How To Play: Dominion: Intrigue – Setup, rule summary and strategy

Overview

Welcome to the comprehensive Dominion: Intrigue strategy guide! Whether you’re a seasoned player looking to fine-tune your skills or a newcomer eager to learn the game’s best strategies, this guide has got you covered. Within these pages, you’ll find an outline of the game rules, along with expert tips and tactics to help you secure victory in every game you play.

Dominion: Intrigue is a captivating board game that combines deck-building mechanics, resource management, and player interaction. The objective is simple — build the most powerful deck, acquire the highest number of victory points, and emerge as the triumphant ruler of the realm.

Throughout this guide, we’ll delve into various aspects of Dominion: Intrigue, starting with a breakdown of the game’s rules and gameplay mechanics. You’ll gain a solid understanding of how the game is played, and the different strategies you can employ to outsmart your opponents.

But that’s not all! We’ll also dive deep into the intricacies of optimal card combinations, resource management strategies, balancing offense and defense, adapting to opponents’ strategies, and evaluating the kingdom cards. With these strategies at your fingertips, you’ll possess a formidable arsenal of knowledge to dominate the game.

So, whether you’re vying for supremacy against friends or engaging in fierce competition at a board game night, this Dominion: Intrigue strategy guide will equip you with the skills and insights needed to claim victory. Get ready to unleash your strategic brilliance and set yourself on the path to triumph!

What’s in the Box

• 500 Kingdom Cards
• 30 Curse Cards
• 8 Victory Point Cards
• 1 Trash Mat
• 1 “Randomizer” Card
• 1 Storage Tray
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Dominion: Intrigue: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Shuffle the Kingdom cards.
2. Select 10 Kingdom cards based on player count.
3. Give each player a deck of Copper and Estate cards.
4. Create supply piles using selected Kingdom cards.

Objective of the Game

The goal is to have the most Victory points by the end of the game. Victory points are gained by acquiring Victory cards from the supply piles during the game.

Gameplay

1. Players take turns, starting with the first player.
2. On your turn, follow the 3 phases: Action phase, Buy phase, and Clean-up phase.
3. Perform Actions: Play any Action cards from your hand, following their instructions.
4. Perform Buys: Spend your available Coins to buy cards from the supply piles.
5. Clean-up: Put your played Action cards, purchased cards, and unplayed cards in your discard pile, and draw a new hand of 5 cards.
6. Refill the supply piles as necessary.

Types of Cards

1. Action Cards: These have various effects and may grant additional actions, cards, or bonuses.
2. Treasure Cards: These provide Coins to spend during the Buy phase.
3. Victory Cards: These are worth Victory points at the end of the game, but have no other benefit during play.
4. Curse Cards: These have negative Victory points and decrease your score at the end of the game.

Game End

The game ends when either the Province pile runs out or any 3 supply piles are empty. Players add up their Victory points from their deck and any other cards. The player with the highest score wins!

Now that you have a grasp of the basic rules, it’s time to dive into the deep strategy and diverse card combinations Dominion: Intrigue has to offer. Get ready for an epic battle of skill, strategy, and resource management!

Best Dominion Intrigue Strategies

Optimal Card Combinations

In Dominion: Intrigue, finding the right card combinations is essential for gaining a competitive edge over your opponents. By strategizing and implementing optimal card combinations, you can maximize your resources and increase your chances of victory.

1. Synergy is Key

1. Identify cards with synergistic effects.
2. Look for combinations that amplify each other’s strengths.
3. Create chains of actions that work together seamlessly.

2. Engage in Engine Building

1. Focus on acquiring cards that provide additional actions.
2. Prioritize cards that increase your hand size or allow for extra card draws.
3. Build an efficient engine that generates multiple actions in a single turn.

3. Balance Your Deck

1. Avoid deck bloating by removing cards that have little impact on your strategy.
2. Include a mix of treasure cards to ensure a steady flow of resources.
3. Strive for a well-rounded deck that can handle various situations.

