Objective of the Game:
In Dominion, each player is a monarch, striving to expand their kingdom from a small collection of territories to a vast empire. The objective is to have the most Victory Points at the end of the game, which are gained by acquiring Victory Cards.
Game Setup:
Dominion is a deck-building game, meaning players start with a small deck of cards and improve it over time to access more powerful cards and score more Victory Points.
- Supply Setup:
- Lay out 10 piles of Action Cards in the supply area. These are chosen randomly from a set of 25 available cards (or follow a recommended beginner setup).
- Also add standard supply cards: Treasure Cards (Copper, Silver, Gold) and Victory Cards (Estate, Duchy, Province).
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Optionally, include a Trash Pile for removed cards.
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Player Decks Preparation:
- Each player begins with a deck of 7 Copper and 3 Estate cards.
- Shuffle your deck and draw 5 cards to form your starting hand.
Game Turns:
The game progresses in rounds, with players taking turns in clockwise order. Each turn consists of three phases:
- Action Phase:
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Play up to one Action Card from your hand and perform the action specified. Some action cards allow additional actions or special advantages like drawing more cards.
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Buy Phase:
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Play any number of Treasure Cards from your hand. The total value of played treasures allows you to "buy" cards from the supply. By default, only one card may be purchased, but some action cards allow extra buys.
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Clean-Up Phase:
- Place all played cards and remaining hand cards into your Discard Pile. Draw 5 new cards from your deck. If the deck is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw deck.
Special Rules and Strategies:
- Purchasing Victory Cards is necessary to win, but they do not offer active benefits and can clog your hand.
- Skillfully acquiring Action Cards enables you to plan complex and efficient turns.
- The strategic challenge is balancing the right timing and amount of Victory Cards relative to deck-building enhancements.
End of the Game:
The game ends when either the Province Card pile is empty or any three supply piles run out of cards. Players then count the Victory Points in their decks, and the player with the most points wins.
Variants:
There are numerous expansions for Dominion that introduce new cards and mechanics, adding variety and complexity to the game.
