Action
Action cards
In Dominion, most are Action cards. They can also be called "Actions"; throughout the Dominion rules and card text, "Action" is used to mean "Action card", though "Actions" can also be used to mean the number of potential plays of Action cards remaining during a turn. The meaning is typically clear from context.
Action cards have a white border, and have "Action" written on the bottom.
Actions remaining
A player starts their Action phase with one Action remaining; this means they can play one Action card from their hand. This may grant them additional Actions, allowing them to play more Action cards.
Action phase in the rulebook
ACTION PHASE In the Action phase, the player may play one Action card. Action cards are the Kingdom cards that say “Action” at the bottom of the card. Since players do not start the game with any Action cards in their initial Decks of 10 cards, a player will not have any Actions to play during his first 2 turns. Normally, a player may play only one Action card, but this number may be modified by the Action cards that the player plays.
To play an Action, the player takes an Action card from his hand and lays it face-up in his play area. He announces which card he is playing and follows the instructions written on that card from top to bottom. The player may still play an Action card even if he is not able to do everything the Action card tells him to do; but the player must do as much as he can. Furthermore, the player must fully resolve an Action card before playing another one (if he is able to play another Action card). Detailed information about card abilities can be found in the card descriptions at the end of these rules. Any Action cards played remain in the player’s play area until the Clean-up phase of the turn unless otherwise indicated on the card. The Action phase ends when the player cannot or chooses not to play any more Action cards. Generally, a player can only play Action cards during the Action phase of his turn. However, Reaction cards are an exception to this rule as they can be used at other times.
