Dominion: Empires Review - with Tom Vasel

[@FranRojo91]

This expansion is awsome, added so much freshness to the game, now a simple card will change completely the game dinamic in a really healthy way, since you know from the start the new rules for that set

[@thechriscormier]

Great review Tom! (as always) Thanks for all your support!

[@supercommando440]

So which expansion would be recommended for beginners 1st, that has more meat than Intrigue but not too deep and rule heavy? Looking for middle ground. Also something that works well with fanmade solo variants.

[@Lavoye]

So, that's why they upgraded the online dominion client. They want to change it into a new money cow. They started doing expensions again and will rent the cards from 2017 and forward instead of selling them (online that is)

[@masonstuart-hill4670]

Hey, so I have a question on the catapult/Rocks card. I thought I understood until i read the rule book. "If it is another player's turn, then it is not your Buy phase, so the Silver goes to your hand." What on earth does this mean??...You cant gain or trash a card on someone else's turn??? I originally thought you gain a silver to hand if you trash a card in your action phase. And gain a silver to your deck when you gain rocks in your buy phase? Its when you gain or trash, so not when you play it...this is very confusing and no one explains this.

[@RohitKabraUSA]

fantastic review, thanks a lot!

[@gooberweevil]

can't see the bottom of your shirt! does it say "worst city planners outside of pittsburgh"? (pittsburgh roads are like a Carcassone player's fever dream.)

[@boratlikebarry]

I was wondering that too :/ It says "civic planning by the way.

[@thechriscormier]

The shirt is from my store. It says Carcassonne: a city populated by thieves, knights, farmers and the worst civic planners outside of ________ (and then you can customize the city name with your own city or town). You can get it here: goo.gl/6hj7QQ >>> or this really long link: www.geekygoodies.com/#!product-page/c1u5r/dfe1c302-9473-7110-1db7-edbddd622d83 More Tshirts for Board Gamers at: www.geekygoodies.com/

[@bjbushwacker]

Does this edition have the same problem as Adventures did with the new cards not matching the old ones in size, color, and quality?

[@connersyoutube3041]

Where can I buy that shirt? My wife would love it.

[@GeorgeLocke]

I don't see how having a single card with debt in a kingdom would be clunky

[@elijahfoster2]

Maybe just getting the tokens out? I think that’s where he was going with it since he mentioned this in another review (having to bring a bunch of stuff if he travels with certain cards). But yeah it doesn’t really apply as much to the debt tokens I would think.

[@LeRoi81]

Why is the Legionary the same as a gold? Its effect is way weaker as a Gold card as it is a terminal action and needs a Gold in hand for the attack. I think it's well balanced.

[@exterminateexterminate9751]

But golds aren't that great. Actions costing 5 are better.

[@Jacco0]

@@exterminateexterminate9751 If you truly believe that, then you're easy to beat 😜

[@exterminateexterminate9751]

@@Jacco0 mate, i play for my country.

[@Jacco0]

@@exterminateexterminate9751 You know what, if that's true then I'm probably in the wrong. My bad!

[@elijahfoster2]

@@exterminateexterminate9751 You said “but” but I’m pretty sure you both agree

[@stinkleaf]

Do you buy events and hold the card? Or cycle through stack and discard? Are they counted as actions? I never played Adventures.

[@TheParadox3000]

Stunami When you buy them, you don't take them, you just do immediately what they say.

[@OptimusPrimal1337]

It's basically a one-time Action during Buy phase. The Event card is left on the table for future use.

[@gnomechompsky4996]

cool review

[@mountainfantasticfabriccha2248]

Woohoo! yes, this is what i love about dominion, it what got me into board games, so i have a love for it. Then i became a magic addict, and my wall of games doesnt see me as much, but every time a new expasnsion comes out, im buying it, and i know ill get my moneys worth!

[@davidpeterson5179]

Fun set only played 4 games of Empires so far, but it is a GREAT set.

[@Arma070]

which set you recommend to get next for someone who has the base game, Intrigue, the Dark Ages and Prosperity ?

