On Independence Day a couple of weeks ago, I made and played a new dominion kingdom (or “dominion setup” of 10 cards) designed to fit that holiday’s theme. It was pretty fun, though it could use some tweaks to improve gameplay.
Rating: Needs Work
The Setup (First Draft)
Cards: Flag Bearer, Butcher, Festival, Cellar, Monument, Diplomat, Militia, Council Room, Peasant, Port, (playing with Platinums and Colonies)
Events: Bonfire, Ball
Projects: Capitalism, Fair
The Rationale:
The most patriotic card seemed to be the Flag Bearer, for the American flag. The Council Room represents Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was debated, revised, and ultimately signed. The Militia stands for the militias of minutemen who first rose up to fight for their new country. The Port represents the many important ports, especially Boston with its Boston Tea Party that helped to cause the revolution, and Yorktown, where that revolution was won. The Diplomat stands for Benjamin Franklin who set up treaties with France to provide the naval power and supplies needed to win the American Revolution. The Monument, Butcher, Festival, Cellar, Bonfire, Ball, and Fair all represent the celebrations held yearly to commemorate our independence (Bonfire was the closest I could find to fireworks). Capitalism is so intrinsically tied with the spirit of America that I figured it ought to be part of the Dominion Setup that celebrates America. Similarly, I chose the Peasant card because it’s a card that upgrades itself, taking perhaps an odd path, but one that ultimately leads to greater wisdom and prosperity. I think that’s a path that America itself has taken, and one that Americans are encouraged to take as part of that American Dream.
Expansions Used:
Base Dominion Game (Cellar, Council Room, Festival, Militia)
Renaissance Expansion (Flag Bearer, Capitalism, Fair)
Guilds Expansion (Butcher)
(I recommend getting it with the Cornucopia Expansion, since getting both costs as much as getting just one of them, and while You can pair it with Alchemy, I like the Cornucopia expansion better than the Alchemy one.)
Prosperity Expansion (Monument, Platinum and Colonies)
Intrigue Expansion (Diplomat)
Adventures Expansion (Peasant, Port, Bonfire, Ball)
How it Played Out:
Generally-
Expect about an hour for this setup, perhaps a bit more with setup and take-down. Pretty well balanced in giving extra actions, extra cards, extra buys. Multiple cards/events/projects that pair well with each other. Has a somewhat narrow range of viable strategies, but there is variety within that range.
Strategically-
Heavy use of Militias meant that Flag Bearers were basically useless. Similarly, Ports weren’t played much. Finding ways to deal with the militias (primarily by getting Diplomats and Militias of your own) proved key to success. Capitalism turned out to be very useful in preventing running out of actions (as well as making it so that Militias and Monuments could always be played). Bonfire and Butcher were both useful for trashing/improving coppers and estates. Council rooms gave people the extra cards needed and extra buys to spend them.
2nd Draft:
Base Cards: Normal, with Colonies and Platinums
Game Cards: Butcher, Festival, Cellar, Monument, Diplomat, Militia, Council Room, Peasant, Experiment, Improve
Events: Bonfire, Ball
Projects: Capitalism, Fair
Notes: The second draft adds Experiment (since people have referred to the US as “the American Experiment” in self-government) and Improve (since there are many opportunities to improve in America). It’s worth noting that removing the Flag Bearer improves the gameplay, but I was a bit sad to have to take the most patriotic card out of the Independence Day Setup, I came up with a separate Setup called “Capture the Flag” which revolves around making the Flag Bearer relevant, and which can serve as a second option for your Independence Day-Themed Dominion Kingdom needs.