city.jpg) | 197. City It's supposed to be a City, but it just looks like a one-horse town to me. Unless you get ten of them down. Then it's a weird anthill of cloned citizens preparing to make the entire world of Dominion uniform. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/nobles.jpg) | 196. Nobles While I'm not a huge fan of the way the people look on this card, the tattle-tale and paparazzi lying in wait are really nice touches, as is the curtain. The Nobleman here seems appropriately pretentious. Really, the main thing holding this card back to me is that the color choice is sort of bland. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/upgrade.jpg) | 195. Upgrade I should probably withhold any criticisms here. They're still working on it. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/minion.jpg) | 194. Minion Again, I'm not big on how the people are drawn here. However, I love the mobster-esque look on the Minion's face and can just imagine him slapping the dull blade of that knife against his hand as a threat. Just imagine if this were an animated holo card. There's an idea for DXV if he ever needs to get a second Scrooge McDuck pool. Dominion: Animated GIF edition. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/cornucopia/remake.jpg) | 193. Remake Pile of rocks... pile of timber... the colors are nice, but there's only so much to appeal to someone here. Working on games, I've driven away more than one artist who got bored drawing stuff like this over and over. It's like doing spreadsheets or scrubbing the toilets when you want to be doing your real job. Oh crap, my real job is essentially making pretty spreadsheets... no! No!!! |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/deathcart.jpg) | 192. Death Cart To Marco Morte's credit (Geez, 'Morte' is an appropriate name for this one, huh?) I will say Death Cart has got a unique, stand-out style among the Dominion cards. That said, I'm not sure it works that well alongside the rest, which is really the main bone I have to pick. Also, is the lady on the right a stork? It was probably hard to avoid making this look too much like the Monty Python scene, and I think Morte did a good job. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/altar.jpg) | 191. Altar Maybe I'm being overly fussy about this one, but I kind of wish there was something on the Altar. Or at least something in the picture, like people carrying dead sheep. Right now it just looks like the LOST hatch sitting in the middle of the woods, which is great, but not too exciting in this form. It's also a very brown picture. Very, very brown. Browner than brown. |
I was kind of hoping you mentioned the guy in the picture in Minion's art looks a lot like Che Guevara dressed up for a renaissance fair.
Also, is the lady on the right a stork?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plague_doctor_costume
Also, is the lady on the right a stork?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plague_doctor_costume
I was kind of hoping you mentioned the guy in the picture in Minion's art looks a lot like Che Guevara dressed up for a renaissance fair.I think that is him in early days or someone of his family (maybe he is relative of Che Guevara ;-)). The profile of their heads look very similar.
195. Upgrade
I should probably withhold any criticisms here. They're still working on it.
Also, is the lady on the right a stork?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plague_doctor_costume
195. Upgrade
I should probably withhold any criticisms here. They're still working on it.
My favorite comment so far.
Also, do you think you would have ranked death cart higher had you known about this?Also, is the lady on the right a stork?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plague_doctor_costume
Death cart got done wrong, easily a top 20 card.i really have to agree. I think the picture delivers a really good impression of what it depicts.
It's pretty mediocre aesthetically, though.Death cart got done wrong, easily a top 20 card.i really have to agree. I think the picture delivers a really good impression of what it depicts.
Again, I'm not big on how the people are drawn here. However, I love the mobster-esque look on the Minion's face and can just imagine him slapping the dull blade of that knife against his hand as a threat.Originally he was holding a scroll or something, and looked like an evil secretary.
Again, I'm not big on how the people are drawn here. However, I love the mobster-esque look on the Minion's face and can just imagine him slapping the dull blade of that knife against his hand as a threat.Originally he was holding a scroll or something, and looked like an evil secretary.
You know I actually only just now looking at Minion realized that it's a sword and not a scroll. And I always thought that the moneylender was an old woman and that hat was her hair.
191. Altar
Maybe I'm being overly fussy about this one, but I kind of wish there was something on the Altar. Or at least something in the picture, like people carrying dead sheep. Right now it just looks like the LOST hatch sitting in the middle of the woods, which is great, but not too exciting in this form. It's also a very brown picture. Very, very brown. Browner than brown.
I always thought the idea with the empty Altar is that you're placing one of your other cards on it
Watchtower better be #1. It would be #1 on my list, at least. Chapel is nice too...
Watchtower better be #1. It would be #1 on my list, at least. Chapel is nice too...
Royal Seal could also be at the top.
for Monument, the light source is obviously coming from the right, which is why there is so much shadow on the right statue and not the left one, as well as the left side of the dome and building. I think it's a pretty dynamic lighting choice for something that could be really boring. I agree that the bases of the statues are drawn so that the view point is off centre with the Monument, and I think the artist should have chosen to place the viewer right in the middle of the Monument, so that the statues are both at the same angles.
However, take into account that the space on a card is really small. Say for tournament, the artist was trying to show a lot in the tournament. By placing the stands far back, we an see them entirely and we quickly get the sense of a tournament. If you were doing this as a large painting, yeah the stands should be moved forward so that we can see all the expressions of the crowd members and see their movements.
#190.....? Not to rush you or anything
Am I the only one who really, really likes the refreshing background of Navigator? Anyone?
I find it interesting that you think Candlestick Maker is the worst, but you have yet to place Masterpiece.
