Dominion Strategy Forum
Dominion => Dominion General Discussion => Topic started by: ackmondual on February 21, 2018, 12:58:02 am
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List 1 to 3 cards from each big box and small box that you think are quite unique, "break the mold", or "just plain different", and how so! From my perspective some of the uniques were noted as the expansions were coming out, so if there was a card later on that also covered similar ground, that wouldn't be taken into consideration.
base + 1E
Chapel - excellent trasher, and THE trasher until 2E came along
Mine - card gained goes directly to hand
Witch - The only way to dole out Curses!
base + 2E
Sentry - another way to trash ANY card
Intrigue + 1E
Conspirator - card that looks at how many other cards were played (Action in this case)
Masquerade - a means to transfer cards from one player's deck to another
Saboteur - the card that hits nearly everything and wreaks havoc in its own, special way
Intrigue + 2E
Courtier - looks # of "keywords"/types a card has
Lurker - Only way to trash Action cards from Supply
Seaside
Embargo - can try to force opponents to take Curses through "non-curser cards"
Island - remove cards from your deck, but you still get to count them as part of your deck at game's end
Alchemy
Possession - take control of a player's turn!
Prosperity
Contraband - you get to directly prohibit your opponents from buying certain cards
Grand Market - "hidden cost" of not allowing Coppers to be in play
Peddler - variable cost card
Cornucopia
Young Witch - Bane card is a special defense card tied to it, but also the only time you'd have an 11-card Kingdom
Tournament - First card to use Non-Supply cards
Hinterlands
Crossroads - first card to give +3 actions, but branch actions in limited quantities (since only the 1st one played does that)
Highway - reducing card cost DURING the action phase. (Bridge and Peddler were only during Buy phase)
Ill-Gotten Gains - Curser that can't be blocked, and can't be repeated (playing it doesn't dole out more Curses). Also, often ends in 2 piles empty on its own (since there's typically a 1:1 correlation with Curses and IGG being empty)
Dark Ages
Poor House - the first (and only) 1-cost card in the Supply
Knights - deck that's random/not-uniform (consists of 10 differently named cards)
Fortress - the only card that should NEVER be in the Trash
Guilds
Baker - due to starting with a Coin Token, the first time that the 3/4 and 2/5 split can be "disrupted".. E.g. 4/4, 3/5, and 2/6
Taxman - can force a player to discard a specific card from hand
Adventures
Distant Land - the scoring component of it requires it to be "activated", by playing it (onto your Tavern)
Hireling - Champion too, but this one you can buy... permanent Duration card
Relic - first Treasure that's also an Attack card
Empires
Fortune - first "doubler effect"
Bustling Village - first "village" that consistently grants +3 actions per play
Villa - lets you return to your Action phase from Buy phase
Nocturne
Fool - Lost In The Woods is not only the only positive State, but a whacky and controversial one at that!
Cursed Gold - you start off with it, and provides a lovely $3, but Cursing you is its stiff tradeoff
Changeling - for better and for worse, all cards that cost $3 or more interact with this
Promos
Black Market - 1st instance of letting you play Treasures before the Buy phase, but also creates a "random market"/"Center Row"/"Dungeon Deck"/"whatever DBG term you'd like to use" mechanic/"supply" of cards for you to buy from
Prince - A true, 8-cost action card, but also in function, as it's a "perpetual effect" that's applied to other cards
Stash - triggers every shuffle. Also, its back is non-standard. Displaying the Spiel De Jahres aware/logo to boot
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Interesting topic. My list is less base on rationnal arguments than yours. To me, some mechanic are unique but just doesn't change the way to think and play the game. For example, Relic is the first attack-treasure, but is not very unique in my opinion : I don't remember games with relic as unique.
Base : Everything is new and kind of unique, but I would say Gardens and Witch are the cards that changes the game the most when they are bought.
Intrigue : Coppersmith, Wishing Well, Lurker
Seaside : Embargo, Tactician (the icon of durations IMO)
Alchemy : Possession
Prosperity : King's court, because it still plays very differently from Throne Room, and enable way more things.
