Dominion: Dark Ages
Dominion: Dark Ages Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preparation
Before the first game, remove the three sets of cards from their wrappings and place them in the card tray. The included inlay suggests a way to organize the cards.
Dark Ages includes 35 randomizer cards (one for each Kingdom card in Dark Ages). Players will need the Treasure cards, Victory cards, Curse cards, and Trash card from Dominion, a standalone expansion (e.g., Dominion: Intrigue), or Dominion: Base Cards to play with this expansion. As with previous Dominion games, players must choose 10 sets of Kingdom cards for each game. If players choose the random approach for choosing sets, they should shuffle the randomizer cards from this expansion with those of any other Dominion games they choose to play with.
If only Kingdom cards from Dark Ages are being used this game, the Shelter cards replace starting Estates - each player's starting deck is seven Coppers, a Hovel, a Necropolis, and an Overgrown Estate. If a mix of Kingdom cards from Dark Ages and other sets is being used, then the use of Shelters should be determined randomly, based on the proportion of Dark Ages cards in use. For example, choose a random Kingdom card being used - such as the last card dealt from the Randomizer deck - and if it is from Dark Ages, use Shelters in place of starting Estates. Do not use the same card to choose whether or not to use Shelters as you use to choose whether or not to use Platinum and Colony (from Prosperity). Using Shelters does not change the Estate Supply pile; it still contains 8 Estates for 2 players and 12 Estates for 3 or more players.
If any Kingdom card has the type Looter (e.g. Cultist, Death Cart, and Marauder), add the Ruins pile to this game. Shuffle the Ruins cards, then count 10 per player after the first: 10 for two players, 20 for three players, 30 for four players, and so on. Put the pile face down with the top card face up. Return any remaining Ruins cards to the box as they are not used in this game.
If the Knights Kingdom card pile is being used, shuffle the Knights before the game, and place the pile face down with the top card face up. The pile does not get a token for Trade Route (from Prosperity), even if the top Knight is a Victory card.
Additional Rules for Dark Ages
Dark Ages includes three Shelters - Hovel, Necropolis, and Overgrown Estate. These cards replace starting Estates in some games, as described under Preparation. Shelters have no corresponding Supply pile; they can never be bought, and Ambassador (from Seaside) cannot return one anywhere.
Dark Ages has two piles of cards that have a variety of cards in them: the Ruins pile has a mix of five different Ruins, and the Knights pile has ten different Knights. These piles should be shuffled before each game, as explained under Preparation. The only card that may be bought or gained or chosen from one of these piles is the card on top. Players cannot look through the piles, only at the top card; the players turn the top card over any time it is face down. If a card is returned to one of these piles with Ambassador (from Seaside), turn over the current top card and the returned card goes on top, turned face-up. Ruins cards with different names, and Knights with different names, count as differently named cards for cards that care about this. For example if Tribute (from Intrigue) reveals two different Ruins cards, it will give +4 Actions. When Contraband (from Prosperity) is played, a player can name a Ruins or Knight, but that only stops that specific Ruins or Knight from being bought. However an Embargo token (from Seaside) placed on the Ruins or Knight pile will affect any cards bought from it.
Players can buy Ruins even though they normally will not wish to. Ruins cards are Actions; they may be played in the Action phase, and count as Actions for things that refer to Action cards, such as Procession. The Ruins pile, when used, is in the Supply, and if it is empty that counts towards the normal end condition. Cards that try to get specific cards from the Supply fail to get a Ruins or Knight if the correct one is not the top one. For example if you buy a Ruined Market with Talisman (from Prosperity), you only gain another Ruined Market if that is the top Ruins under the one you bought; if you use Ambassador (from Seaside) to return Sir Martin to the Supply, the next player will gain that Sir Martin, but the player after that will not gain a card, as the next Knight will not be Sir Martin.
Many cards in Dark Ages do something "when you trash" that card. These abilities function no matter whose turn the card is trashed on. The player that a "when you trash this" ability functions for is the player that had that card, regardless of whose card trashed the card. These abilities happen directly after the card is put into the trash, and can function in the middle of resolving effects for an Action card; for example, if a player plays Graverobber and uses it to trash a Cultist, he first draws three cards for trashing Cultist, then continues with resolving Graverobber and gains a card costing up to 8 coins. Cards can sometimes leave a player's deck without being trashed, such as by being returned to the Supply with Ambassador (from Seaside) or passed to another player with Masquerade (from Intrigue). When two or more cards are trashed at the same time, as with Count, first trash them all, then pick an order to resolve things that happen due to trashing them. A "when you trash" ability is not itself a way to trash a card; some other card will be needed to actually trash the card and make the ability happen.
Six cards in Dark Ages are never part of the Supply: Spoils, Madman, Mercenary, and the three Shelters: Hovel, Necropolis, and Overgrown Estate. Keep these cards handy for when they are needed. These cards cannot be bought, and cannot be gained by cards that gain cards from the Supply, such as Armory. They cannot be returned to the Supply with Ambassador (from Seaside). They can end up in the trash if something trashes them. These piles being empty does not count towards the end condition for the game, or towards the count of empty piles for City (from Prosperity).
"Play" - Playing an Action card means both to put it face-up into the play area, and then to follow the instructions on it. If the card cannot be moved into the play area, the instructions on it are still followed.