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/seaside/lookout.jpg) | 190. Lookout An odd-looking man keeping watch over a dead sea, purple with lethargy and gloom. The rock protuberances do not disrupt the dead laze of the waters, only small hints of froth emitted from their bases. This man, this Lookout; he clearly gazes over a large puddle of grape soda. He's also locking his knees, and will soon fall in to the drink. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/workersvillage.jpg) | 189. Worker's Village Some large structure is being installed in a poisonous wasteland. The yellow air has led all of the town's citizens to their dooms, and soon they shall walk the ruined plains in death, feeding on the humanity of the living. Dominion: Undeath, coming soon to a Barnes & Noble near you. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/alchemy/scryingpool.jpg) | 188. Scrying Pool The witch gazes upon a village in the misty pool with a look of childlike wonder. What doth her gaze entail? What does the scene mean? I know not. My speculations are foolhardy. The outline of the pool distracts the eye, making me unsure this scene ever existed in the first place. It is perhaps for the best--some mystical force has made the witch achieve anime hair, and as much as I'd love to own Dominion: Anime Edition, I don't think that's what Alchemy was intended as. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/forge.jpg) | 187. Forge The noble forge inspects the zweihänder, her room and form coated in the blood of foes. It is an interesting, ominous atmosphere in her shop. One wonders if a battle looms near, which would justify the production of such tools. Sadly for the Forge, her abilities would be used to perform such acts as turning three small buildings in to a gaggle of ladies rather than what she trained for. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/basecards/copper.jpg) | 186. Copper A pile of coins stands before us, clearly worth more than 1 coin. It is always an interesting concept in Dominion, trading money for more money and getting the same money in return. Here, it makes far less sense than usual. The coins themselves look quite splendid, but can only achieve so much beauty due to their nature. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/contraband.jpg) | 185. Contraband Some treasure lies hidden in a dark room of a thief's hut, covered lazily in a simple blanket. Was the blanket stolen? We may never know. The treasure itself appears to be of little value, and may in fact only be fence material. The proportions of the box on the right are also odd, at least if the left and right halves apparent are truly parts of the same whole. Do not attempt to take this card on an airplane. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/kingscourt.jpg) | 184. King's Court Squint as hard as you can muster, and an image of Santa Clause will appear before you. Santa's elves stand around him with indistinct features, but truly they are not the focal point of the image. Nay, it is the room itself that the name of the card hints is the true object of import. While the walls are splendid, one wonders about that floor plan. I believe the North Pole must have the funds to put down a nice tile pattern instead of whatever that nonsense is. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/basecards/colony.jpg) | 183. Colony A wondrous landscape; taken alone, it is among the greatest images drawn for the game. However, where it does fail is in evoking the feeling of a Colony. This is simply a coastal town, not a land taken over forcefully by a powerful nation. Maybe they only wanted the pineapple ice cream and just peacefully took over. In my public school days, I learned that's why Hawaii is the 52nd state. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/inn.jpg) | 182. Inn An Inn rests in a peaceful valley, offering bed and meals to weary travelers in the country side. Sure, it's a remote building. Sure, I could nitpick that to death. In the olden days, though, it made sense for such a structure to exist in the middle of nowhere. Today, this is where Freddy would find you and harvest your organs for his parrot's fueling. It's a nice picture, though. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/embassy.jpg) | 181. Embassy People in this place look so confused. The transvestite on the left probably passed gas, leading the stylish man on the right to take a whiff of the air, hunting for the source of crud vapors. The others sit around a small table, discussing questionable agreements and bribes. It is an effective image, though not one that excites me. Embassies are among the most boring of locale, so at least there's something unusual to look at here. |
as much as I'd love to own Dominion: Anime Edition
as much as I'd love to own Dominion: Anime Edition
http://www.tantocuore.com
I like to think that the woman in Scrying Pool looks into the pool and sees...Vineyards!
Makes sense, except the card art is not exactly the same as that of Vineyard. Close though.
Inn at 182 is heresy imo.
Inn at 182 is heresy imo.
Because it is above Bishop?
More seriously, Inn is one of the few pictures for which I think the Isotropic version is way better than the official version.
After this ranking, you wanna do a ranking of the left 10 pixels of the card art? :P
Contraband should be higher. The detail on that rug is amazing!! Surprised Embassy isn't lower. The art style is odd to me.
I, too, like the "stories" you are telling when you present your art rankings. Keep them coming!
After this ranking, you wanna do a ranking of the left 10 pixels of the card art? :P
For the life of me; someone explain this to me
Playing with scheme onGokoplaydominion requires that you memorize the very leftmost edge of every card in order to select the correct one. Also, I don't think you're using that idiom correctly.
Playing with scheme onGokoplaydominion requires that you memorize the very leftmost edge of every card in order to select the correct one. Also, I don't think you're using that idiom correctly.
Ahhh got the joke now. Also, it's not really an idiom per se—more like a common phrase used to get my point across. I could have easily said "For the life of me... someone explain this" or "For Pete's sake can someone explain this?" But putting 10 seconds worth of thought into a comment usually isn't worth it. Brevity is.
