1 Overview

Dominion, designed by Donald X. Vaccarino and published by Rio Grande Games in 2008, invented the deck-building genre. Players start with identical small decks and use those cards to buy better cards from a central supply, gradually constructing unique and powerful combinations. Unlike collectible card games, everyone builds their deck DURING play from cards available to all. Victory comes from accumulating Province cards (and other victory cards) in your deck.

Dominion won the Spiel des Jahres 2009 (German Game of the Year) and the Deutscher Spiele Preis. It has spawned over 25 expansions and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling strategy card games ever made.

2 History

Donald X. Vaccarino designed Dominion while working as a game designer with no major industry connections. The game was picked up by Rio Grande Games after a demo at a convention and published in 2008. The concept -- building a deck from scratch during play -- was genuinely novel. Prior to Dominion, deck-building as a mechanic did not exist in hobby gaming.

The game's success inspired an entire genre. Games like Ascension, Star Realms, Thunderstone, Legendary, and dozens of others all use the deck-building mechanic Dominion pioneered. Even games in other genres (Clank!, Aeon's End, Hero Realms) trace their lineage directly to Dominion's innovation.

3 Components

• 500 cards total
• 25 unique Kingdom card types (10 used per game)
• Treasure cards: Copper (46), Silver (40), Gold (30)
• Victory cards: Estate (24), Duchy (12), Province (12)
• Curse cards (30)
• Trash mat and coin tokens (for certain card effects)

4 Setup

1. Select 10 Kingdom card types from the 25 available (randomly or by choice) and set out 10 copies of each in a row.
2. Set out Copper, Silver, and Gold stacks. Set out Estate, Duchy, Province, and Curse stacks.
3. Each player starts with 7 Copper and 3 Estates in their deck (10 cards total). Shuffle and draw 5 as opening hand.
4. Randomly determine first player.

Province pile count by player count: 2 players = 8 Provinces; 3-4 players = 12 Provinces.

5 Card Types

6 Full Base Set Kingdom Card List

7 Turn Structure

1. Action Phase: Play 1 Action card from your hand (or 0). If that card grants +Actions, you may play more Action cards.
2. Buy Phase: Play any Treasure cards from your hand. Spend coins to buy 1 card from the supply (or more with +Buy). Bought card goes to your discard pile.
3. Clean-Up Phase: Discard all cards played this turn plus all cards remaining in hand. Draw 5 new cards. If draw pile is empty, shuffle discard into new draw pile.

The cycle: deck to hand to play to discard to shuffle to deck. Every card you buy WILL eventually reach your hand -- including Curses and green cards that clog your engine.

8 Terminal vs Non-Terminal Actions

This distinction is central to Dominion strategy:

You can only play 1 Action per turn by default. Non-terminals extend your action chain. A common mistake: playing two terminals when you only have 1 Action -- the second terminal sits in your hand unused. You need Villages or other +Action cards to chain multiple terminals.

9 Buying Power Math

Your starting deck generates an average of 3.5 coins per hand (7 Copper, 5 cards drawn = ~3.5 Copper per hand). This is enough to buy Silvers consistently, but not Provinces (cost 8) or even Golds (cost 6) reliably.

Adding Silvers increases average coins per hand. A deck of 7 Copper + 4 Silver = ~4.5 coins per hand. With 10+ Silvers and Golds, you can consistently generate 6-8+ coins per hand and buy Provinces.

Key buying thresholds:

10 Winning and Ending

The game ends immediately when EITHER:

• The Province pile is empty, OR
• Any 3 Supply piles are empty (any combination)

Count all Victory Points in your entire deck (hand + draw pile + discard pile). Most VP wins. Ties broken by fewest turns taken.

Green cards (Estates, Duchies, Provinces) are dead weight in your hand during the game but score at the end. The art of Dominion is knowing when to start "greening" -- transitioning from engine-building to Province-buying -- before opponents do, without clogging your deck too soon.

11 Strategy Guide

Big Money -- Simple and Effective

Buy Silver on turns where you can't buy a Gold or Province. Buy Gold when you have 6 coins. Buy Province when you have 8 coins. Ignore most Kingdom cards. This strategy wins a surprising percentage of games because it is consistent and uninterruptible.

Big Money + Smithy (one Smithy in the deck) is statistically the strongest simple strategy in the base game. Smithy draws 3 cards, inflating your hand size and coin generation.

