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26

Goko Dominion Online / Procession and Lighthouse

« on: February 09, 2014, 03:16:30 pm »

Is it a bug or a feature?

My opponent Processioned a Lighthouse.

Now I know, you get the "regular" bonus from say Wharf even though it's trashed and that you let Procession out to remind you of this, nothing new so far.

But Lighthouse says "while this is in play" with regards to the defense you get from it.
So when I doubted between playing my Sea Hag and another terminal, I chose Sea Hag and sure enough, my opponent did NOT get a Curse.

I guess Goko and I differ on what "in play" means...

27

Variants and Fan Cards / A New VP Token Idea

« on: January 02, 2014, 10:11:51 am »

Has the reverse Embargo ever been conceived?

Minister - $2 Action
Trash this card. Put your Minister token on top of a Supply pile. - When you buy a card from that pile, +1 VP.
---------
Setup: Every player gets a different Minister token.


So basically you can just pick a pile with cards that you'll buy a bunch off and get an extra 4 or 5 VP from buying those cards (if you split them evenly). Only you get the VP token, but other players can choose the same pile and get their own tokens.

I think it can provide interesting strategic decisions like Embargo does. You sacrifice some early cash to set up a longer game plan. And of course if your opponent sees you uhm... Ministering Spies, he can fight the split, but for no gain of his own until he gets his own token on it.

The way it's worded right now, you could buy and play another Minister to move your token to a different pile, but that's okay, I think.

Thoughts?

28

Dominion Articles / Three Player Adjustments

« on: December 25, 2013, 03:37:16 am »

A lot us play 2-player Dominion almost exclusively, because that's the fastest way to play, especially on the internet. In real life, I prefer 3-player, because it has a bit more interaction. Switching from 2 to 3 player takes some adjustments though and I'll talk a bit about them here.

Accelerated Junking
The problem with Cursers, Looters and other junkers in 3-player is not in the amount of crap you take in. A 3-player game has 20 Curses, while a 2-player game has 10. So on average you will get 6.7 Curses in 3-player to 5 in 2-player. That's not a big difference. The main difference is in the number of turns it takes for you to acquire a critical pile of crap. A 2-player game may take a good chunk of the middle-game to run out the Curses and you receive on average about 1 Curse per shuffle. This is why even a slow trasher can work in 2-player if there isn't a way to run out fast after the Curses are gone. With 3-player you get on average 2 Curses per shuffle and this will ruin your deck so quickly that you need to have quite strong trashing to outrace it. A single Salvager only for Curses isn't going to do much. On the other hand, because everyone's deck is so crappy, you might just have time for slow trashing. You just have to have a plan for a deck that will turn pretty bad, pretty quickly.

Piles, piles, piles
This is an obvious one, 3-pile endings will be a lot more common, but what you really have to take into consideration is that you can't get as many cards from a single pile as you would in 2-player. The average for action cards is 3.3 to 5 in a 2-player game. That's a significant difference. A Hunting Party stack doesn't work quite as well with 3 Hunting Parties. What does this mean? Mono-card strategies like Minion, Hunting Party, etc, are all going to do much worse. Of course it doesn't hurt to add such cards, but you shouldn't build your strategy around them. I wouldn't say BM is the obvious way to go, but money is much more important in 3-player.

Attaaaaack!
There are some attack cards that become significantly stronger with 3-player, the ones that attack other players' decks: Pirate Ship, Noble Brigand, even Thief and of course Jester. Your odds of hitting something good are just that much greater. Hand attacks like Militia are less of a big deal. Often one of the players already has 3 cards from a previous Militia and then you're really only attacking one player. Torturer is a special case here as it's even more brutal.

Deeeeefense
Well, we talked about attacks, so it's logical to talk about defense. As the chances of you being attacked are now doubled, defense is often a solid option. If a Moat can stop 2 Curses coming in on a single turn, that's as good as Gold! Most reaction cards are decent if there are attacks around.

Victory Piles
There are 12 cards in every victory card pile, so the average is still 4 per player. Why does it matter then? Well, because you can go for an alternative VP strategy and be able to get more cards from the pile than you would in 2-player. Duchy/Duke, Gardens, Silk Roads all become more interesting if you can get 6 of them instead of 4 or 5. You can also create more time for these strategies by forcing your opponents to get 6 Provinces each instead of 4. Keep watching for piles, of course.

Do Engines Still Work?
Well, that depends on the type of engine. A single- or two-card engine becomes much harder to pull off, simply because you can't get enough cards and the game will likely be over pretty fast if you do. You need a lot of variety and a couple different piles to incorporate into your engine. These kinds of engines are also the most fun, so when you can go with a 3-player engine that works, it can be really rewarding.

Scramble and Control
One thing I've noticed is that 3-player games are mostly a scramble for points. This is partly because you have less control. Sometimes you can control a 2-player game almost perfectly, but this is often simply not possible in 3-player. Another player may end the game while he and you are both still behind. So grabbing a lead is pretty important. With an early $8 I might just go ahead and get that Province over a Gold, taking these opportunities is just so important. Switching to Duchies can be done a lot earlier, all just to put yourself in a position to win when piles are drained.

Parting Thoughts
Switching from 2 to 3-player takes some adjustments. You have to keep in mind that the amount of interaction is doubled, there are now 2 players interacting with you and you are interacting with 2 yourself. This causes some attacks to have a much bigger impact. On the other hand, the average number of cards per pile influences your engine possibilities and the length of the game. Be aware that there are now 12 VP cards to get and adjust accordingly.

29

Dominion General Discussion / How strong would cards be if they were simpler?

« on: November 05, 2013, 06:34:30 am »

I was wondering about certain cards where they would rank if they were a bit simpler.

Take Inn for example. If you remove the "shuffle action cards" part, is it $4? A mediocre $5?
I find myself sometimes buying it cards mostly for its small Warehouse effect instead of its one-time thing, although I do use the one-time thing obviously when I can find a good spot.

Noble Brigand is $4, but I doubt it could cost $3 without the instant attack, could it?

How much does Soothsayer "need" the card draw for the opponents? Would it be $6 without it or an even stronger $5?

30

Puzzles and Challenges / There's a Rat in my Kitchen

« on: November 03, 2013, 07:48:32 am »

I was wondering...

How many turns would it take with perfect shuffle luck to get a deck of 20 Rats (and nothing else) in a solo game?

31

Goko Dominion Online / Possession turn order on Goko

« on: October 23, 2013, 10:50:41 am »

Played a game on Goko where I played an opponent's Possession while I was possessing him (I had a crappy hand and wanted a new one).

Goko decided to let my opponent have his regular turn first and after that he possessed me.
I thought he should possess me first after which he would take his own turn.

Is this a bug? I'm not all too active on GS, so no clue if it's reported in any way.

32

Game Reports / Last Turn Puzzles

« on: August 06, 2013, 03:32:06 am »

One of the most fun aspects of Dominion for me is trying to figure out how to steal the win on my final turn, especially when I'm behind or close to dead.

Here is an example:

Supply $cost (left): Poor House $1 (0), Scrying Pool $2P (2), Steward $3 (6), Workshop $4 (8], Philosopher's Stone $3P (10), Cutpurse $4 (8], Farming Village $4 (0), Remake $4 (9), Contraband $5 (10), Merchant Guild $5 (6)

Province $8 (3)
Duchy $5 (8]
Estate $2 (8]

My opponent has a very strong deck, but I can potentially double Province as well.
On his penultimate turn, he buys 2 Provinces and gets enough coins off Merchant Guild to win the game easily on his next turn.