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/guilds/masterpiece.jpg) | 180. Masterpiece How pretentious could a request get? Kelli wondered what she'd do. She'd lie awake at night and fret. Of what to draw, she had no clue. A masterpiece does not come easy, especially not so soon in life. Why paint hers for a card so flimsy? She peered off at her trusty knife. She'd sabotage this masterpiece; she knew she had the gall. What showed up on the final piece, no masterpiece at all. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/seaside/treasuremap.jpg) | 179. Treasure Map Matthias found himself quite pleased. A map for finding gold! He'd dreamt of such a boon received, and gripped his pen of old. With too much haste, he drew the map, not pausing to consider that shading would perturb some sap and make him somewhat bitter. Nonetheless, the map looks fine, maybe somewhat average. True treasure lies in lust for dreams, or so goes some old adage. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/vault.jpg) | 178. Vault Harry Potter'd made a mess; the Room was burnt to cinder. They cleaned it up, but he'd confess it'd lost a certain splendor. Thus the wizards' plans did start; they'd seal the Room forever inside a Muggle card game's art, and none would be the wiser. But this reviewer is not fooled; he sees the telltale sign. Your magic can't fool JSH; just look at that one line! |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/margrave.jpg) | 177. Margrave The Margrave sat upon his throne, expression filled with swagger. Nobody could hate this art; he'd climbed the social ladder. Perspective showed an awful truth; the man was falling sideways! If only he'd not placed his arms upon the greatsword longways. Upon his fall, the blade did meet his knee and leave a gash. Infections spread and dulled his mind: when sitting, don't be rash. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/armory.jpg) | 176. Armory The knight walked to the armory, fresh from battle's training. He gazed at all that he could see, his wonder not refraining. When entering a brave new world, horrors may seem swell. This man's course had just unfurled; battle called his death knell. Visually, the place did seem a place of noble treasure But doom calls thee who taketh war an act of foolish leisure. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/torturer.jpg) | 175. Torturer Many men had given in; his methods so efficient. The torturer, with no true kin, did lash until his arms bent. He'd built a form that any Joe would covet in his time But none loved he who seemed a foe, to him it seemed a crime. The ladies all avoided him, and none came to his door. All among them simply felt he'd only make them sore. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/councilroom.jpg) | 174. Council Room Donald X was fuming mad; the list was now dismissive. "Council Room," he bellowed, "lad," "its crimes are simply massive." Perspective was its greatest fart; the chairs in disarray. Matthias bungled up the art; with this he got away. And thus the misrank came to light, to this poet's contempt. He'd made a terrible mistake, and hoped to soon repent. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/mountebank.jpg) | 173. Mountebank The Mountebank did shimmer bright; his clothes were somewhat vibrant. Such bloom just didn't sit quite right; I must bring down this tyrant. The bottles look identical, A clone brush clearly used. Such laziness contemptible, but please don't feel too bruised. The overall effect does work, no matter if penned listlessly. We've been peddled nonsense here, but it works thematically. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/guilds/soothsayer.jpg) | 172. Soothsayer The Soothsayer walked nervously, her head in sunlight's way. The pageant was at 2, you see; her beauty could not sway. She held her entry card aloft and walked into the room. The Harem laughed, the Baker wept, and stares were multitude. None could see her bravery, though weighty did it loom. Though bald she hoped to prove herself, although the pageant crude. Although she lost, the moral is, though some will laugh and jest, just make your funds and curse at them; your pocket's looks are best. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/oracle.jpg) | 171. Oracle The oracle foresaw a sight; she knew I would be weary. To write these all in sonnet form has made me somewhat dreary. And so the next list may seem plain, but do not feel distraught. Art critique's a bit like rain, With time, it will be forgot. The oracle looks cooler than it deserves to be Its simple style's a wonder; observe and you will see. |
To write these all in sonnet form
has made me somewhat dreary.
To write these all in sonnet form
has made me somewhat dreary.
Objection! None of these are sonnets true,
unless you use a bitter form obscure.
I pray my words you do not misconstrue
I only seek to foster sonnets pure.
A sonnet's soul is more than just its rhyme,
its craft must count for more than sound and song.
It walks a measured pace, iambic time,
five feet each phrase to hold the rhythm strong.
Three quatrains we must have to fill the form,
a final couplet serves to close the verse*.
A shorter piece leaves readers but lukewarm,
dissatisfied with writers far too terse.
Your effort bold and true I must applaud,
but sonnets these are not! I name thee: fraud!
* There are forms that use a different structure, such as the Petrarchan sonnet with two quatrains and a sestet, but all the common forms still come out to 14 lines.
To write these all in sonnet form
has made me somewhat dreary.
Objection! None of these are sonnets true,
unless you use a bitter form obscure.
I pray my words you do not misconstrue
I only seek to foster sonnets pure.
A sonnet's soul is more than just its rhyme,
its craft must count for more than sound and song.
It walks a measured pace, iambic time,
five feet each phrase to hold the rhythm strong.
Three quatrains we must have to fill the form,
a final couplet serves to close the verse*.
A shorter piece leaves readers but lukewarm,
dissatisfied with writers far too terse.
Your effort bold and true I must applaud,
but sonnets these are not! I name thee: fraud!
* There are forms that use a different structure, such as the Petrarchan sonnet with two quatrains and a sestet, but all the common forms still come out to 14 lines.
Don't care about the rankings, but I've enjoyed reading these descriptions. I laughed hard at Embassy and Margrave.
I couldn't tell what was in the picture on the Oracle card until looking closely just now. I tended to see it as a golden jackal with the woman's arms being the jackal's ears. I still can't tell what that thing in front of her is.
I couldn't tell what was in the picture on the Oracle card until looking closely just now. I tended to see it as a golden jackal with the woman's arms being the jackal's ears.
Don't care about the rankings, but I've enjoyed reading these descriptions. I laughed hard at Embassy and Margrave.
I couldn't tell what was in the picture on the Oracle card until looking closely just now. I tended to see it as a golden jackal with the woman's arms being the jackal's ears. I still can't tell what that thing in front of her is.
An altar, I think?
By the way, are you judging Hermit/Madman and Urchin/Mercenary as different cards or one card?
By the way, are you judging Hermit/Madman and Urchin/Mercenary as different cards or one card?
Different. The only cards not on the list are the base set Copper/Silver/Gold/Estate/Duchy/Province/Curse. And the Knights randomizer I think. And the trash card. Why those? Cause I forgot about them and I don't want to edit all those numbers.
Next, a choose-your-own-adventure!
Depends on the board ;-)Next, a choose-your-own-adventure!
You have three Coppers.
…To buy a Silver, turn to page 15.
…To buy a Woodcutter, turn to page 28.
…To buy a Workshop, turn to page 44.
…To buy a Moat, turn to page 51.
