Rebuild (Dark Ages)

Rebuild Strategy Guide

Rebuild is one of the most powerful cards in Dominion, capable of forming the backbone of an entire strategy. This guide will explore how to effectively use Rebuild, when to pursue it, and how to counter it.

1. Core Mechanics and Basic Strategy

Rebuild's primary function is to gradually transform lower-value Victory cards into higher-value ones. The most common progression is: - Estate ($2) → Duchy ($5) - Duchy ($5) → Province ($8)

Key aspects of its mechanics: - The +1 Action means you can chain multiple Rebuilds - You must name a card before revealing - You can only trash Victory cards - The gained card must be a Victory card - The cost difference limit is $3

Basic Operation: 1. Name Province (usually) 2. Reveal cards until you hit a Victory card 3. If it's not Province, trash it and gain a better Victory card 4. If it is a Province, you've missed, but will hit next time

1. Why Rebuild is Strong

Several factors make Rebuild particularly powerful: - Self-replacing (doesn't take your Action) - Provides deck control through revealing/discarding - Automatically improves Victory cards - Can gain Provinces without actually having $8 - Works well with multiple copies - Functions as both trashing and gaining - Relatively cheap at $5

1. Core Rebuild Strategy

The basic Rebuild strategy involves:

Early Game (Turns 1-5): - Prioritize getting 2-3 Rebuilds - Don't worry much about other deck improvements - Keep starting Estates for conversion material

Mid Game (Turns 6-12): - Name Province consistently - Convert Estates to Duchies - Convert Duchies to Provinces - Buy additional Rebuilds if possible - Consider gaining extra Duchies as conversion material

Late Game: - Continue converting to Provinces - Watch pile sizes - Consider when to stop gaining more Rebuilds

1. Advanced Techniques

Naming Strategy: - Usually name Province - Name Duchy if you want to hit Estates - Sometimes name Estate if fishing for Duchies - Consider Colony in Colony games

Duchy Dancing: - Deliberately gain extra Duchies - Convert them to Provinces - Creates more conversion opportunities - Especially strong with multiple Rebuilds

Deck Control: - Rebuild reveals until hitting Victory cards - This provides deck filtering - Can help find other important cards - Consider deck composition when deciding what to name

1. Key Synergies

Cards that work well with Rebuild:

Draw/Filtering: - Laboratory - Market - Warehouse - Any cards that help find Rebuilds

Victory Card Gainers: - Monument - Baron - Count - Creates more conversion fodder

Action multipliers: - Village variants - Festival - Market Square - Helps play multiple Rebuilds

Deck Trackers: - Scout - Wandering Minstrel - Navigator - Helps know what to name

1. Counter-Strategies

Opposing a Rebuild strategy:

Pile Control: - Attack Duchy pile - Gain Provinces directly - Force game end before Rebuild engine matures

Rush Strategies: - Gardens rush - Silk Road rush - Duke/Duchy rush - Can outpace Rebuild

Attacks: - Discard attacks (Militia, Ghost Ship) - Deck order attacks (Bureaucrat) - Junking attacks (Cultist, Mountebank)

1. Kingdom Considerations

When to Go Rebuild:

Strong when: - No strong attacks present - Multiple Victory card piles available - Few alternative engine components - Kingdom lacks strong trashing - Cost reduction isn't present

Weak when: - Strong attacks present - Alternative VP sources dominate - Fast alternate strategies available - Colony/Platinum available - Strong trashing exists

1. Multi-Player Considerations

2 Players: - Extremely strong - Often dominates - Mirror matches common - Duchy dancing crucial

3+ Players: - Still strong but less dominant - Pile pressure more significant - More competition for Duchies - Consider alternative strategies

1. Specific Kingdom Scenarios

Colony Games: - Still viable but slower - Consider whether Province is enough - May need additional economy - Name Colony more often

Alternate VP: - Gardens: Usually too slow - Duke: Can complement Rebuild - Silk Road: Usually competes - Fairgrounds: Can be parallel strategy

1. Common Mistakes

Avoid these errors: - Buying too many early treasures - Trashing Estates too early - Ignoring Duchy dancing - Over-investing in support cards - Missing pile-out opportunities

1. Sample Opening Sequences

Strong openings: - $5/$2: Rebuild/Nothing - $4/$3: Silver/Silver - $5/$3: Rebuild/Silver - $4/$4: Silver/Silver

Priority adjustments: - First Rebuild crucial - Second Rebuild important - Third Rebuild useful - Fourth+ situational

1. Timing Considerations

Key timing decisions: - When to start gaining Duchies - When to stop gaining Rebuilds - When to shift to Province names - When to consider ending game

1. Advanced Strategy Elements

Deck Composition: - Keep Victory card ratio appropriate - Don't over-thin - Maintain conversion material - Balance treasure needs

Pile Management: - Track Province pile - Monitor Duchy pile - Consider alternative piles - Watch for pile-out opportunities

End Game: - Calculate remaining conversions - Consider pile-out threats - Plan final turns - Watch opponent's capabilities

1. Special Cases

Cursing Attacks: - Can convert Curses to Estates - May need to name Curse - Consider curse-handling priority - May need additional support

Landmarks: - Can affect gaining decisions - May alter naming choices - Consider VP calculations - May change strategy viability

1. Practice Tips

To improve Rebuild play: - Track Victory card locations - Count conversion opportunities - Practice naming decisions - Study pile dynamics

1. Example Game

Turn 1-2: Buy Rebuild, Silver Turn 3-4: Buy second Rebuild Turn 5-7: Convert Estates to Duchies Turn 8-12: Convert Duchies to Provinces Turn 13+: Clean up remaining conversions

1. Conclusion

Rebuild is a powerful card that can dominate many kingdoms. Success requires: - Understanding timing - Managing piles - Tracking cards - Making correct naming choices - Adapting to opposition

Key takeaways: - Usually worth pursuing - Benefits from multiple copies - Requires careful pile management - Can be countered but difficult - Practice improves performance

1. Quick Reference

Always consider: - Victory card pile sizes - Opponent's strategy - Naming choices - Conversion opportunities - End game timing

Never forget: - +1 Action enables chains - $3 cost increase limit - Must name before revealing - Only trashes Victory cards - Only gains Victory cards

This guide covers the major aspects of Rebuild strategy, but the card's interactions with various kingdom cards and opposing strategies create numerous edge cases and opportunities for skilled play. Practice and experience will help develop the intuition needed for optimal Rebuild use in varied situations.