His deck:
1   Cutpurse
5   Farming Village
3   Merchant Guild
8   Poor House
1   Remake
2   Scrying Pool
2   Steward
1   Silver
3   Province
18   victory points coins
Total VP: 18

My deck:
1   Cutpurse
5   Farming Village
2   Merchant Guild
2   Poor House
6   Scrying Pool
2   Steward
1   Workshop
4   Copper
1   Potion
1   Estate
2   Province
13 7   victory points coins
Total VP: 13

I'll leave it as a little puzzle how to end the game on a win with my deck (I was 2nd player if it matters), but I was very pleased with myself.
For the sake of this puzzle, assume I have my entire deck in hand, and all Scrying Pools and Farming Villages have already been played.

It's not thát hard to figure out, but it's a lot of fun to pull it off in an actual game.

Once the solution has been discovered, you may use this topic to post similar puzzles, or just show off epic steals like this. 
Just remember, don't give up until you've actually lost, always look for that way out.

33

Dominion Articles / Thinking in terms of Shuffles

« on: July 03, 2013, 08:49:07 am »

As you play more and more Dominion games you start to develop a better feel for the cards that are in your deck. Maybe you can even remember every single card that's left in your deck at every point during the game. If you do, good job, Rainman! If you don't, like me, you can at least have a general idea about what's left.

The reason I'm writing this is because it's important to think about your game in turns of shuffles instead of turns. If you open Silver/Silver, it doesn't matter if you get a Witch on turn 3 or 4, because in both cases you can only play it on turn 5 the earliest, which is after your reshuffle.

I find myself often having a short term vision and evaluating my deck on a turn by turn basis. First turn after a shuffle: I have $6 now, hmmm, my deck really needs a <random decent $5>, so let's get it now, I might not be able to later. Then the second turn I'm looking at $5 and figure that my deck can't really handle or needs another <random decent $5> and have to settle for a $4 or Silver. If I had turned the order around, I could have gotten a Gold and that $5 I wanted.

So this is what I mean by thinking in terms of shuffles. Rather than thinking: "Which single card do I need now?" it might be better to think "Which cards am I looking to add to my deck this shuffle?" If I don't buy X now, will I be likely to get it later this shuffle? Of course this adds a bit of uncertainty, since you could get unlucky and not be able to get X at all. I think it's at least worth thinking about it and sometimes taking that chance will pay off.

Now I can't really give you any specific advise in the form of: When you have this much money and this much is left in your deck, get X, otherwise, get Y. I'm merely jotting this down to get you to think about the timing of your purchases.

Do you really need to pay much more money now, because you really want that card, or is it better to wait as you can afford it later this shuffle anyway? For example you might have a lucky $8 early and think "well, I want at least 1 Gold before I get a Province", grab a Gold, and have $6 next hand. Reversing this order you could have gotten a Gold and a Province, which in retrospect fits your requirement of "at least 1 Gold before Province", well, the "before" is just awkwardly worded now.

It takes a lot of experience to develop a good feel of what's going on in your deck economy wise and whether skipping that "crucial" card is a good idea, but I'm sure it pays off in the long run. You just feel so silly when you needlessly overspend for something you could have gotten a turn later as well.

34

Goko Dominion Online / Goko UI Issues

« on: July 03, 2013, 03:29:58 am »

Okay, I've played a fairly decent amount of games on Goko at this point, so time to reflect on its UI.

Let me start by saying: It's not thát bad and the issues I have can be fixed quite simply.
The problems I have resolve around a couple of key issues:

1. It doesn't protect against accidental double clicks.
This is by far the biggest problem.

Let's say Swindler is your last action card, you play it and you're opponent trashes a Copper, hooray! Excited, you click on Curse, but you accidentally double clicked, entered the buy phase and bought yourself a Curse as well. This is bad, horrible even, maybe you had $8 for a Province!

The positioning of the buttons is also very awkward. The "End Turn" button appears in the same place as "End Actions". So let's say you had an action card you didn't want to play, click End Actions, accidental double click and you bought nothing!
There are some other buttons awkwardly placed like that.

Accidental single clicking is also an issue, especially when you use a touchpad instead of a mouse, but I don't have that much problems with it. Usually I pick the right cards.

2. Dragging and dropping is finicky
Choosing between putting something on your deck and discarding it is a real hassle. The positions of the decks are so small and you have to watch for little green arrows to appear to make sure you've got the right one. With Watchtower you have to move your mouse all the way to the trash. Why not have a couple of buttons "Discard, Put On Top, Trash" or something?

3. It doesn't prevent stupidity, because it wasn't clear what was resolving
Okay, this might be more of a human problem since you just have to pay attention, but I can recall a couple of times where I've thought I wasn't trashing anymore and ended up trashing some good cards. Or when I thought I clicked "Done Discarding" when I hadn't. Hamlet and Storeroom are notable culprits as you get to discard twice. I've also had turns where I thought it was my turn and there was still an opponent's Bishop waiting for me to trash something.

4. It moves cards in your hand after you've revealed them
This is more of an annoyance, but say you're Moat is to the left or in the middle, after you revealed it once, it's shuffled over to the right. So you can't click the same location to reveal it the second time.

5. The chat window
I hate how this thing keeps popping up all the time, just have a "+1" icon or something similar layed over the button to open the chat. And I hate how it's over the Continue button at the end of the game.


How to fix these issues? Well, most can be fixed by providing some sort of undo option when that's possible and doesn't have any strategic impact. Like, you never want to allow undo-ing playing actions, but you might allow a player to undo playing his treasures for Mint and Grand Market etc.

Another is to just add little improvements to the positioning of some elements to make it less accident-prone. Having the End Actions/End Turn buttons in the same place is a bad idea. Or when you're doing something to a lot of cards at once (trashing, discarding), add them to a little box (like the "Reveal" box) first, click "Done" and only then discard or trash them.

What do you guys think?

35

Variants and Fan Cards / Acolyte: a card that keeps on learning

« on: June 25, 2013, 07:01:50 am »

Now that we've seen the last official cards, it's time to think how we can fill in some voids.

One mechanic that I'd like to see more is cards that get better when they're played more often. Pirate Ship sort of does this, but I can't think of many others.

Here's my example:
Acolyte - $2
+1 Action
Put a token on your Acolyte mat.

If you have at least:
2 Tokens: +1 Card
3 Tokens: +1 Buy
4 Tokens: +$1
6 Tokens: +1 Coin
9 Tokens: 1 VP for every 3 tokens on your Acolyte map, rounded down.


The actual numbers need some figuring out with playtesting, but I like the idea.

36

Variants and Fan Cards / Action/Treasure, could it work?

« on: June 17, 2013, 05:42:01 am »

I wonder, could a card like this work?

Example:
Beer Wagon - $4
Action - Treasure
If you play this as an Action: +1 Card, +2 Actions
If you play this as a Treasure: +$2


For cards referring to types, it would count as both. So with Transmute you get both a Duchy and a Transmute, discarding to Tribute gets +2 Actions, +$2, etc... Golem would pick it up and play it as would Venture, Hermit can't trash it, etc... Draw it with Adventurer, play it as an Action!

I don't see any blatant rules problems, you could even play it as a Treasure and an Action in the same turn (buy Mandarin from BM). For Conspirator and Bank you just have to remember whether it's in play as an Action or Treasure.

Thoughts?

37

Variants and Fan Cards / Overpaying for Anything!

« on: June 14, 2013, 05:01:08 am »

How about overpaying for anything, creating a faux +Buy?

Returns - Treasure $5
$2
-------------
While this is in play, you may overpay for every card that doesn't have an overpay effect.
If you do, gain a card worth up to the amount you overspent.

38

Variants and Fan Cards / The Reverse Peddler Treasure

« on: May 28, 2013, 09:39:01 am »

Is this even viable?