4. Keep an Eye on Attacks

1. Integrate attack cards into your deck to disrupt your opponents’ strategies.
2. Consider cards that defend against attacks or neutralize their effects.
3. Time your attacks strategically to maximize their impact.

By mastering the art of optimal card combinations, you can engineer a deck that synergizes perfectly, balances offense and defense, and ensures maximum efficiency. Stay vigilant, adapt to changing circumstances, and seize every opportunity for victory!

Resource Management Strategies

Effective resource management is crucial for achieving victory in Dominion: Intrigue. By implementing efficient strategies for managing your resources, you can optimize your decision-making and increase your chances of success.

1. Prioritize Coin Acquisition

1. Early in the game, focus on acquiring treasure cards to generate a steady flow of coins.
2. Consider adding cards that provide additional coin-generating abilities.
3. Balance your deck with the right mix of treasure cards to ensure a constant supply of coins.

2. Strategic Purchase Decisions

1. Evaluate the kingdom cards on offer and prioritize those that align with your overall strategy.
2. Weigh the cost versus the benefit of each card and make informed purchase decisions.
3. Consider long-term benefits and synergy with your existing card combinations.

3. Timing is Crucial

1. Determine the ideal time to invest your resources in powerful action cards that complement your strategy.
2. Take advantage of cards that allow you to draw additional cards or gain extra actions.
3. Save your resources for crucial moments when remarkable card combinations become available.

4. Resource Preservation

1. Avoid excessive card purchases or actions that lead to deck dilution.
2. Strive to maintain a well-balanced deck that keeps your resources flowing smoothly.
3. Monitor your opponents’ resource management to anticipate their moves and adjust your own strategy accordingly.

By mastering resource management strategies, you can ensure a constant and efficient flow of coins and cards. Make strategic purchase decisions, time your resource allocation wisely, and maintain a well-balanced deck to enhance your chances of emerging as the victorious ruler of Dominion!

Balancing Offense and Defense

Striking the right balance between offense and defense is key to achieving victory in Dominion: Intrigue. By effectively managing both aspects of gameplay, you can thwart your opponents’ strategies while furthering your own path to success.

1. Assess Your Opponents

1. Observe your opponents’ card acquisitions and strategies to gauge their offensive and defensive capabilities.
2. Identify potential threats and adjust your gameplay accordingly.
3. Consider adding cards with defensive abilities or attack cards to hinder opponents’ progress.

2. Augmenting Your Attack

1. Incorporate attack cards into your deck to disrupt your opponents’ plans and slow down their progress.
2. Timing is crucial: Play attack cards strategically to maximize their impact and neutralize your opponents’ defenses.
3. Combine your offensive cards with those that generate additional actions or provide card draw opportunities.

3. Develop Defensive Strategies

1. Include cards in your deck that defend against attacks or neutralize their effects.
2. Avoid accumulating excessive vulnerabilities that can be exploited by opponents’ attack cards.
3. Consider reactive defenses: Keep cards in reserve that can respond to opponents’ offensive moves.

4. Adaptation and Flexibility

1. Stay adaptable: Continuously monitor the state of the game and adjust your offense and defense accordingly.
2. Balance your deck with cards that offer both offensive and defensive capabilities.
3. Strike a delicate equilibrium: Focusing solely on defense may leave you trailing behind, while aggressive gameplay leaves you vulnerable.

By carefully balancing offense and defense, you can neutralize your opponents’ strategies while safeguarding your own progress. Assess your opponents, augment your attacks, develop defensive measures, and remain adaptable to become the victorious ruler of Dominion: Intrigue!

Adapting to Opponents’ Strategies

An essential aspect of mastering Dominion: Intrigue is the ability to adapt and respond to your opponents’ strategies. By being observant, dynamic, and tactically nimble, you can gain an advantage over your rivals and secure your path to victory.