"In play" - Action cards and Treasure cards played face-up into a play area are in play until they are moved somewhere else—usually until they are discarded during the Clean-up phase. Only played cards are in play; set aside cards, trashed cards, cards in the Supply, and cards in hands, decks, and discard piles are not in play. Reaction abilities like the Beggar's do not put those cards into play.
Dark Ages includes two Treasure cards with rules on them. The Counterfeit card is in the Supply when selected as one of the 10 Kingdom cards for the game; the Spoils card is not part of the Supply and in only included when the Bandit Camp, Marauder, or Pillage cards are in the game. They are not part of the Basic Supply. They are just like normal Treasures, but have special abilities. They are played during the Buy phase like normal Treasures, and are affected by cards that refer to Treasures. A player may play his Treasure cards in any order, and may choose not to play some (or even all) of the Treasure cards he has in his hand. During the Buy phase, a player must play all of the Treasures he wishes to play before he buys any cards, even if he has +Buys; he cannot play more Treasures after Buying a card.
When two things happen to a player at the same time, that player picks the order to do them. For example, if a player's Rats are trashed and he has Market Square in hand, he can choose whether to resolve the Rats' "when-trashed" ability first, or Market Square's reaction first. When two things happen to different players at the same time, the players go in turn order, starting with the player whose turn it is. For example, when a player plays Marauder, the other players gain Ruins cards in turn order.
If a player has to do anything with his Deck (draw, reveal, set aside, look at, or trash cards) and he needs more cards than are remaining in his Deck, he sets aside the rest of his Deck, shuffles his Discard pile to form a new Deck, and then does the thing with the set aside cards plus however many cards are still needed from his newly shuffled Deck. If there still are not enough cards, he does the thing with however many cards he can. If a player's Deck is empty, he does not shuffle his Discard pile until he needs to do something with cards from his Deck and cannot.
Players may reveal multiple Reaction cards in response to a single event. Each Reaction card is revealed and resolved before another Reaction card is revealed. The second Reaction card can be one that was not initially in hand when the first Reaction card was played. For example, a player could reveal Secret Chamber (from Intrigue) in response to an Attack card and draw a Beggar. After the player has completely resolved the Secret Chamber, he can then reveal the Beggar in response to the same Attack card.
In rare circumstances an effect may try to move a card that is not where that effect expects the card to be. In those cases the card does not move - the effect has "lost track" of the card. Losing track of a card prevents it from being moved, but does not stop anything else from happening. For example, if you Procession a Madman, Procession first puts Madman in play; then you resolve Madman, getting +2 Actions and drawing cards and returning Madman to the Madman pile; then Procession fails to put Madman into play again, because Procession expects to find Madman in play, but it is not there, it's in the Madman pile; then you resolve Madman again, only getting +2 Actions this time, since it says "if you do" before the card-drawing, and you did not actually return it to the Madman pile this time; then Procession fails to trash Madman since Procession again expects to find Madman in play and it is not there; and then you gain an Action costing 1 coin if you can. Cards do not lose track of cards that they move, only cards that other cards move. For example when Procession puts Madman into play, that does not cause Procession to lose track of Madman; it is Madman moving itself that causes Procession to lose track of it. Things lose track of a card if something moves it, if it is the top card of a deck and gets covered up, or if it is the top card of a discard pile and gets covered up.
When a card is gained to a location other than a discard pile, it does not "visit" the discard pile - it goes directly to where it was gained. For example Armory gains cards directly to the top of a deck.
Sample Turn
The printed example also shows each player's hand, play area and discard pile at each step as card images; only the narration is transcribed here.
At the start of Zach's turn in a game between Zach and Anthony, Zach has a hand of Necropolis, Hermit, Procession, Cultist, Silver.
He plays the Necropolis first, for +2 Actions. Then he plays Hermit. He looks through his discard pile and decides to trash an Overgrown Estate from it. He immediately draws a card, a Copper. Then he continues resolving Hermit, and gains another Hermit, putting it in his discard pile.
Then he plays Procession, using it to play Cultist. Anthony responds by discarding a Beggar, gaining a Silver, placing it on top of his deck and a Silver, placing it into his discard pile. Zach draws two cards, a Copper and a Duchy, then Anthony gains the top Ruins, a Ruined Village.
Zach does not have another Cultist in hand, so he plays Cultist a second time via Procession. Anthony no longer has the Beggar and so lets Zach continue. Zach draws a Cultist and a Counterfeit, and Anthony gains the top Ruins, an Abandoned Mine.
Zach's Cultist lets him play another Cultist, so he plays the one he drew. He draws a Copper and a Province, and Anthony gains the top Ruins, another Ruined Village.
Zach does not have another Cultist in hand, so he is done resolving Cultist. Now Procession causes him to trash Cultist, and he draws three cards due to this: two more Coppers and a Cultist. Then he chooses an Action card to gain costing exactly 6 coins. There is no such card in the Supply this game, so he does not gain one.
He still has a Cultist in his hand, but he is out of Actions, so he moves on to his Buy phase. He plays Counterfeit and uses it to play a Copper twice, trashing that Copper; he also plays a Silver, and four more Coppers.
He has 9 coins to spend, with two Buys. He buys a Province and decides not to use his other Buy. He discards his hand and his cards from play. Since he bought a card, he does not trash his Hermit. He draws a new hand of five cards and is done.
