Dominion: Menagerie Rules

Official-rulebook flavor excerpt: “This time with animals!”

Menagerie adds Horses that can be saved for later card draw, Exile mats that temporarily remove cards from your deck without trashing them, Ways that give every Action card an alternate use, and a new group of Events. It also includes several Reactions that can be played at unusual times.

Setup

Use the Basic cards and normal Dominion rules and choose 10 Kingdom piles. Events and Ways are landscape cards and do not replace Kingdom piles. The official rulebook recommends using at most two landscape cards total in a normal game and at most one Way. If cards refer to Exile, give each player an Exile mat. If any selected card or Event uses Horses, keep the Horse pile near the Supply. If Way of the Mouse is used, set aside an unused Action Kingdom card costing 2 or 3 coins and perform any setup that card itself requires. Menagerie contains 30 Kingdom cards, 20 Events, 20 Ways, and 30 Horses.

Exile

To Exile a card, put it face up on your Exile mat. Exiled cards still belong to you and count for final scoring, but they are not in your hand, deck, discard pile, or play area. When you gain a card, you may discard from Exile all other copies of that same card; this is optional, but if you choose to discard copies you discard all matching copies at once. Exiling a card is not gaining, discarding, or trashing it, and returning cards from Exile is not gaining them.

Horses

Horse is a special Action card outside the Supply. When played it gives +2 Cards and +1 Action, then returns itself to the Horse pile. Returning a Horse is not trashing it. Horses cannot normally be bought; they are gained only when another card or Event says to gain one. If the Horse pile is empty, a Horse gain simply fails.

Ways

A Way gives an alternate set of instructions for every Action card. Whenever an Action is played, choose either the Action's normal play instructions or the Way. Do not do both. The physical Action card is still the card being played, so its name, types, Adventures tokens, and other properties still matter. If an Action is played multiple times, choose separately for each play whether to use the Way. A Duration stays in play only if at least one of its plays used its own Duration instructions rather than only a Way.

Kingdom Card Clarifications

Animal Fair

Its extra Buys are based on the number of empty Supply piles at the moment Animal Fair is played; later changes do not alter that number. When buying Animal Fair, you may trash an Action from your hand instead of paying its 7-coin price. This still uses a Buy and does not change Animal Fair's printed cost.

Barge

Choose separately each time it is played whether to take +3 Cards and +1 Buy immediately or at the start of your next turn. It remains in play only when at least one play chose the future effect.

Black Cat

It always draws two cards. When played outside your own turn, it also makes every other player gain a Curse. Whenever another player gains a Victory card, you may play Black Cat from your hand; cards drawn by one Black Cat can give you another Black Cat to react with to that same gain.

Bounty Hunter

Receive +1 Action and Exile a card from your hand. If that is the only copy of that card on your Exile mat, receive the coin bonus. If you cannot Exile a card, you do not get the bonus.

Camel Train

Exile a non-Victory card directly from the Supply. When you gain Camel Train, also Exile a Gold from the Supply if one is available.

Cardinal

Each other player reveals two cards, Exiles one in Cardinal's cost range if possible, and discards the rest. If both revealed cards qualify, the attacked player chooses which one to Exile.

Cavalry

When played, gain two Horses. When Cavalry is gained, draw two cards and receive +1 Buy; if the gain happened in your Buy phase, return to your Action phase. This does not repeat start-of-turn effects and does not supply a new Action unless you already had one available.

Coven

Receive the coin bonus. Each other player Exiles a Curse if possible; a player who already has a Curse in Exile instead discards all Curses from their Exile mat as instructed. Resolve players in turn order when the Curse pile is low.

Destrier

Draw two cards and receive +1 Action. Its cost is reduced by one coin for every card the current player has gained that turn. Only gains by the player whose turn it is matter.

Displace

Exile a card from your hand, then gain a differently named card costing up to two coins more. The gained card does not have to cost more; it may cost the same or less.

Falconer

Gain an eligible cheaper card directly to your hand. Whenever any player gains a card with at least two printed types, you may play Falconer from your hand, regardless of whose turn it is. Types are the words on the type line, such as Action, Treasure, Victory, Attack, Reaction, and Duration.