[@davidpeterson5179]

I would say Seaside, it the one that introduces the Duration cards, which Adventures and Empires uses as well, you get more coin tokens and some unique mats as well.

[@lkjkhfggd]

You've already got the two best ones (Dark Ages and Prosperity). Other than those two I'm a fan of Guilds and there's some good stuff in Adventures. Why not get Empires? It's new and exciting.

[@davidpeterson5179]

I like all of the set, including Alchemy, although that is my least favorite set, but still like all of Dominion, now need Empires to get added to the randomizers.

[@LanceEhlers]

I don't get the hate for Alchemy. It has some of the game's most distinctive and fun cards. Alchemist & Golem, for example, are incredibly powerful.

[@Syncopator]

The Possession card seems pretty outrageous as well-- I'll probably end up getting Alchemy before I get Empires. But before either of those, I'll be getting Dark Ages and Adventures-- and I already have all the others. The event cards do look pretty darn cool though, and I like the idea of the travellers-- which is why Adventures is higher on my list than Empires. I'm sure by the time I get them all there'll be a couple of new ones to choose from as well... :-)

[@GeorgeVajagich]

they should make more potion crds that way it will be more relevant

[@Stoos7]

Possession - an ultimate concept-killer. It allows you to piggyback on your opponent's deck, effectively negating whole build-your-own-deck basic principle of Dominion. Familiar - very powerful and swingy to gain. If one player manages to connect 3$+potion on his second shuffle, and the other player doesn't, it's basically gg already. Scrying Pool - prompts the player to decide whether to top-deck or discard every player's top card, greatly prolonging the game and thus reducing the fun. Similar to Spy, but unlike it, it's a lot more powerful and bought a lot more often.

[@pizza87760]

Potion cards are super clunky with little flexibility; They make you feel obligated to buy an Alchemy card when you have one in hand. And unless there's a large variety of potion cost cards in the supply it's usually a sub-optimal buy wasting a lot of coins. The solution is super simple though: Add more ways to gain potions and more flexible uses for potions. An action card that gives potions, a potion/coin combo treasure, and an overpay action that lets you overpay potions for a strong benefit would easily solve the problem and make the Alchemy set worth playing.

[@dusttaker]

vineyard and scrying pool are also great for accumulating lots of action cards. If you can accomplish this then the vineyard strategy destroys the province strategy . I played a game online using the dark age card cultist. I got a bunch of them which gave my opponent ALL the ruins (which are action cards) I thought I would destroy him. Well he got all 8 vineyards and with all the free action cards I gave him and all the actions he bought , his vineyards were worth 12 points each, and I was the one who got destroyed! That's the beauty of dominion. All the possible strategies and knowing which ones to go for.

[@Ausprit]

Isn't duration cards from seaside [truly the best expansion ;) ]?

[@TheParadox3000]

They made their first appearance in Seaside (8 duration cards), their second in Adventures (8+1 non-supply durarion-card) and now in Empires there are 2.

[@blairblack7092]

maybe its great, I don't know. but what I do know is that I already have more than enough Dominion cards to last a lifetime.

[@TheParadox3000]

Blair Black That's just because you don't dedicate your life nearly enough to it

[@rambo1799]

What is your making fun name?

[@exterminateexterminate9751]

Villa is soooooooo good.

[@Raphaelus13]

Haha, poor Alchemy.

[@cursivecurses]

Alchemy has several individual cards that rock even if they are the only Potion card. Scrying Pool, Familiar, Golem, etc. Even as the worst it's still a great expansion.

[@Fergit_]

That seems like a big box for some cards and coins.

[@Arma070]

there's a lot of cards in there. Plus every box of dominion is that big

[@davidpeterson5179]

300 cards and 96 tokens, they leave room in the box for your base card slots as well, if you just want to play an "empires" only game.

[@MeanNGreen17]

Wow, this game really jumped the shark.

[@GeorgeVajagich]

what do you mean

[@pontusvongeijer1240]

I farted while watching this.