Cornucopia : Horn of Plenty, Tournament
Hinterlands : Jack of all trades, Tunnel
Dark Ages : Rats, Knights, Fortress
Guilds : Butcher (the cards that interact with coin tokens in the most interesting way)
Adventures : Travellers, Storyteller
Empires : Villa, Donate
Nocturne : Necromancer, Crypt, Cursed Gold
Promos : Prince
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This is a list of cards that do things no other card in the game does (which obviously depends a bit on your interpretation of "things no other card in the game does" so you might have some disagreements):
Base:
Bureaucrat and Library
Intrigue:
Masquerade, Conspirator, Minion, Lurker, Courtier
Seaside:
Embargo, Ambassador, Smugglers, Outpost, Treasury
Alchemy:
Scrying Pool, Possession
Prosperity:
Watchtower, Mint, Vault, Bank, Forge, Peddler
Cornucopia:
Young Witch, Tournament
Hinterlands:
Duchess, Develop, Tunnel, Noble Brigand, Nomad Camp, Inn, Mandarin, Margrave
Dark Ages:
Poor House, Squire, Fortress, Knights, Pillage
Guilds:
Doctor, Butcher, Journeyman
Adventures:
Caravan Guard, Messenger, Haunted Woods, Storyteller, Wine Merchant
Empires:
Royal Blacksmith, Castles, Chariot Race, Enchantress, Fortune, Villa, Capital, Crown
Nocturne:
Druid, Faithful Hound, Pixie, Changeling, Necromancer, Werewolf
Promos:
Black Market, Stash
It's also a pretty decent checklist for "Easy Puzzles" solutions.
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Highway - reducing card cost DURING the action phase. (Bridge and Peddler were only during Buy phase)
Bridge is also DURING the action phase.
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Highway - reducing card cost DURING the action phase. (Bridge and Peddler were only during Buy phase)
Bridge is also DURING the action phase.
By any chance, was the OP played a version of Dominion (mis)translated from English? As far as I know, Peddler is the only cost reducer that only applies during the Buy phase. Maybe they meant Quarry, though technically that also applies during the Action phase too if played by Black Market (Storyteller wasn't around back then).
Bridge, Bridge Troll, Highway, Princess, and Quarry all apply cost reduction that takes effect either as soon as they are played or as long as they are in play.
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Here's what I think are the #1 most unique/stand-out cards from each set, from the perspective of the present rather than the time they came out:
Base: Chapel
The most important card of the set, and for a long time considered the best card in the whole game. It also remains the only card that does nothing besides trash.
Intrigue: Masquerade
A card that can screw with games like few others can. The passing mechanic also remains unique and is one of the few ways to get a card without officially "gaining" it, which matters for Watchtower etc. Oh, and it's also the only card that lets you get weird things like two Hovels.
Seaside: Native Village
This one was a bit tough, but I decided on Native Village because it's one of the only two cards in the game (I think?) that can remove ANY card from your deck and ALSO return it to your deck (The other being Prince.)
Alchemy: Possession
Hardly needs explaining. A card so game-breaking it actually broke the game and had to get errata-ed. It's also the only card in the game that (arguably) breaks a fundamental rule for Dominion card design in that it can act as an attack that only affects one opponent.
Prosperity: Peddler
It's the only card where the cost is always a mystery until your buy phase.
Tournament: Young Witch
It adds another Kingdom card to the game, which is very different.
Hinterlands: Ill-Gotten Gains
It's an attack that's not an Attack. Haunted Castle is the only other card like that.
Dark Ages: Poor House
The cost obviously stands out, but it's also the only card that can take away $ from the person who played it.
Guilds: Stonemason
It's the only trasher that's not bought primarily for the trashing. It's also the only Remodeler that can't actually gain a more expensive card than the one trashed.
Adventures: Coin of the Realm
It's the only Village-Treasure. That's pretty special.
Empires: Villa
Another one that hardly needs explaining. The return-to-your-action-phase thing is one of the weirdest mechanics in the game.
Nocturne: Vampire
The Vampire-Bat cycle is similar to the Travellers, but there's really nothing exactly like it.
Promos: Stash
The only card with a different back, and the only card that specifically cares when you shuffle. Black Market is also really wacky, so it's a close call between those two.
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If I had to limit Cornucopia to a single card, it would be Jester.
But then I mostly play 3-4 players, and there are more silly shenanigans, and fewer prizes to go around once you get past two players.
Objectively I'm wrong, but it's the standout to me.
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Adding one that hasn't been mentioned:
Quarry: this is the only card to give type-specific cost reductions
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Raze. The only card that can trash itself
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Raze. The only card that can trash itself
Also Changeling, Death Cart, Engineer, Farmers' Market, Feast, Hermit, Horn of Plenty, Mining Village, Treasure Map, and Urchin, and Watchtower.
(edit: forgot Changeling and the Watchtower edge case)
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Raze. The only card that can trash itself
Besides Death Cart.
EDIT: And all those other ones too.
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Hinterlands: Ill-Gotten Gains
It's an attack that's not an Attack. Haunted Castle is the only other card like that.
You could argue that Masquerade, Embassy, and Messenger are all this way.
I also feel like Exorcist is pretty unique, as well as obviously the heirlooms.
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Raze. The only card that can trash itself
Also Changeling, Death Cart, Engineer, Farmers' Market, Feast, Hermit, Horn of Plenty, Mining Village, Treasure Map, and Urchin, and Watchtower.
