Vault (Prosperity)

Here's a comprehensive strategy guide for Vault:

Vault Strategy Guide

Introduction Vault is a versatile $5 action card from Prosperity that serves multiple purposes: drawing cards, generating money, and offering a unique interaction with other players. Its flexibility makes it a strong card in many strategies, though understanding when and how to use it optimally requires careful consideration.

Core Functions

1. Card Drawing
2. The initial +2 Cards makes Vault at least neutral in terms of card flow
3. Unlike most terminal draw cards, you get to see the drawn cards before deciding how many cards to discard

4. This gives you important information for optimizing your discard decisions

5. Money Generation

6. Can generate significant amounts of money by discarding cards
7. Converts otherwise dead cards (like excess terminals or victory cards) into spending power
8. No upper limit on how many cards you can discard

9. Can function as a more flexible Bank when needed

10. Multiplayer Interaction

11. Offers other players a 2-for-1 card exchange
12. Can affect other players' hand quality and deck cycling
13. Creates interesting decision points for all players

Key Strengths

1. Flexibility
2. Functions as both a drawer and a payload card
3. Can adapt to what you need in the moment

4. Useful in both engine and big money strategies

5. Victory Card Management

6. Converts victory cards into money when needed
7. Helps mitigate the deck-clogging effects of greening

8. Particularly valuable in the late game

9. Hand Improvement

10. Can improve hand quality by converting less useful cards into money
11. Helps fix hands with too many terminal actions

12. Can dig for specific cards you need

13. Terminal Payload

14. Can generate significant money without requiring treasures
15. Works well with cards that care about discarding
16. Can produce more money than its cost in a single play

Using Vault Effectively

1. Early Game In the early game, Vault serves primarily as a drawer and hand-improver:
2. Usually worth buying as your first or second $5 card
3. Can help establish consistency in your deck
4. Often best to discard fewer cards early, focusing on the draw aspect

5. Consider keeping engine components over generating money

6. Mid Game The mid-game is where Vault's flexibility shines:

7. Can help assemble key combinations
8. Generates money when needed for important purchases
9. Helps manage growing numbers of victory cards

10. May discard more aggressively to reach key price points

11. Late Game Vault becomes increasingly powerful in the late game:

12. Excellent at converting victory cards into buying power
13. Helps maintain deck functionality while greening
14. Can generate substantial money when treasures are diluted
15. Often correct to discard aggressively for maximum money

Synergies

1. Discard Benefits Cards that trigger on discards work well with Vault:
2. Tunnel (automatically gains Gold when discarded)
3. Market Square (gains Gold when you discard)
4. Horse Traders (can discard for benefit twice)

5. Warriors (can trigger multiple attacks)

6. Draw Support Cards that help you draw more cards enhance Vault's effectiveness:

7. Laboratory (non-terminal draw)
8. Hunting Party (finds unique cards)
9. Library (fills your hand)

10. Village variants (provide actions for multiple Vaults)

11. Victory Card Synergies Cards that add victory cards to your deck make Vault more valuable:

12. Monument (adds VP tokens while Vault manages the cards)
13. Gardens (Vault helps manage the deck bloat)
14. Duke (Vault helps manage Duchies)

15. Silk Road (Vault manages victory card density)

16. Action Density Support Cards that help manage terminal collision:

17. Village variants
18. King's Court (triples Vault's effectiveness)
19. Throne Room (doubles Vault's effectiveness)
20. Treasury (helps maintain action density)

Counter-Synergies

1. Treasure-Heavy Decks
2. Big Money strategies often prefer other $5 cards
3. Treasure-focused decks usually want to play their treasures

4. Cards like Bank or Merchant Guild may be better choices

5. Thin Decks

6. Very efficient engines might not want to discard cards
7. Decks with few cards may not benefit from the discard-for-money ability

8. May conflict with cards that want you to keep specific cards in hand

9. Reserve Cards

10. Tavern mat cards can't be discarded for money
11. May create awkward timing issues
12. Can reduce Vault's effectiveness