Kingdom Cards
The printed text of each Kingdom card, as it appears on the card itself. The printed coin symbol is written as "coins", and victory point icons as "victory points".
Altar — Cost 6. Action. Trash a card from your hand. Gain a card costing up to 5 coins.
Armory — Cost 4. Action. Gain a card costing up to 4 coins, putting it on top of your deck.
Band of Misfits — Cost 5. Action. Play this as if it were an Action card in the Supply costing less than it that you choose. This is that card until it leaves play.
Bandit Camp — Cost 5. Action. +1 Card. +2 Actions. Gain a Spoils from the Spoils pile.
Beggar — Cost 2. Action-Reaction. Gain 3 Coppers, putting them into your hand. When another player plays an Attack card, you may discard this. If you do, gain two Silvers, putting one on top of your deck.
Catacombs — Cost 5. Action. Look at the top 3 cards of your deck. Choose one: Put them into your hand; or discard them and +3 Cards. When you trash this, gain a cheaper card.
Count — Cost 5. Action. Choose one: Discard 2 cards; or put a card from your hand on top of your deck; or gain a Copper. Choose one: +3 coins; or trash your hand; or gain a Duchy.
Counterfeit — Cost 5. Treasure, worth 1 coin. +1 Buy. When you play this, you may play a Treasure from your hand twice. If you do, trash that Treasure.
Cultist — Cost 5. Action-Attack-Looter. +2 Cards. Each other player gains a Ruins. You may play a Cultist from your hand. When you trash this, +3 Cards.
Death Cart — Cost 4. Action-Looter. +5 coins. You may trash an Action card from your hand. If you don't, trash this. When you gain this, gain 2 Ruins.
Feodum — Cost 4. Victory. Worth 1 victory point for every 3 Silvers in your deck (round down). When you trash this, gain 3 Silvers.
Forager — Cost 3. Action. +1 Action. +1 Buy. Trash a card from your hand. +1 coin per differently named Treasure in the trash.
Fortress — Cost 4. Action. +1 Card. +2 Actions. When you trash this, put it into your hand.
Graverobber — Cost 5. Action. Choose one: Gain a card from the trash costing from 3 to 6 coins, putting it on top of your deck; or trash an Action card from your hand and gain a card costing up to 3 coins more than it.
Hermit — Cost 3. Action. Look through your discard pile. You may trash a card from your discard pile or hand that is not a Treasure. Gain a card costing up to 3 coins. When you discard this from play, if you did not buy any cards this turn, trash this and gain a Madman from the Madman pile.
Hunting Grounds — Cost 6. Action. +4 Cards. When you trash this, gain a Duchy or 3 Estates.
Ironmonger — Cost 4. Action. +1 Card. +1 Action. Reveal the top card of your deck; you may discard it. Either way, if it is an... Action card, +1 Action; Treasure card, +1 coin; Victory card, +1 Card.
Junk Dealer — Cost 5. Action. +1 Card. +1 Action. +1 coin. Trash a card from your hand.
Knights — Cost 5. Action-Attack-Knight. Shuffle the Knight pile before each game with it. Keep it face down except for the top card, which is the only one that can be bought or gained.
Market Square — Cost 3. Action-Reaction. +1 Card. +1 Action. +1 Buy. When one of your cards is trashed, you may discard this from your hand. If you do, gain a Gold.
Marauder — Cost 4. Action-Attack-Looter. Gain a Spoils from the Spoils pile. Each other player gains a Ruins.
Mystic — Cost 5. Action. +1 Action. +2 coins. Name a card. Reveal the top card of your deck. If it's the named card, put it into your hand.
Pillage — Cost 5. Action-Attack. Trash this. Each other player with 5 or more cards in hand reveals his hand and discards a card that you choose. Gain 2 Spoils from the Spoils pile.
Poor House — Cost 1. Action. +4 coins. Reveal your hand. -1 coin per Treasure card in your hand, to a minimum of 0.
Procession — Cost 4. Action. You may play an Action card from your hand twice. Trash it. Gain an Action card costing exactly 1 more than it.
Rats — Cost 4. Action. +1 Card. +1 Action. Gain a Rats. Trash a card from your hand other than a Rats (or reveal a hand of all Rats). When you trash this, +1 Card.
Rebuild — Cost 5. Action. +1 Action. Name a card. Reveal cards from the top of your deck until you reveal a Victory card that is not the named card. Discard the other cards. Trash the Victory card and gain a Victory card costing up to 3 more than it.
Rogue — Cost 5. Action-Attack. +2 coins. If there are any cards in the trash costing from 3 to 6, gain one of them. Otherwise, each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them costing from 3 to 6, and discards the rest.
Sage — Cost 3. Action. +1 Action. Reveal cards from the top of your deck until you reveal one costing 3 or more. Put that card into your hand and discard the rest.
Scavenger — Cost 4. Action. +2 coins. You may put your deck into your discard pile. Look through your discard pile and put one card from it on top of your deck.
Squire — Cost 2. Action. +1 coin. Choose one: +2 Actions; or +2 Buys; or gain a Silver. When you trash this, gain an Attack card.
Storeroom — Cost 3. Action. +1 Buy. Discard any number of cards. +1 Card per card discarded. Discard any number of cards. +1 coin per card discarded the second time.
