The Dominion board game is a deck-building card game that has been around for decades. It was created by Donald X. Vaccarino and first published in 2008. The purpose of the game is to buy cards from a common pool, use those cards to develop one’s own deck, and then play enough rounds so as to conquer six other players’ provinces. There are many expansions available for Dominion, but which ones should you pick up? In this blog post, we will review the 5 best expansions for Dominion and tell you which ones are worth your money!
Base Game: What is Dominion?
Game Features
It is a game for three to four players set in an alternate-reality medieval world where everyone wants to be king. Players start with only five cards, and the goal of Dominion is to build up your deck by buying new cards from an open marketplace over the course of several rounds until you have enough points (earned through victory points) to win.
The base set of Dominion includes 500 cards, including the basic treasure and victory cards that are required to play. It also comes with a rule book, but there is an online version you can look up if necessary.
When it was all put together it turned out pretty well! Some people have mixed feelings about this type of design because while some things are intuitive others are not so much. I personally think that even though certain rules are not always spelled out that it is still a pretty well-put-together game. It does, however, come with several different expansions which are almost necessary for the full Dominion experience!
Mechanics
Each player starts with a deck of seven cards. On your turn, you draw five cards from the top of your deck and either play one card or put all five into your discard pile (the face-up pile where players can choose to buy later). You then replenish your hand to five by drawing from the supply piles which are located in the center of the table. The game ends when any three supply piles have been emptied.
It’s pretty fascinating how it manages this while still being extremely simple for anyone just getting started with games like these! I highly recommend Dominion if you’re a beginner in deck-building games or just looking to get into them.
All of the expansions add their own little twist on things, and each one has its own unique characteristics that make it stand out from the rest! Some are definitely better than others when it comes down to what cards they offer for purchase, but I think there is something here for everyone regardless of whether you prefer more action/attack cards or points/victory-based ones!
Scoring System
The rule book comes with a scoring chart that is used to determine players’ scores at the end of each game. The total number of victory points in your deck determines your score, and there are bonus points given out for having certain types of cards in particular quantities (e.g., one point per three treasure cards).
As far as I know, this is pretty unique compared to most other games where it’s just about how fast or strong you can win the whole thing rather than anything else. It definitely makes Dominion stand out from all the rest! If you’re looking for something new and different yet not too complicated then I highly recommend Dominion!
Best Dominion Expansions on the Market
After playing a ton of Dominion games over the last few years I have some thoughts on which expansions are worth owning! This comparison chart will help you make the best decision for which Dominion expansion pack to pick.
| Image | Product | |
|---|---|---|
Best Dominion Expansion  | Rio Grande Games Dominion: Menagerie
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Best Dominion Expansion for 2 Players  | Rio Grande Games Dominion Empires Game
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Best Dominion Expansion for Those Who Like Goods  | Rio Grande Games Dominion Prosperity
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Best for Those Who Want More Variety in Their Kingdom Cards  | Dominion: Renaissance
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Best for Gamers Who Want More Strategic Gameplay  | Rio Grande Games Dominion: Intrigue 2nd Edition Board Game
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1. Rio Grande Games Dominion: Menagerie – Best Dominion Expansion
Overview
This expansion focuses on animal cards which can be used to gain points and acquire victory point tokens. The 12 new action cards, 26 unique kingdom cards (with only two of each type), and three copies of six non-supply cards come with this pack. It also comes with a new token: the Rabbit.
I am personally not a big fan of what it adds in terms of mechanics because I think that too many animals are just way too much! However, if you are looking for something different then maybe give this one a try since there are plenty more people who really enjoy playing Dominion games using these expansions!
Mechanics
The mechanics of the new cards revolve around grouping animals together and using them to gain points.
I like how each pack is different in terms of what it adds, but I think that this one just takes things too far compared to other expansions on the market where they add something unique without going overboard (e.g., Prosperity). If you enjoy Dominion then give Menagerie a try if only because there’s nothing else quite like it out there! For everyone else looking for simplicity with their deck-building games though, definitely go elsewhere…
Components
The cards are pretty great in terms of design and quality. The artwork is also really cute (and somewhat creepy) which adds to the overall theme nicely!
