Port (Adventures)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Port in Dominion:

Port Strategy Guide

Introduction Port is a unique Action card from the Adventures expansion that combines a modest draw effect (+1 Card) with strong action generation (+2 Actions) and a special gaining mechanic that provides two copies when purchased. This unusual combination of features makes Port an interesting card that requires careful consideration in both deck-building and gameplay.

Basic Properties - Cost: $4 - Effects: +1 Card, +2 Actions - Special gaining rule: When you buy Port, gain an additional copy - Type: Action (non-terminal)

Core Strengths 1. Village Effect Port's primary strength is its ability to provide +2 Actions, making it a "village" card that enables multi-action chains. The fact that it replaces itself with +1 Card means it doesn't reduce your hand size while providing these actions.

1. Automatic Doubling The special gaining rule means each $4 investment provides two copies of Port, making it exceptionally efficient for building action chains quickly.

2. Non-terminal Nature Being non-terminal (providing more actions than it consumes) means Ports can be freely chained together without creating terminal collision problems.

Key Uses and Strategies

1. Action Chain Enabler Port's primary role is enabling action chains by providing additional actions. Its self-replacing nature (+1 Card) means you can string together multiple Ports without reducing hand size, making it excellent for:
2. Supporting terminal draw engines
3. Enabling multiple terminal actions in a single turn

4. Creating consistent action availability

5. Early Game Acceleration The dual-gaining mechanic makes Port particularly powerful in the early game:

6. A single $4 hand provides two villages
7. Helps establish action chains earlier than most other villages

8. Creates reliability through redundancy

9. Engine Building Port excels in engine-building strategies:

10. Pairs well with terminal draw cards
11. Supports multiple terminal payload cards
12. Provides consistency through self-replacement

Specific Synergies

1. Terminal Draw Port works exceptionally well with terminal draw cards like:
2. Smithy
3. Council Room
4. Witch

5. Laboratory variants The +2 Actions ensures you can play both your Port and your draw cards effectively.

6. Terminal Attack Cards Port enables multiple attacks per turn with cards like:

7. Militia
8. Witch
9. Ghost Ship

10. Bureaucrat The ability to play multiple attack cards can create significant pressure on opponents.

11. Payload Cards Port supports playing multiple terminal payload cards like:

12. Market Square
13. Worker's Village
14. Festival

15. Bridge This allows for powerful economic or Victory Point generating turns.

16. Thinning Cards Port works well with deck-thinning cards:

17. Chapel
18. Steward
19. Trading Post The extra actions allow you to both thin and play other important cards in the same turn.

Timing and Quantity

1. Early Game (Turns 1-4)
2. Prioritize getting Ports early if terminal actions are key to your strategy
3. Consider opening Port/Silver to ensure quick access to both economy and actions

4. The dual-gaining mechanic makes early Port purchases particularly valuable

5. Mid Game (Turns 5-10)

6. Continue acquiring Ports if needed for engine reliability
7. Balance Port purchases with other key engine components

8. Consider stopping Port purchases once action supply is reliable

9. Optimal Quantity The ideal number of Ports depends on your strategy:

10. Minimal engine (2-3 terminal actions): 2-4 Ports
11. Medium engine (4-5 terminal actions): 4-6 Ports
12. Heavy engine (6+ terminal actions): 6+ Ports Always consider deck size and shuffle frequency when determining Port quantity.

Counter Strategies

1. Rush Strategies Port-based engines can be vulnerable to:
2. Gardens rush
3. Duke/Duchy rush

4. Early Province rushing These strategies can end the game before the engine fully develops.

5. Deck Attack Cards that interfere with deck consistency can disrupt Port-based engines:

6. Cursers
7. Discard attacks

8. Deck order manipulation

9. Alternative Approaches Sometimes avoiding Port-based engines in favor of:

10. Big Money variants
11. Slog strategies
12. Alternative village cards Can be effective when Port doesn't align with available kingdom cards.

When to Skip Port

1. Limited Terminal Actions
2. If kingdom has few valuable terminal actions
3. When non-terminal actions dominate the strategy

4. In Big Money variants

5. Better Alternatives

6. When superior village cards are available (e.g., Festival, City)
7. When action chains aren't necessary

8. When alternate strategies are clearly superior

9. Hostile Kingdoms

10. Heavy curse-giving presence
11. Strong discard attacks
12. Fast rush potential

Building Around Port

1. Essential Components A typical Port-based engine needs:
2. Terminal draw cards
3. Payload cards
4. Deck thinning

5. Treasure for early purchases

6. Support Cards Consider including:

7. Cantrip draw (Laboratory, Market)
8. Treasury for consistency

9. Duration cards for smoothing

10. Engine Assembly Order Typical priority:

11. Thinning (Chapel, etc.)
12. Ports (2-4 copies)
13. Terminal draw
14. Additional Ports as needed
15. Payload cards

Advanced Techniques

1. Port Chaining
2. Keep track of Action count
3. Order Ports efficiently

4. Maintain draw consistency

5. Deck Tracking

6. Monitor Port distribution
7. Track terminal action density

8. Adjust purchases accordingly

9. Optimization

10. Balance Port quantity with deck size
11. Maintain appropriate action density
12. Adjust strategy based on opponent's approach

Kingdom Evaluation

When evaluating a kingdom for Port-based strategies, consider:

1. Terminal Action Quality
2. Are there strong terminal actions worth enabling?
3. Do the terminals provide sufficient benefit?

4. How many terminals are needed for the strategy?

5. Competition for $4 Slots

6. Are there other important $4 cards?
7. How does Port compare to alternatives?

8. Can multiple $4 cards be incorporated?

9. Game Pace

10. How fast will the game likely end?
11. Can a Port engine develop in time?
12. Are there rush threats?

Sample Strategies

1. Basic Port Engine
2. 4-6 Ports
3. 3-4 Smithies
4. Chapel for thinning

5. Market for payload Goals: Consistent Province gaining

6. Port Attack Chain

7. 6+ Ports
8. 3-4 Witches
9. Chapel

10. Economic support Goals: Curse distribution while building economy

11. Port Mega-Turn

12. 8+ Ports
13. Multiple Bridge variants
14. Mass draw
15. Throne Room effects Goals: Single turn Province sweep

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Over-investing
2. Buying too many Ports early
3. Neglecting other essential components

4. Focusing solely on action capacity

5. Under-investing

6. Too few Ports for terminal actions
7. Insufficient action capacity

8. Inconsistent engine operation

9. Poor Timing

10. Buying Ports too late
11. Missing early Port opportunities
12. Poor purchase order

Conclusion

Port is a powerful and unique village card that excels in engine-building strategies. Its dual-gaining mechanic makes it particularly efficient for establishing action chains quickly, while its self-replacing nature ensures consistent engine operation. Success with Port requires careful balance of quantity, timing, and supporting components, but when properly implemented, it can enable powerful and reliable engines.

The key to mastering Port is understanding both its strengths (quick action chain establishment, consistency, efficiency) and limitations (opportunity cost, vulnerability to rush strategies, need for supporting cards). By carefully evaluating kingdom contexts and adjusting strategy accordingly, Port can be a powerful tool in many Dominion strategies.

Remember that Port's effectiveness ultimately depends on the kingdom context and your ability to build appropriate support around it. Whether it's enabling multiple attacks, supporting heavy draw, or facilitating payload cards, Port's flexibility makes it a valuable addition to many strategies when used appropriately.