Duke
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Duke (Intrigue)

Cost: $5

Type: Victory

Text: Worth 1VP per Duchy you have.

Strategy Review

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

Duke Strategy Guide

Introduction Duke is a unique victory card from Intrigue that creates an alternative victory path focused on acquiring Duchies instead of Provinces. Its value scales directly with the number of Duchies you have, making it part of a distinct "Duke/Duchy" strategy that can be quite powerful in the right circumstances.

Basic Mechanics - Duke is worth 1VP per Duchy you have - Duchy is worth 3VP regardless of other cards - A Duke/Duchy pair is worth 4VP total (3VP from Duchy + 1VP from Duke) - Multiple Dukes multiply the VP gained from each Duchy

Core Strategy Concepts

  1. Critical Mass The Duke/Duchy strategy requires obtaining both card types in roughly equal numbers to maximize points. Each Duke-Duchy pair provides 4VP for $8 total cost ($5 for Duke, $3 for Duchy), compared to 6VP for $8 with a Province. While this seems less efficient, the strategy becomes more powerful as you accumulate more pairs:

1 Duke + 1 Duchy = 4VP ($8 spent) 2 Dukes + 2 Duchies = 10VP ($16 spent) 3 Dukes + 3 Duchies = 18VP ($24 spent) 4 Dukes + 4 Duchies = 28VP ($32 spent)

This scaling effect means the strategy becomes more efficient as you acquire more pairs, eventually surpassing Provinces in VP per coin spent.

  1. Timing When pursuing a Duke strategy, timing is crucial:

Early Game: - Focus on building your deck's economy - Don't buy Duchies too early as they will clog your deck - Consider buying your first Duke before any Duchies

Mid Game: - Begin acquiring both Dukes and Duchies when your deck can reliably produce $5 - Try to maintain rough parity between Duke and Duchy counts - Watch opponent's strategy to determine your pace

Late Game: - Accelerate Duke/Duchy acquisition - Consider buying additional Duchies if Dukes are gone - Be prepared to pivot to Provinces if necessary

  1. Kingdom Considerations

Factors Favoring Duke Strategy:

a) Slower Kingdoms - Limited trashing - Few village/drawing combos - Absence of strong engine components - Presence of attacks that slow the game

b) Cost Reduction - Bridge - Highway - Princess - These make the strategy more efficient and faster

c) Strong $5 Production - Consistent ability to hit $5 is crucial - Reliable $3 for Duchies is also important

d) Alternative VP Sources - Gardens (can complement Duke strategy) - Other victory cards that don't compete for Provinces

Factors Against Duke Strategy:

a) Fast Kingdoms - Strong trashing - Powerful engines - Quick Province rushes - Big Money variants

b) Strong Province Enablers - King's Court - Goons - Colony/Platinum games

  1. Key Synergies

Strong Companions:

  1. Monument
  2. Provides VP tokens while building economy
  3. Helps offset early Duke/Duchy purchases

  4. Works at similar price points

  5. Gardens

  6. Can share similar deck-stuffing strategy
  7. Duchies contribute to Gardens count

  8. Creates multiple viable VP paths

  9. Cost Reducers

  10. Bridge makes both Dukes and Duchies cheaper
  11. Highway can enable faster pair acquisition

  12. Quarry helps with Duke purchases

  13. Sifters/Filterers

  14. Hunting Grounds helps manage Duchy deck clog
  15. Cellar helps cycle past green cards

  16. Warehouse provides deck control

  17. Gainers

  18. Workshop can gain Duchies
  19. Ironworks can gain either piece

  20. Governor can gain both efficiently

  21. Treasure Doublers

  22. Copper double-effects help reach $5/$3 breakpoints
  23. Counteracts deck dilution from green cards

Counter-Strategy

When Opposing Duke:

  1. Rush Provinces
  2. Traditional Province rush can outpace Duke
  3. Especially effective with strong trashing

  4. Consider 3-pile ending through Duchies

  5. Contest Key Piles

  6. Buying occasional Duchies disrupts pairs
  7. Taking a few Dukes reduces maximum scaling

  8. Creating pile pressure forces decisions

  9. Use Attacks

  10. Militia/Discard attacks hurt consistency
  11. Cursing makes hitting price points harder

  12. Ghost Ship can severely disrupt draw

  13. Build Engines

  14. Strong engines can outpace Duke scaling
  15. Can enable Province doubles/triples
  16. Better terminal space for attacks

Advanced Techniques

  1. Opening Considerations

Strong Duke Openings: - Silver/Silver - Silver/Duke - Potion/Silver (if Kingdom appropriate) - Terminal Silver/Silver

Avoid: - Early Duchy purchases - Weak terminals without draw - Split economy cards

  1. Pile Management

Track carefully: - Duke/Duchy ratio - Remaining copies - Opponent's green card count - Potential three-pile endings

  1. Transition Timing

Watch for: - Deck composition changes - Economy consistency - Opponent's strategy - Endgame approaching

  1. Alternative Endings

Consider: - Three-pile endings - Province transitions - Mixed VP sources - Defense against rushes

Sample Turn Sequences

Early Game (Turns 1-7): 1-2: Build economy (Silver/Silver ideal) 3-4: Continue economy, maybe first Duke 5-7: Begin Duke/Duchy pairs if economy strong

Mid Game (Turns 8-12): - Acquire pairs steadily - Maintain economy - Watch opponent's pace - Consider support cards

Late Game (Turns 13+): - Accelerate pair acquisition - Watch pile counts - Consider alternative VPs - Prepare for game end

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Strategy Selection
  2. Forcing Duke strategy in unfavorable kingdoms
  3. Ignoring opponent's strategy

  4. Not having backup plans

  5. Execution Errors

  6. Buying Duchies too early
  7. Neglecting economy
  8. Imbalanced Duke/Duchy ratio

  9. Missing pile-out opportunities

  10. Timing Issues

  11. Starting too early
  12. Starting too late
  13. Failing to adjust pace
  14. Missing transition points

Multiplayer Considerations

In 3-4 Player Games: - Strategy is generally weaker - Pile pressure more significant - More competition for Duchies - Consider mixed strategies - Watch for pile-out conditions

Kingdom Analysis Examples

Strong Duke Kingdom: "Village, Workshop, Market, Duke, Bridge" - Cost reduction available - Moderate pace - Gaining possible - Decent draw/economy

Weak Duke Kingdom: "Chapel, Laboratory, Festival, Duke, King's Court" - Strong trashing - Fast engine potential - Easy Province purchases - Limited attacks/slowing

When to Avoid Duke Strategy

  1. Kingdom Signs:
  2. Strong trashing present
  3. Multiple strong card draw
  4. Easy money generation

  5. Colony/Platinum available

  6. Opponent Signs:

  7. Fast engine building
  8. Heavy trashing
  9. Early Province purchases

  10. Strong attack chains

  11. Card Combinations:

  12. King's Court/Bridge chains
  13. Laboratory/Village engines
  14. Chapel/Steward openings
  15. Wharf chains

Conclusion

The Duke strategy represents a unique alternative to traditional Province-based victory paths in Dominion. Success requires:

  • Careful kingdom analysis
  • Strong timing awareness
  • Good pile management
  • Flexible strategic thinking
  • Solid execution

When properly implemented in appropriate kingdoms, Duke can be extremely powerful. However, players must remain aware of:

  • Kingdom context
  • Opponent's strategy
  • Alternative paths
  • Timing windows
  • Endgame conditions

Practice identifying favorable conditions and executing the strategy efficiently to maximize Duke's potential in your games.

Final Tips:

  1. Always count VP potential before committing
  2. Keep economy strong throughout
  3. Watch pile counts carefully
  4. Be ready to adapt strategy
  5. Practice timing in various kingdoms
  6. Study opponent's patterns
  7. Track efficiency breakpoints

With proper understanding and practice, Duke can be a powerful tool in your Dominion strategy arsenal, providing an alternative path to victory in many kingdom configurations.