Category Archives: Individual Card Analysis

Dominion: Laboratory

The benchmark against which every other $5 card is measured.  Laboratory was the first Dominion card released with such delicious self-synergy: unlike +Actions/+Cards engines, Laboratory chains can’t sputter because it drew its cards in the wrong order.  And there’s no … Continue reading

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Guest Article: Chancellor

This article is written by Drew Hardin. This article will discuss the Chancellor. The Chancellor is commonly (but not completely) viewed as a weak card. The most common arguments are that the card is highly situational and the benefit of … Continue reading

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Seaside: Sea Hag

Sea Hag is a powerful card, and one you should almost always open with.  As far as the Cursing attacks go, it doesn’t get any more direct than this.  No need to wait for the reshuffle for Familiar and Witch … Continue reading

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Intrigue: Mining Village

Mining Village is best thought of as a one-shot Conspirator/Grand Market.  Its ability makes it one of the best $4 openers: by trashing it, you can slingshot to $5, $6, or possibly even $7 much faster than you otherwise would … Continue reading

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Seaside: Native Village

The +Actions isn’t what makes this card so interesting—if all you’re looking for is more Actions, any other Village is superior. (The exception is if you have Libraries or Watchtowers and want to take advantage of its handsize-lowering effect.) Rather, … Continue reading

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Prosperity: Venture

Venture is one of those $5 “Silver-plus” cards: it’s guaranteed to be at least worth $2, but usually provides a little extra.  It does best in high-quality Treasure decks, and therefore works well with Hoard, Platinum, Mint, Moneylender, and Mine.  … Continue reading

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Prosperity: Goons

Buy phase synergy is ordinarily a product of three factors: +Buy, cost reduction (e.g., Quarry), and buy duplication (Talisman).  Increasing a single factor provides negligible benefits; no matter how cheap Peddler is, if you have only one Buy, it might … Continue reading

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Seaside: Ambassador

This article is intended as an introduction to Ambassador. For a more recently updated and advanced article on Ambassador, click here. This is the card that a $5/$2 player hates seeing on the board more than any other.  Along with … Continue reading

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Prosperity: Mint

Mint is a card with two very different abilities that synergize well with each other. First, Mint’s “trash-all-Treasures” ability is a considerable asset in the early game when you need to get rid of your Coppers (or Loan).  It’s less … Continue reading

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Intrigue: Harem

Harem is a curiously underrated card.  Bedazzled by the allure of Gold, many players pass on them entirely until the late game, treating them as consolation prizes for missing out on Provinces.  Nothing could be further from the truth: in … Continue reading

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