Trash Your Starting Junk

Chapel (cost 2) trashes up to 4 cards per turn. Using it to remove your 3 Estates and 4+ Coppers leaves you with a lean deck of 6-8 powerful cards that cycles faster. A trimmed deck of 8 cards vs a bloated 20-card deck: the trimmed deck reaches its best cards 2.5x more often.

When to Green

Start buying Provinces when you reliably generate 8+ coins per hand (3 out of 5 hands). Greening too early (below 7 coins average) clogs your deck. Too late and you lose the Province race. A common rule: if you have 4 Provinces in the pile, start greening seriously.

Deck Cycling Math

With a 10-card starting deck and 5-card hand, you cycle your deck every 2 turns. Every card you buy (or gain) extends your cycle. This is why trashing is so powerful -- every card removed shortens the cycle and increases the frequency of your best cards.

The 3-Pile Ending

When you're ahead on VP, you can end the game by emptying 3 supply piles before opponents accumulate Provinces. Provinces, Curses, and a cheap Kingdom card are the classic 3-pile kill. This move wins games where your engine is strong but your Province count is barely ahead.

Watch for Attacks

Witch (gain Curse = -1 VP to opponents) and Militia (discard to 3 cards) are the strongest attack cards in the base game. If either is available, seriously consider buying one. If Witch is out, buy Moat (a reaction that blocks attacks and draws 2 cards) as insurance.

12 Recommended First Game Kingdoms

First Game Set (from the Rulebook)

Cellar, Market, Merchant, Militia, Mine, Moat, Moneylender, Poacher, Smithy, Village

This set showcases the core mechanics: Village + terminal chaining, Smithy draw, Militia attacks, Moat defense, Moneylender trashing. Perfect for learning.

Size Distortion Set

Artisan, Bandit, Bureaucrat, Chapel, Festival, Gardens, Laboratory, Throne Room, Council Room, Witch

Demonstrates how different strategies scale: Chapel thins decks, Gardens reward large decks, Witch attacks with Curses. Shows more strategic variety.

Random Kingdom Tips for New Players

• Include at least 1 card draw card (Lab, Smithy) so players can draw enough cards to do interesting things.
• Include at least 1 +Action card (Village, Festival) so action chains are possible.
• Avoid all-terminal kingdoms for first games -- they frustrate new players who can't chain actions.

13 Expansions Overview

14 Wrong House Rules -- Debunked

Myth: "You can play multiple Action cards without +Actions."

You start each turn with 1 Action. You may play 1 Action card. Only cards that grant +Actions allow you to play additional Action cards that turn.

Myth: "Victory cards do something in hand."

Green cards (Estates, Duchies, Provinces) are completely inert in your hand. They cannot be played and do nothing until end-game scoring.

Myth: "You can buy multiple cards per turn."

You get 1 Buy per turn by default. Cards like Market and Festival add +Buy, allowing multiple purchases. Without +Buy, you can only buy 1 card per turn.

Myth: "Shuffling happens at the start of your turn."

You only shuffle when you need to draw a card and your draw pile is empty. Mid-turn shuffling is normal and can happen during card draws.

Myth: "Attacks hit everyone, including yourself."

Attack cards explicitly say "each other player" -- they never affect the player who played them.

15 Frequently Asked Questions

Who invented Dominion?

Donald X. Vaccarino. Rio Grande Games, 2008. Spiel des Jahres 2009 winner.

How does the game end?

Province pile empty, or any 3 Supply piles empty. Count VP across your entire deck.

What is a terminal Action?

An Action that gives no +Actions. Ends your action phase unless you had extra Actions.

When to buy green cards?

When you consistently generate 8+ coins per hand.

What is Big Money?

Silver, Gold, Province -- no fancy cards. Simple and competitive.

Why is Chapel strong?

Trash up to 4 cards per turn -- removes weak starting cards and speeds up your deck cycle dramatically.

What is the 3-pile ending?

Deliberately emptying 3 Supply piles to end the game when you're ahead on VP.

Can you play multiple Action cards?

Only if your Action cards grant +Actions. Default is 1 Action per turn.

Does Moat block everything?

Yes -- reveal Moat to be immune to any Attack card.

How many expansions?

Over 14 major expansions as of 2024.