[Dominion] Scrying Pool Card Guide - Action-Chain Drawer
Rating of the Alchemy card Scrying Pool. Cost 2+P Action-Attack. +1 Action, manipulate top decks, draw until non-Action revealed.
Scrying Pool
Basic Info
- Type: Action-Attack
- Cost: 2+P (requires Potion)
- Effect: +1 Action / Each player (including you) reveals their top card; you choose discard or replace. Then reveal cards from your deck until a non-Action; put all revealed Actions into your hand.
Rating
Action-engine super drawer. Draws "every Action in your deck." 1 Pool can yield +5-10 cards in heavy-Action decks.
Biggest strength: scaling draw with Action density. 75% Action = +3-4, 90% Action = +7-8.
Tier A-S. On Action-engine boards (Alchemists, Familiars, Villages) Pool shines. On Treasure-heavy supplies, halved value.
How to Play
Open Potion + Silver. Pool turns 3-5.
Mid: Pool every turn for chain draw, multiples for explosive turns.
Late: Treasure density rises and value drops; pivot to Province economy.
Action Density Math
Pool draw scales with Action ratio:
- 50% Actions: average +1
- 70% Actions: average +2.3
- 80% Actions: average +4
- 90% Actions: average +9
Higher ratio = exponential growth.
Attack Component
Reveal-and-process opponent topdecks. Mostly used to set up your own next draw, not to wreck them. Can deny opponent Silver/Gold occasionally.
Key Combos
Scrying Pool + Alchemist: Many Alchemists = massive Pool draw.
Scrying Pool + Familiar: Familiar Action density + curse-spreading.
Scrying Pool + Vineyard: Action density boosts both.
Scrying Pool + Villages: Action count fuel.
Scrying Pool + Scrying Pool: Multi-Pool turns chain explosively.
Scrying Pool + University: Gain path.
Synergies
- Potion: Required.
- Alchemist: Action base.
- Familiar: Attack + density.
- Vineyard: Action = score.
- Villages: Action count.
- University: Gain path.
- Remodel: Conversion to Actions.
Counters & Bad Matchups
- Treasure-heavy: Pool draw collapses.
- Terminal-draw conflict: Smithy / Witch can clog draw with non-Actions.
- Hand-attacks: Can't fire Pool with reduced hand.
- Potion non-reusable: Single-shot Pool too expensive.
Advanced Tips
Scrying Pool strategy targets "all-Action" decks. Trash Estates/Coppers/Silvers; Golds optional.
Multi-Pool stacks: 2-3 Pools chain back-to-back; first Pool draws to next Pool, infinite-feeling chain.
Topdeck manipulation: dump Estate/Copper from your topdeck to ensure next Pool reveal hits Actions.
Pool + Vineyard: Action max = Pool max + Vineyard max. Twin scaling.
Pool + Chapel: Chapel thins, Pool exploits the resulting Action density.