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/huntinggrounds.jpg) | 170. Hunting Grounds This card's art is a good example of how to do a more cartoony style in Dominion and get away with it. (Sorry Maura) Sure, the foremost archer looks a little goofy, but he's also very well-detailed and there's enough going on in the scene to make Hunting Grounds connect to other cards in the game. The quadrupeds are lovely, and the archer in the background is classy as tea at the palace. Why doesn't it rank higher? Because I'm dumb and refuse to shift things around even though nobody's seen the list yet. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/witch.jpg) | 169. Witch I always thought the art on Witch did a good job conveying the other-worldliness of the Witch's power, but I guess some might see it as poor brushwork or something. The dark forest in the background is a nice touch. Looking at everything in hindsight, a lot of the early cards have worse art than later ones, but Witch looks pretty good. Her face (especially the weird double chin) is a bit lousy-looking, though. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/market.jpg) | 168. Market The style on this one isn't my favorite. I don't like how the buildings in the back have no separation from the ground, and he washed-out, dull coloring of the people isn't going to excite anyone. I will give this card points for having details, though. There's a good variety of people standing around, a donkey I never noticed until now, and the art really does convey the image of a market with only a very small snapshot of one. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/cellar.jpg) | 167. Cellar I love these pictures that have a darker, moody look to them. Well, most of the time. You get that feeling of an underground room right up the bones here, though the shape of the room feels oddly like a subway or sewer. It's not the best, but something had to be #167. I thought really hard about that placing, let me tell you. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/damesylvia.jpg) | 166. Dame Sylvia I'm convinced her armor is just plain drawn incorrectly. Or it doesn't fit her. Or she's pregnant. It kills me, because I think the rest of the picture is pretty great, especially the horse's armor. Look, Sylvia: rule #1 of the fashion show is to find things that fit you for your close-up. Everyone has to be judged by the same standard here. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/chapel.jpg) | 165. Chapel Q: THE PERSPECTIVE IS ALL WRONG; WHY IS THIS SO HIGH ON THE LIST? WHAT KIND OF ART CRITIC ARE YOU? A: |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/urchin.jpg) | 164. Urchin You take just one look at that picture and you know it's gonna be one of those games. A crook like him should not be tucking in his pants so gracefully. That wall is beautiful, though, I must say. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/mandarin.jpg) | 163. Mandarin I actually really love these styles of paintings and have wished I could visit China and Japan and see more of them in person. (sorry, I forgot the art genre they fall under. I didn't actually study it back in my mail-order art school program) It's a cool, funny picture of the far east bureaucrat with way too much stuff to lug around. Not the best it could be, but it's something exotic to the rest of the cards in the game that doesn't clash with everything else. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/tribute.jpg) | 162. Tribute While the color scheme here is a little crazy, I think it works nicely. Tribute has an eerie evening look to it that sets it apart from the pack. My only real complaint is that it's very difficult to see what's going on unless you look at it very closely. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/nomadcamp.jpg) | 161. Nomad Camp It's got a pretty cool desert backdrop, which is the main reason it's ranking this highly. I also love doggies. <3 The art is otherwise a little plain, but fitting for the Hinterlands expansion. I do wonder if those clouds are being sucked in to some kind of dimensional vortex. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/cornucopia/youngwitch.jpg) | 160. Young Witch Come on, YW, you could look at least a little bit happy to be here. You have all kinds of fans waiting in the audience, but you're just folding your arms and looking too cool for the crowd. Smile a little! Show 'em you care! Well, too bad. The gothic look is easy on the eyes, and there's a nice foggy swamp backdrop behind her, but it's not that great-looking on a tiny card. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/sirdestry.jpg) | 159. Sir Destry (http://www.jshgaming.com/Beavis_uh-huh.jpg) |
So wtf is going on in Tribute?
Young Witch should be top 10 at least!
163. Mandarin
I actually really love these styles of paintings and have wished I could visit China and Japan and see more of them in person. (sorry, I forgot the art genre they fall under. I didn't actually study it back in my mail-order art school program) It's a cool, funny picture of the far east bureaucrat with way too much stuff to lug around. Not the best it could be, but it's something exotic to the rest of the cards in the game that doesn't clash with everything else.
They would probably just think I'm a sad, strange little man.That is not a phrase they use, but they don't know they have cards yet.
Natalie and Sylvia might just think I'm a "poopie head."
Valerie, Dale, and Wei-Hwa were illustrated by Maura Kalusky (Harem, Navigator, Pearl Diver); I don't think any of them were too impressed.
I can't help but laugh at the thought of jsh357 having ranked only 1/3 of the cards: "When did I get the bright idea of ranking all 241 cards based on art, and adding a quip to each of them?"
Pretty sure navigator should be last.
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/promo/walledvillage.jpg) | 158. Walled Village While Walled Village doesn't match the style of a lot of the higher ranked cards, it does have a style of its own that makes it stand out as a promo in spite of being the least unusual promo card. It's a neat little tribute to Carcassone (Or maybe it isn't since I haven't actually played it and just looked at the board to confirm it could be) and not offensive to the eyes. Great? Not really. But they can't all be #158. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/seaside/fishingvillage.jpg) | 157. Fishing Village The first thing I want to point out here is that the card art actually mixes well with the orange borders, and not all Dominion cards look great with their particular borders if you ask me. While Lieske's image isn't that technically impressive, it is a nice scene. The smiling fisher boy with his fresh catch, the bandits rigging their boat with explosives to invade a nearby citadel, and the mountains in the background complement the small fishing town, giving a tranquil feeling to the player. Everyone loves Fishing Village, and so do you. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/pawn.jpg) | 156. Pawn Constipation can be a rough thing. The poor pawn is suffering as hard as a man in his time was bound to. I spent some time researching this to try and make a witty quip about constipation treatments in the middle ages, but it was surprisingly hard to find actual information on the first page of Google. Oh, uh, the picture's good; I just feel bad for the little guy. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/silkroad.jpg) | 155. Silk Road I won't make it a secret. Dominion's card art improved a ton from Cornucopia onward, and Hinterlands has some especially nice-looking cards. Silk Road portrays the journey of nomads across the titular path well; the light colors and excellent shading work stand out here. I still have to squint at the art a lot to see what's going on, but it's not as if that's a huge flaw. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/cornucopia/bagofgold.jpg) | 154. Bag of Gold Guys, there's this show on the Disney Channel. So there's a DOG, right? And the dog has a BLOG! What a concept! The show is called DOG WITH A BLOG. Similarly, I like to call this card BAG OF GOLD, and that's just what it looks like. Really, they need to take the kids off the show and have it entirely be the dog trolling the parents. It avoid the problems of working with child actors and doesn't sacrifice the original element of the show. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/seaside/merchantship.jpg) | 153. Merchant Ship Ever notice the Merchant standing in the middle of this picture? I sure didn't. The evening lighting here is glorious, though. An excellent piece of art that could top somebody else's super serious cart art list. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/promo/blackmarket.jpg) | 152. Black Market This is the shadiest card art, and I love it. These guys are up to no good and it's going to cause wacky fun times in the Kingdom for all. I wonder how they fit entire Farmlands in there? The only thing that bugs me a little is they still look a bit like robots or mannequins. Something about their smiles and poses is just plastic. Stylistically, it's hard to fault the Black Market, though. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/catacombs.jpg) | 151. Catacombs We've seen a lot of these types of pictures so far... underground passages and such. I think Catacombs is particularly nice, even if there isn't much to say about it. It's so easy to just gloss right over pictures of stone surfaces and dirt and not truly appreciate the amount of work that goes in to making them look convincing. I guess I wouldn't mind being buried here. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/guilds/journeyman.jpg) | 150. Journeyman This is the bro-iest of bro handshakes right here. And just look at those trees! Those buildings! It's spectacular stuff. That weird, misty gas in the back is a bit upsetting, though. One wonders if the zombie apocalypse from the Worker's Village has extended this far. Well, it's probably nothing to worry about. |
I mostly feel bad for the Pawn dude. From the heir of Isildur and King of Gondor to this?
