Crown (Empires)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Crown:

Crown Strategy Guide

Introduction: Crown is a versatile $5 Action-Treasure card that effectively doubles either an Action card or a Treasure card, depending on which phase you play it in. Its dual-phase flexibility makes it one of the more interesting "doubling" cards in Dominion, offering distinct strategic advantages in both Action and Buy phases.

Key Characteristics: - Doubles an Action card during the Action phase - Doubles a Treasure card during the Buy phase - Can be played in either phase - Doesn't count as playing the doubled card twice for cards that care about play count - Requires having appropriate cards in hand to be effective

Basic Strategy:

1. Action Phase Usage: Crown's Action phase ability is similar to Throne Room, but with some key differences:
2. You must have both Crown and the Action card you want to double in hand
3. It doesn't chain with itself like Throne Room variants can
4. It's more flexible due to its Treasure phase ability

5. Best used on powerful terminal Actions or cards that give +Actions

6. Buy Phase Usage: The Treasure doubling ability makes Crown particularly potent with:

7. High-value Treasure cards (Gold, Platinum)
8. Special Treasure cards with beneficial effects
9. Treasure cards that care about play order

General Timing Considerations: - Consider carefully which phase to play Crown in - Sometimes holding Crown for the Buy phase is better than using it on a mediocre Action - Plan your deck to maximize the chances of having good targets in both phases

Specific Card Combinations:

Strong Action Phase Targets:

1. Draw Cards:
2. Laboratory
3. Smithy
4. Council Room

5. Any card that draws multiple cards

6. Villages and Splitters:

7. Village variants
8. Festival
9. Market

10. Cards that give multiple Actions

11. Powerful Terminal Actions:

12. Ghost Ship
13. Witch
14. Militia
15. Bridge

16. Any strong Attack or payload card

17. Engine Components:

18. Workshop
19. Artificer
20. Navigator
21. Cards that help build your deck

Strong Buy Phase Targets:

1. Basic Treasures:
2. Gold (provides $6)
3. Platinum (provides $10)

4. Silver (provides $4)

5. Special Treasures:

6. Bank
7. Venture
8. Royal Seal
9. Philosopher's Stone
10. Fortune

11. Capital

12. Treasure Gainers:

13. Fool's Gold
14. Cache
15. Hoard

Advanced Strategies:

1. Engine Building: Crown can significantly boost engine consistency by:
2. Doubling key draw cards
3. Doubling village effects
4. Providing extra buying power when needed

5. Offering flexibility in different phases

6. Big Money Variants: In Big Money strategies, Crown excels by:

7. Doubling high-value Treasures
8. Providing consistency in buying power
9. Reducing the need for multiple Action plays

10. Supporting hybrid approaches

11. Rush Strategies: Crown can support rushing by:

12. Doubling gaining effects
13. Providing early economic boost
14. Accelerating victory point acquisition
15. Doubling attack cards to slow opponents

Specific Kingdom Considerations:

1. Action-Heavy Kingdoms: In kingdoms with many valuable Actions:
2. Prioritize Action phase usage
3. Look for powerful terminal Actions
4. Consider deck composition carefully

5. Balance Action density with Treasures

6. Treasure-Heavy Kingdoms: When special Treasures are available:

7. Focus on Buy phase usage
8. Acquire powerful Treasure combinations
9. Consider skipping Action cards

10. Build toward consistent Treasure plays

11. Mixed Kingdoms: In balanced kingdoms:

12. Maintain flexibility
13. Keep both Action and Treasure targets
14. Adapt usage based on game state
15. Consider multiple Crown copies

Counter-Strategies and Weaknesses:

1. Hand Size Attacks: Crown is vulnerable to:
2. Militia
3. Ghost Ship
4. Torturer

5. Any card that reduces hand size

6. Consistency Issues: Potential problems include:

7. Needing both Crown and target card
8. Phase timing constraints
9. Competition for hand space

10. Draw deck composition requirements

11. Opportunity Cost: Consider these factors:

12. $5 cost could buy other engine pieces
13. Requires good targets to be worthwhile
14. May be too slow in some kingdoms
15. Competes with other $5 cards

Acquisition Timing:

Early Game: - Consider opening Crown with $5 - Evaluate available targets - Plan deck composition - Balance with other priorities

Mid Game: - Add Crown to support engine - Acquire multiple copies if beneficial - Adjust strategy based on targets - Consider phase flexibility needs

Late Game: - Focus on closing power - Use for decisive turns - Support victory point acquisition - Maintain economic advantage

Number of Copies:

1-2 Copies: - Minimal investment - Flexible usage - Supports hybrid strategies - Maintains deck consistency

3-4 Copies: - Maximum doubling potential - Requires more targets - May need deck thinning - Better with strong targets

5+ Copies: - Usually excessive - Can clog hand - Reduces target frequency - Consider only with exceptional targets

Kingdom Specific Advice:

Laboratory Kingdoms: - Crown doubles draw power - Supports engine building - Maintains Action phase momentum - Combines with other engine pieces

Village Kingdoms: - Doubles Action allowance - Supports larger engines - Enables complex turns - Maintains chain consistency

Treasure-Focus Kingdoms: - Doubles economic output - Supports big money variants - Enables powerful combinations - Provides buying flexibility

Sample Turn Examples:

Action Phase Example: Hand: Crown, Laboratory, Silver, Estate, Copper Play: Crown on Laboratory Result: Draw 4 cards, continuing turn with larger hand

Buy Phase Example: Hand: Crown, Gold, Silver, Estate, Copper Play: Crown on Gold Result: +$6 from doubled Gold, plus other Treasures

Tips and Tricks:

1. Phase Management:
2. Plan phase usage before playing cards
3. Consider holding Crown for later phases
4. Track remaining Actions and Buys

5. Maintain flexibility when possible

6. Deck Construction:

7. Include reliable targets
8. Balance Action and Treasure density
9. Consider deck thinning

10. Maintain drawing power

11. Target Selection:

12. Evaluate immediate impact
13. Consider long-term strategy
14. Account for opponent's strategy

15. Adapt to game state

16. Timing Optimization:

17. Plan multi-turn sequences
18. Consider reshuffling timing
19. Track deck composition
20. Maintain phase flexibility

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

1. Poor Phase Choice:
2. Using Crown too early
3. Missing better opportunities
4. Ignoring phase flexibility

5. Forcing suboptimal plays

6. Target Selection:

7. Doubling weak cards
8. Ignoring better options
9. Missing timing windows

10. Overlooking phase considerations

11. Deck Building:

12. Too few targets
13. Poor balance of cards
14. Insufficient draw

15. Overcrowding with Crowns

16. Strategic Planning:

17. Inflexible strategy
18. Ignoring opponent's plans
19. Poor timing
20. Mismanaging resources

Conclusion:

Crown is a versatile card that rewards careful planning and flexible strategy. Its ability to double either Actions or Treasures makes it valuable in many different kingdom configurations. Success with Crown requires:

• Understanding phase timing
• Selecting appropriate targets
• Building supporting deck composition
• Maintaining strategic flexibility
• Adapting to game state

The card's power level varies significantly based on available targets and kingdom composition, but its flexibility makes it a valuable addition to many strategies. Whether doubling powerful Actions or providing economic boost, Crown's dual-phase utility makes it a fascinating and powerful card in the right circumstances.

Remember to: - Evaluate kingdom context - Plan phase usage - Select appropriate targets - Maintain strategic flexibility - Consider deck composition - Adapt to game state

With proper understanding and application of these principles, Crown can be a powerful tool in your Dominion strategy arsenal.