Wages - Treasure $X
Worth $Y

This costs $1 more per Treasure card you have in play.
What would be good values for X and Y? And how would it play?

39

Dominion General Discussion / Why is Overgrown Estate a Victory card worth 0?

« on: May 11, 2013, 04:28:49 pm »

I get that it's a Victory card. It's a regular Estate, just a bit overgrown.

In the Secret History there's not much said about it: only that you get a prize if you're able to crack it open, an extra card.
But the VP it gives remains 0, I always found that odd. Of course Gardens, Silk Roads, Dukes, etc... can all give 0 VP but they can also give lots more. Overgrown Estate will always remain 0 VP.

Horn of Plenty has the same weirdness, it's a Treasure giving $0. Why not leave the $0 out? Bank doesn't list a value, but has question marks in the corners, so we already knew a Treasure didn't have to specify a fixed amount.

I understand Overgrown Estate couldn't say "when you trash this, +1 VP token" because not everyone with Dark Ages has prosperity.

The 0 just bothers me, that's all.

40

Variants and Fan Cards / Dominion: Seasons

« on: May 03, 2013, 04:58:20 am »

I love making fan cards just for the heck of it, I rarely print them out or use the blank cards actually, I just like thinking about them in a theoretical sense and discussing them. Often this helps me look at official cards from a different angle and if nothing else, others might enjoy them. It's a fun brain exercise for me.

So without further ado, I'm going to design my own mini-expansion: Seasons.

The fun part is, I'm going to design the cards as I write, I have no clue what's it going to look like, so I will just start...now.

Spring
Victory - Season $4
Worth 1 VP for every different Season in your deck.

Summer
Victory - Season $4
Worth 1 VP for every different Season in your deck.

Fall
Victory - Season $4
Worth 1 VP for every different Season in your deck.

Winter
Victory - Season $4
Worth 1 VP for every different Season in your deck.

At the start of the game, these cards are stacked in the order Spring (top) -> Winter (bottom) twice for 1/2 players and three times for 3/4 players. So if you're playing with 3 players, there are 3 copies of each Season in the pile.

Getting all 8 Seasons in a 2 player game nets 4*4*2 = 32 VP for $32 which is more than Duchy's 24 VP for $40, but of course you need to have different ones and if they're contested by your opponent, it's not that easy. 32 VP is nothing to sneeze at however, that's more than 5 Provinces.

These Season cards are included in every game using at least one card from the Seasons expansion.
Hencefort this pile will be referred to as the Season pile and some cards are dependent on the top card. Just remember: after Winter comes Spring again!
Seasons convey a sense of time. As cards from the Season pile are bought or gained, time advances. You can look at a 2p game as lasting 2 years this way.

You can Ambassador cards back to this pile, which might cause Talisman to be able to gain an extra copy. So you could have Spring following Spring, but that's not a big deal.
Seasonal Worker
Action $3
+1 Card
+1 Action

If the top card of the Season pile is...
Spring: +1 Buy
Summer: +1 Action
Fall: +$1
Winter: +1 Card

Explanation: If the Season pile is empty, you get no bonus
Hourglass
Action $3
You may gain the top card of the Season pile.
You may trash a card from your hand.

Explanation: Gives extra incentive to go for Seasons, but doesn't have the Workshop/Gardens "problem" as you can't gain other cards with it. In essence it replaces a bad card with a Season.
Link-boy
Action $5
Reveal the top three cards of your deck, put one in your hand and discard the other two.

If the top card of the Season pile is...
Fall or Winter: +1 Action
Poacher
Action - Attack - Looter $4
+1 Action

If the top card of the Season pile is....
Spring: Each other player gains a Curse
Summer: Each other player gains a Ruins
Fall: Each other player gains a Copper
Winter: Each other player gains an Estate
Student
Action - $4
+2 Cards
If the Season pile has 4 or less Seasons: +$2
If the Season pile is empty: +1 Action
Hayward
Action - Reaction $2
+$1

The player to your left reveals then discards the top 2 cards of his deck. If he revealed at least one Season: +1 Card, +1 Action and +1 Buy
---------------------
When another player plays an Attack card, you may discard this. If you do and the top card of the Season pile is...
Spring: Gain a Gold
Summer: Gain a Silver, putting it on your deck
Fall: Gain two Coppers, putting them in your hand
Winter: Trash a card from your hand

That's it for now, I might make more cards if I can think of good ones. Thoughts on the theme and the cards?

I just like the idea of time passing and players influencing the workings of each other's cards by gaining Seasons. I tried to make the cards so that there is incentive to actually gain the Seasons by making the Spring bonuses weak and the reaction bonus for Hayward's Spring quite strong. Poacher starts out pretty darn strong, but can be mitigated by getting a few Seasons.

41

Dominion General Discussion / First Posts

« on: May 02, 2013, 07:12:01 am »

This should be fun.

If you click on your profile -> Show Posts -> Last Page, you can see your first post.
If you're a post junkie like me it's fun to see some older posts and see how wrong/right you were.

So in this topic you can link to or quote your first post and comment on it. 

My first post: Re: Is Golem worth it?

I would argue that it also helps trigger more reshuffles, which more often than not is a good thing since you're constantly increasing your deck power until the last Province turns.

Hey, and I still think this is true!

42

Rules Questions / Trashing with Steward/Forge/Chapel is atomic, right?

« on: April 11, 2013, 09:19:38 am »

I believe it has been said that trashing a bunch of cards in one go is an atomic operation, it can't be interrupted. Same with discarding cards with Cellar, Inn, etc... I just don't remember the exact ruling however.

This matters of course for cards like Steward, Forge etc in combination with on-card on-trash abilities.
What happens is that you trash a bunch of cards in one go and then get to activate the on-trash ability of say, Rats.
Problem is that by this time Rats isn't necessarily the top card of the trash pile so you might forget to activate it.

Maybe in real life a good way to solve this problem is to set aside all of the "trashed" cards first (in a way that you can see each one), activate their on-trash abilities and after you've resolved them, finally move them to the actual trash pile. But I'm just not sure whether this conflicts with the lose-track rule.

The infamous lose-track rule specifies that a card can't do something to another card if that other card isn't the place the first card expects it to be anymore. But here this rule doesn't apply for two reasons, it seems:
1. There is no card trying to do something to another card, Rats is trying to act on account of its own trashing
2. Rats is still where it expects to be, in the trash, it's just not necessarily the top card, but it doesn't specify it has to be


The same arguments can be made for Inn and Tunnel. Luckily, the top card of your discard pile doesn't matter, same as the top card of the trash pile. This means that you could discard a Tunnel (first) and a Copper (second, so on top) through Inn, pull Tunnel out from the discard, reveal it, grab a Gold and put it on top of the Copper and finally put Tunnel back on top. Again, this can be solved by temporarily putting the "discarded" cards aside so you don't "mistakenly" reveal some Tunnel that was already in there (but not discarded by Inn).

Some reflections on this?

43

Dominion Articles / Combo: Graverobber / Peddler [Colony]

« on: March 16, 2013, 06:20:50 am »

I believe very much that going on to list combos after ~200 different cards is a bit silly, but this one surprised me so it's more something to look out for for all you Dark Ages newbies out there. I'm a big DA novice myself and because I don't have the cards memorized it's even harder to spot easy combos.

Okay, we all know that we can Expand Peddlers into Colonies. So far, so good.

The reason I'm creating this topic especially for Graverobber is that it's easy to misinterpret the card, again mostly if you are new to DA. Why is this?

It's simple: Graverobber specifies that you must trash an Action card to gain a card costing up to $3 more. So you must use an Action card on the way in, but you can gain ANY card type on the way out. It's easy to think you can only transform Action cards into other Action cards.