Urchin — Cost 3. Action-Attack. +1 Card. +1 Action. Each other player discards down to 4 cards in hand. When you play another Attack card with this in play, you may trash this. If you do, gain a Mercenary from the Mercenary pile.
Vagrant — Cost 2. Action. +1 Card. +1 Action. Reveal the top card of your deck. If it's a Curse, Ruins, Shelter, or Victory card, put it into your hand.
Wandering Minstrel — Cost 4. Action. +1 Card. +2 Actions. Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. Put the Actions back on top in any order and discard the rest.
Dame Anna — Cost 5. Action-Attack-Knight. You may trash up to 2 cards from your hand. Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them costing from 3 to 6, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card.
Dame Josephine — Cost 5. Action-Attack-Knight-Victory. Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them costing from 3 to 6, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card. Worth 2 victory points at the end of the game.
Dame Molly — Cost 5. Action-Attack-Knight. +2 Actions. Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them costing from 3 to 6, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card.
Dame Natalie — Cost 5. Action-Attack-Knight. You may gain a card costing up to 3 coins. Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them costing from 3 to 6, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card.
Dame Sylvia — Cost 5. Action-Attack-Knight. +2 coins. Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them costing from 3 to 6, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card.
Sir Bailey — Cost 5. Action-Attack-Knight. +1 Card. +1 Action. Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them costing from 3 to 6, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card.
Sir Destry — Cost 5. Action-Attack-Knight. +2 Cards. Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them costing from 3 to 6, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card.
Sir Martin — Cost 4. Action-Attack-Knight. +2 Buys. Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them costing from 3 to 6, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card.
Sir Michael — Cost 5. Action-Attack-Knight. Each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand. Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them costing from 3 to 6, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card.
Sir Vander — Cost 5. Action-Attack-Knight. Each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them costing from 3 to 6, and discards the rest. If a Knight is trashed by this, trash this card. When you trash this, gain a Gold.
Ruins
Abandoned Mine — Cost 0. Action-Ruins. +1 coin.
Ruined Library — Cost 0. Action-Ruins. +1 Card.
Ruined Market — Cost 0. Action-Ruins. +1 Buy.
Ruined Village — Cost 0. Action-Ruins. +1 Action.
Survivors — Cost 0. Action-Ruins. Look at the top 2 cards of your deck. Discard them or put them back in any order.
Shelters
Hovel — Cost 1. Reaction-Shelter. Not in the Supply. When you buy a Victory card, you may trash this from your hand.
Necropolis — Cost 1. Action-Shelter. Not in the Supply. +2 Actions.
Overgrown Estate — Cost 1. Victory-Shelter. Not in the Supply. Worth 0 victory points. When you trash this, +1 Card.
Other cards not in the Supply
Madman — Cost 0. Action. Not in the Supply. +2 Actions. Return this to the Madman pile. If you do, +1 Card per card in your hand.
Mercenary — Cost 0. Action-Attack. Not in the Supply. You may trash 2 cards from your hand. If you do, +2 Cards, +2 coins, and each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand.
Spoils — Cost 0. Treasure, worth 3 coins. Not in the Supply. When you play this, return it to the Spoils pile.
Card Descriptions
Abandoned Mine: When you play this, you just get +1 coin. This is a Ruins; see Additional Rules for Dark Ages and Preparation.
Altar: You trash a card from your hand if you can, and then gain a card whether or not you trashed one. The gained card comes from the Supply and is put into your discard pile.
Armory: The card you gain comes from the Supply and is put on top of your deck.
Band of Misfits: When you play this, you pick an Action card from the Supply that costs less than it, and treat this card as if it were the card you chose. Normally this will just mean that you follow the instructions on the card you picked. So, if you play Band of Misfits and Fortress is in the Supply, you could pick that and then you would draw a card and get +2 Actions, since that is what Fortress does when you play it. Band of Misfits also gets the chosen card's cost, name, and types. If you use Band of Misfits as a card that trashes itself, such as Death Cart, you will trash the Band of Misfits (at which point it will just be a Band of Misfits card in the trash). If you use Band of Misfits as a duration card (from Seaside), Band of Misfits will stay in play until next turn, just like the duration card would. If you use Band of Misfits as a Throne Room (from Dominion), King's Court (from Prosperity), or Procession, and use that effect to play a duration card, Band of Misfits will similarly stay in play. If you use Throne Room, King's Court, or Procession to play a Band of Misfits card multiple times, you only pick what to play it as the first time; the other times it is still copying the same card. For example, if you use Procession to play Band of Misfits twice and choose Fortress the first time, you will automatically replay it as Fortress, then trash the Band of Misfits, return it to your hand (it is a Fortress when it's trashed, and Fortress has a when-trashed ability that returns it to your hand), and gain an Action card costing exactly 6 coins (1 more than Band of Misfits, which has left play and so is no longer copying Fortress). If you use Band of Misfits as a card that does something during Clean-up, such as Hermit, it will do that thing during Clean-up. When you play Horn of Plenty (from Cornucopia), it counts Band of Misfits as whatever Band of Misfits was played as; for example if you play a Band of Misfits as a Fortress, and then play another Band of Misfits as a Scavenger, and then play Horn of Plenty, you will gain a card costing up to 3 coins. Band of Misfits can only be played as a card that is visible in the Supply; it cannot be played as a card after its pile runs out, and cannot be played as a non-Supply card like Mercenary; it can be played as the top card of the Ruins pile, but no other Ruins, and can only be played as Sir Martin when that is the top card of the Knights pile.
