Druid (Nocturne)

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

Druid Strategy Guide

Introduction Druid is a unique $2 Action-Fate card from the Nocturne expansion that interacts with Boons in a constrained way. Unlike other Fate cards that draw randomly from the Boons deck, Druid lets you choose from three pre-selected Boons that remain constant throughout the game. This predictability makes Druid's strategic value highly dependent on which three Boons are available.

Basic Characteristics - Costs $2 - Provides +1 Buy - Lets you receive one of three face-up Boons set aside at the start - The same three Boons remain available all game - Doesn't use up the Boons (they stay in place)

Key Strengths 1. Predictability: Unlike other Fate cards, you know exactly which Boons are available before buying Druid 2. Consistency: The same options are always available 3. Low cost: At $2, it's easy to add to most opening buys 4. Buy flexibility: The +1 Buy is always useful 5. No drawback: Unlike many cheap utility cards, Druid has no negative effects

Key Limitations 1. Limited options: Only three Boons available instead of all twelve 2. No cycling: Boons remain set aside, so you can't hope for different ones later 3. Opportunity cost: Takes an Action to play 4. Random setup: The three available Boons are randomly determined

Evaluating Druid's Value

The value of Druid varies dramatically based on which three Boons are set aside. Let's categorize the possible Boons by strength:

Strong Boons: - The Field's Gift (+2 Cards) - The Forest's Gift (+$2) - The River's Gift (+1 Card next turn) - The Sun's Gift (look at top 4, discard/reorder) - The Wind's Gift (discard 2, then +2 Cards)

Medium Boons: - The Earth's Gift (gain a card to hand) - The Flame's Gift (+2 Actions) - The Mountain's Gift (gain a Silver) - The Sky's Gift (discard 3 for +$2)

Weak Boons: - The Moon's Gift (look at deck) - The Sea's Gift (+1 Card) - The Swamp's Gift (gain a Will-o'-Wisp)

Druid's value can be roughly assessed based on how many strong Boons are available: - 2-3 strong Boons: Very strong - 1 strong Boon + 1-2 medium Boons: Good - Only medium Boons: Situational - Mostly weak Boons: Poor

Opening Considerations

When deciding whether to open with Druid, consider:

1. Available Boons The most important factor is which three Boons are set aside. Strong openings include:
2. The Field's Gift for deck improvement
3. The Forest's Gift for economy
4. The River's Gift for consistent draw
5. The Sun's Gift for deck control

6. The Wind's Gift for filtering and draw

7. Other $2-$3 Options Compare Druid to other available cheap cards:

8. If Haven is available, it may be better for deck control
9. If Pearl Diver offers similar deck manipulation

10. If Courthouse provides more consistent draw

11. Kingdom Synergies Consider how Druid's Boons interact with:

12. Action chains (The Flame's Gift)
13. Discard strategies (The Wind's Gift, The Sky's Gift)
14. Gainers (The Earth's Gift, The Mountain's Gift)
15. Deck manipulation (The Sun's Gift, The Moon's Gift)

Mid-Game Strategy

Using Druid effectively in the mid-game requires:

1. Timing Considerations
2. Play early in your turn if using The Field's Gift or The Wind's Gift
3. Save for later if using The Forest's Gift for buying power

4. Consider The River's Gift's effect on your next turn

5. Action Management

6. Druid takes an Action to play
7. The Flame's Gift can help with Action-heavy turns

8. Balance Druid plays with other Action cards

9. Buy Planning

10. Druid's +1 Buy combines well with extra money
11. The Forest's Gift can enable key purchases

12. The Mountain's Gift provides reliable Silver gaining

13. Deck Control

14. The Sun's Gift helps set up important draws
15. The Wind's Gift can clear dead cards
16. The Moon's Gift helps plan future turns

Late-Game Applications

Druid's utility often changes late game:

1. Province Turns
2. The Forest's Gift can push you to Province range
3. The Field's Gift might draw into key components

4. The Mountain's Gift becomes less relevant

5. Endgame Racing

6. The River's Gift helps maintain consistency
7. The Wind's Gift can dig for Victory cards

8. The Sky's Gift can convert dead cards to money

9. Deck Thinning

10. The Wind's Gift helps remove Coppers
11. The Earth's Gift can gain key cards
12. The Sun's Gift helps avoid drawing Victories

Key Synergies

1. Draw Engines
2. The Field's Gift supplements draw
3. The River's Gift provides consistency

4. The Wind's Gift combines drawing with filtering

5. Action Chains

6. The Flame's Gift enables longer chains
7. The Field's Gift finds more Actions

8. The Sun's Gift helps arrange combos

9. Gainers

10. The Earth's Gift adds flexibility
11. The Mountain's Gift provides economy

12. The Swamp's Gift can add utility cards

13. Sifting Effects

14. The Wind's Gift strengthens filtering
15. The Sky's Gift converts dead cards

16. The Sun's Gift improves selection

17. Buy Multipliers

18. The Forest's Gift adds buying power
19. Built-in +1 Buy helps with gaining
20. The Mountain's Gift provides resources

Counter Strategies

When playing against Druid:

1. Pile Pressure
2. Druid decks may be slower to develop
3. Attack key piles before they maximize Boon benefits

4. Consider emptying Provinces if they're relying on specific Boons

5. Rush Strategies

6. Aggressive strategies can outpace Druid's incremental advantages
7. Focus on raw efficiency over Boon manipulation

8. Consider Duchy rushing if their engine is Boon-dependent

9. Attacks

10. Handsize attacks weaken The Wind's Gift and The Sky's Gift
11. Deck order disruption reduces The Sun's Gift's effectiveness
12. Junking can overwhelm their filtering capacity

Specific Kingdom Considerations

1. No Other +Buy
2. Druid becomes more valuable
3. The Forest's Gift gains importance

4. Consider multiple Druids

5. Strong Trashing

6. The Wind's Gift becomes less important
7. Focus on economy and draw Boons

8. May skip Druid entirely

9. Terminal Action Heavy

10. The Flame's Gift becomes crucial
11. Balance Druid plays carefully

12. Consider alternative village options

13. Strong Draw

14. The Field's Gift becomes less important
15. Focus on economy Boons
16. Consider if Druid is worth the Action

Number of Druids to Buy

The optimal number depends on:

1. Available Boons
2. Multiple strong Boons justify more copies
3. Single strong Boon might want 2-3 copies

4. Weak Boons might only want 0-1 copy

5. Deck Speed

6. Faster decks want fewer Druids
7. Slower decks can handle more

8. Consider Action density

9. Alternative Options

10. Better $2-$3 cards might preclude multiple Druids
11. Lack of alternatives makes more copies attractive
12. Balance with other engine components

Common Mistakes

1. Over-valuing Weak Boons
2. Don't buy Druid just because it's available
3. Consider opportunity cost

4. Compare to other options

5. Neglecting Action Economy

6. Don't overload on Druids in terminal-heavy decks
7. Balance with villages

8. Consider action efficiency

9. Poor Timing

10. Playing Druid too late in turn
11. Not planning for next-turn effects

12. Failing to maximize Boon benefits

13. Inflexible Strategy

14. Sticking to one Boon too rigidly
15. Not adapting to game state
16. Ignoring changing needs

Conclusion

Druid is a fascinating card whose value varies dramatically based on the available Boons. When strong Boons are available, it can provide consistent, predictable benefits that support various strategies. However, with weak Boons, it might not be worth the Action or deck space.

Success with Druid requires: - Careful evaluation of available Boons - Understanding of timing and sequencing - Balance with other deck components - Flexibility in Boon selection - Recognition of opportunity costs

The predictability of Druid's options makes it uniquely powerful when the right Boons are available, but also means its potential is capped by the initial setup. Learning to evaluate this potential quickly and adapt your strategy accordingly is key to maximizing Druid's effectiveness in your games.