Silk Road (Hinterlands)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Silk Road:

Silk Road Strategy Guide

Introduction Silk Road is a unique Victory card that scales based on the total number of Victory cards in your deck. Unlike standard Victory cards with fixed VP values, Silk Road rewards players for accumulating multiple Victory cards, creating interesting strategic decisions and potentially enabling alternative victory paths.

Basic Mechanics - Costs $4 - Counts all Victory cards in your deck, including itself - Rounds down when calculating points (e.g., 7 Victory cards = 1VP) - Works with any card having the Victory type, including hybrid cards

Key Thresholds Understanding Silk Road's value thresholds is crucial: - 1-3 Victory cards = 0VP - 4-7 Victory cards = 1VP - 8-11 Victory cards = 2VP - 12-15 Victory cards = 3VP - 16-19 Victory cards = 4VP - 20-23 Victory cards = 5VP

General Strategy Considerations

1. Early Game During the opening turns, Silk Road is usually a poor buy because:
2. It provides no immediate benefit
3. Early Victory cards severely hurt deck consistency
4. You need multiple Victory cards for it to score anything

However, there are specific situations where an early Silk Road might be justified: - When planning a very heavy Victory card strategy - In games with strong deck control/filtering - When Victory card synergies are abundant

1. Mid Game The mid-game is when Silk Road strategies typically begin to develop:
2. Start acquiring Silk Roads when you have a stable engine
3. Consider picking up other Victory cards to increase Silk Road's value

4. Balance Victory card acquisition with maintaining deck functionality

5. Late Game Silk Road becomes increasingly important in the endgame:

6. Can serve as an alternative/supplement to Provinces
7. May determine timing of game end via Province pile depletion
8. Creates interesting decisions about Victory card ratios

Synergies and Combinations

1. Victory Card Enablers Cards that make Victory cards less painful:
2. Monument (makes Victory cards profitable)
3. Hoard (generates Gold when buying Victory cards)
4. Baron (turns Estates into economy)
5. Mill (draws cards when discarding Victory cards)

6. Great Hall (Victory card that replaces itself)

7. Deck Control Cards that help manage Victory card density:

8. Cellar (dig past Victory cards)
9. Warehouse (filter deck)
10. Scout (finds Victory cards)
11. Library (draw until hand is full, can skip Victory cards)

12. Hunting Grounds (massive draw helps offset Victory cards)

13. Victory Card Gainers Cards that help accumulate Victory cards efficiently:

14. Border Village (gain extra cards when buying Victory cards)
15. Tournament (gain Duchies)
16. Embassy (forces opponents to gain Victory cards)

17. Patrician/Emporium (can gain Victory cards as rewards)

18. Special Victory Cards Victory cards that provide additional benefits:

19. Gardens (synergizes well with Silk Road strategy)
20. Duke (natural fit with Duchy-heavy Silk Road builds)
21. Feodum (adds multiple Victory cards via Silvers)
22. Mill (provides actions while being a Victory card)
23. Island (removes itself from deck while counting for Silk Road)

Specific Strategy Approaches

1. Gardens/Silk Road Combo This strategy focuses on acquiring both Gardens and Silk Roads: Advantages:
2. Both cards reward having many cards in deck
3. Creates strong incentive to gain Estates
4. Can make use of cheaper Victory cards Considerations:
5. Requires strong deck control
6. Vulnerable to deck-attacking strategies

7. May need supplemental Province buying

8. Duke/Silk Road Engine Combining Dukes, Duchies, and Silk Roads: Advantages:

9. Duchies count for both Duke and Silk Road
10. Can achieve high point totals
11. Often cheaper than pure Province strategy Disadvantages:
12. Slow to develop
13. Requires careful timing

14. Can be disrupted by Province rush

15. Hybrid Province/Silk Road Balance traditional Province buying with Silk Road accumulation: Advantages:

16. More flexible than pure strategies
17. Can pivot based on opponent's strategy
18. Provinces count toward Silk Road VP Disadvantages:
19. May dilute both strategies
20. Requires good judgment on ratios
21. Can be outpaced by focused strategies

Counter-Strategies

1. Province Rush
2. Focus on buying Provinces quickly
3. End game before Silk Road engine develops

4. Ignore Silk Roads entirely

5. Deck Attack

6. Use Militia/Ghost Ship to disrupt deck building
7. Employ Curse-givers to dilute Victory card ratio

8. Use Saboteur/Knights to destroy Victory cards

9. Alternative VP

10. Focus on VP tokens (Monument, Goons)
11. Build VP engine (Bishop, Garden)
12. Use unique VP sources (Fairgrounds, Vineyard)

Timing Considerations

1. When to Start Buying Silk Roads Good indicators include:
2. Stable deck drawing most cards each turn
3. Strong economy generating $4+ reliably
4. Clear path to acquiring multiple Victory cards

5. Opponent's strategy suggesting longer game

6. When to Switch to Provinces Consider switching when:

7. Province pile getting low
8. Silk Road VP potential maxed out
9. Opponent threatening game end

10. Economy strong enough for consistent Province buying

11. End Game Timing Pay attention to:

12. Province pile depletion rate
13. Total Victory cards in deck
14. Opponent's VP total
15. Potential for game-ending pile outs

Kingdom Evaluations

Favorable Kingdoms Include: - Strong deck control/filtering - Victory card gainers/enablers - Slow-paced games - Multiple Victory card types available

Unfavorable Kingdoms Include: - Strong attack cards - Fast Province rush potential - Limited deck control - Few Victory card synergies

Sample Opening Strategies

1. Standard Engine Build Turn 1-2: Buy engine components Turn 3-4: Develop economy Turn 5-6: Begin acquiring Victory cards Turn 7+: Balance Silk Roads with other Victory cards

2. Rush Strategy Turn 1-2: Buy Silver/economy Turn 3-4: Continue economy development Turn 5: First Silk Road Turn 6+: Aggressive Victory card acquisition

3. Hybrid Approach Turn 1-2: Buy flexible components Turn 3-4: Develop engine/economy Turn 5-6: Test Victory card waters Turn 7+: Adapt based on game state

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Strategic Errors
2. Buying Silk Roads too early
3. Neglecting deck control
4. Over-focusing on Victory cards

5. Ignoring opponent's strategy

6. Tactical Mistakes

7. Poor Victory card ratios
8. Inadequate economy building
9. Mistiming strategy shifts

10. Miscounting VP potential

11. Evaluation Errors

12. Overvaluing Silk Road in wrong kingdoms
13. Undervaluing alternative strategies
14. Misreading game pace
15. Incorrect end game calculations

Conclusion

Silk Road is a fascinating Victory card that creates unique strategic decisions and enables alternative paths to victory. Success with Silk Road requires: - Careful kingdom evaluation - Strong deck management - Good timing sense - Flexible strategic thinking

While not always the optimal strategy, Silk Road can be powerful in the right circumstances and adds interesting depth to Dominion gameplay. Understanding when and how to use Silk Road effectively is a valuable skill for any serious Dominion player.

Key Takeaways: 1. Evaluate kingdom support carefully 2. Build strong deck control 3. Time Victory card acquisition properly 4. Maintain strategic flexibility 5. Watch game pace and ending conditions 6. Calculate VP potential accurately 7. Consider opponent's strategy 8. Balance economy with Victory cards

Remember that Silk Road strategies require practice and experience to execute effectively. Don't be discouraged by initial failures, as mastering this card's use can add a powerful tool to your Dominion strategic arsenal.