Bandit Camp: Draw a card before gaining a Spoils. The Spoils comes from the Spoils pile, which is not part of the Supply, and is put into your discard pile. If there are no Spoils cards left, you do not get one.
Beggar: When you play this, you gain three Coppers from the Supply, putting them into your hand. If there are not three Coppers left, just gain as many as you can. When another player plays an Attack card, you may discard this from your hand. If you do, you gain two Silvers from the Supply, putting one on your deck and the other into your discard pile. If there is only one Silver left, put it on your deck; if there are no Silvers left, you do not gain any.
Catacombs: When you play this, you look at the top 3 cards of your deck, and either put all 3 into your hand, or discard all 3 and draw the next 3 cards. If you discard them and have to shuffle to draw 3 cards, you will shuffle in the cards you discarded and may end up drawing some of them. When you trash Catacombs, you gain a card costing less than it. This happens whether Catacombs is trashed on your turn or someone else's, and no matter who has the card that trashed it. The gained card comes from the Supply and is put into your discard pile.
Count: This card gives you two separate choices: first you either discard 2 cards, put a card from your hand on top of your deck, or gain a Copper; after resolving that, you either get +3 coins, trash your hand, or gain a Duchy. For example, you might choose to discard 2 cards, then gain a Duchy. Gained cards come from the Supply and are put into your discard pile. You can choose an option even if you cannot do it. If you trash multiple cards that do something when trashed at once, trash them all, then choose an order to resolve the things that happen due to them being trashed.
Counterfeit: This is a Treasure worth 1 coin. You play it in your Buy phase, like other Treasures. When you play it, you also get +1 Buy, and you may play an additional Treasure card from your hand twice. If you choose to do that, you trash that Treasure. You still get any coins that Treasure gave you from playing it, despite trashing it. If you use Counterfeit to play Spoils twice, you will get +3 coins (in addition to the 1 coin from Counterfeit) and return Spoils to the Spoils pile; you will be unable to trash it. If you use Counterfeit to play a Treasure that does something special when you play it, you will do that thing twice. Cards with two types, one of which is Treasure (such as Harem from Intrigue) are Treasures and so can be played via Counterfeit.
Cultist: When you play this, you draw two cards, then each other player gains a Ruins. These come from the Ruins pile in the Supply, and are put into discard piles. Go in turn order starting to your left; each player takes the top Ruins, revealing the next one each time. If the Ruins pile runs out, players stop gaining them at that point. After giving out Ruins, you may play another Cultist from your hand. It can be one you just drew from playing Cultist, or one you already had in your hand. Playing a Cultist this way does not use up any extra Actions you were allowed to play due to cards like Fortress - the original Cultist uses up one Action and that is it. When you trash a Cultist of yours, you draw three cards. This happens whether or not it is your turn, and whether or not the card that causes Cultist to be trashed was yours. If you trash a Cultist while revealing cards, such as to a Knight attack, you do not draw the revealed cards that are about to be discarded.
Death Cart: When you play Death Cart, you get +5 coins, and either trash an Action card from your hand, or trash the Death Cart. If you have no Action card in your hand, you will have to trash the Death Cart, but you can trash the Death Cart whether or not you have an Action card in hand. A card with multiple types, one of which is Action, is an Action card. When you gain a Death Cart, either from buying it or from gaining it some other way, you also gain 2 Ruins. You just take the top 2, whatever they are. If there are not enough Ruins left, take as many as you can. The Ruins come from the Supply and are put into your discard pile. The other players get to see which ones you got. The player gaining Death Cart is the one who gains Ruins; if Possession (from Alchemy) is used to make another player buy Death Cart, the player actually gaining the Death Cart (the one who played Possession) gains the Ruins. If you use Trader (from Hinterlands) to take a Silver instead of a Death Cart, you do not gain any Ruins. It doesn't matter whose turn it is; if you use Ambassador (from Seaside) to give Death Carts to each other player, those players also gain Ruins. Passing cards with Masquerade (from Intrigue) does not count as gaining them.
Feodum: This is a Victory card. Play with 8 for games with 2 players, or 12 cards for games with 3 or more players. At the end of the game, each Feodum is worth 1 victory point for every 3 Silvers in your deck, rounded down. For example, if you have 11 Silvers, your Feodums are worth 3 victory points each. If a Feodum is trashed, you gain 3 Silvers. The Silvers come from the Supply and are put into your discard pile. If there are not enough Silvers left, gain as many as you can.
Forager: Trash a card from your hand if you can. Whether or not you can, you still get +1 coin per differently named Treasure in the trash, plus +1 Action and +1 Buy. Multiple copies of the same Treasure card do not increase how much you get. For example, if the trash has four Coppers, a Counterfeit, and six Estates, you get +2 coins. Cards with multiple types, one of which is Treasure (such as Harem from Intrigue), are Treasures.
Fortress: When you play this, you draw a card and get +2 Actions. If this is trashed, you take it from the trash and put it into your hand. This happens no matter whose turn it is when Fortress is trashed. It is not optional. You still trashed Fortress, even though you get it back; for example if you play Death Cart and choose to trash Fortress, the "if you do" on Death Cart is true, you did trash an Action, so you do not trash Death Cart.