1. Assess Opponent’s Card Choices

1. Observe the types of cards your opponents are acquiring.
2. Identify their key focus and plan your own strategy accordingly.
3. Adjust the balance of offensive and defensive cards in your deck to counter their actions effectively.

2. Recognize and Counter Combo Strategies

1. Watch out for specific combinations of cards your opponents are trying to achieve.
2. Identify cards that can counter or disrupt their combos.
3. Strive to prevent opponents from gaining the upper hand by adapting your own gameplay and actively countering their moves.

3. Timing is Key

1. Evaluate the timing of opponents’ actions and purchases.
2. Modify your own strategy to counter or minimize the impact of their moves.
3. Time your own actions strategically to hinder their progress or maximize your gains.

4. Flexible Deck Building

1. Keep a diverse card collection to allow for greater flexibility.
2. Adapt your deck to include cards that can react to opponents’ strategies or exploit their weaknesses.
3. Consider your opponents’ resource management patterns and adjust your own accordingly.

By analyzing and adapting to your opponents’ strategies, you can exploit their weaknesses, neutralize their plans, and strengthen your own chances of winning. Stay vigilant, be flexible, and never underestimate the power of adapting to the ever-evolving battlefield of Dominion: Intrigue!

Evaluating the Kingdom Cards

Successfully evaluating the kingdom cards in Dominion: Intrigue is a crucial skill for optimizing your gameplay. By carefully analyzing and assessing each card, you can make informed decisions and create effective card combinations to gain the upper hand in the game.

1. Understanding Card Synergies

1. Identify kingdom cards and their interactions that offer powerful synergies.
2. Look for cards that complement each other in terms of actions, draws, or attacks.
3. Build a deck that capitalizes on these synergistic abilities.

2. Assessing Overall Value

1. Evaluate the worth of a kingdom card based on its cost versus the benefits it provides.
2. Consider the impact of the card on your long-term strategies and deck optimization.
3. Analyze the card’s usefulness in relation to your opponents’ strategies and the current state of the game.

3. Factoring in Game Duration

1. Take into account the number of turns or duration of the game when evaluating kingdom cards.
2. Consider cards that provide immediate advantages versus those with long-term benefits.
3. Adapt your card selections based on the predicted length of the game.

4. Flexibility in Card Selection

1. Cultivate versatile and adaptable strategies by including cards that have multiple uses.
2. Assess the flexibility of kingdom cards that can be useful in various game situations.
3. Balance your deck to maintain a mix of offensive, defensive, and resource-generating cards.

By effectively evaluating the kingdom cards, you can strategically make decisions, build a powerful deck, and steer yourself towards dominance. Study the interactions between cards, assess their value, adapt to game duration, and foster flexibility in your selection. These skills will pave the way for victory in Dominion: Intrigue!

Master Dominion: Intrigue and Secure your Victory!

Congratulations on reaching the end of this comprehensive strategy guide for Dominion: Intrigue! You now possess a solid understanding of the game’s rules, along with expert tips and tactics to dominate the competition.

Whether you’re a skilled player aiming to enhance your strategic prowess or a newbie eager to make your mark, this guide equips you with the knowledge and insights to elevate your gameplay to new heights.

By mastering the art of optimal card combinations, resource management, balancing offense and defense, adapting to opponents’ strategies, and evaluating the kingdom cards, you’ve learned the invaluable skills that will make you a formidable opponent in every game.

Remember, Dominion: Intrigue is a game of wit, strategy, and the joys of deck-building. Enhance your decision-making, stay adaptable, and stay one step ahead of your rivals.

Now, it’s time to gather your friends, set up the table, and put your newfound expertise to the test. Embrace the thrill of the game, outsmart your opponents, and claim your rightful place as the ultimate ruler in the realm of Dominion: Intrigue!

Want to know what we think of Dominion: Intrigue? Read our detailed review of Dominion: Intrigue here