I like how unique this expansion pack is compared to other ones out there, but I think it’s not worth spending money on if you’re only looking for simplicity with your deck-building games. I give it a thumbs up for creativity, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend this to anyone looking for an introduction to Dominion games.
Pros And Cons
Final Judgement
If you’re a fan of Dominion then this is one pack that should not be missing from your collection! I personally think it’s too much for what it adds to the mechanics and theme, but if you enjoy deck-building games then definitely give Menagerie a try.
2. Rio Grande Games Dominion Empires Game – Best Dominion Expansion for 2 Players
Overview
This expansion focuses on cards that either give you coins or treasures to spend money on. Also, the new victory point tokens are worth different amounts of points depending on how many pips they have!
I personally really enjoy playing Dominion with this expansion because I think it adds a lot of variety and the coins are very helpful when you’re trying to buy cards in your deck! The new victory point tokens add even more points into the game which is always nice to see, but they definitely add some confusion. If that doesn’t bother you then go for it, but I definitely recommend Empires if you want to add a little bit of variety into your Dominion games!
Mechanics
The mechanics of this expansion pack revolve around coin tokens and different victory point values. Coins can be used to purchase cards off the market, coins can also be gained by using certain kingdom card effects (e.g., gaining gold every time you use an action), and some treasures give you more coins!
I like how there’s something for everyone in terms of what kind of currency they prefer when it comes to playing Dominion games: money or goods/points. Finally, I really like how the new victory point tokens add even more variety into the gameplay and there’s a nice twist between having different values for them depending on what pip they have.
Components
The cards are pretty great in terms of design and quality. I’m not a huge fan of the new victory point tokens, but they’re also good enough to play with: it’s just personal preference!
I like how this is one expansion that works well when playing Dominion games with two players since some other expansions don’t include any kingdom card options for less than three people.
Overall, I’d say this is one of my top Dominion expansion picks if you’re looking for something that will work well with two players. The map tiles can get confusing when playing alone though because it’s hard to keep track of all your territories around the board.
Pros And Cons
Final Judgement
Overall, this is one of my favorite Dominion expansions out there and I would definitely recommend checking it out if you’re a fan of the original game! The only downside that some people might have with it is how much money ends up being spent throughout gameplay, but most people don’t seem to mind it too much.
If you’re looking for an expansion that will work well with two players, then Empires is one of the best Dominion expansions out there!
3. Rio Grande Games Dominion Prosperity – Best Dominion Expansion for Those Who Like Goods
Overview
This Dominion expansion comes with a new type of good: ducats! Ducats can be spent on cards from the market or provided as end-game victory points. Other than that, there’s nothing too different about this pack compared to other Dominion expansions out there…
I personally like this expansion because it changes up the usual structure of Dominion games and adds in even more variety to choose from when playing.
Mechanics
The biggest mechanic of this expansion pack is having goods that can be either spent or converted to victory point tokens. However, there are also kingdom card effects in Prosperity which make you choose between coins and/or ducats (instead of both) every turn!
I like how the mechanics for purchasing cards have been simplified compared to other Dominion expansions out there.
Components
As usual, the cards are of great quality. I also like how there’s something for everyone when it comes to what kind of currency they prefer in their Dominion games: money or goods/points!
I personally think that this expansion pack is better with three players instead of two since some kingdom card effects only provide coins if you’re playing five or more cards (due to costs for end-game scoring).
Pros And Cons
Final Judgement
In my opinion, Prosperity is a good expansion if you’re looking for more variety in terms of what kind of currency you have to use when playing Dominion games. However, it’s not that different from other expansions out there so I wouldn’t recommend buying this one last since other ones are better than this one overall.
4. Dominion: Renaissance – Best for Those Who Want More Variety in Their Kingdom Cards
Overview
There are new cards for every type of card in the game! The only thing you’ll have to watch out for is how different it can make the game feel if you get the wrong combinations of kingdom cards in play.
