Vineyard

Basic Info

Type: Victory
Cost: 0+P (requires Potion)
Effect: Worth 1 VP per 3 Action cards you have (round down).

Rating

One of the most unique alternative VPs in Dominion. Cost 0+P for "3 Actions = 1 VP" scaling. Engine-building and scoring become the same activity — every Action upgrade is also a Vineyard upgrade.

Biggest strength: no point ceiling. 24 Actions = 8 VP × 4 Vineyards = 32 points, rivaling Province totals as a pure byproduct of building. Some games are won 4-5 Vineyards + zero Provinces.

Tier A-S on Alchemy boards with action density (Villages, cantrips, Familiars). On pure-BM supplies, Vineyard is near-useless (0+P junk).

How to Play

Opening: Potion + Silver. Get Potion early so Vineyards are buyable.

Mid-game: build Actions while picking up Vineyards on +Buy turns. Even 0-buy turns can grab one (cost 0).

Late game: 4-6 Vineyards trigger end via the Vineyard pile + 24+ Actions = 8 VP × 4 = 32 points.

VP Math

3 Actions = 1 VP
6 Actions = 2 VP
9 Actions = 3 VP
15 Actions = 5 VP
24 Actions = 8 VP (Province-tier)
30 Actions = 10 VP

Buy 4 Vineyards = "score × 4" = 24 Actions for 32 points. ~5 Provinces' worth at near-zero cost.

Key Combos

Vineyard + Familiar: Buy lots of Familiars (Actions) → action count rises → Vineyard score rises while you spread Curses.

Vineyard + Alchemist: 2-4 Alchemists for stable engine + action count.

Vineyard + University: gain cost-5 Actions → action count doubles.

Vineyard + Scrying Pool: Pool is also Action + draws action chain.

Vineyard + Villages (Village, Hamlet, Fishing Village): rack up Actions while avoiding terminal collisions.

Vineyard + +Buy cards (Market, Bridge, Pawn): multi-Vineyard turns for pile-out.

Synergies

Potion: Required.
Familiar: Action + attack double-dip.
Alchemist: Action base.
Scrying Pool: Massive Action draw.
University: Gains cost-5 Actions.
Villages: Action count + collision avoidance.
Bridge / Market / +Buy: Multi-buy turns.

Counters & Bad Matchups

Pure BM supplies: No Actions = 0 VP.
Silver/Gold-heavy strategies: Treasure-heavy decks have no Action density.
Heavy terminal-attacks: Deck breaks before Action count grows.
Potion-blocked turns: Can't buy Vineyard without Potion.

Advanced Tips

Vineyard strategy inverts normal advice: "buy lots of Action cards" is the goal. Even weak Actions become valuable as Vineyard fuel.

Vineyard pile-out: 10 Vineyards = a 3-pile end candidate. Vineyards + Estates / Curses / Knights for pile-out wins.

Province-skip path: zero Provinces, 4 Vineyards × 8 = 32 + 3 Duchies = 41 VP wins. Doesn't match 8 Provinces (48), but Potion-Action axis often arrives sooner.

Vineyard vs. Province threshold: under 9 Actions, Province > Vineyard. Past 24 Actions, 4 Vineyards ≈ 5 Provinces.

Mixed: 4 Vineyards + 4 Provinces = 32 + 24 = 56 VP. Province purchase slows economy though.

Weakness = speed. 24 Actions takes 10-15 turns to assemble. If opponents Province-rush, Vineyards don't catch up in time.