Graverobber: You choose either option, then do as much of it as you can; you can choose an option even if you will not be able to do it. You can look through the trash at any time. If you choose to gain a card from the trash, the other players get to see what it is, and it goes on top of your deck. If there were no cards in your deck, it becomes the only card in your deck. If there is no card in the trash costing from 3 to 6 coins, you will fail to gain one. Cards with a potion in the cost (from Alchemy) do not cost from 3 to 6 coins. If you choose to trash an Action card from your hand, the card you gain comes from the Supply and is put into your discard pile.
Hermit: When you play this, look through your discard pile, and then you may choose to trash a card that is not a Treasure, from either your hand or your discard pile. You do not have to trash a card and cannot trash Treasures. A card with multiple types, one of which is Treasure (such as Harem from Intrigue), is a Treasure. After trashing or not, you gain a card costing up to 3 coins. The card you gain comes from the Supply and is put into your discard pile. Gaining a card is mandatory if it is possible. Then, when you discard Hermit from play - normally, in Clean-up, after playing it in your Action phase - if you did not buy any cards this turn, you trash Hermit and gain a Madman. The Madman comes from the Madman pile, which is not in the Supply, and is put into your discard pile. It does not matter whether or not you gained cards other ways, only whether or not you bought a card. If there are no Madman cards left, you do not gain one. If Hermit is not discarded from play during Clean-up - for example, if you put it on your deck with Scheme (from Hinterlands) - then the ability that trashes it will not trigger.
Hovel: This is a Shelter; see Preparation. It is never in the Supply. When you buy a Victory card, if Hovel is in your hand, you may trash the Hovel. A card with multiple types, one of which is Victory, is a Victory card. You do not get anything for trashing Hovel; you just get to get rid of it.
Knights: This is a pile in which each card is different. There is the same basic ability on each card, but also another ability unique to that card in the pile, and they all have different names. Shuffle the Knights pile before playing with it, keeping it face down except for the top one, which is the only card that can be gained from the pile. See Additional Rules for Dark Ages and Preparation. Follow the rules on Knights in order from top to bottom; Sir Michael causes players to discard before it trashes cards. The ability they have in common is that each other player reveals the top 2 cards of his deck, trashes one of them that he chooses that costs from 3 to 6 coins, and discards the rest; then, if a Knight was trashed, you trash the Knight you played that caused this trashing. Resolve this ability in turn order, starting with the player to your left. Cards with a potion in the cost (from Alchemy) do not cost from 3 to 6 coins. The player losing a card only gets a choice if both cards revealed cost from 3 to 6 coins; if they both do and one is a Knight but the player picks the other card, that will not cause the played Knight to be trashed.
When Sir Martin is the top card of the pile, it can be gained with an Armory and so on. If Sir Vander is trashed, you gain a Gold; this happens whether it is trashed on your turn or someone else's. The player who had Sir Vander is the one who gains the Gold, regardless of who played the card that trashed it. The Gold from Sir Vander, and the card gained for Dame Natalie, comes from the Supply and is put into your discard pile.
When playing Dame Anna, you may choose to trash zero, one, or two cards from your hand. Dame Josephine is also a Victory card, worth 2 victory points at the end of the game. The Knight pile is not a Victory pile though, and does not get a counter for Trade Route (from Prosperity) even if Dame Josephine starts on top. If you choose to use the Knights with Black Market (a promotional card), put a Knight directly into the Black Market deck, rather than using the randomizer card. Sir Martin only costs 4 coins, though the other Knights all cost 5 coins.
Madman: This card is not in the Supply; it can only be obtained via Hermit. When you play it, you get +2 Actions, return it to the Madman pile if you can (this is not optional), and if you did return it, you draw a card per card in your hand. For example if you had three cards in hand after playing Madman, you would draw three cards. Normally, nothing will prevent you from returning Madman to the Madman pile, but you may fail to due to playing Madman twice via Procession, Throne Room (from Dominion), or King's Court (from Prosperity). So, for example, if you Procession a Madman, you will get +2 Actions, return Madman to the Madman pile, draw a card per card in your hand, get another +2 Actions, fail to return Madman and so not draw cards the second time, fail to trash Madman, and then gain an Action card costing exactly 1 coin if you can.
Marauder: First you gain a Spoils. It comes from the Spoils pile, which is not part of the Supply, and is put into your discard pile. If there are no Spoils cards left, you do not get one. Then each other player gains a Ruins. These come from the Ruins pile in the Supply, and are put into discard piles. Go in turn order starting to your left; each player takes the top Ruins, revealing the next one each time. If the Ruins pile runs out, players stop gaining them at that point.
Market Square: When you play this, you draw a card and get +1 Action and +1 Buy. When one of your cards is trashed, you may discard Market Square from your hand. If you do, you gain a Gold. The Gold comes from the Supply and is put into your discard pile. If there is no Gold left in the Supply, you do not gain one. You may discard multiple Market Squares when a single card of yours is trashed.
Mercenary: This card is not in the Supply; it can only be obtained via Urchin. When you play it, you may trash 2 cards from your hand. If you do, you draw two cards, get +2 coins, and each other player discards down to 3 cards in hand. Players who already have 3 or fewer cards in hand do nothing. Players responding to this Attack with cards like Beggar must choose to do so before you decide whether or not to trash 2 cards from your hand. If you play this with only one card in hand, you may choose to trash that card, but then will fail the "if you do" and will not draw cards and so on. If the cards you trash do things when trashed, first trash them both, then choose what order to resolve the things they do when trashed.