(edit: forgot Changeling and the Watchtower edge case)
And Bomb!
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Cards that generate the most rules questions:
Base: Moat
Intrigue: Secret Chamber in 1st ed., Masquerade in 2nd ed.
Seaside: Outpost
Alchemy: Possession
Prosperity: Watchtower
Cornucopia: Tournament
Hinterlands: Trader
Dark Ages: Band of Misfits
Guilds: Stonemason
Adventures: Inheritance
Empires: Overlord
Nocturne: Changeling
Promo: Black Market
I'm going by the length of the FAQ on the wiki, but I was too lazy to check them all.
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Base: Moat
I think in 1st edition the Throne/Feast combo was the most commonly asked-about thing.
Come to think of it, Throne Room is probably the most confusing Base Card in general. You need to explain that Throning a cantrip gives you +2 actions, what happens when you Throne Room a Throne Room, etc.
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Raze. The only card that can trash itself
Also Changeling, Death Cart, Engineer, Farmers' Market, Feast, Hermit, Horn of Plenty, Mining Village, Treasure Map, and Urchin, and Watchtower.
(edit: forgot Changeling and the Watchtower edge case)
While what you replied is true, Beyond Awesome could've been more specific and say it's the only "all purpose trasher"/"card that can trash any card" that can also trash itself.
Base: Moat
I think in 1st edition the Throne/Feast combo was the most commonly asked-about thing.
Come to think of it, Throne Room is probably the most confusing Base Card in general. You need to explain that Throning a cantrip gives you +2 actions, what happens when you Throne Room a Throne Room, etc.
Moat gets more exposure since it seems many cover it, along with Militia via playing The First Game preset.
I'd still go with Throne Room. I hear that every set ends up having at least one card that requires like, a 1-page FAQ for it
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Most unique cards
Dominion: library
Library is complicated, not simple.
Intrigue: duke
All of the victory cards in intrigue help you during the game except for duke.
Seaside: treasure map
It is the only card that you need two of them for it to have any effect.
Alchemy: possession
It is the only card that lets you use somebody else's deck.
Prosperity: contraband
It is the only card that lets another player decide on one card that you can't buy.
Cornucopia: young witch
The eleventh kingdom card is really wired.
Hinterlands: farmland
It's when buy remodel effect is really interesting.
Dark ages: poor house
It is the only card to subtract money.
Guilds: baker
It's setup changes the first two turns.
Adventures: miser
It is the only way to put a non reserve card on your tavern mat.
Empires: crown
It is the only action-treasure card, and it is the only way to play a treasure twice.
Nocturne: druid
It is the only way to choose which boon you receive.
Promo: black market
It is the only way to get cards that are not even in the game.
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Taxman - can force a player to discard a specific card from hand
So did Cutpurse.
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Empires: crown
It is the only action-treasure card, and it is the only way to play a treasure twice.
There's Counterfeit, too.
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Taxman - can force a player to discard a specific card from hand
So did Cutpurse.
And Pillage.
Also Band of Misfits and Overlord are ways to get non-Reserve cards (namely themselves) on the Tavern mat.
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The most unique cards in dominion are Dame Anna, Dame Josephine, Dame Molly, Dame Natalie, Dame Sylvia, Sir Bailey, Sir Destry, Sir Martin, Sir Michael, Sir Vander, Crumbling Castle, Haunted Castle, Sprawling Castle and Grand Castle.
The least unique kingdom card is Rats.
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Taxman - can force a player to discard a specific card from hand
So did Cutpurse.
And Pillage.
Also Band of Misfits and Overlord are ways to get non-Reserve cards (namely themselves) on the Tavern mat.
Bom and overlord are only that card when they are in play not on your tavern mat
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Taxman - can force a player to discard a specific card from hand
So did Cutpurse.
And Pillage.
Also Band of Misfits and Overlord are ways to get non-Reserve cards (namely themselves) on the Tavern mat.
Bom and overlord are only that card when they are in play not on your tavern mat
That is true. Which is why they are a way to get a non-Reserve card (namely themselves) on the Tavern mat.
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Empires: crown
It is the only action-treasure card, and it is the only way to play a treasure twice.
There's Counterfeit, too.
I forgot about that
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Taxman - can force a player to discard a specific card from hand
So did Cutpurse.
And Pillage.
Also Band of Misfits and Overlord are ways to get non-Reserve cards (namely themselves) on the Tavern mat.
Bom and overlord are only that card when they are in play not on your tavern mat
That is true. Which is why they are a way to get a non-Reserve card (namely themselves) on the Tavern mat.
You can't put them on your tavern mat
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Taxman - can force a player to discard a specific card from hand
So did Cutpurse.
