# Mystic Vale

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2016
- **BGG Rating**: 7.2
- **BGG Rank**: #590
- **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 2)
- **Duration**: 45 min
- **Weight**: 2.26 / 5
- **Designers**: John D. Clair
- **Artists**: Andrew Gaia, Heather Kreiter, Katherine Guevara, Kiri Østergaard Leonard, Ralf Berszuck, Storn Cook
- **Publishers**: Alderac Entertainment Group, Arclight Games, Atalia, Kilogames, Pegasus Spiele, Raven Distribution
- **Categories**: Card Game, Fantasy
- **Mechanics**: Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, End Game Bonuses, Hand Management, Layering, Open Drafting, Push Your Luck

## Verdict
If you enjoy a card game with a brilliant twist on deck-building, Mystic Vale is an excellent choice! The innovation of 'Card Crafting' is its main highlight.Innovative 'Card Crafting' mechanicHigh replayabilityCreative transparent componentsPush-your-luck strategyImmersive fantasy artSignificant language dependencyCan have downtime with 4 playersInitial learning curveRECOMMENDED

## Description
In the heart of Mystic Vale, a dark curse plagues the Valley of Life, and the spirits of nature cry out for help. That's where you and your friends come in, taking on the role of fearless druidic clans, ready to use your blessings and powers to heal the land and rescue these spirits. But beware, oh beware! The curse is treacherous and can overwhelm those who risk too much. Prepare for a journey that demands both courage and a good dose of caution.

Mystic Vale's big draw is its innovative 'Card Crafting System'. Forget the idea of just building a deck; here, you build the *individual cards* in your deck! That's right: you customize each card's abilities individually, adapting them perfectly to your strategy. Each turn, you play cards into your field to unlock powerful advancements and collect super useful vale cards. But managing your power is crucial: if you're careless and try to push your luck too much, decay can end your turn prematurely. The goal is simple yet challenging: accumulate the most victory points to prove your clan is the wisest and most powerful in the Vale.

## How to Play
1. Objective of the Game
In Mystic Vale, each player is a druidic clan trying to restore the cursed Valley of Life.  
You do this by playing starting cards into your field, adding advancements to those cards, and buying vale cards.  The more life you bring back, the more victory points (VP) you earn.  The player with the most VP at the end of the game wins.

2. Setup

Player Decks – Each player shuffles their 20‑card deck (9 Cursed Land, 3 Fertile Soil, 8 blank) and places it face down.
The Commons – Separate all advancements into level decks.  

Level 1: Shuffle, then count out 12 (2 players), 15 (3 players), or 18 (4 players) cards. Put the rest back in the box. Turn over the first 3 cards.
Level 2: Use all cards, turn over the first 3.
Level 3: Use all cards, turn over the first 3.


Vale Cards – Shuffle the level 1 and level 2 vale decks separately. Turn over 4 cards from each deck face up.
VP Tokens – Place the pool of VP tokens in the center: 23 (2 players), 28 (3 players), or 33 (4 players).
Starting Field – Each player places two Cursed Land cards into their field and puts a third one on‑deck.
Starting Player – Shuffle the mana tokens, each with an active side face up. Players draw one; the one with the starting player symbol begins.


3. Flow of the Game
Players take turns in clockwise order.  A full turn consists of four phases, in this order:

Planting Phase – Push cards from your deck into your field until you pass or spoil.
Harvest Phase – Count symbols, resolve Harvest abilities, score VP, buy vale cards, and buy advancements.
Discard Phase – Sleeve any bought advancements, then replenish the commons.
Prep Phase – While the next player is starting, play your on‑deck card as the first card of your new field, resolving When Played abilities, until you have three or more spirit symbols showing.

The game ends when the VP token pool is exhausted.  Finish the current round so every player gets an equal number of turns, then count points.

4. Actions and How to Play
Planting Phase

Pass – Skip immediately to the Harvest Phase.
Push – Place your on‑deck card into your field, resolve its When Played ability (if any), then turn over the top card of your deck as your new on‑deck card.
Spoil – If you have 4 or more revealed cards (field + on‑deck) or more if you have growth symbols, you skip the Harvest Phase and go straight to the Discard Phase.  Turn your token to the active side as consolation.

Harvest Phase

Count all spirit symbols (Animal, Forest, Sky, Wild) and victory point symbols on cards in your field (do not count the on‑deck card).
Resolve any Harvest abilities on cards in your field (each can be used once per Harvest Phase).
Score VP from victory point symbols.
Buy up to two vale cards by matching the required spirit symbols on cards in your field.
Buy up to two advancements (including Fertile Soil) from the commons or the level‑specific decks.  Use your active mana token if desired.

Discard Phase

For each advancement bought, sleeve it onto a card in your field (cannot cover another advancement unless it is a long‑wise ability).
Move all cards in your field to your personal discard pile face down (keep the on‑deck card).
Replenish the commons: replace any bought vale cards and advancements with new ones from the top of their respective decks.

Prep Phase

Play your on‑deck card as the first card of your new field, resolving its When Played ability.
Turn over the next card of your deck as the new on‑deck card.
Continue until you have three or more spirit symbols showing across your field and on‑deck card.  If you would spoil, you may use Peacekeeper Druid or Blooming Arbor to avoid it.


5. End of Game and Scoring
The game ends when the VP token pool runs out.  Finish the current round so all players have the same number of turns.
Scoring consists of three parts:

Accumulated VP tokens – Take the VP tokens you have earned during the game.
End‑of‑Game VP from advancements – Count the gray VP symbols on any advancements in your field.
End‑of‑Game VP from vale cards – Count the gray VP symbols on any vale cards you own.

The player with the highest total wins.  If tied, the tiebreaker is the most combined level 3 advancements and level 2 vale cards.  If still tied, the players share the win.

6. Tips for Winning

Build a balanced field early.  Aim for a mix of spirit symbols and advancements so you can buy vale cards quickly and avoid spoiling.
Use Mana tokens wisely.  Turning the token to the spent side gives you one extra VP to spend during that Harvest Phase, which can be decisive when buying your last advancement or vale card.
Plan for Spoiling.  Keep an eye on the number of revealed cards; use Peacekeeper Druid or Blooming Arbor to avoid spoiling when you need to push a card that would trigger it.

## FAQ
### How many players does Mystic Vale support, and what's the average game duration?
Mystic Vale is designed for 2 to 4 players, and a game typically lasts between 45 and 60 minutes. It's perfect for a shorter, but decision-packed, gaming session!

### What is the complexity level of Mystic Vale?
The game has a medium complexity (BGG weight of 2.26/5). The basic rules are easy to grasp, but mastering the 'Card Crafting' and 'Push Your Luck' strategy offers depth for those seeking a challenge.

### What are these 'transparent components' the game uses?
Ah, that's the coolest part! Mystic Vale uses transparent cards that you overlay on your base cards to 'craft' and customize your abilities. It's a visually very interesting and tactile system!

### Who is Mystic Vale for? Beginners or experienced players?
It's a great entry point for those who want to try a deck-building game with a twist, but it also appeals to experienced players looking for something innovative. The complexity is scalable, so everyone can enjoy it.

### Do I need to know English to play Mystic Vale?
Yes, the game has significant language dependency. The cards have important texts for abilities, so having a good understanding of English or a translation on hand is essential to fully enjoy it.

### Is there much player interaction?
Interaction is more indirect. You're focused on optimizing your own deck, but you need to keep an eye on what opponents are doing, especially during the card drafting phase, to avoid leaving the best options for them.

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