Rulebook Object of the Game Components

Crystal Clans is a 2-player battle card game in which 1 game board players use time as a resource to summon troops from 1 initiative token a clan deck and do battle to control the crystal zones. The first player to score at least 4 crystals by controlling 6 clan decks (27 cards per deck) the crystals zones wins. 6 clan reference cards 2 player reference cards 15 crystal cards 1 Rulebook Game Board 4 2 7 6 9 8 1 3

3 1 1 5

1 3 8 9 6 7 2

1. Zone 2. Home Zone 3. Crystal Zone 4. Initiative Track 5. Initiative Neutral Spaces 6. Draw 7. Discard 8. Reference Card Space 9. Collected Crystals Space

2 Clan Cards There are 2 sections to every clan card. The unit card section (top) takes effect when the card is placed on the battlefield. The battle card section (bottom) takes effect when the unit is played during battle as a battle card.

UNIT SECTION 1 4 6 1. Unit Name 6. Activation Cost Menders 3 2 1 2. Unit Type 7. Clan Signature Ability MAGIC • COMMON • FLOWER CLAN 2 3 3 9 3. Summon Cost 8. Unit Ability 5 4. Attack Value 9. Deck Building Symbol Sleep Heal: When one or more units in 5. Defense Value (Not yet utilized in the game.) this squad are destroyed in battle, 8 place all destroyed7 units except this one in your home zone. BATTLE SECTION You may draw 1 card for each unit destroyed in this battle. 10. Battle Style 11. Left Battle Effect 10 11 12 12. Right Battle Effect

Clan Reference Card Crystal Cards

Flower Clan 1 The Wind’s Wish 9 Flower 1Clan REFERENCE CARD 2 REFERENCE CARD

Clan Deck List • Hero 1 - Queen Bumble: Flying • Hero 1 - Mother: Wise • Hero 1 - Wisp: Magic • Common 6 - Pollen Fairies: Magic • Common 6 - Dandelion Knights: Knight • Common 3 - Bumble Cavalry: Flying • Common 3 - Rosepetal Dancers: PerformerClan Signature Ability: Sleep • Common 3 - Menders: MagicWhen applying damage in a battle involving • Common this squad, the value 3 - Spirit2 Guide: Mysticof the top unit of your opponent’s When you gain this crystal, choose up squad is considered to be 0. to 2 cards in your discard pile and add them to the top of your draw pile.

3 3

Each clan’s signature ability is 1. Name listed on the clan’s reference card. 2. Cost 1. Clan Name 3. Effect 2. Signature Ability 3. Deck Building Symbol

3 squad’s activationother knight cost is unit reduced in this by squad, this

In Command: If there is at least 1

other knight unit in this squad, squad, this in unit knight other this squad’s activation cost is is cost activation squad’s this

Commander Orion If there is at least 1 1 least at is there If

In Step: Step: In KNIGHT •

squad, your battling squad gains gains squad battling your squad,

destroyed in that battle, return return battle, that in destroyed 1 and this squad gains +2 a battle occurs not involving this this involving not occurs battle a zone, look at your opponent’s hand and put 1 of the cards on the top or Gravity’s Pull: This squad gains

+1 +2

When When Dislocation: Temporal

or adjacent to an enemy squad’s Spy: When this squad moves into

reduced by 1. by reduced

this unit to your hand. your to unit this

+ for each squad you control 3

. If your entire squad is is squad entire your If . bottom of her draw pile. Gravity Mages

MAGIC • Predict • KNIGHT

Titan Knights Titan 5 5 HERO •

on the battlefield.

• MAGIC

The Astral Twins Astral The STEALTH • Scouts Lensed

3

+ 3

, , 2 COMMON •

4 4 Predict METEOR CLAN

2

• COMMON

You may draw up

• HERO to 3 cards. 4 + COMMON •

, , 6 +

5

METEOR CLAN METEOR .

METEOR CLAN METEOR CLAN METEOR METEOR CLAN

8

+

Destroy an opponent’s opponent’s an Destroy

1 1 unit in this battle. this in unit

8

opponent’s battle card 4 6 + Any 3

3 2

has no effect. 1 No effect.