And Pillage.
Also Band of Misfits and Overlord are ways to get non-Reserve cards (namely themselves) on the Tavern mat.
Bom and overlord are only that card when they are in play not on your tavern mat
That is true. Which is why they are a way to get a non-Reserve card (namely themselves) on the Tavern mat.
You can't put them on your tavern mat
You can if you play them as any card that puts itself there.
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Taxman - can force a player to discard a specific card from hand
So did Cutpurse.
And Pillage.
Also Band of Misfits and Overlord are ways to get non-Reserve cards (namely themselves) on the Tavern mat.
Bom and overlord are only that card when they are in play not on your tavern mat
That is true. Which is why they are a way to get a non-Reserve card (namely themselves) on the Tavern mat.
You can't put them on your tavern mat
Unfortunately, you can.
Getting them back off is a bit harder.
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But they are leaving play
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But they are leaving play
...and going to the Tavern mat.
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Base- Chapel
Intrigue- Swindler
Seaside- Ambassador
Alchemy- Possession
Prosperity- Goons
Cornucopia- Tournament
Hinterlands- Ill-Gotten Gains
Dark Ages- Rats
Guilds- Baker
Adventures- Storyteller
Empires- Farmers' Market
Nocturne- Cursed Gold
Promo- Black Market
I focused on cards that have unique effects and/or impact the kingdom in a unique way. Hinterlands was the hardest set to pick a card from, Farmland was the runner up.
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But they are leaving play
You seem to be misunderstanding something... though I'm not quite sure what.
You play Overlord (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Overlord), playing it as if it were a Distant Lands (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Distant_Lands). Following the instructions, you put it on your Tavern Mat. Because it leaves play, it is no longer a Distant Lands, it is an Overlord again. You now have an Overlord (a non-reserve card) on your Tavern Mat. Thus, Overlord (and Band of Misfits) are ways to get a non-reserve card on your Tavern Mat, thus Miser is not the only one.
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But they are leaving play
You seem to be misunderstanding something... though I'm not quite sure what.
You play Overlord (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Overlord), playing it as if it were a Distant Lands (http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Distant_Lands). Following the instructions, you put it on your Tavern Mat. Because it leaves play, it is no longer a Distant Lands, it is an Overlord again. You now have an Overlord (a non-reserve card) on your Tavern Mat. Thus, Overlord (and Band of Misfits) are ways to get a non-reserve card on your Tavern Mat, thus Miser is not the only one.
That's true
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I'm actually going to change mine a little bit.
Dominion
Library
It's complicated not simple
Garden
It's the only victory card
Moat
It's the only card with a dividing line
Intrigue
Duke
It's the only victory card that doesn't help you during the game
Courtier
It is the only card that matters how many types a card has
Lurker
The only way from intrigue to trash a card from the supply and the only way from intrigue to get a card from the trash
Seaside
Outpost
A way to take another turn
Native village
A way to put a lot of cards in your hand
Treasure map
You have to have two of them for it to have any effect at all
Alchemy
Possession
A way to use somebody else's deck
Scrying pool
A way to put lots of cards in your hand at once
Vineyard
A way that action cards can be worth victory points
Prosperity
Contraband
Naming a card that they can't buy
Peddler
Changing cost
Grand market
No copper rule is weird
Cornucopia
Young witch
Eleven kingdom piles instead of ten
Tournament
Prizes are weirdly overpowered
Jester
Making them gain a card or you gaining that card is interesting
Hinterlands
Crossroad
Makes victory cards good in your hand
Farmland
It's when buy remodel effect is interesting
Noble brigand
When you buy it you get the same effect as when you play it except for the one coin
Dark ages
Poor house
Subtracting money is really weird
Feodum
It's when trash effect helps other feodums that you have
Market square
It reacts to when one of your cards is trashed
Guilds
Baker
The setup changes the first two turns
Butcher
You can spend coin tokens in your action phase
Merchant guild
When buy something take a coin token is weird
Adventures
Distant land
It's weird that its only worth victory points if its in the right place
Miser
The only way to put a treasure card other than coin of the realm on your tavern mat
Caravan guard
The only way to play a card during somebody else's turn
Empires
Crown
The only action-treasure card
Villa
The only way to go back to your action phase from your buy phase
Archive
The only card that stays in play for two more turns after the turn you play it
Nocturne
Druid
The only way to choose which boon you get
Idol
It cares about even and odd
Fool
The only kingdom card to give you a state, and the only one that gives you three boons
Promo
Black market
The only way to get cards that are not even in the game
Stash
The only card that gets to be put anywhere in the deck instead of reshuffled in randomly
Prince
You can play an action card at the start of your turn every single turn which is really interesting