King's Court
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King's Court (Prosperity)

Cost: $7

Type: Action

Text: You may choose an Action card in your hand. Play it three times.

Strategy Review

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for King's Court:

King's Court Strategy Guide

Introduction: King's Court (KC) is one of the most powerful cards in Dominion, offering triple play of an Action card instead of the double play provided by Throne Room. At $7, it's an expensive card that requires careful planning to acquire, but its potential impact on the game is enormous. This guide will explore how to effectively use King's Court, when to buy it, and its various interactions.

Core Strengths: 1. Massive Action Multiplication - Triples the effect of any Action card - Can create explosive turns when properly set up - Helps overcome the natural Action limitation of one per turn

  1. Flexibility
  2. Works with virtually any Action card
  3. Can be used for economic gain, deck control, or victory point accumulation

  4. Effective in both engine and big money strategies

  5. Scaling Power

  6. Becomes more powerful as game progresses
  7. Multiple King's Courts can stack multiplicatively
  8. Creates potential for game-ending mega-turns

When to Buy King's Court:

Early Game ($7 is a significant investment): - Generally not a first or second buy - Consider only if you have: * Reliable $7 generation * Clear plan for what to King's Court * Engine components already in place * No pressing need for other key cards

Mid Game: - Ideal timing for most KC purchases - Should have: * Established deck control * Target cards to multiply * Sufficient treasure to consistently hit $7

Late Game: - Still valuable if you can afford it - Especially strong with: * Point-generating Actions * Draw engines already built * Mega-turn potential

Key Synergies and Combinations:

  1. Draw Cards
  2. Laboratory: Draw 6 cards total
  3. Smithy: Draw 9 cards total
  4. Council Room: Draw 12 cards, opponents draw 3

  5. These combinations help find more Actions to play

  6. Treasure-Generating Actions

  7. Market: +$6 total, plus significant card draw and actions
  8. Grand Market: +$6 plus massive benefits

  9. Merchant: Can generate substantial coin with Silver chains

  10. Villages and Splitters

  11. Village variants: Generate excess actions
  12. Fishing Village: Provides huge action and coin boost next turn

  13. Festival: +6 Actions, +$6, +6 Buys

  14. Attack Cards

  15. Witch: Force 3 Curses on opponents
  16. Ghost Ship: Devastate opponent's deck structure
  17. Militia: Force multiple discards

  18. Particularly strong when opponents lack defense

  19. Victory Point Generators

  20. Monument: +$6 and +3 VP in one play
  21. Bishop: Potentially huge VP swing

  22. Goons: Stack VP tokens rapidly

  23. Duration Cards

  24. Wharf: Massive draw both now and next turn
  25. Caravan: Extended draw power
  26. Bridge: Cost reduction stacks powerfully

Advanced Tactics:

  1. King's Court Chains
  2. KC can play another KC
  3. Creates exponential effects

  4. Example: KC → KC → KC → Village = 27 Villages

  5. Timing Considerations

  6. Save KC for key moments
  7. Consider whether to use early or save for bigger turns

  8. Factor in shuffle timing

  9. Deck Composition

  10. Maintain proper Action density
  11. Balance draw and payload

  12. Consider deck size impact

  13. Resource Management

  14. Track Action count carefully
  15. Monitor deck cycling speed
  16. Balance coin generation needs

Counter-Strategies and Weaknesses:

  1. Vulnerability to Attack
  2. Discard attacks can separate KC from targets
  3. Hand size attacks reduce combo potential

  4. Junking can dilute deck effectiveness

  5. Cost Barriers

  6. $7 is difficult to hit consistently
  7. Competing priorities for expensive cards

  8. Opportunity cost of not buying other cards

  9. Setup Requirements

  10. Needs good targets to be effective
  11. Requires deck control to connect pieces
  12. Can be dead card with wrong hand composition

Defending Against These Weaknesses:

  1. Deck Control
  2. Prioritize trashing
  3. Maintain consistent deck cycling

  4. Include redundant combo pieces

  5. Timing

  6. Don't rush KC purchase before infrastructure
  7. Build reliable money generation first

  8. Consider game length and pace

  9. Flexibility

  10. Have multiple viable targets
  11. Don't over-invest in single strategy
  12. Maintain backup plans

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

  1. Over-Prioritizing
  2. Buying KC too early
  3. Neglecting essential engine pieces

  4. Forcing KC into unsuitable strategies

  5. Under-Utilizing

  6. Saving KC too long
  7. Using on suboptimal targets

  8. Missing key combo opportunities

  9. Poor Planning

  10. Not maintaining Action density
  11. Failing to account for deck shuffle timing
  12. Neglecting coin generation

Sample Strategies:

  1. Draw-Heavy Engine Components:
  2. King's Court
  3. Draw cards (Lab, Smithy)
  4. Villages
  5. Payload cards

Execution: - Build reliable drawing engine - Add KC when consistently hitting $7 - Chain KC with draw cards - Build to mega-turns

  1. VP Token Generation Components:
  2. King's Court
  3. Monument/Goons
  4. Treasure generation
  5. Deck control

Execution: - Establish money base - Add KC when affordable - Multiply VP generators - Accumulate tokens rapidly

  1. Duration Chain Components:
  2. King's Court
  3. Wharf/Caravan
  4. Bridge/Market
  5. Support cards

Execution: - Build duration card base - Add KC for multiplication - Create sustained advantage - Stack effects across turns

Kingdom Considerations:

  1. Favorable Kingdoms
  2. Multiple viable targets
  3. Strong trashing
  4. Good money generation

  5. Limited attacks

  6. Challenging Kingdoms

  7. Heavy attacks present
  8. Limited Action cards
  9. Poor trashing options

  10. Fast alternate strategies

  11. Key Support Cards to Look For

  12. Trashing cards
  13. Card draw
  14. Villages
  15. Coin generation

Timing Your King's Court Purchase:

Early Game ($7 is a significant investment): 1. Prerequisites: - Reliable trashing established - Basic draw engine functioning - Clear KC targets identified - Consistent $7 generation

  1. Warning Signs (Don't Buy Yet):
  2. Unreliable deck
  3. Missing key engine pieces
  4. Strong attack pressure
  5. Better alternatives available

Mid Game (Ideal Timing): 1. Positive Indicators: - Engine functioning smoothly - Multiple viable targets - Consistent money - Clear path to victory

  1. Considerations:
  2. Competition for key cards
  3. Game pace
  4. Opponent strategies
  5. Alternative investments

Late Game: 1. Factors to Consider: - Remaining time - VP gap - Mega-turn potential - Alternative options

  1. Warning Signs:
  2. Too little time left
  3. Better immediate options
  4. Risk of game ending

Interaction with Popular Cards:

Strong Positive Interactions: 1. Laboratory - Massive draw - Self-replacing - Action neutral

  1. Village Variants
  2. Action generation
  3. Engine acceleration

  4. Combo enabling

  5. Bridge

  6. Cost reduction stacks
  7. Enables massive buys

  8. Strong economy boost

  9. Duration Cards

  10. Extended benefits
  11. Multiple turn impact
  12. Powerful stacking

Neutral Interactions: 1. Basic Treasures - No direct synergy - Still necessary for buying - Support role only

  1. Basic Victory Cards
  2. No direct interaction
  3. May be purchase targets
  4. End game consideration

Negative Interactions: 1. Terminal Actions without +Actions - Action collision - Reduced efficiency - Limited combo potential

  1. One-Shot Effects
  2. Limited value multiplication
  3. Poor sustaining power
  4. Better alternatives usually exist

Strategy Tips for Specific Game Phases:

Opening (Turns 1-4): - Focus on engine components - Establish trashing - Plan KC acquisition - Build money base

Mid-Game (Turns 5-10): - Time KC purchase - Develop combo pieces - Balance resources - Counter opponent strategies

Late-Game (Turns 11+): - Execute mega-turns - Convert to VP - Race considerations - Ending timing

Conclusion:

King's Court is one of Dominion's most powerful cards, but it requires careful planning and execution to use effectively. Success with KC depends on:

  1. Proper Timing
  2. Don't rush the purchase
  3. Build infrastructure first

  4. Plan for specific targets

  5. Strategic Integration

  6. Clear victory plan
  7. Supporting card choices

  8. Resource management

  9. Tactical Execution

  10. Careful play ordering
  11. Resource optimization
  12. Timing awareness

When properly used, King's Court can create some of the most explosive and satisfying turns in Dominion. However, it requires respect for its cost and setup requirements. Players who master KC's use will find it to be one of the most rewarding cards in the game.

Remember: - Build your engine first - Have clear targets - Time your purchase well - Execute carefully - Stay flexible

With these principles in mind, King's Court can be a game-changing addition to your Dominion strategy.