3 8 icon on your

, 2

1

3 1

2

1

Bold Tricky Guarded Bold

BATTLE ORDER BATTLE

Discard 4.

Apply damage Apply 3.

Resolve battle cards battle Resolve 2.

Play battle cards battle Play 1.

BATTLE

(3 initiative) (3 Invade

2 5.

(3 initiative) (3 Replenish 4.

Score 3.

(Reorder, Move, Battle) Move, (Reorder, Activate 2.

(up to 3 units) 3 to (up Summon 1.

AVAILABLE ACTIONS AVAILABLE Player Reference Player

and you may draw 1 card. 31 draw may you and battle card is that style, gain 1 initiative initiative 1 gain style, that is card battle

. If your opponent’s opponent’s your If . TRICKY or , GUARDED

, , BOLD declare may you chosen, are cards

When this squad battles, before battle battle before battles, squad this When

Predict Clan Signature Ability: Ability: Signature Clan

8

REFERENCE CARD REFERENCE place it in its controller’s home zone. it in its controller’s place Clan Meteor it to its controller’s hand. If it is a hero, it is a hero, hand. If its controller’s it to When you gain this crystal, choose a unit gain this crystal, you When on the battlefield. If it is a common, return common, it is a If on the battlefield. Oryn’s Terror Oryn’s 9 the summon cost by up to 5. up to by the summon cost may summon a unit, reducing summon a unit, reducing may When you gain this crystal, you you gain this crystal, you When

8 The Slumbering Star

9 1 6 them to the top of your draw pile. draw your of the top them to When you gain this crystal, choose up gain this crystal, you When to 2 cards in your discard pile and add discard your in 2 cards to The Wind’s Wish

Water Clan REFERENCE CARD 7

Clan Signature Ability: Flank When this squad is in battle, you may deal damage starting with the bottom unit of your opponent’s squad.

Player3 Reference AVAILABLE ACTIONS 1. Summon (up to 3 units) 2. Activate (Reorder, Move, Battle) 3. Score 4. Replenish (3 initiative) 5. Invade (3 initiative)

BATTLE 1. Play battle cards 2. Resolve battle cards 3. Apply damage 4. Discard 2 BATTLE ORDER

Bold Guarded Tricky Bold 1

1 1 1 1 ,

, , 5

1 3

1 1 1

6 0

2 + +

effect on your your on effect is canceled. is

2 6

No effect.

6

Any Any

opponent’s battle card card battle opponent’s 0

You may draw 1 card. WATER CLAN

WATER CLAN WATER WATER CLAN WATER WATER CLAN

COMMON •

4 4 4 + +

COMMON • COMMON

among among

effect on your your on effect

is canceled. canceled. is •

COMMON COMMON COMMON • WATER CLAN WATER Flank 3

1

Flank

Any Any 3 opponent’s battle card card battle opponent’s 1 attack if all units in 3

Tridents • PSYCHIC Shapeshifters Double your squad’s

PERFORMER •

• HERO HERO +

Flank Cartographers your squad are psychic.

• PSYCHIC PSYCHIC SKILLED • Tridents Clone: When this unit is

without paying initiative. without paying

3 and gain 1 initiative.

without paying initiative. paying without

When this unit is is unit this When Clone: Tridents unit from your hand your unit from Tridents

destroyed, you may summon a may you destroyed,

Tridents unit from your hand hand your from unit Tridents

. X = the highest highest the = X . You may draw 1 card. destroyed, you may summon a a summon may you destroyed, Shift: When summoning a unit,

you may place it in this squad’s

all units on the battlefield. the on units all Inform: When this unit is

• PSYCHIC

Misha Undertow Misha zone, return this unit to your hand,

This squad gains gains squad This Link: Attack +X

your draw pile in any order.

summoned, lookof your at drawthe top pile. 4 cardsAdd one to your 4 hand and place the rest on top of

Game Setup

1. Place the game board in the center of the play area.

2. