Dominion - Seaside - Detailed Information

Seaside is the second expansion for Dominion. It adds twenty-six new Kingdom cards to Dominion. Its central theme is your next turn; there are cards that do something this turn and next, cards that set up your next turn, and other ways to step outside of the bounds of a normal turn.

All you ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by. And someone who knows how to steer ships using stars. You finally got some of those rivers you’d wanted, and they led to the sea. These are dangerous, pirate-infested waters, and you cautiously send rat-infested ships across them, to establish lucrative trade at far-off merchant-infested ports. First, you will take over some islands, as a foothold. The natives seem friendly enough, crying their peace cries, and giving you spears and poison darts before you are even close enough to accept them properly. When you finally reach those ports you will conquer them, and from there you will look for more rivers. One day, all the rivers will be yours.


Seaside has been one of the best received of all expansions. It's frequently named when recommending which expansion to buy first. That may be because Duration cards change the feel of the game, without being overly complex.

We hope you enjoy this expanding world of Dominion!

Themed Content

• 8 Duration cards: Haven, Lighthouse, Fishing Village, Caravan, Merchant Ship, Outpost, Tactician, Wharf
  
• 9 top of deck cards: Native Village, Pearl Diver, Lookout, Navigator, Pirate Ship, Sea Hag, Treasure Map, Ghost Ship, Treasury
  
• 3 other-turn cards: Embargo, Smugglers, Island
  
• 6 off-theme cards: Ambassador, Warehouse, Cutpurse, Salvager, Explorer, Bazaar

Mechanics

Seaside is frequently recommended as the best expansion to explore first. This may be due to the noticeable change in how the game feels, without adding excess complexity. Duration cards add a new way to build for future turns. When Designer Donald X. Vaccarino created the large Adventures expansion, Duration was a mechanic he heavily revisited and expansions since Adventures have generally included at least a couple of Duration cards.

Many cards in Seaside may seem particularly strong relative to their cost. The Sea Hag and Ambassador cards are powerful junk attackers, with low cost, making them easy to buy early in the game. For a handsize attacks, Ghost Ship is a strong card to play. Lighthouse offers some respite for players looking for a defensive card. Tactician, Wharf, Caravan and Fishing village all offer strong next-turn effects. Seaside leans toward lower cost cards with more 2 cost cards than any other expansion.