First of all, before I say anything about what I thought about the product, let me detail what the Dominion Base Cards set are. Victory Cards Estate : 24 Duchy : 12 Province: 12 Colony : 12 Curse : 30 Treasure Cards Copper : 60 Silver : 40 Gold : 30 Platinum: 12 Potion : 16 Trash : 1 Empty : 1 All together this adds up to 250 cards, which is packed in three piles laid out horizontal in the box face up. In these piles are the Base set of cards Dominion is required for play, but this time they have brand new artwork. That's right, now it is clearly visible what is a Copper and what is a Gold from all the way across the table with just a quick bat of the eye. The main selling point for the Dominion Base Cards Set (DBCS as we'll call it here on out) is the recognition feature, which is easily achieved with the Treasures, the mild exception being Potion. The reason for this is that Potion's artwork doesn't really "pop out" and it's kind of hard to see just what the picture is. However, when you're playing with Potions, this messy blend of color will stand out from the other treasures and your eyes will pick up on it quickly. The Victory Cards do not stand out as well, but I have just only recently started to get acquainted with them. So far I seem to mix Estate with Duchy rather easily when sorting through my piles, but my eyes are slowly and surely trying to find key features that distinguish them. Curse doesn't have this problem, it's the most outspoken card with absolutely fitting portrait of a crow over a dark night sky. When all's said and done, this set may not be for new players. I know, the cards shine much brighter than their originals, but I believe that it's important to play with the originals before diving into these new ones. This is because the DBCS does not provide an easy way to see the value of your card like the originals do in big bold text in the middle. Sure, you couldn't always tell what its name was, but you knew the value and that was worth all your attention. So really, the DBCS is a graduation for those familiar with the card names and values for a good while so they can now associate a new bright picture with a familiar term they know the meaning of. Finally, there is the issue of packaging, Really, only three slots to put these cards is a gripe, but I'm sure it saved Rio Grande Games packaging costs. Actually, when it comes down to it, the packaging doesn't really matter when it comes to game preparation, because I usually just take all of the cards and set them out. Save for Platinum or Potion, which I'll set to the side half of the time. It's still a continuity issue for me, seeing as everything else Dominion based has a neat packaging and labeling system, which has been completely forgone for a sloppy yet portable container. So should you buy this? Yes, not just for (mostly, but still improved) easy to see cards, but to open up new opportunities for multiple Dominion games at the same time. I bought 2 of them, and actually considering buying one to accompany each expansion so if my Seaside or Hinterlands gets borrowed, they'll also have base cards to use. Do your eyes a favor and buy this, then train the noobies in a couple of games with the original cards and have them graduate to these. You won't regret it.
