Editing Ally

{{about|the type of card-shaped thing|the expansion|Allies}}
[[Image:Ally-back.jpg|thumb|right|320px|The Ally card back.]]

'''Allies''' are a [[landscape]] [[type]] introduced in the {{Set|Allies}} expansion, which provide ways to use [[Favor]] tokens in games in which they are available. 

Allies are not [[Kingdom]] cards, but are added to the game whenever one or more Kingdom cards have the [[Liaison]] type. In any game using [[Liaison]]s, exactly one Ally is chosen, and it determines what effect [[Favor]] tokens have in that game. Since Allies are not considered cards, they cannot be bought or gained; the way to take advantage of their abilities is to accumulate Favor tokens and then use them as instructed by the Ally. 

There are 23 Allies, printed on cards in a landscape orientation with yellowish grey/parchment frames.

==Official Rules==
* In games using one or more Liaison cards, give each player a Favors [[mat]] and deal out a single Ally card. The Ally cards are a separate deck, not combined with [[Event]]s and so on.
* Each player gets a single Favor token to start with (or five tokens in games with {{Card|Importer}}).
* Allies are landscape cards that give Favor tokens a use; Liaisons are kingdom cards that provide a way to get Favor tokens. 
* In games with a Liaison, deal out a random Ally to use that game. Only use one Ally per game, even with multiple Liaisons. You can still have as many other landscape cards ([[Event]]s, [[Landmark]]s, [[Project]]s, [[Way]]s) as you otherwise would have.
* [[Coin token]]s are used for Favors; they go on a Favors [[mat]] to distinguish them from [[Coffers]] and [[Villager]]s (from other expansions), which have their own mats. When a card gives you +1 Favor, add a token to your mat; when spending a Favor, remove the token from your mat.
* Favors may be used starting with the first turn of the game; they may not be used prior to that turn. Spending Favors is always optional. Spending Favors can only be done once per time an Ally ability triggers, unless it says, "Repeat as desired."

==List of Allies==
{| style="margin-left:0em;"
|
* {{Ally|Architects' Guild}}
* {{Ally|Band of Nomads}}
* {{Ally|Cave Dwellers}}
* {{Ally|Circle of Witches}}
* {{Ally|City-state}}
* {{Ally|Coastal Haven}}
* {{Ally|Crafters' Guild}}
* {{Ally|Desert Guides}}
* {{Ally|Family of Inventors}}
* {{Ally|Fellowship of Scribes}}
* {{Ally|Forest Dwellers}}
* {{Ally|Gang of Pickpockets}}
|width="200px"|&nbsp;<!--spacer-column-->
| &nbsp;
* {{Ally|Island Folk}}
* {{Ally|League of Bankers}}
* {{Ally|League of Shopkeepers}}
* {{Ally|Market Towns}}
* {{Ally|Mountain Folk}}
* {{Ally|Order of Astrologers}}
* {{Ally|Order of Masons}}
* {{Ally|Peaceful Cult}}
* {{Ally|Plateau Shepherds}}
* {{Ally|Trappers' Lodge}}
* {{Ally|Woodworkers' Guild}}
&nbsp;
|}

==Gallery==
{{LandscapeImage|Architects' Guild}}{{LandscapeImage|Band of Nomads}}{{LandscapeImage|Cave Dwellers}}{{LandscapeImage|Circle of Witches}}{{LandscapeImage|City-state}}{{LandscapeImage|Coastal Haven}}{{LandscapeImage|Crafters' Guild}}{{LandscapeImage|Desert Guides}}{{LandscapeImage|Family of Inventors}}{{LandscapeImage|Fellowship of Scribes}}{{LandscapeImage|Forest Dwellers}}{{LandscapeImage|Gang of Pickpockets}}{{LandscapeImage|Island Folk}}{{LandscapeImage|League of Bankers}}{{LandscapeImage|League of Shopkeepers}}{{LandscapeImage|Market Towns}}{{LandscapeImage|Mountain Folk}}{{LandscapeImage|Order of Astrologers}}{{LandscapeImage|Order of Masons}}{{LandscapeImage|Peaceful Cult}}{{LandscapeImage|Plateau Shepherds}}{{LandscapeImage|Trappers' Lodge}}{{LandscapeImage|Woodworkers' Guild}}

==Trivia==
===In other languages===

* Dutch: Bondgenoot
* German: Verbündeter

===Preview===
{{Quote|Text=Allies are [[landscape]] cards that tell you how a [[Favor]] [[coin token|token]] can be used. Favor tokens are produced by [[Liaison]]s. In games with a Liaison, you put out a single Ally (even with multiple Liaisons), and well that's that, it tells you what the token does. There are 23 Allies, in their own separate deck, which is like having 23 new kinds of tokens. Only we use coin tokens for all of them, and put them on a mat.
|Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]]
|Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=21082.0 Allies Preview 1: Allies]
}}
===Secret History===
{{Quote|Text=
At first it was just some random cards. Ideas that we could totally test. I tried a few new {{VP}} token cards, maybe I'd revisit those (spoilers: those cards all left). I tried several new Victory cards; maybe I'd revisit that theme (I did not). And you know, just tried whatever cards I thought of. In June I tried out Favors: tokens that varied from game to game. I also tried some new Reserve cards, but Reserve cards overlapped heavily with Favors. And in July I tried a split pile with 4 different cards in it and away we go. There was also another new kind of landscape; I liked it but can only fit so much into one expansion.

The Favors / Liaisons always worked the same way. Initially nothing cost more than one Favor per use, and there wasn't anything that cared how many Favors you'd stacked up, or put them on piles. I gradually made more Liaisons and more Allies, and looked for less straightforward things they could do.
|Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]]
|Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=21129.msg888578#msg888578 The Secret History of Dominion: Allies]
}}
===Outtakes===
{{Quote|Text=
Allies that did not make it included: versions of {{Card|Pearl Diver}} and {{Card|Scout}}; that {{Card|Expand}} limited by type thing; when you gain a card, exchange it for one costing $1 more (popular but confusing, then I tried lots of wordings to preserve the concept); spend X favors to gain a card to your hand costing $X (Matt's suggestion); when you get +1 of something, get another +1 of it; when playing an Action, get +{{Cost|3}} instead of following its instructions (it's {{Way|Way of the Sheep}} only bigger, and well, we already have {{Way|Way of the Sheep}}); {{Card|Scheme}} for cards with just one type (it had to be weaker than {{Card|Scheme}} somehow, so that {{Card|Underling}} wasn't just better than {{Card|Scheme}}); and play an Action a 2nd time then trash it (crazy, would you believe).
|Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]]
|Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=21082.0 The Secret History of Dominion: Allies]
}}
===Why only use one Ally?===
{{Quote|Text=
Obv. players can do whatever they want. I like to not overwhelm people with stuff on the table; one Ally is plenty. And then I didn't have to worry about how the cards worked with more than one Ally.
|Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]]
|Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=21082.msg887109#msg887109 Re: Allies Preview 1: Allies]
}}
===Starting Favor===
It's possible that for some Allies, players would only use the starting Favor, and never go out of their way to use the Ally again.
{{Quote|Text=
Certainly the intention was, that while that might sometimes happen, that it wouldn't happen too often for any of them. Especially, with {{Card|Underling}} in particular, where you have to specifically want Favors rather than anything else from the card (yes there are all the reasons to buy a {{Card|Pearl Diver}}, ugh).
 | Name=[[Donald X. Vaccarino]]
 |Source=[http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=5799.msg893973#msg893973 Interview with Donald X.]
}}
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