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Dominion Plunder Expansion
Dominion Plunder explained: 40 Kingdom cards, Loot, Traits, Treasures, Duration cards, Events and why it is one of the larges
Dominion Plunder explained: 40 Kingdom cards, Loot, Traits, Treasures, Duration cards, Events and why it is one of the larges
Dominion: Plunder is the 15th Dominion expansion. It contains 40 Kingdom cards and emphasizes Treasures, Duration cards, Loot and Traits. Events also return.
What Plunder adds
- 40 Kingdom card piles
- Loot cards
- Traits that modify Supply piles
- Many Treasures and Duration cards
- Returning Events
Loot
Loot is a special set of powerful Treasure cards gained through specific expansion effects. Because Loot is varied, gaining one does not always produce the same economic result.
Traits
Traits attach to Kingdom piles and modify how cards from those piles behave. A familiar-style Supply pile can therefore play differently depending on which Trait it receives.
Treasures and Durations
Plunder heavily features Treasures with extra effects and Duration cards whose effects carry into future turns. This makes both the Buy phase and multi-turn planning more active.
Events
Events return as buyable effects that do not enter your deck.
Compatibility
Rio Grande states that Plunder can be combined with any other Dominion expansions.
Who should add Plunder?
Plunder is a strong modern expansion for groups that like large card pools and highly variable Kingdoms. With 40 Kingdom cards, it adds more raw content than many earlier boxes.
How to set up Dominion: Plunder
Plunder is an expansion, not a standalone game. You need Dominion’s base cards (from a base game or Base Cards set). Select the standard 10 Kingdom piles, using Plunder and/or cards from your other Dominion sets. The expansion contains 40 Kingdom card types; you do not play all 40 in one game.
Keep the special Loot pile face down outside the ordinary supply. Cards that say to gain a Loot take one from that pile. Loot cannot be purchased as an ordinary Kingdom pile. Where the selected cards or setup call for Events or Traits, follow the rules for those landscape cards and arrange them as instructed.
Practical example: if the ten Kingdom piles include two cards that can gain Loot, you need the Loot deck ready even though it is not one of the ten Kingdom piles. If you are playing a Kingdom with no way to gain Loot, do not assume players can buy Loot directly.
Loot: why it is different from a normal Treasure
Loot is a non-supply pile of 15 different types of Treasures, with two copies of each type. The Loot cards have strong effects, so the particular one gained can change your options. Loot is not the same as an ordinary Silver or Gold purchase; an appropriate card effect must grant it.
Example: two players both gain a Loot this round. One gains a Treasure that helps buy expensive cards, while the other gains an effect useful for a different engine. They have both gained Loot, but the tactical value differs because the cards are not identical.
Check the text on the individual Loot card for the precise timing and value. The fact that it is a Treasure does not mean every Loot merely adds coins without an additional effect.
Traits: changes to a whole supply pile
A Trait attaches to an eligible Action or Treasure Kingdom pile and changes the way that pile’s cards work according to its text. A single pile can have only one Trait, and the setup rules control which Traits enter the game.
Illustrative situation: you have played with a familiar Kingdom card in several previous Dominion games. In Plunder, attaching a Trait to that pile can make its strategic role different even though the underlying card is unchanged. Read both the Kingdom card and the Trait before buying.
Do not treat a Trait as a card gained into your deck. It modifies a designated pile in the shared setup.
Duration cards versus Events
| System | How it behaves | Planning implication |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | A card that remains in play while future effects are still pending | Count later-turn effects, not just the immediate action |
| Event | A buyable effect that is not gained into your deck | Spend a Buy and money for an immediate or specified benefit |
| Loot | Special non-supply Treasure gained by card effects | Consider the value of acquiring it and when it can be played |
| Trait | Modifier attached to a designated Kingdom pile | Re-evaluate that pile before the game begins |
Plunder includes many Duration cards whose effects can persist beyond the next turn. Do not discard a Duration card until every remaining effect has resolved, as the official rules specify.
Five practical Plunder strategy questions
- Can your deck gain Loot? Count the cards that enable it; do not plan on purchasing it normally.
- Which pile is modified by a Trait? Its altered value may redefine your opening.
- Are Duration effects worth the investment? A multi-turn benefit can outperform an immediate one if the game has time left.
- Does your Buy phase have options? Events can turn surplus money and Buys into useful effects without adding extra cards.
- How quickly could the game end? A slow engine may never repay the cost of its upgrades.
These are editorial recommendations, not guaranteed best moves. For full rules and card text use Rio Grande Games and our Dominion guide.
Related Dominion guides
Publisher source
Expansion details checked September 2026.