Mystic: You get +1 Action and +2 coins. Then name a card ("Copper," for example - not "Treasure") and reveal the top card of your deck; if you named the same card you revealed, put the revealed card into your hand. If you do not name the right card, put the revealed card back on top. You do not need to name a card being used this game. Names need to match exactly for you to get the card; for example Sir Destry and Sir Martin do not match. You do not need to name a card available in the Supply.
Necropolis: This is a Shelter; see Preparation. It is never in the Supply. It is an Action card; when you play it, you get +2 Actions.
Overgrown Estate: This is a Shelter; see Preparation. It is never in the Supply. It is a Victory card despite being worth 0 victory points. If it is trashed, you draw a card, right then, even in the middle of resolving another card. For example, if you use Altar to trash Overgrown Estate, you first draw a card, then gain a card costing up to 5 coins. This card does not give you a way to trash itself, it merely does something if you manage to trash it.
Pillage: First trash Pillage. Then each other player with 5 or more cards in hand reveals his hand and discards a card of your choice. This happens in turn order, starting with the player to your left. Then you gain two Spoils cards. The two Spoils cards come from the Spoils pile, which is not part of the Supply, and are put into your discard pile. If there are no Spoils cards left, you do not get one; if there is only one, you just get one.
Poor House: First you get +4 coins. Then you reveal your hand, and lose 1 coin per Treasure card in it. You can lose more than 4 coins this way, but the amount of coins you have available to spend can never go below 0. Cards with two types, one of which is Treasure (such as Harem from Intrigue) are Treasure cards.
Procession: Playing an Action card from your hand is optional. If you do play one, you then play it a second time, then trash it, then gain an Action card costing exactly 1 more than it (even if somehow you failed to trash it). Gaining a card is not optional once you choose to play an Action card, but will fail to happen if no card in the Supply costs the exact amount needed. If something happens due to trashing the card - for example drawing 3 cards due to trashing a Cultist - that will resolve before you gain a card. The gained card comes from the Supply and is put into your discard pile. This does not use up any extra Actions you were allowed to play due to cards like Fortress - Procession itself uses up one Action and that is it. You cannot play any other cards in between resolving the Procession-ed Action card multiple times, unless that Action card specifically tells you to (such as Procession itself does). If you Procession a Procession, you will play one Action twice, trash it, gain an Action card costing 1 more, then play another Action twice, trash it, gain an Action card costing 1 more, then trash the Procession and gain an Action costing 1 more than it. If you Procession a card that gives you +1 Action, such as Vagrant, you will end up with 2 Actions to use afterwards, rather than the one you would have left if you just played two Vagrants. If you use Procession on a Duration card (from Seaside), Procession will stay out until your next turn and the Duration card will have its effect twice on your next turn, even though the Duration card is trashed.
Rats: Follow the instructions in order. First draw a card; then gain a Rats from the Supply, putting it into your discard pile; then trash a card from your hand that is not a Rats card. If there are no Rats cards left, you do not gain one. If you have no cards in your hand other than Rats, reveal your hand and you do not trash a card. If Rats is trashed, you draw a card. This happens whether it is your turn or another player's, and regardless of which player has the card that trashed Rats. There are 20 copies of Rats, rather than the usual 10; the pile starts with all 20, regardless of the number of players.
Rebuild: You can name any card, whether or not it is being used this game or is a Victory card. Then reveal cards from your deck until you reveal a Victory card that is not what you named. If you run out of cards, shuffle your discard pile and continue, without shuffling in the revealed cards. If you run out of cards with no cards left in your discard pile, stop there, discard everything, and nothing more happens. If you did find a Victory card that was not what you named, you discard the other revealed cards, trash the Victory card, and gain a Victory card costing up to 3 more than the trashed card. The card you gain comes from the Supply and is put into your discard pile.
Rogue: If there is a card in the trash costing from 3 to 6 coins, you have to gain one of them; it is not optional. You can look through the trash at any time. The other players get to see what card you took. The gained card goes into your discard pile. Cards with a potion in the cost (from Alchemy) do not cost from 3 to 6 coins. If there was no card in the trash costing from 3 to 6 coins, you instead have each other player reveal the top 2 cards of his deck, trash one of them of his choice that costs from 3 to 6 coins (if possible), and discard the rest. Go in turn order, starting with the player to your left.
Ruined Library: When you play this, you draw a card. This is a Ruins; see Additional Rules for Dark Ages and Preparation.
Ruined Market: When you play this, you just get +1 Buy. This is a Ruins; see Additional Rules for Dark Ages and Preparation.
Ruined Village: When you play this, you just get +1 Action. This is a Ruins; see Additional Rules for Dark Ages and Preparation.
Sage: If you run out of cards while revealing cards, shuffle your discard pile (not including the revealed cards) and continue. If you run out of cards to reveal and have no cards in your discard pile, stop there; discard everything revealed, and you do not get a card. If you find a card costing 3 or more, put that one into your hand and discard the rest. For example you might reveal Copper, then Copper, then Curse, then Province; Province costs 8, so you would stop there, put Province in your hand, and discard the two Coppers and the Curse.
