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

1. Player Decks – Each player shuffles their 20‑card deck (9 Cursed Land, 3 Fertile Soil, 8 blank) and places it face down.
2. 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.
3. Vale Cards – Shuffle the level 1 and level 2 vale decks separately. Turn over 4 cards from each deck face up.
4. VP Tokens – Place the pool of VP tokens in the center: 23 (2 players), 28 (3 players), or 33 (4 players).
5. Starting Field – Each player places two Cursed Land cards into their field and puts a third one on‑deck.
6. 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:

1. Planting Phase – Push cards from your deck into your field until you pass or spoil.
2. Harvest Phase – Count symbols, resolve Harvest abilities, score VP, buy vale cards, and buy advancements.
3. Discard Phase – Sleeve any bought advancements, then replenish the commons.
4. 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:

1. Accumulated VP tokens – Take the VP tokens you have earned during the game.
2. End‑of‑Game VP from advancements – Count the gray VP symbols on any advancements in your field.
3. 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.