Multiplayer Considerations

1. Offering the Discard When other players can discard 2 cards for 1:
2. This can help opponents cycle their decks
3. May improve their hand quality
4. Could enable attacks or powerful turns

5. Consider the impact on their strategy

6. Responding to Vault When an opponent plays Vault:

7. Usually correct to discard victory cards
8. Consider your next turn's needs
9. May want to keep combo pieces

10. Think about deck velocity

11. Political Implications

12. Can create temporary alliances
13. May affect multiple players differently
14. Can be used to help or hinder specific opponents

Kingdom Considerations

1. Attack Kingdoms In kingdoms with attacks:
2. Vault helps recover from hand reduction
3. Can convert targeted cards into money
4. May want to keep certain cards to defend

5. Consider timing of discards

6. Engine Kingdoms In engine-focused kingdoms:

7. Vault can help assemble key components
8. May want to discard less frequently
9. Focus on drawing engine pieces

10. Consider action density carefully

11. Slog Kingdoms In slow, grindy kingdoms:

12. Vault shines at converting dead cards
13. Can help maintain buying power
14. Manages victory card density well
15. May want multiple copies

Timing and Positioning

1. Turn Structure
2. Usually play Vault early in your turn
3. Consider what you might draw
4. Plan discard decisions based on goals

5. May want to play other cards first

6. Deck Position

7. Track your deck composition
8. Consider shuffle timing
9. May want to manipulate deck order

10. Think about reshuffle effects

11. Game State

12. Adjust strategy based on game phase
13. Consider score differences
14. Think about remaining turns
15. Factor in opponent positions

Number of Copies to Buy

1. Engine Decks
2. Usually 1-2 copies
3. More if serving as primary payload
4. Consider terminal space

5. Factor in other draw cards

6. Big Money Variants

7. Often 2-3 copies
8. May want more if primary strategy
9. Consider treasure density

10. Factor in other money sources

11. Hybrid Strategies

12. Usually 2 copies
13. Adjust based on role in strategy
14. Consider deck size
15. Factor in other components

Opening Considerations

1. $5/$2 Opening
2. Strong consideration for the $5
3. Pairs well with many $2 cards
4. Consider kingdom context

5. Think about turn 3-4 plans

6. $4/$3 Opening

7. May want to save for Vault
8. Consider alternative openings
9. Think about early game plan

10. Factor in other $5 cards

11. First Few Turns

12. Plan early game trajectory
13. Consider when to add more
14. Think about support cards
15. Factor in opponent openings

Edge Cases and Special Situations

1. Three+ Player Games
2. Multiplayer aspect more significant
3. Consider table position
4. Think about alliances

5. Factor in multiple opponents

6. Prosperity Games

7. Colony/Platinum considerations
8. Higher price points to reach
9. More expensive cards to buy

10. Factor in other Prosperity cards

11. Game End Conditions

12. Managing pile exhaustion
13. Converting cards for final buys
14. Considering VP race aspects
15. Factor in tiebreaker potential

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Discard Decisions
2. Discarding too aggressively early
3. Keeping too many cards late
4. Not considering next turn

5. Forgetting about key cards

6. Deck Building

7. Buying too many copies
8. Not buying enough support
9. Ignoring terminal collision

10. Forgetting about scaling

11. Strategic Errors

12. Misreading game pace
13. Ignoring opponent needs
14. Poor timing decisions
15. Inflexible use patterns

Conclusion

Vault is a versatile and powerful card that rewards careful play and strategic thinking. Its ability to both draw cards and generate money makes it valuable in many strategies, while its multiplayer aspect adds interesting decisions to any game it appears in. Understanding when to buy it, how many to buy, and how to use it effectively requires considering many factors, but mastering these decisions can significantly improve your Dominion play.

The key to using Vault well is remaining flexible and adapting its use to the specific needs of each game state. Whether you're using it to assemble an engine, generate buying power, manage victory cards, or some combination of these, Vault's versatility makes it a valuable addition to many strategies. Consider carefully how it fits into your overall plan, and don't be afraid to adjust your use of it as the game evolves.