Princess (Cornucopia)

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

Princess Strategy Guide

Introduction Princess is one of the five Prize cards available through the Tournament card in the Cornucopia expansion. While it's not directly purchasable from the Supply, winning a Tournament allows you to gain a Princess, making it a powerful but somewhat difficult-to-acquire card. Its cost reduction effect is one of the most significant in the game, and understanding how to leverage it effectively can dramatically improve your deck's performance.

Core Mechanics - Provides +1 Buy - Reduces the cost of all cards by $2 (but not below $0) while in play - Not part of the Supply (can only be gained through Tournament) - Has no innate +Actions or +Cards

Key Strengths 1. Powerful Cost Reduction - Makes $5 cards cost $3 - Makes $4 cards cost $2 - Makes $3 cards cost $1 - Enables acquiring multiple expensive cards in a single turn - Stacks with other cost reducers like Bridge and Highway

1. Accessibility Enhancement
2. Opens up new purchase combinations
3. Makes traditionally expensive engines more affordable

4. Allows for faster deck building

5. Flexibility

6. Works with any card type (Actions, Treasures, Victory cards)
7. Benefit applies to all players, but you can plan around it better
8. Combines well with +Buy effects

Getting Princess

Acquiring Princess requires specific strategy around Tournament:

1. Tournament Timing
2. Aim to play Tournament as early as possible when opponents don't have Provinces
3. Consider opening with Tournament if available
4. Include card draw to find Tournament consistently

5. Be prepared for Tournament battles with other players

6. Tournament Competition

7. Track opponent's Tournament capabilities
8. Consider whether to race for Prizes or focus on other strategies
9. May need to adjust strategy if multiple players compete for Prizes

Using Princess Effectively

1. Deck Construction Considerations

a) Action Density - Include sufficient action cards to play Princess consistently - Consider including throne room variants to play Princess multiple times - Balance between actions and payload is crucial

b) Draw Engine Components - Card draw becomes cheaper and more accessible - Focus on building a reliable engine that can play Princess early in your turn - Consider cards like Laboratory ($5→$3) and Council Room ($5→$3)

1. Buy Phase Optimization

a) Multiple Buys - Leverage Princess's +1 Buy - Include additional +Buy effects to maximize cost reduction - Plan purchase sequences carefully

b) Cost Break Points - Focus on cards that become significantly more accessible - $5 cards become very attractive at $3 - Consider previously expensive cards that become more reasonable

1. Timing Considerations

a) Early Game - Focus on building engine components while they're cheaper - Consider whether to prioritize multiple smaller purchases or single larger ones - Balance deck improvement with victory point acquisition

b) Mid Game - Look for opportunities to acquire multiple key cards - Consider how cost reduction affects your victory card strategy - Be prepared for opponent's reactions to shared cost reduction

c) Late Game - Plan for Province purchases ($8→$6) - Consider timing of Colony purchases in Colony games ($11→$9) - Be aware of game-ending possibilities with cheaper victory cards

Key Combinations

1. Strong Synergies

a) +Buy Effects - Market ($5→$3): Provides additional buying power and deck flow - Grand Market ($6→$4): Becomes much more accessible - Worker's Village ($4→$2): Cheap village with +Buy

b) Drawing Effects - Library ($5→$3): Helps find Princess consistently - Hunting Party ($5→$3): Improves deck consistency - Smithy ($4→$2): Becomes very efficient

c) Throne Room Variants - Throne Room ($4→$2): Double Princess effect - King's Court ($7→$5): Triple Princess effect - Crown ($5→$3): Flexible doubling option

1. Cost Reduction Stacking

a) Other Cost Reducers - Bridge: Additional $1 reduction per play - Highway: Cumulative cost reduction - Innovation: Can make cards free with multiple effects

b) Coin Token Effects - Plaza: Generate coins for cheaper cards - Baker: Extra flexibility with coin tokens - Merchant Guild: Accumulate coins more efficiently

1. Prize Card Combinations
2. Trusty Steed: Provides resources to utilize cheaper cards
3. Followers: Cheaper attacks become more powerful
4. Diadem: Additional treasure for multiple purchases

Counter Strategies

1. Defending Against Princess

a) When Opponents Have Princess - Consider rushing strategy before engine builds - Focus on cards that remain valuable despite cost reduction - Prepare for faster Province emptying

b) Preventing Princess Acquisition - Compete for Tournaments - Rush Provinces to make Tournaments dead cards - Consider alt-VP strategies

1. Adaptation Strategies

a) Engine Modifications - Adjust engine building plans based on new cost points - Consider whether to switch to big money strategy - Prepare for faster game pace

b) Victory Card Timing - Adjust Province buying timing - Consider Duchy rush strategies - Plan for altered end-game conditions

Sample Turn Examples

Early Game Turn: "Play Princess, Village ($3→$1), Laboratory ($5→$3), buy another Laboratory and a Silver"

Mid Game Turn: "Play King's Court on Princess, play Market ($5→$3), buy Province ($8→$6) and two Gold ($6→$4 each)"

Late Game Turn: "Play Princess, Throne Room on Princess, buy two Provinces ($8→$6 each) and a Duchy ($5→$3)"

Kingdom Considerations

1. Favorable Kingdoms

2. Kingdoms with expensive actions ($5+)

3. Kingdoms with multiple +Buy options
4. Engines requiring multiple components
5. Kingdoms with other cost reduction effects

6. Kingdoms with strong card draw

7. Unfavorable Kingdoms

8. Rush kingdoms where Tournament is too slow

9. Kingdoms where cost reduction isn't significant
10. Cursing attacks that slow engine building
11. Kingdoms lacking +Buy effects
12. Kingdoms where alternative strategies are faster

Advanced Techniques

1. Multiple Princess Plays

a) Setup Requirements - Throne Room variants - Sufficient card draw - Action management

b) Timing Considerations - When to invest in multiple copies - Balance between cost reduction and other effects - Managing deck consistency

1. Engine Building

a) Component Prioritization - Balance between draw and actions - Managing payload acquisition - Victory card timing

b) Acceleration Strategies - Leveraging cheaper components - Managing deck size - Optimizing shuffle timing

1. End Game Positioning

a) Victory Card Management - Calculating optimal purchase sequences - Tracking pile counts - Managing opponent's opportunities

b) Pile Control - Managing key pile depletion - Controlling game length - Forcing favorable end conditions

Conclusion

Princess is a powerful Prize card that can significantly alter game dynamics through its cost reduction effect. Success with Princess requires:

1. Effective Tournament strategy to acquire it
2. Strong engine building to play it consistently
3. Careful buy phase planning to maximize its benefit
4. Awareness of new cost break points
5. Adaptation to shared cost reduction effects

The card's strength lies in its ability to make expensive cards more accessible while providing additional buying power. When used effectively, Princess can accelerate deck building and enable powerful turn sequences that would otherwise be impossible. However, players must remain mindful of opponent's opportunities and adjust their strategy accordingly.

Remember that while Princess is powerful, it requires winning a Tournament to acquire, making it a strategic commitment that should be evaluated against other available options in the kingdom. When the conditions are right, Princess can be a game-changing addition to your deck that enables sophisticated strategies and powerful combinations.