Now you see the interaction between Graverobber and Peddler. Gain Peddlers, Graverobber them into Colonies. You can't Graverob the Peddlers back without the use of a cost-lowering card (remember that Peddler's cost is only lowered during the buy phase).

This combo is not game warping in the sense that you can rely on it alone to make you win the game. Of course, after you've Graverobbered 4 Peddlers into Colonies there are still 4 other Colonies for your opponent or yourself. You also need some support to easily gain the Peddlers.

So I will repeat myself and say that this isn't anything earth shattering, but it caught me off guard the other day, so I might as well share it to prevent new players from making the same oversight.

44

Puzzles and Challenges / Easy Puzzles

« on: March 13, 2013, 11:55:50 am »

I often think about some easy puzzles that don't warrant their own topic, so might as well create a catch-all topic for them.

Rules

• DON'T use Spoiler Tags these ones, just post the answer
• If you're sure you got the right answer, feel free to post the next puzzle or PASS to let someone else post one
• Default: 2 player game, Normal Turn = No durations, Possession or Outpost turn, it's a normal turn and start with 5 cards

I'll start.

No durations, Possession or Outpost turn, it's a normal turn and I start with the following 5 cards.
In my hand I hold Secret Chamber, 3 Coppers and one other card.
I choose to play Secret Chamber and discard those 3 Coppers and of course have a tactical reason for doing this.
Nothing happens to the Coppers after I've discarded them, they are neither trashed nor put on top of my deck, they're not moved at all. Nothing would have happened to them if I hadn't discarded them with SC, they would have simply been discarded during clean-up.
Grand Market is not in the supply.

If not just for kicks and giggles, why would I discard 3 Coppers for $3 this way?

45

Dominion Articles / Don't Play Everything!

« on: March 13, 2013, 07:48:14 am »

A mistake I often see less experienced players make is that they just keep playing every Action card in their hand until they're out of actions, even when the Action cards have 0 effect. What's worse is that they keep playing those Action cards if they actually have a negative effect. Why? Well, just because they like playing strings of cards, because that's what the game is about, right? Nothing like playing 10 Villages and feeling like a boss.

Zero Effect
This is the least hurtful, but it can still be annoying for your opponents. Imagine having drawn your entire deck and still having 5 Wishing Wells. Luckily, the interface on Iso knows that you have no more cards and thus you can't wish for anything, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone got a smack in the face in real life for doing this and still wishing for stuff and acting all surprised "Oh, I don't have any cards in my deck anymore!" every single time. Still, it's not so bad to play Actions for 0 effect, it's just pretty useless. But this paragraph only serves as a step-up to negative effects.

Negative Effect
When does playing an Action card have a negative effect? There are a couple of cases:

• They hurt yourself directly
• They hurt yourself indirectly
• They help your opponent directly
• They help your opponent indirectly

Let's deal with each case separately to give you an idea of what I mean.

1. They hurt yourself directly
Now how can playing an Action card hurt yourself directly? Well, you could play a cantrip before Menagerie drawing a copy when you had a hand of uniques, but that's not what I mean. What I mean is with a card that forces you to do stuff like Golem-ing into an Ambassador, Masquerade, Trade Post and the likes. Throne Room is similar, always weigh the risks vs. the rewards. If you have TR-TR-Lab and some risky cards still in your deck, consider just TR-ing a single Lab instead of starting off with TR-TR. It's too easy to automatically start a chain with TR-TR without thinking it through. TR-TR-Lab-Terminal leaves you with 2 Actions remaining while TR-Lab, TR-terminal leaves you with 1 action remaining. Is that one action worth the risk? I don't know, but you should think about it.

2. They hurt yourself indirectly
Actions that hurt yourself indirectly have mostly to do with your next hand. An easily understood example is playing a cantrip after a chain of Hunting Parties. A typical Hunting Party deck will still have Coppers and Estates and happily skip them while searching for your good cards, leaving you with an empty draw deck and full discard. What happens when you play that cantrip? Your Coppers and Estates get shuffled into a new deck, one of which you will draw, and your Hunting Parties played this turn will miss the shuffle. Shuffle timing is very important in HP decks, play the cantrips first to not risk drawing into your discarded crap. Warehouse has a similar style. After a few Warehouses, you've discarded most of your crap, don't play that extra Warehouse just because you can and force your Curses, Estates and Coppers to make up your next two hands.

There are a lot of cards which mess with the top of your own deck, either by revealing or drawing, and can cause an unwanted reshuffle. If you played a lot of good cards this turn, they will miss that shuffle. If you have reached a certain treshold, $8 for Province or $11 for Colony, and only have 1 Buy, always consider stopping the chain as an option. Think about what's left in your deck. Try to leave $8 for the next hand as well instead of $16 for this one.

3. They help your opponent directly
Reactions immediately should spring to mind when thinking about cards that help your opponent directly. Of course you don't always know whether your opponent is holding Watchtower or Trader when you're thinking about playing that Sea Hag. But again, you should think about it. Sometimes you can know in advance due to having seen the cards of your opponent with a missed Bureaucrat or Cutpurse. There are also cards which give the opponent an extra card or choice, Governor, Council Room, Vault, Bishop, etc.. I've made a costly mistake once when I needed to play 2 Governors as remodels to get the last Duchy and Province. I took the Province first, allowing my opponent to sneakily transform a $4 into the last Duchy. It was a silly mistake which could have been prevented if I hadn't played on auto pilot.

4. They help your opponent indirectly
Examples of cards that help your opponent indirectly are the ones that mess with the top of the deck. Uncertainty plays a part with Sea Hag and Swindler. Consider a game where you're trailing by more than 1 Province and you already have $8, Curses are gone, but you think "what the heck, let's play Swindler" and oops your opponent trashes a Province for a Province. It helps to know what's on top of your opponent's deck, Oracle, Spy, Scrying Pool etc help, but even if you don't know it's good to pause for a second. The information you have about the top of their deck is not 0. Because Dominion is a game of incomplete information, the trick is to make the best decision based on the little information you do have. Oftentimes you can prevent looking like a fool if you think about the order you want to play your cards in. After a couple of Rabbles your opponent has 2 Provinces on top and then you play a Tribute for kicks and giggles (you don't need the benefit of 2 cards), your opponent will be very grateful!

If you're playing at a high level it's important to not give your opponent more information than what's absolutely necessary. Playing every Copper one at a time isn't what I'm talking about. Imagine a game with Governors where you just played your single $4 card, a dead Sea Hag, for no real reason other than boredom and maybe discarding a good card. Your opponent can now safely use Governor to remodel knowing that you can't pick up a Duchy this turn.

What to take away from this
I've shown a couple of ways for Action cards to either hurt you or help your opponent. Now I'm not trying to scare you into never buying or playing some cards or doubting every simple situation, I just urge you to weigh the risks versus the rewards. Don't just play your Action cards simply because you have actions left over. Dominion is a highly situational game where solid tactics can sway close games in your favor. Don't just consider which cards to play, always consider if it's even worth playing them at all.

46

Dominion Isotropic / Dark Ages on Isotropic?

« on: February 28, 2013, 06:16:27 am »

Hope I don't stir an instant patch, but.....

The 12 chosen cards are Armory, Black Market, Cache, City, Lookout, Oasis, Oracle, Procession, Stash, Torturer, Woodcutter, and Young Witch.

Our bane: Storeroom!

