Minion

Basic Info

• Type: Action-Attack
• Cost: 5
• Effect: +1 Action. Choose one — +$2, OR discard your hand and draw 4. Each other player with 5+ cards in hand also discards and draws 4.

Rating

One of Intrigue's premier all-in-one attacks. Cantrip via +1 Action, +$2 for economy, and "hand reset attack" mode wrapped together. At cost 5, all-in-one greatness.

Biggest strength is the three-effect flexibility: cantrip-Village in action droughts, +$2 economy when needed, hand-reset disruption when attacking. Adapts to every situation.

The "hand reset" attack is brutal. Forces opponents at 5+ cards to discard everything and draw 4. Demolishes virtual coin stacks and pre-planned hands. Spam Minion = opponents permanently at 4-card hands.

Tier S. Community lists it among Intrigue's strongest, top-10 in all of Dominion. Top-priority pickup when in supply.

How to Play

Early: $5 acquisition candidate (Witch / Torturer competition). First Minion's choice depends on hand state.

Mid: Stack 2-3 Minions. Spam-attack opponents while padding own +Action and +$2.

End: Minion gets you to $8. Hand-reset interrupts opponents' Province turns.

Three-Choice Decision

Picking +$2 vs. reset:

1. +$2: Equivalent Silver economy, pre-Province.
2. Reset (self-included): When own hand is weak (Coppers / Estates), reset for new draw chance.
3. Reset (attack): When opponent has strong cards, reset wipes them.

Example: hand = Minion + Copper + Estate + Estate + Minion. Play Minion 1 → reset → 4 fresh cards → Minion 2 if drawn → reset again.

Building Minion Chains

Multiple Minions approach an "infinite loop":

1. Minion → +1 Action + reset → draw 4
2. If new hand has Minion → play Minion → draw 4
3. Continue until Minions exhausted

4-5 Minions = 3-4 resets per turn. Opponents stuck at 4-card hands.

Risk: own hand resets lose strong cards too. Thin Coppers / Estates first so deck is mostly Minions / Gold / key cards.

Key Combos

Minion + Chapel: Early thin enables full Minion-only deck, reset-spam.

Minion + Masquerade: Reset → pass Estates / Curses → fast thinning.

Minion + Witch: Curses + reset = full deck destruction.

Minion + Torturer: Reset (4 hand) → Torturer chain (forced curse).

Minion + Conspirator: Conspirator's "3+ actions" triggered by Minion chain.

Minion + King's Court (Prosperity): KC + Minion = +3 Actions / 3 picks.

Minion + Throne Room: TR + Minion = +2 Actions / 2 picks.

Minion + Bridge: Cost reduction enables megaturn during reset spam.

Synergies

• Chapel: Thinning enables chain.
• Masquerade: Thin + pass.
• Witch: Curse pairing.
• Torturer: Multi-vector attack.
• Conspirator: Action-density payoff.
• King's Court (Prosperity): Triples.
• Throne Room: Doubles.
• Bridge: Cost reduction.
• Mining Village: (Redundant; Minion is already cantrip).
• Duke strategy: Minion provides $5-frequent buys.

Counters & Bad Matchups

• Moat: Reaction blocks.
• Lighthouse (Seaside): Persistent block.
• No thinning: Own resets re-draw weak cards.
• No trashing: Estates / Coppers persist.
• Minion mirrors: Both reset-spam, war of attrition.
• Mass-draw engines: Reset trashes all the drawn key cards.

Advanced Tips

Minion choice last: Decide based on hand. +$2 if Province in reach, reset otherwise.

Minion mirror counter: Out-Minion the opponent. 4-5 Minions overpowers.

"Self-reset" usage: Early, own weak hand resets for new draw chance. New Gold / Minion = jackpot.

Minion + Chapel speed: Once thinned to Minion-only, every turn = infinite resets.

KC + Minion: 1 KC plays Minion 3x = +3 Actions / 3 picks. Three +$2 = +$6, three resets = opponents stuck at 4 cards permanently.

Minion as draw: Self-reset draws 4 new cards. Effectively a +Action cantrip + 4-draw.

3-pile-out: Minion 10 + Estate 8 + 1 pile = endgame. Sometimes win without Provinces.