Fisherman

Its ordinary play gives its card/action/coin benefits. Its price drops while the current player's discard pile is empty; once a bought or gained Fisherman enters that discard pile, a second Fisherman may no longer have the reduced price.

Gatekeeper

Its Duration effect attacks the other players until your next turn. While affected, the first time a player gains an Action or Treasure they do not already have in Exile, that gained card is Exiled if it is still in a movable location. Other gain reactions resolve at the same timing and can sometimes move the card first.

Goatherd

Receive +1 Action and you may trash a card from your hand. Then draw based on the number of cards the player to your right trashed on that player's previous turn; you can still draw even if you did not trash a card yourself.

Groom

Gain a card within Groom's limit, then apply every listed bonus matching that gained card's types. A multi-type card can give several bonuses; for example an Action-Victory card can trigger both the Action and Victory rewards.

Hostelry

It gives its normal village-style bonuses. When you gain Hostelry, you may reveal and discard any number of Treasures from your hand and gain one Horse for each Treasure actually discarded.

Hunting Lodge

First draw a card and receive +2 Actions. Then decide whether to discard your entire hand, including the card just drawn; if you do, draw five cards. The discarded hand may be shuffled back in if the new draw exhausts your deck.

Kiln

Receive its coin bonus. The next card you play that turn may be copied by gaining a copy from the Supply before resolving that card's own instructions. Kiln can copy any card type that was actually played, and the gain happens before opponents respond to an Attack. Multiple Kiln plays can create multiple copy opportunities.

Livery

Receive its coin bonus. For the rest of the turn, whenever you gain a card meeting Livery's cost threshold, gain a Horse. Multiple Liveries stack.

Mastermind

At the start of your next turn, you may play an Action from your hand three times in immediate succession. These plays do not use Actions. If the chosen Action is a Duration, Mastermind remains in play as long as needed to track the extra plays.

Paddock

Receive its coin benefit and gain Horses as printed. Its extra Actions are based on the number of empty Supply piles when Paddock resolves; non-Supply piles such as Horses do not count.

Sanctuary

Receive its card, Action, and Buy benefits. You may Exile a card from your hand; the Exile is optional.

Scrap

Trash a card from your hand, then choose a number of different listed bonuses based on the coin portion of that card's cost. Resolve the chosen bonuses in the printed order. No bonus can be chosen twice for the same Scrap play.

Sheepdog

Draw two cards when played. Whenever you gain a card, you may play Sheepdog from your hand. The gain reaction can happen during any phase or another player's turn, and a Sheepdog drawn by one reaction may itself become available for the same gain when timing permits.

Sleigh

When played, gain its Horses. Whenever you gain a card, you may discard Sleigh from your hand to move that gained card to your hand or onto your deck, provided the gained card has not already moved somewhere else.

Snowy Village

Receive its large Action bonus, card, and Buy. For the rest of that turn, ignore further +Actions from cards and other effects. Actions you already had before Snowy Village remain available.

Stockpile

Stockpile is a Treasure that gives coins and +1 Buy, then Exiles itself when played. Later gaining another Stockpile can let you discard all Stockpiles from Exile under the normal Exile rule.

Supplies

Supplies is a Treasure that produces one coin and gains a Horse directly onto your deck when played.

Village Green

Choose to receive its card-and-Actions benefit either immediately or at the start of your next turn. When Village Green is discarded other than during Clean-up, you may play it. If played as that Reaction, you can still choose the immediate or future mode.

Wayfarer

Draw its cards and gain its Silver. Normally it costs 6, but after any non-Wayfarer card is gained during a turn, Wayfarer's cost becomes that most recently gained card's current cost until another card is gained. This can copy costs containing Potion or Debt as well as coins.

Events

Alliance: Gain each listed card that is still available, in the printed order; the gains are not optional.

Banish: Exile any number of copies of one card name from your hand, such as several Estates.

Bargain: Gain an eligible non-Victory card; then the other players gain Horses in turn order if available.

Commerce: Count the number of differently named cards you have gained this turn and gain that many Golds. Multiple copies of the same gained name count once.