47

Non-Mafia Game Threads / 7 Wonders Teams

« on: February 17, 2013, 01:34:10 pm »

Let's start with the usual information dump, thanks to Tables

Information Dump

Wonders (This will be culled down to the 7 Wonders in play after selection)

The Colossus of Rhodes (A) - Produce Ore
(1) 3 VPs. Cost: 2 Wood
(2) 2 Shields. Cost: 3 Brick
(3) 7 VPs. Cost: 4 Ore

The Colossus of Rhodes (B) - Produce Ore
(1) 1 Shield, 3 VPs, 3 Coins. Cost: 3 Stone
(2) 1 Shield, 4 VPs, 4 Coins. Cost: 4 Ore

The Lighthouse of Alexandria (A) - Produce Glass
(1) 3 VPs. Cost: 2 Stone
(2) Produce one raw material. Cost: 2 Ore
(3) 7 VPs. Cost: 2 Glass

The Lighthouse of Alexandria (B) - Produce Glass
(1) Produce one raw material. Cost: 2 Brick
(2) Produce one manufactured good. Cost: 2 Wood
(3) 7 VPs. Cost: 3 Stone

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesos (A) - Produce Papyrus
(1) 3 VPs. Cost: 2 Stone
(2) 9 Coins. Cost: 2 Wood
(3) 7 VPs. Cost: 2 Papyrus

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesos (B) - Produce Papyrus
(1) 2 VPs, 4 Coins. Cost: 2 Stone
(2) 3 VPs, 4 Coins. Cost: 2 Wood
(3) 5 VPs, 4 Coins. Cost: Papyrus, Cloth, Glass

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (A) - Produce Brick
(1) 3 VPs. Cost: 2 Brick
(2) Tablet/Compasses/Gear. Cost: 3 Wood
(3) 7 VPs. Cost: 4 Brick

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (B) - Produce Brick
(1) 3 VPs. Cost: Cloth, Brick
(2) Can use 7th age card instead of discarding. Cost: Glass, 2 Wood
(3) Tablet/Compasses/Gear. Cost: Papyrus, 3 Brick

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia (A) - Produce Wood
(1) 3 VPs. Cost: 2 Wood
(2) 1 free build per age. Cost: 2 Stone
(3) 7 VPs. Cost: 2 Ore

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia (B) - Produce Wood
(1) Raw materials cost 1 to buy from both sides. Cost: 2 Wood
(2) 5 VPs. Cost: 2 Stone
(3) Copy 1 guild left or right. Cost: Cloth, 2 Ore

The Mausoleum of Halikarnassos (A) - Produce Cloth
(1) 3 VPs. Cost: 2 Brick
(2) Look through the discard pile and build a card for free. Cost: 3 Ore
(3) 7 VPs. Cost: 2 Cloth

The Mausoleum of Halikarnassos (B) - Produce Cloth
(1) 2 VPs, look through the discard pile and build a card for free. Cost: 2 Ore
(2) 1 VP, look through the discard pile and build a card for free. Cost: 3 Brick
(3) Look through the discard pile and build a card for free. Cost: Glass, Papyrus, Cloth

The Pyramids of Gizah (A) - Produce Stone
(1) 3 VPs. Cost: 2 Stone
(2) 5 VPs. Cost: 3 Wood
(3) 7 VPs. Cost: 4 Stone

The Pyramids of Gizah (B) - Produce Stone
(1) 3 VPs. Cost: 2 Wood
(2) 5 VPs. Cost: 3 Stone
(3) 5 VPs. Cost: 3 Brick
(4) 7 VPs. Cost: Papyrus, 4 Stone

The Colosseum of Rome (A) - Free leaders
(1) 4 VPs. Cost: Brick, Wood, Stone
(2) 6 VPs. Cost: Cloth, 2 Stone, Brick

The Colosseum of Rome (B) - Leaders cost 2 less. Neighbours' leaders cost 1 less.
(1) 5 coins, draw 4 new leaders. Cost: Brick, Wood
(2) 3 VPs, you may play a leader. Cost: Cloth, Stone, Brick
(3) 3 VPs, you may play a leader. Cost: Papyrus, 2 Stone

The Al-Khazneh of Petra (A) - Produce Brick
(1) 3 VPs. Cost: Wood, Stone
(2) 7 VPs. Cost: 7 Coins
(3) 7 VPs. Cost: Papyrus, Wood, 2 Stone

The Al-Khazneh of Petra (B) - Produce Brick
(1) 3 VPs, everyone elses loses 2 coins. Cost: 2 Brick, 2 Ore
(2) 14 VPs. Cost: 14 Coins

The Hagia Sophia of Byzantium (A) - Produce Stone
(1) 3 VPs. Cost: Ore, Brick
(2) 2 VPs, diplomacy. Cost: Papyrus, 2 Wood
(3) 7 VPs. Cost: Cloth, Glass, 2 Brick

The Hagia Sophia of Byzantium (B) - Produce Stone
(1) 3 VPs, diplomacy. Cost: Paper, Glass, Wood, Ore
(2) 4 VPs, diplomacy. Cost: Cloth, Brick, 2 Ore

Age I cards

Normal cards - all 49 of these will be used.
Lumber Yard: Produce Wood.
Lumber Yard: Produce Wood.
Stone Pit: Produce Stone.
Stone Pit: Produce Stone.
Clay Pool: Produce Brick.
Clay Pool: Produce Brick.
Ore Vein: Produce Ore.
Ore Vein: Produce Ore.
Tree Farm: Produce Wood/Brick. Cost: 1 Coin.
Excavation: Produce Stone/Brick. Cost: 1 Coin.
Clay Pit: Produce Brick/Ore. Cost: 1 Coin.
Timber Yard: Produce Stone/Wood. Cost: 1 Coin.
Forest Cave: Produce Wood/Ore. Cost: 1 Coin.
Mine: Produce Ore/Stone. Cost: 1 Coin.
Loom: Produce Cloth.
Loom: Produce Cloth.
Glassworks: Produce Glass.
Glassworks: Produce Glass.
Press: Produce Payrus.
Press: Produce Payrus.
Pawnshop: 3 VPs.
Pawnshop: 3 VPs.
Baths: 3 VPs. Chain to: Aqueduct. Cost: Stone.
Baths: 3 VPs. Chain to: Aqueduct. Cost: Stone.
Altar: 2 VPs. Chain to: Temple.
Altar: 2 VPs. Chain to: Temple.
Theater: 2 VPs. Chain to: Statue.
Theater: 2 VPs. Chain to: Statue.
Tavern: 5 Coins.
Tavern: 5 Coins.
Tavern: 5 Coins.
East Trading Post: Raw materials cost 1 to buy from the right. Chain to: Forum.
East Trading Post: Raw materials cost 1 to buy from the right. Chain to: Forum.
West Trading Post: Raw materials cost 1 to buy from the left. Chain to: Forum.
West Trading Post: Raw materials cost 1 to buy from the left. Chain to: Forum.
Marketplace: Manufactured Goods cost 1 to buy from both sides. Chain to: Caravansery.
Marketplace: Manufactured Goods cost 1 to buy from both sides. Chain to: Caravansery.
Stockade: 1 Shield. Cost: Wood.
Stockade: 1 Shield. Cost: Wood.
Barracks: 1 Shield. Cost: Ore.
Barracks: 1 Shield. Cost: Ore.
Guard Tower: 1 Shield. Cost: Brick.
Guard Tower: 1 Shield. Cost: Brick.
Apothecary: Compasses. Chain to: Stables & Dispensary. Cost: Cloth.
Apothecary: Compasses. Chain to: Stables & Dispensary. Cost: Cloth.
Workshop: Gear. Chain to: Archery Range & Laboratory. Cost: Glass.
Workshop: Gear. Chain to: Archery Range & Laboratory. Cost: Glass.
Scriptorium: Tablet. Chain to: Courthouse & Library. Cost: Papyrus.
Scriptorium: Tablet. Chain to: Courthouse & Library. Cost: Papyrus.

