Necropolis (Dark Ages)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Necropolis:

Necropolis Strategy Guide

Introduction Necropolis is one of the three Shelter cards that can replace starting Estates in Dark Ages games. As a starting card that provides +2 Actions, it represents a significant departure from the standard opening hands in Dominion and can materially affect early game strategy and overall game trajectory.

Basic Characteristics - Provides +2 Actions without any other effects - Replaces one Estate in your starting deck when using Shelters - Cannot be bought (like other Shelters) - Costs $1 (relevant mainly for gaining/trashing effects)

Core Advantages

1. Early Game Action Splitting The most immediate benefit of Necropolis is its ability to play multiple terminal actions in your early turns. This is particularly valuable because:
2. Starting hands with Necropolis can accommodate two terminal actions
3. Reduces the chance of terminal collision in early game
4. Allows more aggressive purchasing of powerful terminal actions

5. Provides consistency in executing early game strategies

6. Starting Deck Improvement Compared to an Estate, Necropolis offers several advantages:

7. Provides utility on every play, unlike Estate's dead weight
8. Enables stronger early turns
9. Still counts as a Victory card for cards that care about that (like Duchy)
10. Better target for card-drawing effects than Estate

Early Game Considerations

1. Opening Purchases Having Necropolis in your starting deck should influence your opening buys:
2. More freedom to buy strong terminal actions
3. Can consider double-terminal openings
4. Less pressure to prioritize villages early

5. Can delay village purchases until turn 3-4

6. Common Strong Openings with Necropolis

Strong Double Terminal Openings: - Witch + Silver - Militia + Silver - Ghost Ship + Silver - Council Room + Silver - Monument + Silver

Terminal/Non-Terminal Combinations: - Laboratory + Silver - Market + Silver - Warehouse + Silver - Navigator + Silver

The presence of Necropolis makes these openings more consistent and powerful compared to games with standard Estates.

Mid-Game Strategy

1. Village Timing With Necropolis providing early game action splitting:
2. Can delay village purchases slightly
3. Focus on payload and draw first
4. Add villages when deck becomes more action-dense

5. Use Necropolis as a bridge until stronger action suppliers are acquired

6. Deck Composition Consider Necropolis when planning deck composition:

7. Counts toward total number of actions available
8. Influences village density needed

9. Affects probability calculations for drawing actions together

10. Trashing Considerations Unlike Estates, Necropolis has ongoing utility:

11. Generally lower priority for trashing
12. Can keep longer into the game
13. May want to trash later for deck efficiency
14. Consider keeping if action supply is tight

Synergies and Combinations

1. Draw Engines Necropolis works well with draw engines because:
2. Helps establish engines earlier
3. Reduces need for dedicated villages early
4. Enables more consistent engine building

5. Works well with Laboratory variants

6. Terminal Draw Particularly strong with terminal draw cards:

7. Smithy
8. Council Room
9. Witch
10. Ghost Ship

11. Margrave

12. Action-Heavy Strategies Supports strategies requiring multiple actions:

13. Treasure Map chains
14. Multiple attacks
15. Complex action chains

16. Campaign combinations

17. Specific Card Synergies

Strong Synergies: - Laboratory (enables draw + additional action) - Hunting Grounds (helps play multiple copies) - Festival (stacks action bonus) - Library (counts as an action for drawing) - Throne Room variants (enables multiple terminals)

Moderate Synergies: - Market (additional actions stack) - Militia (enables attack + additional action) - Warehouse (filtering + action) - Navigator (sifting + action)

Counter-Synergies: - Chapel (typically want to trash Estates early) - Gardens (prefers quantity of cards) - Terminal silver payload strategies (less need for actions)

Comparing to Other Shelters

1. Versus Overgrown Estate Necropolis is generally stronger because:
2. Provides immediate utility
3. Doesn't require trashing for benefit
4. Enables stronger early turns

5. More flexible in various strategies

6. Versus Hovel Necropolis is usually preferable because:

7. Always useful when drawn
8. Doesn't require specific triggers
9. Supports multiple strategies
10. More consistent benefit

Strategic Considerations by Game Phase

Early Game (Turns 1-4): - Enables stronger terminal action openings - Reduces need for early villages - Supports more aggressive strategies - Helps establish engine pieces

Mid Game (Turns 5-10): - Provides ongoing action support - Helps transition to stronger action sources - Can support multiple terminals before full engine - Enables more flexible purchasing

Late Game (Turn 11+): - May become candidates for trashing - Help maintain action density - Support victory card integration - Enable final turns with multiple terminals

Kingdom Considerations

1. No Other Villages When no other villages are available:
2. Necropolis becomes more valuable
3. May influence strategy toward fewer terminals
4. Could support limited engine building

5. Enables at least some terminal splitting

6. Strong Terminals Present With powerful terminals in the Kingdom:

7. Enables earlier acquisition
8. Supports playing multiple attacks
9. Allows more aggressive terminal purchasing

10. Reduces risk of dead terminals

11. Trashing Available With strong trashing:

12. Generally trash Estates/Hovel first
13. Keep Necropolis longer
14. May eventually trash for efficiency
15. Consider action density needs

Advanced Techniques

1. Action Planning
2. Count Necropolis in action calculations
3. Plan turn sequence considering +2 actions
4. Position Necropolis optimally in play sequence

5. Use as backup village when needed

6. Engine Building

7. Factor into village density calculations
8. Use as bridge to full engine
9. Consider in action-draw balance

10. Support early engine establishment

11. Probability Management

12. Account for Necropolis in shuffle luck
13. Calculate terminal collision chances
14. Plan action sequences accordingly
15. Consider in hand size predictions

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Overvaluing
2. Don't treat as a full village replacement
3. Remember it's not gainable
4. Don't rely on it for full engine support

5. Consider it a bonus, not a strategy centerpiece

6. Undervaluing

7. Don't trash too early
8. Don't ignore its enabling power
9. Don't forget about it in action chains

10. Consider its impact on opening buys

11. Strategic Errors

12. Buying too many terminals early
13. Ignoring need for proper villages
14. Over-relying on single Necropolis
15. Not adjusting strategy for its presence

Conclusion

Necropolis represents a significant improvement over starting Estates and can materially impact game strategy from the opening turn. Its presence enables stronger openings, supports earlier engine building, and provides flexibility in strategic development. While not as powerful as a proper village, it serves as a valuable support card throughout the game.

Key Takeaways: - Enables stronger terminal openings - Supports early engine building - Reduces early village pressure - Provides ongoing utility - Influences strategic planning - Affects trashing priorities

Optimal use of Necropolis requires: - Careful opening planning - Strategic terminal acquisition - Thoughtful deck composition - Proper action sequencing - Understanding of its limitations - Integration into broader strategy

When playing with Necropolis, remember it's a tool that enables stronger plays but isn't a complete strategy in itself. Use it to enhance your general strategy while remaining focused on traditional engine-building principles and victory conditions.