Scavenger: Putting your deck into your discard pile is optional, but putting a card from your discard pile on top of your deck is not; you do it unless there are no cards in your discard pile. Putting your deck into your discard pile will not trigger Tunnel (from Hinterlands). If your deck has no cards in it, such as from putting them into your discard pile, then the card you put on top of your deck will be the only card in your deck.
Spoils: This is never in the Supply; it can only be obtained via Bandit Camp, Marauder, and Pillage. When you play Spoils, you get +3 coins to spend this turn, and return that copy of Spoils to its pile. You are not forced to play Treasures in your hand.
Squire: When you play this, you get +1 coin, and your choice of either +2 Actions, +2 Buys, or gaining a Silver. The Silver comes from the Supply and is put into your discard pile. If Squire is trashed somehow, you gain an Attack card; the Attack card comes from the Supply and is put into your discard pile. You can gain any Attack card available in the Supply, but if no Attack card is available, you do not gain one.
Storeroom: Discard any number of cards from your hand, and draw as many cards as you discarded. Then, discard any number of cards - which could include cards you just drew - and you get +1 coin per card you discarded that time.
Survivors: You either discard both cards, or put both cards back on top; you cannot just discard one card. This is a Ruins; see Additional Rules for Dark Ages and Preparation.
Urchin: When you play this, you draw a card and get +1 Action, then each other player discards down to 4 cards in hand. Players who already have 4 or fewer cards in hand do not do anything. While Urchin is in play, when you play another Attack card, before resolving it, you may trash the Urchin. If you do, you gain a Mercenary. The Mercenary comes from the Mercenary pile, which is not in the Supply, and is put into your discard pile. If there are no Mercenaries left, you do not gain one. If you play the same Urchin twice in one turn, such as via Procession, that does not let you trash it for a Mercenary. If you play two different Urchins however, playing the second one will let you trash the first one.
Vagrant: You draw a card before revealing your top card. If the top card of your deck is a Curse, Ruins, Shelter, or Victory card, it goes into your hand; otherwise it goes back on top. A card with multiple types goes into your hand if at least one of the types is Curse, Ruins, Shelter, or Victory.
Wandering Minstrel: First draw a card, then reveal the top 3 cards of your deck, shuffling your discard pile if there are not enough cards in your deck. If there still are not enough after shuffling, just reveal what you can. Put the revealed Action cards on top of your deck in any order, and discard the other cards. A card with multiple types, one of which is Action, is an Action card. If you didn't reveal any Action cards, no cards will be put on top.
Recommended Sets of 10
Players can play Dominion with any set of 10 Kingdom cards, but these sets are intended to highlight some interesting card interactions and game strategies.
Dark Ages alone
Grim Parade: Armory, Band of Misfits, Catacombs, Cultist, Forager, Fortress, Knights, Market Square, Procession, Hunting Grounds
Playing Chess With Death: Bandit Camp, Graverobber, Junk Dealer, Mystic, Pillage, Rats, Sage, Scavenger, Storeroom, Vagrant
Dark Ages & Dominion
High and Low: Hermit, Hunting Grounds, Mystic, Poor House, Wandering Minstrel / Cellar, Moneylender, Throne Room, Witch, Workshop
Chivalry and Revelry: Altar, Knights, Rats, Scavenger, Squire / Festival, Gardens, Laboratory, Library, Remodel
Dark Ages & Intrigue
Prophecy: Armory, Ironmonger, Mystic, Rebuild, Vagrant / Baron, Conspirator, Great Hall, Nobles, Wishing Well
Invasion: Beggar, Marauder, Rogue, Squire, Urchin / Harem, Mining Village, Swindler, Torturer, Upgrade
Dark Ages & Seaside
Watery Graves: Count, Graverobber, Hermit, Scavenger, Urchin / Native Village, Pirate Ship, Salvager, Treasure Map, Treasury
Peasants: Death Cart, Feodum, Poor House, Urchin, Vagrant / Fishing Village, Haven, Island, Lookout, Warehouse
Dark Ages & Alchemy
Infestations: Armory, Cultist, Feodum, Market Square, Rats, Wandering Minstrel / Apprentice, Scrying Pool, Transmute, Vineyard
Lamentations: Beggar, Catacombs, Counterfeit, Forager, Ironmonger, Pillage / Apothecary, Golem, Herbalist, University
Dark Ages & Prosperity
One Man's Trash: Counterfeit, Forager, Graverobber, Market Square, Rogue / City, Grand Market, Monument, Talisman, Venture
Honor Among Thieves: Bandit Camp, Procession, Rebuild, Rogue, Squire / Forge, Hoard, Peddler, Quarry, Watchtower
Dark Ages & Cornucopia
Dark Carnival: Band of Misfits, Cultist, Fortress, Hermit, Junk Dealer, Knights / Fairgrounds, Hamlet, Horn of Plenty, Menagerie
To the Victor: Bandit Camp, Counterfeit, Death Cart, Marauder, Pillage, Sage / Harvest, Hunting Party, Remake, Tournament
Dark Ages & Hinterlands
Far From Home: Beggar, Count, Feodum, Marauder, Wandering Minstrel / Cartographer, Develop, Embassy, Fool's Gold, Haggler
Expeditions: Altar, Catacombs, Ironmonger, Poor House, Storeroom / Crossroads, Farmland, Highway, Spice Merchant, Tunnel