Objective of the Game

Welcome to Dominion: Intrigue, where secret plots are brewing, and your dominion is waiting to be built! This isn't just about collecting cards; it's about crafting the most powerful and valuable Deck in the land. You'll start with a humble collection of Estates and Coppers, but by the end, you'll want a kingdom brimming with Gold, Provinces, and powerful inhabitants.

The ultimate goal? To be the player with the most Victory Points in their Deck when the game ends. Remember, while Victory Cards are crucial for scoring, they often have little value during the game itself. The trick is to find the perfect balance between Victory, Kingdom, and Treasure Cards to outmaneuver your rivals and claim your rightful place as the most powerful ruler!

Preparation (Setup)

Let's get your kingdom ready for action! Here’s how to set up your game of Dominion: Intrigue:

1. Determine the Starting Player: For your first game, choose a starting player randomly. In subsequent games, the player to the left of the previous winner goes first. If there was a tie, randomly choose a starting player from those who didn't win.
2. Player Starting Decks: Each player takes 7 Copper Cards and 3 Estate Cards. Shuffle these 10 cards to form your personal Deck, placing it face-down in your player area. Then, each player draws 5 cards from their Deck to form their initial Hand.
3. The Supply - Basic Treasure Cards: After each player takes their 7 Coppers, place the remaining Copper Cards, along with all Silver Cards (40 total) and Gold Cards (30 total), in face-up piles in the center of the table. These are your basic Treasure Cards and will always be available.
4. The Supply - Basic Victory Cards:
   • For a 3 or 4-player game, place 12 Estate Cards, 12 Duchy Cards, and 12 Province Cards in face-up piles.
   • For a 2-player game, use only 8 of each of these Victory Cards.
   • For a 5-player game, use 15 Province Cards, and 12 of all other Victory Card piles (Estates, Duchies, and Victory Kingdom cards).
   • For a 6-player game, use 18 Province Cards, and 12 of all other Victory Card piles (Estates, Duchies, and Victory Kingdom cards).
   Return any unused Victory Cards to the box.
5. The Supply - Curse Cards: Place Curse Cards in a face-up pile:
   • 10 Curse Cards for a 2-player game.
   • 20 Curse Cards for a 3-player game.
   • 30 Curse Cards for a 4-player game.
   • 40 Curse Cards for a 5-player game.
   • 50 Curse Cards for a 6-player game.
   Return any unused Curse Cards to the box.
6. The Supply - Kingdom Cards: This is where the real intrigue begins! You'll need to select 10 different Kingdom Card sets for each game. Each set consists of 10 cards, except for Kingdom Cards that are also Victory Cards (like Duke, Great Hall, Harem, Nobles), which follow the same scaling as basic Victory Cards (12 for 3-4 players, 8 for 2 players, etc.).
   • You can choose these 10 Kingdom Cards however you like:
     • Randomly, using the Randomizer Cards provided (one for each Kingdom Card).
     • By combining Randomizer Cards from Dominion and Dominion: Intrigue.
     • By picking 5 Kingdom Cards from the basic set and 5 from Intrigue.
     • Using one of the recommended sets found at the end of the rules (e.g., "Victory Dance," "Secret Schemes," "Best Wishes").
   Place these 10 chosen Kingdom Card piles face-up in the center of the table. Any unchosen Kingdom Cards are returned to the box.
7. The Trash Pile: Place the Trash Pile Card near the Supply. This marks where trashed cards go.

Your table should now be set with your starting Decks and a glorious Supply of cards ready for acquisition!

The Turn of Play

A turn in Dominion: Intrigue is a swift, three-phase dance. Players take turns clockwise, completing all three phases before passing play.

1. Action Phase

   This is where you bring your plans to life! You may play one Action Card from your hand. Remember, Action Cards are identified by "Action" at the bottom of the card. You don't start with any, so your first couple of turns might be quiet here.