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/spy.jpg) | 149. Spy The Spy looked out over the small, decaying town. A gargoyle rested beneath his feet, glowering at the sunset. "What's he looking at," the stone beast wondered. It didn't matter, though. The shady man had come with a specific purpose that day: to infiltrate the abode of the tardy art critic. His mission had been passed on by the enraged forumites, all of whom had recently learned the critic was hiding secrets as well. With daggers tucked away and a scroll to use as a distraction, he waited solemnly. It hit the Spy after a couple of hours that he was afraid of heights. Why had he climbed all the way up on to the roof anyway? Well, he could take solace in the fact that he looked pretty cool while doing it. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/gardens.jpg) | 148. Gardens On the opposite side of the building in which the Spy had waited, the critic spent his evening relaxing in the Gardens and not writing art critiques. "What's the point," he murmured. "I'm just going to have to do it all over again when the new set comes out." He gazed at his surroundings, wondering what it was that made him rank the place so highly in his estimation initially. Perhaps he'd partaken of too many herbs from the multitude of unshaded plants around him. Or perhaps he'd merely liked the scenery, questionable layout be darned. He closed his Nintendo 3DS and wandered indoors, realizing he'd forgotten to complete an important chore. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/seaside/treasury.jpg) | 147. Treasury As he creaked open the door to the Treasury, the young critic was taken aback. He'd merely come to see if he'd been awarded more forum respect, but was surprised to see a money pool towering throughout the room. He dashed in to the room, frantically searching for some explanation. Suddenly, a man leapt out of the center of the pool and flipped three times in the air. "Making fun of my game's art, huh?" The man sent a raspberry in the critic's direction. "Well, take a look at my earnings from the Dominion: Gunpoweder lawsuit." The critic tried to warn his guest of the danger, but it was too late. He fell head first onto a block of coins, blacking out immediately. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/venture.jpg) | 146. Venture The critic dragged the injured game designer through the gates, past where the Spy had fallen asleep on watch, and toward a nearby palace. Into the throne room he Ventured, approaching the bored-looking ruler. The critic knelt. "Sire, please grant me some coin so that I may grant this poor man the finest of health care available in these lands," he begged. The king grinned, then pulled a string above his head. A terrifying hole opened beneath the two visitors, and down they fell. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/bandofmisfits.jpg) | 145. Band of Misfits A pack of Misfits met the critic's eyes as he awoke groggily. His patient was nowhere to be seen, and he feared what these men might do to him. "We be the Misfits three," the grisliest one in the center cackled. "Dragged ye two out into the woods, we did. Ye'll make us a fine coin on the Black Market." Unfortunately for them, the critic had heard of these fools. He held aloft his trusty Scout card, and the Misfits shrieked in terror, their bones warping and melting to transform them in to the likeness of the poor guy. All they could do was count the Victory cards in their hands as the critic ran off into the distance. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/forager.jpg) | 144. Forager Soon enough, the critic collided with an old Forager, knocking her basket of apples on the ground. "Watch where you're running, boy," she roared with a hideous rasp. Seeing the boy's terrified face and bruises all over, she decided to lighten up a bit. "I'll tell you what. Give me a good ranking, say a good multiple of 12, and I'll let you have this apple." He agreed to the woman's request, happy to feel the thick texture of the fruit upon his tongue. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/promo/stash.jpg) | 143. Stash Suddenly, the mysterious game designer arrived at the scene, holding a big bag of cash that one might even call a Stash. "Just look, man, I'm rolling in it so deep I can afford to buy all of this lady's fruit." He made the purchase, then picked out a few rotten apples and hurled them at the critic. Flabbergasted, the critic asked why he'd been assaulted in such a rude manner. "That's for inserting me in your terrible self-insert fanfiction." Well, nobody could argue with that one. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/workshop.jpg) | 142. Workshop Beaten and stinking, the critic returned home and decided to finish putting together some write-ups in the Workshop. He admired the detail of the room: a protractor, various saws, a hammer, and a fine ink quill. Something seemed a little off, though. In the corner of the room, he swore he saw a terrifying long-haired demon hanging on the wall. No, really, what is that, a wig? And how is this ranked so high? Nobody knows. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/farmland.jpg) | 141. Farmland After falling asleep in the Workshop, he dreamed of a strange farm made up of perfectly-formed rows of plants. The dedication that these Farmlands must have been plowed with was staggering, especially considering the lack of power tools. Truly, such a beauteous place could only exist in his slumber. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/seaside/wharf.jpg) | 140. Wharf "And then, I told them it had something to do with Blue Dogs!" The two men chuckled, enjoying their last moments of one another's company. Their meeting had gotten off to a rocky start, but truly the two had become pals over the course of their misadventure. Unfortunately, it was time for the grizzled game designer to leave this terrible place. As he began walking toward the ship in the Wharf, he turned back to his art critic to bestow one last word of wisdom. "Look, hear me out. I know some of the art isn't the best, and I know nobody agrees with any of your rankings. Even you don't all the time." The critic smirked. "But man, you can't just start something and then never finish it. You know what the difference is between guys like you and guys like me? At some point, we finished what we were doing." A lone tear began to fall down the critic's face at the man's words. "Now hurry up and finish this stupid thread so we can all go home!" As he turned and left the Wharf, the critic took a moment to admire its beauty. A long path had been traveled since he first dissed the Candlestick Maker. The ship in the wharf looked majestic; the colors of the evening sky shone radiantly. With an image this lovely to gaze upon, and 139 more to go, he knew that only good things awaited him. 2 Cards suddenly thwacked the critic in the back of the head. He turned to see the ship departing, the designer waving at him. "For real! #174? What are you, blind? I'm out of here." |
141. Farmland
After falling asleep in the Workshop, he dreamed of a strange farm made up of perfectly-formed rows of plants. The dedication that these Farmlands must have been plowed with was staggering, especially considering the lack of power tools. Truly, such a beauteous place could only exist in his slumber.
