Well, as the official story for the new expansion game Dominion: Dark Ages says, the good times are over (thematically, of course). For the context of this latest release in the popular Dominion game series, you’ve moved from your once-luxurious, now-plundered castle to your pretty ravine. And, even though you are now a beggar, at least you can throw away the garbage whenever you want!

Ok, maybe things have gotten worse. And that fits well with the themes of the new Dark Ages expansion. With cards like Rats, Pillage, and Graverobber, it’s no wonder this version focuses on trash, smash/upgrade, and getting cards via other specific cards. Even the nice, comfortable and humble farms that each player started the game with in all previous games have now been replaced by the shelter hybrid cards. And, since the new Haven cards are present in every Dark Ages game, a discussion of how they compare to previous bland States is in order.

But first, a review of the rules for each of the three Havens is in order:

Cabin: Cost = 1 Coin. Card type = Reaction / Shelter. Rules = When you buy a Victory card, you may throw it away from your hand.
Necropolis: Cost = 1 Coin. Card Type = Stock / Shelter. Rules = +2 Actions.
Overgrown Farm: Cost = 1 coin. Card type = Victory / Shelter. Rules = 0 VP. When you throw this away, +1 Card.

Before continuing, it should be noted that these cards are not in the Supply and, although they have a cost, they cannot be purchased. Cost is there primarily to facilitate value calculations due to delete/update interactions. A shelter, for example, can be remodeled into a card that costs 3 coins. Now for a brief discussion of each of the new Estate replacement cards.

First, let’s review Hovel. Thematically, this card goes well with the new set. Instead of starting out on a nice estate, you’re stuck in a shack. What do you want to do if you live in a shack? Why move, of course! Hovel isn’t a Victory card, it doesn’t provide benefits, and it’s basically a drag on your deck. Therefore, this card is even worse than a starting State. But, the only scenario that probably justifies buying a victory card to throw away early in the game is if you open with a 5/2 split. If all 3 Shelters are in your hand with two Coppers, buying a Property to wreck the Hut makes sense (if there aren’t 2 good Coin cards on the board). Otherwise, you’ll trade purchasing power or engine components for a Victory card that will clog up the deck. As the old saying goes, it takes money to make money, and once you land on a Hovel, it can be hard to pull out a Jeffersons and move on.

Second, let’s go over the Overgrown estate. This card also fits the rich in rags theme. The once pristine estate has now fallen into disrepair and is overgrown with weeds. Consequently, the 1 Victory Point (VP) that States award for the overgrown State is missing. However, since it is a Victory card, it will still be beneficial for VP calculations with Silk Road. When you throw it away, the +1 card minimizes the impact of a reshuffle on the current hand, and upgrading it produces a 5-card hand. This Haven will be a good target to trash early, and is roughly equivalent to a State, IF it is trashed.

Third, let’s examine Necropolis. This card is strictly better than a starting State. Its +2 Actions feature allows for much more variability with openings. In fact, more terminal action cards can be bought initially without fear of them dying. One of the main ways this can influence a game is through 3-coin attacks (such as Swindler and Ambassador). Drawing Necropolis with two Swindlers, playing both of them, and ripping off two of your opponent’s Coppers in Curses would probably spell victory.

Of course, these are just the beginning of the possibilities and strategic implementations that can be formed with the new Dominion Dark Ages cards. As more games are played with the cards, more unique interactions will be discovered and skill will increase. Make sure you get your own game ASAP!