Vineyard
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Vineyard (Alchemy)

Cost: $0

Type: Victory

Text: Worth 1VP for every 3 Action cards in your deck (rounded down).

Strategy Review

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

Vineyard Strategy Guide

Introduction Vineyard is a unique Victory card from the Alchemy expansion that rewards players for accumulating Action cards throughout the game. Unlike standard Victory cards that have a fixed VP value, Vineyards scale based on the number of Action cards in your deck when the game ends. Each Vineyard provides 1VP for every 3 Action cards (rounded down), making it a potentially powerful alternative or complement to traditional Victory cards.

Basic Mechanics and Calculations - Each Vineyard counts all Action cards in your deck, including other copies of the same Action card - The calculation is done at game end, counting your entire deck (draw pile, discard pile, and hand) - The rounding down is done per Vineyard, not on the total Action count Examples: - 15 Action cards = 5VP per Vineyard - 16 Action cards = 5VP per Vineyard - 17 Action cards = 5VP per Vineyard - 18 Action cards = 6VP per Vineyard

Key Considerations for Vineyard Strategies

  1. Timing of Vineyard Purchases Unlike traditional Victory cards, Vineyards can be bought early without significantly harming deck efficiency because:
  2. They cost $0 (but require a Potion)
  3. They reward you for buying cards you want anyway (Actions) However, consider:
  4. Early Potions can slow down your deck development
  5. Vineyards are dead cards until endgame scoring

  6. You need a critical mass of Action cards to make them worthwhile

  7. Action Density Requirements To match traditional Victory cards:

  8. Province (6VP): 18 Action cards needed per Vineyard
  9. Duchy (3VP): 9 Action cards needed per Vineyard
  10. Estate (1VP): 3 Action cards needed per Vineyard

This means Vineyards become competitive with: - Moderate Action density (12-15 cards): Better than Duchies - High Action density (18+ cards): Better than Provinces - Very high Action density (24+ cards): Significantly better than Provinces

Optimal Vineyard Strategies

  1. Action-Heavy Engine Building The most straightforward way to maximize Vineyards is building an engine with many Action cards:

Key components: a) Card draw - Laboratory, Smithy, Council Room - These help cycle through your deck while adding to Action count

b) Villages and variants - Village, Festival, Market - Multiple copies are good as they count separately - Help chain multiple Actions together

c) Payload Actions - Attack cards - Terminal draw - Economy boosters

  1. Cheap Action Accumulation Since Vineyards count all Actions equally regardless of cost:
  2. Pearl Diver ($2)
  3. Vagrant ($2)

  4. Wandering Minstrel ($4) These can be as valuable as expensive Actions for Vineyard scoring

  5. Self-Replacing Actions Cards that replace themselves are particularly valuable:

  6. Laboratory
  7. Market
  8. Caravan They maintain deck efficiency while increasing Action count

Synergistic Cards and Combinations

  1. Strong Vineyard Enablers

Throne Room/King's Court - Counts as an Action card itself - Lets you play valuable Actions multiple times - Helps build Action count quickly

Band of Misfits - Counts as an Action card - Can copy other useful Actions - Provides flexibility

Scheme - Helps retrieve key Action cards - Ensures consistent Action plays - Maintains Action density

  1. Card-Gaining Effects

Workshop variants - Gains cheap Actions efficiently - Helps accumulate Action cards quickly - Examples: Workshop, Armory, University

Gainers that target Actions specifically - Artisan - Upgrade - Ironworks

  1. Action-Dense Combinations

Haven + Archive - Both are Actions - Help organize your deck - Improve consistency

Native Village + Multiple Actions - Creates Action-dense mat - Helps store valuable cards - Counts for Vineyard scoring

Counter-Strategies and Weaknesses

  1. Weaknesses of Vineyard Strategies

Vulnerability to attacks: - Militia/Minion can discard valuable Actions - Saboteur can trash Actions - Possession can steal key turns

Deck dilution risks: - Too many non-Action cards - Victory card accumulation - Treasure flooding

Timing issues: - Early Potions slow development - Late Action accumulation may be too slow - Balancing Action buying vs. Vineyard buying

  1. Countering Vineyard Strategies

Trash Actions: - Knights - Rogue - Ambassador

Rush strategies: - Province rush before Action count builds - Garden rush with cheaper requirements - Colony rush in Prosperity games

Control Action supply: - Buy key Actions to deny them - Empty Action piles before full value achieved - Force game end before critical mass

Optimal Number of Vineyards

The ideal number depends on:

  1. Action Density
  2. Low (< 10 Actions): 0-1 Vineyards
  3. Medium (10-15 Actions): 2-3 Vineyards

  4. High (16+ Actions): 4+ Vineyards

  5. Game Length

  6. Short games: Fewer Vineyards
  7. Long games: More Vineyards

  8. Consider pile exhaustion timing

  9. Competition

  10. Unopposed: Can build gradually
  11. Contested: May need to secure early
  12. Racing: Balance with other Victory cards

Kingdom Evaluation for Vineyard Strategies

When evaluating a Kingdom for Vineyard potential, consider:

  1. Action Support
  2. Are there strong Action cards?
  3. Are there card draw effects?

  4. Are there Action chains available?

  5. Economy

  6. Can you afford Potions early?
  7. Is there sufficient treasure generation?

  8. Are there alternative money sources?

  9. Tempo

  10. How fast can you build Action density?
  11. What's the likely game length?
  12. Are there competing strategies?

Sample Turn Sequences

Early Game (Turns 1-4): Turn 1: Silver Turn 2: Potion Turn 3: Key Action card Turn 4: Another Action or Vineyard

Mid Game (Turns 5-10): - Focus on Action accumulation - Add key engine pieces - Begin acquiring Vineyards

Late Game (Turns 11+): - Continue Action accumulation - Balance Vineyards with other Victory cards - Consider pile control

Tips for Success

  1. General Guidelines
  2. Don't buy Vineyards too early without Action support
  3. Balance Action buying with deck efficiency

  4. Watch opponent's strategy and adapt

  5. Timing Considerations

  6. Start with engine pieces
  7. Add Vineyards when Action density supports them

  8. Consider end-game timing

  9. Practice Points

  10. Count Actions regularly
  11. Track VP potential
  12. Monitor pile depletion

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Strategy Errors
  2. Buying Potions too early
  3. Neglecting economy

  4. Over-investing in Vineyards

  5. Tactical Mistakes

  6. Ignoring other Victory cards
  7. Not counting Actions accurately

  8. Missing pile exhaustion opportunities

  9. Timing Errors

  10. Late Potion acquisition
  11. Early Vineyard purchases
  12. Poor end-game timing

Conclusion

Vineyard is a powerful alternative Victory card that rewards careful planning and Action-heavy strategies. Success requires: - Strong Action accumulation - Efficient engine building - Careful timing - Accurate counting - Strategic flexibility

When properly supported, Vineyards can provide significant VP potential that exceeds traditional Victory cards. However, they require commitment to an Action-focused strategy and careful consideration of timing and kingdom context.

Remember that Vineyards aren't always the optimal strategy, even with good Action support. Always evaluate the specific Kingdom context and be prepared to adapt your strategy based on opponent moves and game development.