The Forager doesn't look that old to me. And I've always loved how bored the guy in Venture looks. He's all like, "Yeah, sure, whatever. Go on your Venture. I guess."
Too much plot, too little critiquin'!
Does everybody see a woman when they look at forager? I thought it was a man.
I can't belief KC is so far down this list! I think the art is just as impressive as its ability.
The gimmicks will be at a minimum after this point; the 'middle' cards are a little dull to go over on their own.
I have NEVER seen the Forager as a dude.
yeah, forager is a girl. And I love the gimmicks. Following the plot from spy to wharf was fantastic.
By my estimation, the only card to pass the Bechdel Test is Trader.
That should give it a couple of points.
How do you know that they're not talking about a man? "That Scout doesn't seem very competent, I think you should have a Silver instead."
I assume you're excluding Harem for obvious reasons then?How do you know that they're not talking about a man? "That Scout doesn't seem very competent, I think you should have a Silver instead."
Well, I figured the Dominion-equivalent was just that there were multiple women and no men on the card.
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/basecards/province.jpg) | 139. Province The Province art offers us a scenic vista; the yellow-red hues of the land hint that evening nears in the kingdom, and a placid lake rests on her bosom. An armed formation of troops stands in the center, poised to march in to the lake and drown. It's a mellow scene, one that is calming, perhaps soothing to the player who has fought the whole game to earn such victory. I'm not sure what that pattern is on the flag, though. It looks a bit like a yellowed strand of bacon; perhaps diseased. We can fix that by placing it on the skillet and heating at 350 degrees for a couple of minutes. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/sirvander.jpg) | 138. Sir Vander Vander and his horse are imposing and rugged, truly the types of warriors you don't want to mess with on the battlefield. You can tell they both ate copious amounts of bacon this morning, adorned with cinnamon and extra pig fat to add spice and vigor. While the background is but a pale fog, the mountains that stand smaller than the magnificent Vander show his characteristic strength. It's all rather wonderfully done, even if the doomed knight is bound to become a sack of gold come morning. Maybe we shouldn't even bother preparing his breakfast. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/peddler.jpg) | 137. Peddler Peddler isn't the first ambiguously gendered character we've seen on a Dominion card. Hopefully two out of however many has been enough to satiate the gender-neutral community. My dogs are both neutral now; some guy I met last Thursday told me it might be because I haven't fed them enough bacon. Putting all that aside, this is a great little picture. The Peddler's choice of dress is fashionable (we're after Labor Day but I'll give the poor guy/girl the benefit of a doubt), especially his/her fancy hat. S/he's even offering a peace pipe from his/her enormous arms. The little cart behind him/her is brimming with detail, which helps to bring the scene to life. I can buy that this Peddler is making bank in the community, and I hope I can get a few sacks of raw bacon on the cheap once I'm done here today. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/swindler.jpg) | 136. Swindler If you don't think this man's facial expression and mannerisms are perfect, man, we just don't see eye to eye. In terms of those, it's one of the most skillfully realized pictures on all of the range of card art. The trees are a little washed out, and I'm not sure about the pink outfit (those creases and folds are a bit over the top if you ask me) but he certainly looks stylish enough to score this highly on the list. There's really just one other problem I have. I was munching on a strip of bacon a moment ago, and now I'm carrying a pipe bomb instead. BRB |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/laboratory.jpg) | 135. Laboratoy This is such an efficient-looking laboratory; Dexter would be proud. You can see all the warlocks boiling up the bacon grease in those giant flasks, and the oven is at the ready. I love how this card meshes aesthetically with Alchemist later on too, but we'll get to him. There's some excellent color choice here (browns and grays, but they work), and it you squint enough you can make out details you probably never noticed. Like a lot of these packed pictures, it benefits a lot from looking at high-res art, which has to count against it somewhat since cards are the intended vehicle of ocular bacon. I mean pleasure. Just watch out for girls with pigtails; they can do a number on these wonderful places. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/masquerade.jpg) | 134. Masquerade There are some cards that are just beautiful and striking. There are some cards with a lot of great technical detail that makes them shine. Some, like Masquerade here, are effective because of the mood they convey more than the image itself. Oh, not that the masks aren't interesting. Not that the man hiding his strip of bacon behind the sad mask isn't fabulously handsome. It's the red and black colors, though, that give us the feeling of a sinister ball where shady things are being exchanged. I came to this place for breakfast and left with a chainsaw I didn't ask for. You can't even cut bacon in to thin strips with this thing; it just saws holes in the paper you're soaking the grease off with. Eeriness is a mood that's easier to pull off than many, but it's hard to deny how effective it is. I like the cards that make me feel something as much as the ones that look nice, though I wish I could say this one fits in both of those worlds for me. If it did, it'd rank much higher. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/noblebrigand.jpg) | 133. Noble Brigand Lush forest scenery, a nicely-draw arrow, and Nicolas Cage wearing a dreary thief's cloak. It's like something out of a dream. The ferns on the left are nice, and the bacon growing on them looks scrumptious if a bit round. Maybe they're potatoes, actually. Hash browns go pretty well on the side. I guess the thing I don't like about this picture is Mr. Cage's face. He seems awfully smug, when he should have a more noble expression if he plans to bring home the bacon for the less fortunate. His arms are also goliathine, but that seems to be a common symptom among Dominion card characters. Overall, I'm not saying this looks bad because it doesn't, but parts of it could use some shrinking or reworking. The Russian judge would give him a 4.5, but we all know that probably doesn't mean anything one way or the other. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/duke.jpg) | 132. Duke Guess what, it's the same window the Duchess was standing near! Or is it? I'm not actually going to fact-check that, but I think it is. What, you think I'm putting effort in to this now? Anyway, the Duke seems like a nice guy. I like his shirt, but it appears to be made of the same material as his chair. In fact, I wonder if the bacon plant came from the same farm. I would also like to say that it's criminal this guy didn't end up on SirPeebles's facial hair list; that is one beastly stache he has going on. The resemblance to Mario is noted. The shape of the window bothers me, though I guess someone might have cut it out wrong and never bothered to fix it. Maybe they missed breakfast that morning. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/guilds/merchantguild.jpg) | 131. Merchant Guild The red tone doesn't work entirely for me here, but it's not that bad either. The wigs and wine make this out to be a true meeting of the minds where only the highest-quality bacon is at the hors d'oeuvre table. Something about the grumpy, confident looks on these guys faces really jumps out to me, though I can't say what it is. If I can offer one real criticism, the crowd in the background seems pretty lazy to me, not just because there's no detail, but because every single person is standing so far away from the focal characters. It's a mixed bacon bag, folks. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/stables.jpg) | 130. Stables We end this group of ten on a picture that isn't stellar but gets the job done nicely. The horses are cute, the men don't seem out of place, and the stables are well-kept. It's average in every way, which is a good thing, since next year's update will begin the very center of the list. Ever wondered why all the horses are being dropped off at the stables in this picture? Judging by the sky, I'd say this is taking place mid-afternoon. About time for dinner, perhaps. Go on, guess. I think you're smart enough to figure this one out. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/laboratory.jpg) | (http://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLNewsreel/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/EmpireSpaceSlug.jpg) |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/seaside/bazaar.jpg) | 129. Bazaar "Bazaar is [gorgeous] and competes with Cultist at the price of $5" - MarkowKette The red cloth always draws my eye in this picture. It stands out above everything else, but there's some fine detail if you just look at the other things going on. The mustachioed knight window shopping is a nice touch, and the sword seller seems experienced and comfortable with his blade. You can see enough details here to get a feeling for the scope of the Bazaar, and it's pretty effective. The only problem I have with this picture is that it's so hard to pick out the details on a tiny card, but what can you do about that? There's some nice shadow work here as well, I must point out. Good stuff. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/royalseal.jpg) | 128. Royal Seal "Here's my thoughts on Royal Seal in general: I think of it as a [sexy] version of Merchant Ship" - HiveMindEmulator Royal Seal's art is simple, but it's very nicely realized. The seal itself is a pretty pattern, and it looks great and accurate on both the tool and the splat. The lighting is excellent, the extra drops on the ground are a nice touch, and you get the sense that this is a wealthy man's seal with very few details in the picture. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/guilds/taxman.jpg) | 127. Taxman "Taxman can't hurt when you have only 4 [girls on call]." - ehunt He's pointing at you because you owe him something. This man looks like a cross between a con artist, a good buddy, and a pirate. Look at all those bags of coin he's got piled up! I love that strange combination of details--he's clearly a crook, yet he's collecting taxes from the people; you never hear those two things in the same sentence. It's a thankless job, people. Most things about this picture appeal to me: the bald head, the stacks of coins, the wall and its lighting. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/cornucopia/huntingparty.jpg) | 126. Hunting Party "I never [get invited to] Hunting Part[ies] so I'm happy." - Titandrake I'll start out with the reason this is ranked so low: it's too dark. Like, unless you are actually staring and trying to make out details, there's no way you can tell what's going on in this picture, period. It's a real problem with lots of the cards. Now, if we take a hard look, everything's cool. The deer are beautiful, the dog is cute as a button, and the hunters seem to be enjoying their party. I also like the trees: trees are hard to draw perfectly, but these are great. It's a shame I can barely make them out. I usually feel like I'm just buying a square of Lisa Frank sparkles when I get a Hunting Party in games. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/banditcamp.jpg) | 125. Bandit Camp "You got too many [points,] Baker, [figure]-wise both Bandit Camp and Conspirator are better." - shark_bait I love the palette on this card. It's a calming mixture of blue and green that sell the riverside scene well. The bandits look like legitimate merry men too. A man arming his bow, one holding his dagger nervously, the black knight waiting for people to try crossing the river, and a guy just getting his feet wet. There's a backstory here, and it's told with the art alone; you just fill in the blanks in your head. Despite being a place of relaxation for the bandits, nothing about the art feels ill-fitting in the grim Dark Ages expansion. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/hoard.jpg) | 124. Hoard "If Hoard were on-gain, it would be slightly more [fashionable]." - Mogrim7 Just look at that hoard of treasure! It's a veritable money pool. The cave walls are spooky and reflect the gleam off of the coins spectacularly, and the little chests add some nice variety here and there. It's a cute, cool-looking piece of art that I dig. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/cornucopia/followers.jpg) | 123. Followers "Followers, arguably the best[-looking] prize, is hard[ly as beautiful as] Watchtower." - liopoil There is some excellent detail in this picture, starting with the worn-down cabin and the realistic grass and dirt. All of the people in the mob have a unique look or stand-out feature, from the little girl holding a flag up to the man throwing t-shirts around in the middle. They seem to be marching on a town peacefully, though, which is a bit contradictory considering the actual effect of playing Followers. Maybe they're these newfangled 'peaceful' protesters. Back in my day, we burned villages alive for our Cheetos and Surge cola. Dominion was trying to soften its image for the harvest festival back in the Cornucopia days, clearly. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/sirmichael.jpg) | 122. Sir Michael "The game crashed when I tried to King's Court [myself]" - Sir Michael Fun trivia: I've played a few games with Sir Michael. Nice guy. He's much less brutal of a person than his card would suggest, I think. Let's talk about that art, though. It's a great picture, huh? Man, the night sky is gorgeous, the horse is magnificent, and even the city looks great at that angle. This is a mis-rank, you might think. You'd be close. The thing is, once you see it, you can't un-see it. Take it away, Mr. President. (http://www.jshgaming.com/sirnixon.png) |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/basecards/silver.jpg) | 121. Silver "It's never bad to take Silver with $5" - Geronimoo SO MANY COINS! Man, there are so many, and I want all of them. Look at all those Silvers. This ranking is entirely justified, I tell you. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/cultist.jpg) | 120. Cultist "I really doubt Journeyman beats Cultist or Mercenary [at the beauty pageant.]" - Awaclus The Cultist often makes me think of the Happy-Happyists in Earthbound. That pleases me. But aside from that, this is quite an interesting piece of art. The cultists on the side are lined up symmetrically, and they look mightily imposing. The church they are in is also bleak and morose, fitting of the theme of the card and the Dark Ages expansion in general. I love how the head Cultist here looks slight off-human, though it's clearly a mask and gloves disguising his features. These guys are going to cause some trouble and leave their society in ruins. The color choices are crisp, the scene is focused and grand, and I don't have anything bad to say about the picture at all. We're up to the good ones, folks, and this is only the midway point. You heard me. I think over half of the Dominion cards have good art. I'm not afraid to say that. I LIKE most of the art in Dominion! What a concept, right? |
Here you go:
Is the printed card that much darker, or is it just an issue with the scanned image?
Why is my random comment in middle of my watchtower article the top result when you search for "followers"?
Here you go:
Is the printed card that much darker, or is it just an issue with the scanned image?
I can barely see it on my own copies of the cards. It looks nothing like the one you linked.
Here you go:
Is the printed card that much darker, or is it just an issue with the scanned image?
I can barely see it on my own copies of the cards. It looks nothing like the one you linked.
Interesting! Well, if you want to see not-so-dark versions of your cards, just go to the Goko images. :P
Here you go:
Is the printed card that much darker, or is it just an issue with the scanned image?
I can barely see it on my own copies of the cards. It looks nothing like the one you linked.
Interesting! Well, if you want to see not-so-dark versions of your cards, just go to the Goko images. :P
To be honest, I still can't make out what Hunting Party looks like even on Goko.
"I really doubt Journeyman beats Cultist or Mercenary [at the beauty pageant.]" - Awaclus
(http://www.playdominion.com/Dominion/CardBuilder/img/illustration/huntingParty.jpg)If we rewind this scene a few seconds, are there guys standing around that everyone else speeds past? Or, you know, are those men who can run as fast as deer.
Those are just plastic deer. It's more of a hunting themed party.
Beyond that, it appears that 4 of the characters in the image are not even in a motion position. Neither horse is moving, there is a person standing still, and one of the dogs is standing still. So the plastic deer must have approached them first.Those are just plastic deer. It's more of a hunting themed party.
The problem with CG art like this is that they look like a plastic diorama - there's no *movement* to the picture.
Neither horse is moving
Neither horse is moving
plastic horses don't move, silly
Neither horse is moving
plastic horses don't move, silly
Sure they do. Haven't you ever seen those mechanical horse rides in front of shopping centers?
jsh got Bazaar backwards. The guy with the sword in hand is the potential buyer. This is evidenced by the position of the blades on the table where the handles are turned so that patrons can safely pick them up for inspection.
jsh got Bazaar backwards. The guy with the sword in hand is the potential buyer. This is evidenced by the position of the blades on the table where the handles are turned so that patrons can safely pick them up for inspection.I don't think so. You can look into the Bazaar place/square from one side of the tent. When you look at the other tents in the background, you can see, that they are at a wall or something. So, the sellers look into the Bazaar place/square, whereas the Bazaar place/square is in the back of the buyer.
Your arguments make sense, but the artist didn't necessarily think of everything.
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/scavenger.jpg) | 119. Scavenger Back hunched from labor, searching through a stormy void He finds some grenades. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/feodum.jpg) | 118. Feodum A neon farmland means zombies walk a pure field; the horse escapes death. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/hermit.jpg) | 117. Hermit Hollowed tree as home, a hermit lives the good life slowly going mad. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/intrigue/conspirator.jpg) | 116. Conspirator They gather at night discussing plans to end it, the awful art list. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/seaside/ghostship.jpg) | 115. Ghost Ship Yellow skies at night! You'd best believe in ghost ships because we're in one. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/grandmarket.jpg) | 114. Grand Market Market rich in goods, with blurred faces in the crowd, the Wal-Mart of yore. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/base/thief.jpg) | 113. Thief Posed for the painter, the thief reveled in his looks. Garrett would be proud. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/darkages/ironmonger.jpg) | 112. Ironmonger I want a donkey, one that blends in with houses. Maybe he'll sell it. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/prosperity/expand.jpg) | 111. Expand Anyone notice the sudden change in locale? I just did myself. |
| (http://dominion.diehrstraits.com/scans/hinterlands/jackofalltrades.jpg) | 110. Jack of All Trades When it comes to style, few compare with the master. Those pants are fly, bro. |
I personally liked the artist-critique style that you started with!
Anybody notice
the sudden change in locale?
I just did myself.
Conspirator rated too highly, Expand as well. They look like crayon art, the both of them.