I like how there’s a ton of variety in the cards you can get with Renaissance and it definitely makes games more interesting.
Mechanics
One of the biggest additions to this expansion pack is the fact that there are new types of cards like knights and guild halls which can make gameplay feel pretty different from other dominion expansions out there!
I’m not a huge fan of how some combinations can make gameplay feel completely different from other Dominion expansions out there since it can be less balanced with fewer players (i.e., getting two knights in play at once).
Components
The cards are of good quality (like most dominion expansions out there).
I like how the components for this expansion pack make gameplay feel very different depending on which kingdom cards you get in play.
It’s great that all types of Dominion cards have something new to them so even if you do get a bad combination of kingdom cards, it won’t be too terrible since they still work differently than usual!
I personally think that this is one of the best Dominion expansions out there due to how much variety each type of card has compared to other ones I’ve used before. It also works well with two players as well as three or more!
Pros And Cons
Final Judgement
In my opinion, this is one of the best Dominion expansions out there for those who want to add more variety and unique effects to their games depending on which kingdom cards get in play. However, it can be a bit annoying if you’re playing with people who always like getting certain kinds of cards in play every time they do!
5. Rio Grande Games Dominion: Intrigue 2nd Edition Board Game – Best for Gamers Who Want More Strategic Gameplay
Overview
This game is pretty different than other dominion expansions out there since the point of it isn’t to buy victory points.
This is a very fun Dominion expansion pack if you like getting more gold or completing secret missions. It’s also pretty interesting how it makes the gameplay feel since collecting money becomes a bit different from other dominion expansions out there!
Mechanics
There are some really interesting mechanics involved in this Dominion expansion pack such as stealing from your opponents or completing secret missions.
You can also tax people but that gives all of your opponents two coins instead! These new types of gameplay feel pretty different than other dominion expansions out there since they change up what kind of cards get played depending on who is playing.
Components
I think that the quality of this Dominion expansion pack is pretty nice. The cards are sturdy and don’t bend as easily as other card games I’ve played before like Magic: The Gathering!
All types of dominion cards feel really different than usual since you can steal from your opponents or do secret missions depending on which ones come up in play. I think this is one of the best Dominion expansions out there for those who like getting more gold or completing secret missions since it makes things MUCH different than usual!
Pros And Cons
Final Judgement
This is my favorite Dominion expansion pack because I think it requires a lot more strategy than usual which feels really rewarding when playing against people who aren’t used to those kinds of mechanics. The fact that there is less luck involved compared to some others makes me enjoy it even more since they make the gameplay feel very different and it’s really fun to outmaneuver your opponents!
People Also Ask
What expansions should I buy?
I recommend buying the first one, Intrigue (second edition). But this is totally up to you and what type of card/point-based strategy you want for your deck. If it's more along the lines of attack then maybe Prosperity or War would be better! You can get a complete list of expansions here.
What is a good strategy?
If you're just starting out then I'd try going for the longest castle possible which means getting at least one of each victory card type (eight total) and collecting treasure cards! But it's not too tough to figure this all out on your own; it'll come naturally after time!
Which expansions go well with each other?
Most of them work together, but you might want to stay away from Prosperity if your main goal is just building a deck with a lot of different cards. That's because Prosperity has the most expensive ones in comparison to other sets, so it might be tough for you to win with them!
What happens when there are too many expansions?
It depends on your strategy and what type of outcome you want from playing Dominion. You can play with all seven at once if you want, but that might be a bit too chaotic for beginners!
Conclusion
The base game is a fantastic option for anyone who wants to start playing Dominion. It includes the most important cards from every expansion, so you have everything you need in one box. However, if you want more options and variety with your games of Dominion – or even just like getting new stuff (we won’t blame you) – then there are some awesome expansions that we recommend!
In our opinion, these five best dominion expansions will offer players tons of fun and exciting gameplay while adding an impressive amount of value to their collection. Each has its own unique twist on traditional Dominion play such as additional victory point tokens or piles of cards that are not always available.