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[McGarnacle]

Okay, so I just got the early Promos, and I don't really get Black Market. Is it me, or is it an incredible hassle? I mean, its cool and all, but boy does it increase setup time if you play IRL!

Does anyone have any quick, efficient ways to make a randomized Black Market deck. Also, do most randomize or actually choose what will be in it.

[Doom_Shark]

Well, I prefer to use physical randomizers when possible, so I just keep the boxes out and use the leftover randomizer deck as the black market deck. The only trouble is remembering to switch out the randomizers with the normal cards once you buy one. And, of course, this method doesn't really work if you don't use the randomizers. In that case, I just randomize two or three extra kingdoms and use those for the black market deck (removing duplicates, of course)

[drsteelhammer]

there are also apps you can use that randomize for you. Then just need to get a card out once in a while

[ObtusePunubiris]

It's not just you.  Without some automation, Black Market setup is a bit cumbersome.  I think it's a fun, if not always useful, card though and I always enjoy when it shows up.

The Android app Kingdom Shuffler will automatically generate a Black Market deck of whatever size you want, according to the same selection rules you configured for the kingdom itself, and will even handle the draw three and, optionally, buy one mechanic of playing the card.  So the only time you have to do anything with the physical cards is if you buy one.

Of course, this requires using Kingdom Shuffler to generate the kingdom to begin with.  I don't know of a stand-alone Black Market deck generator.

[Chris is me]

If I played with Black Market IRL I would just use the randomizer deck and not care that the cards are marked, maybe? I dunno. This is why I haven't bought it.

[Davio]

If I played with Black Market IRL I would just use the randomizer deck and not care that the cards are marked, maybe? I dunno. This is why I haven't bought it.

I think I would create a smaller set, like 12 cards or so, so you go through in 4 plays.

[LibraryAdventurer]

It's a fun card, worth the little bit of extra setup time.

[Beyond Awesome]

IRL, I just avoid the card

[Elestan]

Coincidentally, I just ran a (3-player format) tournament in which Black Market figured prominently in one of the sets:

Black Market deck:  Village, Mining Village, Shanty Town, Bazaar, Worker's Village, Farming Village, Hamlet, Festival, Fishing Village, Walled Village, City, Ironmonger

[Orange]

Pretty sure I'm skipping Black Market on that board.

[Limetime]

You can do so much more with 3 villages in your deck though.
I definatly hate Castles here though

[LibraryAdventurer]

I love Black Market, but I think even I would skip it on that board.

[Limetime]

It's a 3p game. That means going for early prizes is less important. Castles are garbage. The best way to earn points is though groundskeeper. The way to play alot of groundskeeper is having a bunch of menageries or play village patrol(guess what combos with menagerie) Menagerie will not work alone after flooding your deck with vp so adding a few patrols let's you play all of you groundskeeper every turn. Also there is a chance you get +buy and don't have to buy courtier.

[McGarnacle]

Thanks for the advice, guys! How big is the Black Market deck usually in Dominion Online?

[Elestan]

I definatly hate Castles here though

So what happens if two players ignore Castles, and the third takes them all?

[Limetime]

I definatly hate Castles here though

So what happens if two players ignore Castles, and the third takes them all?

Then they have -36 points?
Or is there more castles in 3p?

[Elestan]

I definatly hate Castles here though

So what happens if two players ignore Castles, and the third takes them all?

Then they have -36 points?
Or is there more castles in 3p?

In 3p there are two each of Humble, Small, Opulent, and King’s Castle.  The whole stack is worth over 90 VP.  Even in a 2p game it's worth at least 45 VP (less 24 for Wolf Den here), so I'm not sure where your -36 number came from.

[AdrianHealey]

You can do so much more with 3 villages in your deck though.
I definatly hate Castles here though

That means -9 points from the get go, though.

[Limetime]

You can do so much more with 3 villages in your deck though.
I definatly hate Castles here though

That means -9 points from the get go, though.

Groundskeeper can easily get 40+ points so that's not an issue.

[Limetime]

I definatly hate Castles here though

So what happens if two players ignore Castles, and the third takes them all?

Then they have -36 points?
Or is there more castles in 3p?

In 3p there are two each of Humble, Small, Opulent, and King’s Castle.  The whole stack is worth over 90 VP.  Even in a 2p game it's worth at least 45 VP (less 24 for Wolf Den here), so I'm not sure where your -36 number came from.

I thought there was 12 different ones in a stack on accident.

[Holger]

Black Market deck:  Village, Mining Village, Shanty Town, Bazaar, Worker's Village, Farming Village, Hamlet, Festival, Fishing Village, Walled Village, City, Ironmonger

Why did you set up the BM deck so that it contains nothing but villages? That takes all the luck and variance out of BM.

[madeofghosts]

Wolf Den, Black Market and Menagerie seems like a particularly cruel combination.

[navical]

Black Market deck:  Village, Mining Village, Shanty Town, Bazaar, Worker's Village, Farming Village, Hamlet, Festival, Fishing Village, Walled Village, City, Ironmonger

Why did you set up the BM deck so that it contains nothing but villages? That takes all the luck and variance out of BM.

I think you've answered your own question there.

[Elestan]

Black Market deck:  Village, Mining Village, Shanty Town, Bazaar, Worker's Village, Farming Village, Hamlet, Festival, Fishing Village, Walled Village, City, Ironmonger

Why did you set up the BM deck so that it contains nothing but villages? That takes all the luck and variance out of BM.

Precisely.  This was at one of my tournaments; I want them to be tests of Dominion playing skill to the extent possible, rather than luck.  So I allow players to stack their starting decks as they wish, and I set up the black market here to test their judgement:  Is it worth it to get a village in this Kingdom?  Two villages?  What's the right number?  What about Prizes?  Do you want them when they're -3VP each?  How about Castles?

Wolf Den, Black Market and Menagerie seems like a particularly cruel combination.

Thank you.  A few of the players made the same observation.  :-)

You can see the other Kingdoms from the tournament here.