Cities - 7 of these cards will be randomly added to the deck.
Clandestine Dock West: Once per turn, pay one less coin to buy resources from your left. Cost: 1 Coin.
Clandestine Dock East: Once per turn, pay one less coin to buy resources from your right. Cost: 1 Coin.
Militia: 2 Shields. Cost: 3 Coins.
Hideout: 2 VPs, everyone elses loses 1 coin.
Pigeon Loft: Copy a science symbol on a green card on your left or right.. Cost: 1 Coin, Ore.
Gambling Den: 6 Coins. Each neighbour gets 1 coin..
Residence: 1 VP, diplomacy. Cost: Brick.
Secret Warehouse: Produce any one resource that you already produce.. Cost: 2 Coins.
Gates of the City: 4 VPs. Cost: 1 Coin, Wood.

Age II cards

Normal cards - all 49 of these will be used.
Sawmill: Produce two Wood. Cost: 1 Coin.
Sawmill: Produce two Wood. Cost: 1 Coin.
Quarry: Produce two Stone. Cost: 1 Coin.
Quarry: Produce two Stone. Cost: 1 Coin.
Brickyard: Produce two Brick. Cost: 1 Coin.
Brickyard: Produce two Brick. Cost: 1 Coin.
Foundry: Produce two Ore. Cost: 1 Coin.
Foundry: Produce two Ore. Cost: 1 Coin.
Loom: Produce Cloth.
Loom: Produce Cloth.
Glassworks: Produce Glass.
Glassworks: Produce Glass.
Press: Produce Payrus.
Press: Produce Payrus.
Aqueduct: 5 VPs. Chain from: Baths. Cost: 3 Stone.
Aqueduct: 5 VPs. Chain from: Baths. Cost: 3 Stone.
Temple: 3 VPs. Chain from: Altar. Chain to: Pantheon. Cost: Wood, Brick, Glass.
Temple: 3 VPs. Chain from: Altar. Chain to: Pantheon. Cost: Wood, Brick, Glass.
Statue: 4 VPs. Chain from: Theater. Chain to: Gardens. Cost: Wood, 2 Ore.
Statue: 4 VPs. Chain from: Theater. Chain to: Gardens. Cost: Wood, 2 Ore.
Courthouse: 4 VPs. Chain from: Scriptorium. Cost: 2 Brick, Cloth.
Courthouse: 4 VPs. Chain from: Scriptorium. Cost: 2 Brick, Cloth.
Forum: Produce Cloth/Glass/Paper. Chain from: West/East Trading Post. Chain to: Haven. Cost: 2 Brick.
Forum: Produce Cloth/Glass/Paper. Chain from: West/East Trading Post. Chain to: Haven. Cost: 2 Brick.
Forum: Produce Cloth/Glass/Paper. Chain from: West/East Trading Post. Chain to: Haven. Cost: 2 Brick.
Caravansery: Produce Brick/Stone/Ore/Wood. Chain from: Marketplace. Chain to: Lighthouse. Cost: 2 Wood.
Caravansery: Produce Brick/Stone/Ore/Wood. Chain from: Marketplace. Chain to: Lighthouse. Cost: 2 Wood.
Caravansery: Produce Brick/Stone/Ore/Wood. Chain from: Marketplace. Chain to: Lighthouse. Cost: 2 Wood.
Vineyard: 1 Coin per brown card in yours+neighbours cities.
Vineyard: 1 Coin per brown card in yours+neighbours cities.
Bazaar: 2 Coins per gray card in yours+neighbours cities.
Bazaar: 2 Coins per gray card in yours+neighbours cities.
Walls: 2 Shields. Chain to: Fortifications. Cost: 3 Stone.
Walls: 2 Shields. Chain to: Fortifications. Cost: 3 Stone.
Training Ground: 2 Shields. Chain to: Circus. Cost: Wood, 2 Ore.
Training Ground: 2 Shields. Chain to: Circus. Cost: Wood, 2 Ore.
Training Ground: 2 Shields. Chain to: Circus. Cost: Wood, 2 Ore.
Stables: 2 Shields. Chain from: Apothecary. Cost: Ore, Brick. Wood.
Stables: 2 Shields. Chain from: Apothecary. Cost: Ore, Brick. Wood.
Archery Range: 2 Shields. Chain from: Workshop. Cost: 2 Wood, Ore.
Archery Range: 2 Shields. Chain from: Workshop. Cost: 2 Wood, Ore.
Dispensary: Compasses. Chain from: Apothecary. Chain to: Arena & Lodge. Cost: 2 Ore, Glass.
Dispensary: Compasses. Chain from: Apothecary. Chain to: Arena & Lodge. Cost: 2 Ore, Glass.
Laboratory: Gear. Chain from: Workshop. Chain to: Siege Workshop & Observatory. Cost: 2 Brick, Papyrus.
Laboratory: Gear. Chain from: Workshop. Chain to: Siege Workshop & Observatory. Cost: 2 Brick, Papyrus.
Library: Tablet. Chain from: Scriptorium. Chain to: Senate & University. Cost: 2 Stone, Cloth.
Library: Tablet. Chain from: Scriptorium. Chain to: Senate & University. Cost: 2 Stone, Cloth.
School: Tablet. Chain to: Academy & Study. Cost: Wood, Papyrus.
School: Tablet. Chain to: Academy & Study. Cost: Wood, Papyrus.

Cities - 7 of these cards will be randomly added to the deck.
Mercenaries: 3 Shields. Cost: 4 Coins, Papyrus.
Lair: 3 VPs, everyone else loses 2 coins. Cost: Wood, Glass.
Black Market: Produce one resource you currently do not produce. Cost: Ore, Cloth.
Gambling House: 9 Coins. Each neighbour gets 2 coins.. Cost: 1 Coin.
Architect Cabinet: 2 VPs. Your wonder stages no longer cost resources (but may still cost money). Cost: 1 Coin, Papyrus.
Spy Ring: Copy a science symbol on a green card on your left or right.. Cost: 2 Coins, Stone, Brick.
Consulate: 2 VPs, diplomacy. Cost: Brick, Papyrus.
Sepulcher: 4 VPs, everyone else loses 1 coin per military victory. Cost: Stone, Glass, Cloth.
Tabularium: 6 VPs. Cost: 2 Coins, Ore, Wood, Cloth.

