[Dominion] Market Card Guide - The All-Around Cantrip
Rating, usage, and synergies of the Base set card Market in Dominion. Cost 5 Action. +1 Card / +1 Action / +1 Buy / +1 Coin — the all-purpose cantrip.
Market
Basic Info
- Type: Action
- Cost: 5
- Effect: +1 Card / +1 Action / +1 Buy / +1 Coin
Rating
A four-stat cantrip combining draw, action, buy, and economy. +1 card / +1 action keeps deck pace, +1 coin adds money, +1 buy enables multi-Province turns. At cost 5, this four-stat package is one of the best dollar-per-effect deals in the game.
Sits alongside Laboratory as the premier non-terminal at cost 5. Lab specializes in pure draw (+2 cards), Market specializes in economy and buys. Engine builds typically lean Lab-heavy; Big Money / hybrid builds lean Market-heavy.
Overall A to S tier. One of Base's strongest cost-5 cards. With Market on the board, engine construction has a great anchor.
How to Play
5/2 opening: Market is a top candidate, competing with Witch / Remodel / Laboratory / Sentry. On boards where +Buy matters (Gardens, multi-Province turns), Market wins.
Mid-game, target 2-3 Markets. Two = +2/+2/+2/+2; three = +3 cards/+3 actions/+3 buys/+3 coins. With +3 buys, triple-Province turns become realistic.
End-game: Market's +1 Buy directly enables Province/Duchy doubling. Crafting "double-Province" turns shortens games dramatically.
Key Combos
Market + Smithy: Market preserves Action, Smithy +3 cards = +4 cards / +1 action / +1 buy / +1 coin. Standard hand-building.
Market + Chapel: Use Market's +1 buy while thinning. Engine kickstart.
Market + Throne Room: TR + Market = +2/+2/+2/+2. One card matches "Lab + Festival + Cellar" power.
Market + Witch: Find Witch reliably, +1 coin economy, +1 buy for Province speed.
Market + Remodel: +1 coin assists Remodel-driven thresholds. End-game VP conversion.
Market's +1 Buy is explosive with Bridge (Intrigue) / Engineer (Empires). Triple Bridge + 2 Markets = -3 cost / +5 buys = 5 Provinces in one turn.
Synergies
- Smithy: Hand-builder + economy.
- Chapel: Thin while keeping economy.
- Throne Room: TR + Market = quad-doubling.
- Witch: Economy + harassment.
- Remodel: Coin assist for trash thresholds.
- Council Room: Combined +Buys for mass-Province purchase.
- Bridge: Market's +Buy uses Bridge buys.
- Militia: Economy keeps Province targets within reach.
Counters & Bad Matchups
- Better cantrips on board: Grand Market (Prosperity, +2 coin, +1 buy, no Copper) outclasses.
- Pure Big Money: +1 card slightly dilutes; Lab is better for BM hybrid.
- Hard-to-reach 5: Weak Treasure boards delay.
Related Cards
- Grand Market (Prosperity, 5): +1 card / +1 action / +1 buy / +2 coins, can't buy with Copper. Direct upgrade.
- Ill-Gotten Gains (Hinterlands, 5): Silver-like with +1 buy.
- City Quarter (Empires, 6): +1 card / +1 action + conditional draws.
- Festival (Base, 5): +2 actions / +1 buy / +2 coins (terminal).
When better cantrips share the board, weigh tradeoffs.
Advanced Tips
Always use Market's +1 Buy. After playing Market, ensure 2+ cards can be purchased.
The "+1 coin" makes the difference between 4 and 5, or 5 and 6. Market in hand turns 4-coin to 5-coin reach (Witch/Lab/Sentry).
Engine math: n Markets give +n Buys, crucial for 5-6 turn Province piledown.
Market vs Lab: 1-2 copies as Market, 3+ as Lab. Market's +1 coin/+1 buy doesn't saturate; Lab's +2 cards become surplus in thin decks.