Delay: Set aside an Action from your hand; if you do, you must play it at the start of your next turn without using an Action.

Demand: Gain a Horse and an eligible card onto your deck, with the Horse placed first and the other card above it.

Desperation: Once per turn, gain a Curse; only if you actually gain it do you receive the Buy and coin reward.

Enclave: Gain the Gold and Exile the Duchy directly from its Supply pile, rather than gaining the Duchy.

Enhance: Trash a card from your hand; if you do, gain a card costing up to two coins more.

Gamble: Receive the Event's Buy/coin benefit, reveal the top card of your deck, and if it is an Action or Treasure you may play it without using an Action; otherwise or if declined, discard it.

Invest: Exile an Action from the Supply as an investment. While that specific invested copy remains Exiled, draw two cards whenever another player gains or Invests a copy of that card. Multiple investments stack.

March: After buying March, inspect your discard pile and optionally play an Action from it without using an Action.

Populate: Gain the top card from every Action Supply pile, in an order you choose. Non-Supply cards such as Horse do not count.

Pursue: Receive +1 Buy, name a card, reveal four cards, return matching named cards to your deck, and discard the others. You may name a card not present in the game.

Reap: Gain a Gold and set it aside; at the start of your next turn, play that Gold.

Ride: Gain a Horse.

Seize the Day: Once per game for each player, take an extra normal turn after the current turn.

Stampede: If you have no more than the allowed number of cards in play, gain five Horses onto your deck in the order instructed.

Toil: Receive +1 Buy and you may play an Action from your hand without using an Action.

Transport: Choose one of its modes: Exile an Action from the Supply, or move an Action you own from Exile onto your deck. The second mode does not gain the card.

Ways

Way of the Butterfly: You may return the Action being played to its Supply pile; if you do, gain a card costing exactly one coin more.

Way of the Camel: Exile a Gold from the Supply.

Way of the Chameleon: For that play, swap card-draw and coin instructions: printed +Cards become +coins and printed +coins become +Cards.

Way of the Frog: Receive +1 Action, and when the played Action would be discarded from play that turn, put it on your deck instead.

Way of the Goat: Trash a card from your hand.

Way of the Horse: Receive +2 Cards and +1 Action, then return the Action being played to its Supply pile if possible.

Way of the Mole: Receive +1 Action, discard your hand, then draw three cards.

Way of the Monkey: Receive +1 Buy and +1 coin.

Way of the Mouse: Play the Action card set aside for this Way without moving that set-aside card. It can therefore supply a reusable alternate effect all game.

Way of the Mule: Receive +1 Action and +1 coin.

Way of the Otter: Draw two cards.

Way of the Owl: Draw until you have six cards in hand.

Way of the Ox: Receive +2 Actions.

Way of the Pig: Draw one card and receive +1 Action.

Way of the Rat: You may discard a Treasure to gain a copy of the Action card being played.

Way of the Seal: Receive +1 coin; for the rest of the turn, whenever you gain a card you may put it onto your deck if it has not already moved.

Way of the Sheep: Receive +2 coins.

Way of the Squirrel: At the end of the current turn, draw two cards. This can even be created by an Action played on another player's turn.

Way of the Turtle: Set the Action aside; at the start of your next turn, play it without using an Action.

Way of the Worm: Exile an Estate from the Supply.

Accessibility Notes

Keep each player's Exile mat face up and announce every card added to or removed from it. Announce the remaining Horse count when it becomes low. When a player uses a Way, say both the Action card's name and the Way chosen before resolving it; this prevents a sighted-only card orientation from being the only indication that the normal text was replaced. Keep the selected Way of the Mouse card beside the Way and read its name during setup. For Reactions such as Black Cat, Falconer, Sheepdog, Sleigh, and Village Green, explicitly announce the triggering gain or discard and give players a chance to react before continuing.

Source

This accessible rules page is based on the official Rio Grande Games Menagerie rulebook and detailed rulebook notes. Rio Grande describes Menagerie as a 400-card expansion with 30 Kingdom cards, Horses, Exile mats, Ways, and returning Events. Official Rio Grande Games Menagerie rulebook PDF.