How to Play

Mystic Vale

2-4 players 45-45 min 7.2 Board Game Geek Rating

In Mystic Vale, 2-4 players are druids cleansing a cursed land using an innovative Card Crafting System. Players customize individual cards by layering transparent advancements onto them, building unique strategies. Each turn, play cards carefully to gain power and vale cards while avoiding decay that ends turns early. Win by scoring the most victory points through strategic card crafting.

Published 2016

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Distribute player decks

Each player receives a set of 20 sleeved cards with matching back colors

Prepare the Commons

Set up level 1, 2, and 3 advancements (identified by small white dots)

Set up Vale cards

Separately shuffle Level 1 and Level 2 Vale cards, then flip over 4 cards per level into 2 rows

Create VP token pile

Take 23/28/33 VP tokens from the box for 2/3/4 players and place next to the Commons; remaining tokens stay in the box as the game clock

Prepare starting field

Shuffle your 20-card deck and draw 1 card face up into your "field" area

Set up on-deck card

Flip the top card of your deck face up but keep it on top; this is your "on-deck" card

Continue drawing

Place on-deck card into field and repeat until you have 2 decay symbols in your field and 1 decay symbol on the on-deck card (minimum 2 cards in field)

Distribute mana tokens

Give each player a large blue mana token; the one with a star on the back determines first player; tokens start on the gray (deactivated) side

Optional Leaders setup

Deal 2 leader cards to each player, choose 1 and slide it into a blank card with level 1 side up (Vale of the Wilds expansion)

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Choose to Push or Pass

At the start of your turn, decide whether to push your luck or pass

Push action

Take your on-deck card and put it into your field, activating any abilities, then turn over a new on-deck card

Check for spoiling

If you have 4 decay symbols showing (including on-deck card), you spoil

Continue pushing

If you pushed and didn't spoil, you may repeat the push process until you spoil or pass

Pass action

If you pass, move to the Harvest Phase

Purchase cards

Use mana symbols/token and animal spirit symbols to buy up to 2 Vale cards and up to 2 advancements

Keep active mana

If you don't use your mana token when active, keep it active for future turns

Delay refills

Don't refill Vale cards or advancements until the Discard Phase

Use wild symbols

Purple spiral animal spirit symbols count as any symbol

Vale card restriction

You cannot use a Vale card the same turn it is obtained

Resolve abilities

Resolve any "Harvest Phase" abilities at this time; you cannot spoil during this phase

Collect VP tokens

Any cards with blue VP symbols earn you tokens from the VP pile; ignore grey symbols during play

Upgrade leader

As 1 advancement purchase, pay the mana cost to flip your leader card to its upgraded side (optional expansion)

Sleeve advancements

Insert all purchased advancements into cards currently in your field

Follow sleeving rules

Cannot cover existing advancements unless it's a "long-wise ability" or specifically allowed by expansions

Refill the market

Replenish Vale cards and advancements taken this turn; if level 1 advancements run out, refill from level 2 pile

Clear field

Put all field cards into your discard pile

Prepare next field

Flip over cards until you have 3 decay symbols showing on your field/on-deck cards

Avoid auto-spoil

Be careful if you put 2 decay symbols on 1 card, as you might automatically spoil; if this happens, wait until your turn to move to discard phase

Winning

How to claim victory.

Trigger end game

When the VP token pile runs out, the end game is triggered

Continue earning VP

Any further VP earned after the pile empties is taken from tokens in the box

Complete the round

The round finishes so all players get equal turns (use first player marker to track)

Calculate final score

Count points from Vale cards, VP tokens, and advancements on cards including grey VP symbols

Determine winner

Most VP wins the game

Break ties

Ties are broken by counting total Level 3 advancements and Level 2 Vale cards

Mystic Vale

Get Ready

On Your Turn

Winning

watch & Learn

Mysic Vale - Nicht nur Deck sondern Karten verbessern

MYSTIC VALE - Cómo se juega - TUTORIAL - Juego de Mesa

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