Deck-Building Card Games
The genre of the deck-building card game is a relatively new one, originating with the publishing of Dominion by Rio Grande Games in October 2008. Within a couple of months, Dominion ranked as one of the top ten games by BoardGameGeek. The category is now a very strong one with qutie a few entries from numerous publishers. Dominion and its ilk are extremely popular games at the Relentless Dragon.
What is a deck-building card game? Games in this category blur the lines between traditional euro-style board games and traditional CCGs like Magic. While there may be numerous expansions to the game, you only need a single copy of the base game for 2 to 4 players to play. Unlike a traditional CCG, all the cards needed to play are included in the game--there is no concept of card rarity. Using Dominion as an example, 25 sets of 'kingdom cards' are provided in the box, 10 of which are used in a standard game. This allows for a huge variance from game to game. Using these sets of kingdom cards, plus additional resource cards, players take turns drafting a deck. The act of drafting the deck is the core of the game, unlike drafting a CCG where you draft a deck and then play games with it. The victor is determined by victory points which come from the cards in the deck you have drafted.
Dominion
Dominion is the original deck-building game, premiering in October of 2008. The game is extremely simple to learn, relatively quick to play, and has massive replay value. The base game, shown to the right, contains 500 game cards which can be stored in the custom plastic tray inside the box. Nothing else is needed to play the game, although card sleeves are recommended to maximize your investment in the game. In addition to the basic victory cards and resource cards (copper, silver, gold), the game contains 25 sets of kingdom cards. Each game is played using 10 sets of kingdom cards which can be choosen by the players or randomly determined using the provided 'randomizer deck'.
Dominion: Intrigue
Dominion: Intrigue was released in July 2009. This is the first expansion to the base Dominion game, but can also be used on its own as a standalone game. Like the original set, Intrigue includes 500 cards comprising the standard Victory cards, resource cards, and 25 new sets of kingdom cards. Combining Intrigue with the original set allows for games of up to 6 players at one table, or 8 players at two tables. Dominion: Intrigue addresses an early concern with the original Dominion game about lack of player interaction by introducing a number of kingdom cards that require the players at a table to interact with each other.
Dominion: Seaside
Dominion: Seaside is a large expansion to Dominion and Dominion: Intrigue relased in October 2009. Seaside has a strong medieval nautical theme, adding 26 new sets of kingdom cards to the game. Being strictly an expansion, basic victory and resource cards are not provided in the box and either Dominion or Intrigue are needed to play. Seaside adds an additional game play element in making your next turn more important. Some cards will do something this turn and next, others will simply help you set up for an amazing next turn. In addition to the 26 sets of kingdom cards, Seaside also includes player mats, tokens, and coins used by various cards.
Dominion: Alchemy
Dominion: Alchemy was released in May 2010 and is the first 'small expansion' for the game of Dominion, comprising 150 cards. Alchemy introduces 12 new sets of kingdom cards for Dominion and requires either the original set or Intrigue to play. The main theme of Alchemy is the introduction of a new resource card, the potion, which in addition to the standard copper, silver, or gold is necessary to purchase many of the new kingdom cards in the expansion. The extra expense though, is well worth it as the new kingdom cards can prove to be quite powerful!
Dominion: Prosperity
Dominion: Prosperity is a large expansion for Dominion and Dominion: Intrigue, released in October 2010. Prosperity adds 300 additional cards to Dominion, including 25 new kingdom cards, a new victory card, and a new resource card, platinum. As the name implies, Prosperity is all about wealth. Many of the new kingdom cards have high costs, but the introduction of platinum helps players to get to those large purchases. In addition to the cards, this box also includes player mats, victory point tokens, and coins.
Dominion: Cornucopia
Dominion: Cornucopia is the latest small expansion in the Dominion line and was released in June 2011. Cornucopia adds 150 cards to the game including 13 new sets of kingdom cards, plus 5 unique cards. The theme of Cornucopia, if it could be said to have one, is variety. This expansion adds a variety of things to Dominion game play, including a kingdom card that rewards you for having a variety of different cards in your deck! Similar to Intrigue, this set also tries to add an additional element of player interaction to the game.