Age III cards

Normal cards - all 40 of these will be used.
Pantheon: 7 VPs. Chain from: Temple. Cost: 2 Brick, Ore, Papyrus, Cloth, Glass.
Pantheon: 7 VPs. Chain from: Temple. Cost: 2 Brick, Ore, Papyrus, Cloth, Glass.
Gardens: 5 VPs. Chain from: Statue. Cost: Wood, 2 Brick.
Gardens: 5 VPs. Chain from: Statue. Cost: Wood, 2 Brick.
Town Hall: 6 VPs. Cost: Glass, Ore, 2 Stone.
Town Hall: 6 VPs. Cost: Glass, Ore, 2 Stone.
Town Hall: 6 VPs. Cost: Glass, Ore, 2 Stone.
Palace: 8 VPs. Cost: Glass, Papyrus, Cloth, Brick, Wood, Ore, Stone.
Palace: 8 VPs. Cost: Glass, Papyrus, Cloth, Brick, Wood, Ore, Stone.
Senate: 6 VPs. Chain from: Library. Cost: Ore, Stone, 2 Wood.
Senate: 6 VPs. Chain from: Library. Cost: Ore, Stone, 2 Wood.
Haven: 1 Coin & 1 VP per brown card. Chain from: Forum. Cost: Cloth, Ore, Wood.
Haven: 1 Coin & 1 VP per brown card. Chain from: Forum. Cost: Cloth, Ore, Wood.
Lighthouse: 1 Coin & 1 VP per yellow card (including this). Chain from: Caravansery. Cost: Glass, Stone.
Lighthouse: 1 Coin & 1 VP per yellow card (including this). Chain from: Caravansery. Cost: Glass, Stone.
Chamber of Commerce: 2 Coins & 2 VPs per gray card. Cost: 2 Brick, Papyrus.
Chamber of Commerce: 2 Coins & 2 VPs per gray card. Cost: 2 Brick, Papyrus.
Arena: 3 Coins & 1 VP per wonder stage completed. Chain from: Dispensary. Cost: Ore, 2 Stone.
Arena: 3 Coins & 1 VP per wonder stage completed. Chain from: Dispensary. Cost: Ore, 2 Stone.
Arena: 3 Coins & 1 VP per wonder stage completed. Chain from: Dispensary. Cost: Ore, 2 Stone.
Fortifications: 3 Shields. Chain from: Walls. Cost: Stone, 3 Ore.
Fortifications: 3 Shields. Chain from: Walls. Cost: Stone, 3 Ore.
Circus: 3 Shields. Chain from: Training Ground. Cost: 3 Stone, Ore.
Circus: 3 Shields. Chain from: Training Ground. Cost: 3 Stone, Ore.
Circus: 3 Shields. Chain from: Training Ground. Cost: 3 Stone, Ore.
Arsenal: 3 Shields. Cost: Ore, 2 Wood, Cloth.
Arsenal: 3 Shields. Cost: Ore, 2 Wood, Cloth.
Arsenal: 3 Shields. Cost: Ore, 2 Wood, Cloth.
Siege Workshop: 3 Shields. Chain from: Laboratory. Cost: Wood, 3 Brick.
Siege Workshop: 3 Shields. Chain from: Laboratory. Cost: Wood, 3 Brick.
Lodge: Compasses. Chain from: Dispensary. Cost: 2 Brick, Cloth, Papyrus.
Lodge: Compasses. Chain from: Dispensary. Cost: 2 Brick, Cloth, Papyrus.
Observatory: Gear. Chain from: Laboratory. Cost: 2 Ore, Glass, Cloth.
Observatory: Gear. Chain from: Laboratory. Cost: 2 Ore, Glass, Cloth.
University: Tablet. Chain from: Library. Cost: 2 Wood, Papyrus, Glass.
University: Tablet. Chain from: Library. Cost: 2 Wood, Papyrus, Glass.
Academy: Compasses. Chain from: School. Cost: 3 Stone, Glass.
Academy: Compasses. Chain from: School. Cost: 3 Stone, Glass.
Study: Gear. Chain from: School. Cost: Wood, Papyrus, Cloth.
Study: Gear. Chain from: School. Cost: Wood, Papyrus, Cloth.

Guilds - 9 of these will be randomly added to the deck.
Workers Guild: 1 VP per brown card in each of your neighbours cities. Cost: 2 Ore, Brick, Stone, Wood.
Craftsmens Guild: 2 VPs per gray card in each of your neighbours cities. Cost: 2 Ore, 2 Stone.
Traders Guild: 1 VP per yellow card in each of your neighbours cities. Cost: Glass, Cloth, Papyrus.
Philosophers Guild: 1 VP per green card in each of your neighbours cities. Cost: 3 Brick, Cloth, Papyrus.
Spies Guild: 1 VP per red card in each of your neighbours cities. Cost: 3 Brick, Glass.
Strategists Guild: 1 VP per defeat token in each of your neighbours cities. Cost: 2 Ore, Stone, Cloth.
Shipowners Guild: 1 VP per brown, gray and purple card in your city. Cost: 3 Wood, Papyrus, Glass.
Scientists Guild: Compasses/Gear/Tablet. Cost: 2 Wood, 2 Ore, Papyrus.
Magistrates Guild: 1 VP per blue card in each of your neighbours cities. Cost: 3 Wood, Stone, Cloth.
Builders Guild: 1 VP per wonder stage constructed by you and each of your neighbours. Cost: 2 Stone, 2 Brick, Glass.
Gamer's Guild: 1 VP per three coins owned.. Cost: Stone, Brick, Wood, Ore.
Courtesan's Guild: Choose a leader in an adjacent city. You gain the effect of that leader. Cost: Wood, Brick, Glass, Cloth.
Diplomat's Guild: 1 VP per leader in each of your neighbours cities. Cost: Brick, Wood, Glass, Papyrus.
Architect's Guild: 3 VPs per purple card in each of your neighbours cities. Cost: 3 Ore, Brick, Papyrus, Cloth.
Counterfeiter's Guild: 5 VPs, Everyone else loses 3 coins.. Cost: 3 Ore, Glass, Cloth.
Guild of Shadows: 1 VP per black card in each of your neighbours cities. Cost: 2 Brick, Wood, Papyrus.
Mouner's Guild: 1 VP per victory token in each of your neighbours cities. Cost: 2 Brick, Wood, Glass, Cloth.

Cities - 7 of these will be randomly added to the deck
Contingent: 5 Shields. Cost: 5 Coins, Cloth.
Brotherhood: 4 VPs, everyone else loses 3 coins. Cost: 2 Wood, Ore, Cloth.
Secret Society: 1 Coin & 1 VP per black card. Cost: Stone, Papyrus.
Slave Market: 1 Coin & 1 VP per victory token. Cost: 2 Ore, 2 Wood.
Torture Chamber: Copy a science symbol on a green card on your left or right.. Cost: 3 Coins, 2 Ore, Glass.
Builder's Union: 4 VPs, everyone elses loses 1 coin per wonder stage built. Cost: Brick, Wood, Papyrus, Glass.
Embassy: 3 VPs, diplomacy. Cost: Stone, Cloth, Papyrus.
Capitol: 8 VPs. Cost: 2 Coins, 2 Brick, 2 Stone, Glass, Papyrus.
Cenotaph: 5 VPs, everyon else loses 1 coin per victory token. Cost: 2 Brick, Stone, Cloth, Glass.

Leaders - 4 of these will be dealt to every player, then they will be drafted in counter clockwise direction.
Amytis: 2 VPs per Wonder stage built.. Cost: 4 Coins.
Alexander: 1 VP per Victory token.. Cost: 3 Coins.
Aristotle: 3 VPs per science set.. Cost: 3 Coins.
Justinian: 3 VPs per set of green, red and blue cards.. Cost: 3 Coins.
Plato: 7 VPs per set of brown, gray, blue, red, green, yellow and purple cards.. Cost: 4 Coins.
Midas: 1 VP per three coins owned.. Cost: 3 Coins.
Bilkis: Once per turn, may pay 1 coin to the bank to generate any one resource. Cost: 4 Coins.
Macenas: All future leaders can be played for free. Cost: 1 Coin.
Ramses: All purple cards can be played for free. Cost: 3 Coins.
Tomyris: During conflict, defeat tokens you would earn are instead given to the city which beats you . Cost: 4 Coins.
Hannibal: 1 Shield. Cost: 2 Coins.
Ceaser: 2 Shields. Cost: 5 Coins.
Hatshepsut: Once per turn per neighbour, earn one coin after buying a resource from a neighbour.. Cost: 2 Coins.
Nero: Gain 2 coins for each victory token you earn.. Cost: 1 Coin.
Xenophon: Gain 2 coins for each yellow card you play.. Cost: 2 Coins.
Vitruvius: Gain 2 coins each time you build a card through chaining.. Cost: 1 Coin.
Solomon: Look through the discard pile and build a card for free.. Cost: 3 Coins.
Croseus: Take 6 coins. Cost: 1 Coin.
Hypatia: 1 VP per green card.. Cost: 4 Coins.
Nebuchadnezzar: 1 VP per blue card.. Cost: 4 Coins.
Phidias: 1 VP per brown card.. Cost: 3 Coins.
Varro: 1 VP per yellow card. Cost: 3 Coins.
Pericles: 2 VPs per red card. Cost: 6 Coins.
Praxiteles: 2 VPs per gray card. Cost: 3 Coins.
Hiram: 2 VPs per purple card. Cost: 3 Coins.
Sappo: 2 VPs. Cost: 1 Coin.
Zenobia: 3 VPs. Cost: 2 Coins.
Nefertiti: 4 VPs. Cost: 3 Coins.
Cleopatra: 5 VPs. Cost: 4 Coins.
Archimedes: Green cards cost 1 resource less. Cost: 4 Coins.
Leonidas: Red cards cost 1 resource less. Cost: 2 Coins.
Hammurabi: Blue cards cost 1 resource less. Cost: 2 Coins.
Imhotep: Wonder stages cost 1 resource less. Cost: 3 Coins.
Euclid: Compasses. Cost: 5 Coins.
Ptolemy: Tablet. Cost: 5 Coins.
Pythagoras: Gear. Cost: 5 Coins.
Berenice: Once per turn, earn 1 coin whenever you earn coins. Cost: 2 Coins.
Darius: 1 VP per black card.. Cost: 4 Coins.
Aspasia: 2 VPs, diplomacy. Cost: 3 Coins.
Caligua: Once per age, build a black card for free.. Cost: 3 Coins.
Semiramis: 1 Shiled per defeat token.. Cost: 2 Coins.
Diocletian: Gain 2 coins for each black card you play.. Cost: 2 Coins.


