Objective of the Game

In Mystic Vale: Essential Edition, players take on the role of druidic clans tasked with restoring the cursed Valley of Life to its former vitality. The goal is to accumulate the most victory points (VP) by the end of the game. Players achieve this by revitalizing their land through advancements, purchasing valuable vale cards, and managing their resources carefully. The player with the highest total VP at the end of the game wins.

Preparation (Setup)

Follow these steps to set up the base game:

1. Player Decks: Each player takes a deck of 20 sleeved starting cards (9 Cursed Land, 3 Fertile Soil, and 8 blank cards). Shuffle the deck and place it face down in front of you.
2. The Commons: Separate advancements into decks by level (1, 2, and 3). Shuffle each deck and reveal the top 3 advancements of each level. Place the Fertile Soil advancements in a separate deck.
3. Vale Cards: Separate vale cards into level 1 and level 2 decks. Shuffle each deck and reveal 4 cards face up from each level.
4. VP Tokens: Place VP tokens in a pool based on the number of players (23 for 2 players, 28 for 3 players, 33 for 4 players).
5. Setup Fields: Each player creates their starting field by revealing cards from their deck until they have two Cursed Lands in their field and a third one as their on-deck card.
6. Determine Starting Player: Shuffle mana tokens (one for each player) and randomly assign them. The player with the starting player symbol begins the game.

Flow of the Game

The game is played in turns, with each player taking the following phases in order:

1. Planting Phase: Players choose to either pass or push by adding their on-deck card to their field. If they accumulate 4 or more decay symbols, they spoil and skip the Harvest Phase.
2. Harvest Phase: Players count their mana and spirit symbols, resolve Harvest abilities, score VP, and purchase vale cards or advancements.
3. Discard Phase: Players sleeve any purchased advancements, replenish vale cards and advancements, and discard their field.
4. Prep Phase: Players prepare their field for the next turn by adding their on-deck card and resolving When Played abilities.

Actions and How to Play

During your turn, you can perform the following actions:

• Planting Phase: Decide whether to pass or push. Pushing adds your on-deck card to your field and reveals a new one. Be cautious of decay symbols to avoid spoiling.
• Harvest Phase: Count your mana and spirit symbols, resolve Harvest abilities, score VP, and purchase vale cards or advancements. You can buy up to two advancements and two vale cards per turn.
• Discard Phase: Sleeve advancements onto cards in your field, replenish vale cards and advancements, and discard your field.
• Prep Phase: Add your on-deck card to your field and resolve When Played abilities. Ensure you have at least 3 mana symbols in your field for the next turn.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when the VP tokens in the pool run out. Finish the current round so all players have an equal number of turns. Players then count their VP:

• VP tokens accumulated during the game.
• VP from advancements and vale cards with gray VP symbols.

The player with the most VP wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most combined level 3 advancements and level 2 vale cards wins. If still tied, players share the victory.

Tips for Winning

Here are some strategies to help you succeed:

• Balance Growth and Decay: Use growth symbols to offset decay and avoid spoiling.
• Plan Your Purchases: Focus on acquiring advancements and vale cards that synergize with your deck’s strategy.
• Manage Your Field: Avoid crafting cards with multiple decay symbols to prevent spoiling.