   • Playing an Action: Take an Action Card from your hand and lay it face-up in your play area. Announce the card and follow its instructions from top to bottom. You must do as much as you can, even if you can't complete every instruction.
   • Extra Actions: Some Action Cards grant you "+X Action(s)," letting you play more Action Cards this turn. Keep track of how many you have left!
   • Drawing Cards: "+X Card(s)" means you immediately draw that many cards. If your Deck runs out, shuffle your Discard Pile to form a new Deck and keep drawing.
   • Extra Coins: "+X " gives you additional coins to spend in the Buy Phase. You don't get actual Treasure Cards for these, just spending power.
   • Extra Buys: "+1 Buy" allows you to buy an additional card in the Buy Phase.
   • Discarding: Unless specified, discarded cards go face-up onto your Discard Pile from your hand.
   • Trashing: When you "Trash" a card, it goes to the Trash Pile, out of play for the rest of the game.
   • Gaining: To "Gain" a card means to take it (usually from the Supply) and put it into your Discard Pile, unless the card says otherwise. You don't use its ability when gained.
   • Revealing: To "Reveal" a card means to show it to all players, then return it to where it came from.
   • Setting Aside: To "Set Aside" a card means to place it face-up on the table without following its instructions, until another card tells you what to do with it.
   • Passing (Intrigue specific!): To "Pass" a card means to place it face-down between yourself and another player. The receiving player takes it into their hand. It's not revealed, trashed, discarded, or gained. Sneaky!

   The Action Phase ends when you can't or choose not to play any more Action Cards. Remember, Reaction Cards (like Secret Chamber) are an exception and can be played at other times!

2. Buy Phase

   Time to expand your dominion! In this phase, you can buy cards from the Supply.

   • Spending Coins: Play any Treasure Cards from your hand into your play area. Add their coin value (Copper = 1, Silver = 2, Gold = 3) to any coins provided by Action Cards you played this turn.
   • Making Purchases: You can buy any card from the Supply (Treasure, Victory, Kingdom, or even Curse Cards) that costs equal to or less than your total available coins. Take the purchased card and place it face-up onto your Discard Pile. You don't use its ability when gained.
   • Multiple Buys: If you have multiple "Buys" (from Action Cards), you can make multiple purchases, combining your available coins for all of them. You don't have to use all your buys or all your coins.

3. Clean-up Phase

   A little tidying up before the next player takes their turn:

   • Discard Everything: Take all cards from your play area (played Action Cards and Treasure Cards) and any cards remaining in your hand, and place them face-up onto your Discard Pile. You don't need to show your hand to opponents.
   • Draw New Hand: Draw 5 new cards from your Deck. If your Deck runs out, draw as many as you can, shuffle your Discard Pile to form a new face-down Deck, then draw the rest of your 5 cards.

   Once you've drawn your new hand, your turn is over, and play passes clockwise to the next player. Experienced players might even start the next turn while you're cleaning up!

End of Game and Scoring

The game of Dominion: Intrigue concludes when one of two conditions is met at the end of any player's turn:

1. The Supply pile of Province Cards is empty.
2. Any 3 Supply piles are empty (or 4 Supply piles in a 5 or 6-player game).

Once one of these conditions is met, it's time to count those precious Victory Points!

• Each player counts the Victory Points on all cards in their entire Deck. This includes cards in your hand, your Discard Pile, and your face-down Deck.
• The player with the most Victory Points wins!
• Tie-breaker: If there's a tie for the highest score, the tied player who has had the fewest turns wins. If tied players have had the same number of turns, they share the victory!

Remember, you can always count cards in your Deck and the Supply piles, and look through the Trash Pile, but you cannot look through your own or other players' Discard Piles or face-down Decks.

Tips for Winning

To truly master Dominion: Intrigue, keep these tactical insights in mind:

1. Balance is Key: Don't just rush for Victory Cards! Early in the game, they clog your hand and do nothing. Focus on building an engine with Action and Treasure Cards that allow you to draw more cards, gain more actions, and buy more powerful cards. Only when your engine is running smoothly should you start acquiring those valuable Provinces.
2. Embrace the Choices: Many Intrigue cards offer choices (like Minion, Nobles, Pawn, Steward, Torturer). Don't just pick the obvious! Consider what your current hand needs, what your opponents are doing, and what will set you up best for future turns. For example, a Pawn can give you +1 Card, +1 Action, +1 Buy, or +1 Coin – choosing the right two can be game-changing!
3. Mind the Multi-Type Cards: Cards like Great Hall (Action/Victory), Harem (Treasure/Victory), and Nobles (Action/Victory) are incredibly versatile. They contribute to your score at the end of the game but also provide immediate benefits during your turn. Leverage these cards to get the best of both worlds, building your engine while simultaneously accumulating victory points.