Rules
Full rules for Cities (including team play) can be found here (PDF).

Here is the part about team play:

Rules for team play
During your games with 4, 6 and 8 players, you can now play 7 Wonders with a variant for 2-player teams. The teammates must sit next to each other.

Overview of an Age
During the game, the teammates can freely communicate and show each other the cards in their hand (including Leader cards if that expansion is used).
A player must use their own resource before buying one from their neighbors.
It is forbidden for the teammates to:
- share coins,
- trade cards,
- not pay for commerce between them,
- buy resources from each other while they can build a structure through a chain.

When a player puts in play a card which causes a monetary loss, the player’s teammate must also pay that loss.
In the team game, the conflict resolution and Diplomacy differ from the classic game.

Team resolution of conflicts
In the team game, the teammates do not wage war against each other. Each player will have to face the opposing city which neighbors them.
Note: during the Conflict resolution, the amount of tokens given is doubled:
- a victory during Age I is worth 2 Conflict (Victory) tokens each worth 1 victory point,
- a victory during Age II is worth 2 Conflict (Victory) tokens each worth 3 victory points,
- a victory during Age III is worth 2 Conflict (Victory) tokens each worth 5 victory points.
- defeats are each worth 2 Conflict (Defeat) tokens with a value of -1 victory point.

Team diplomacy
A player who puts a card with the  symbol in play takes a Diplomacy token from the bank and places it on their board.
During the next conflict, the player still takes part in the resolution,but they and their opponent only take a single Conflict token instead of two. The use of the Diplomacy token is mandatory; it is then discarded.

Clarifications :
- The use of a Diplomacy token by a player doesn’t affect their teammate.
-  It is possible for a player to win thec onflict even if that player has played a Diplomacy token.
- If the 2 members of a team have each played a Diplomacy token, they each take a single copy of the Conflict token,as do their respective opponents.

End of the game
Each player totals his or her victory points and then the two teammates total up their score to get their team’s score. The team with the highest score wins.

48

Forum Games / 7 Wonders Teams Interest Check

« on: February 13, 2013, 05:14:33 am »

Hey guys,

I opened my physical copy of 7 Wonders Cities last Monday to take a look at the actual cards we're using and noticed in the Cities rules that you can play 7 Wonders in a team setup. Teams would consist of 2 players, I don't know if they sit next to each other, but I guess they do? Haven't read the specifics though.

Any of you think this is fun and are you interested in playing? Don't really have time to mod, but it can be pretty self-modding if we use a token like in the other games. Once everyone has posted "done" you can just send your hand along. The only modding is in drafting the initial hands.

If you are interested, please post:
1. Preferred format (base, base+cities or base+leaders+cities)
2. Preferred partner name or random partner
3. Preferred wonder or random wonder

That's about it, I guess?

A fun way to pick wonders perhaps is through a (silent) auction mechanic where we give everyone a couple of extra coins to bid. 

49

Forum Games / Tokaido Interest Check/Signup Thread

« on: February 08, 2013, 03:14:11 am »

DESCRIPTION

In Tokaido, each player is a traveler crossing the "East sea road", one of the most magnificent roads of Japan. While traveling, you will meet people, taste fine meals, collect beautiful items, discover great panoramas, and visit temples and wild places but at the end of the day, when everyone has arrived at the end of the road you'll have to be the most initiated traveler – which means that you'll have to be the one who discovered the most interesting and varied things.

Through a unique zen mood, Tokaido is a strategic game while being extraordinarily peaceful and easy to learn.

Tokaido is an elegant and refreshing new kind of game.

RULES

You can find the English rules here (PDF on BGG).
I don't think it's very useful to post the rules here as well, they're really pretty simple so after reading it and completing one turn, you'll have gotten the hang of it. Most important rule is that the player who is in last place on the track gets to go until another player is last.

INTEREST

This is basically an interest check as well as a signup thread, just post if you want to join, the game is for 2-5 players. If more than 5 players want to join, I'll just use random.org to draw the players. There is no specific deadline, but if I think everyone who wanted to had a chance to join, I will decide to go ahead with the current entrants. If you're in too many PBF games already, feel free to /out to let others have a go.

MODERATION

This is mostly an experimental PBF as my time is severely limited at the moment and I too haven't played this game before. So when you join I hope you understand this may not be the quickest or most smooth PBF on these forums. Some spots allow for self moderation, for instance when you don't need to draw a card (Temple and Panorama) so you don't have to wait for me. Of course I will check the actions for any discrepancies.

GOLDEN RULE

Have fun!

50

Dominion Articles / Article Request: Fairgrounds

« on: February 07, 2013, 07:05:30 am »

It seems like lately I've been gaining more appreciation for the Cornucopia cards, especially Menagerie, Horn of Plenty and Fairgrounds. I like going out of my way to make them work, because it's so much fun when they do.

I become almost giddy when I see a board that's ripe for Fairgrounds, but I'm having problems developing a sound Fairgrounds strategy.

I have found this blog article, but found it a bit lacking. It's not hard to build a Fairgrounds deck with Black Market or a board full of cantrips and my problem is not per se in getting to the 15 unique benchmark, but rather in the gaining of Fairgrounds themselves.

When I'm building a good Fairgrounds deck and it turns into a pretty smooth engine I often get to the point where I can hit $8 pretty consistently and then I start to wonder... should I meddle with Provinces or just focus on Fairgrounds? Since they're both worth 6 VP to me it doesn't matter points wise.

If I'm playing against a non-Fairgrounds player, I think limiting the amount of VP my opponent can get by grabbing some of the Provinces may be a good idea. On the other hand, this delays the game a bit as I'm greening harder with both Provinces and Fairgrounds and this may cause the Province player to switch to Fairgrounds himself. If instead I focus on Fairgrounds first, the only danger comes from the Province player getting more Provinces than I do Fairgrounds. And after I finished the Fairgrounds, I can just join in on Duchies if needed. So I'm not quite sure which is better.

When playing against another Fairgrounds player I think it's more easy since you just have to focus on winning the split 5-3 or better. In those cases I may dip into Fairgrounds a bit sooner and try to reach the 15 card benchmark a bit later.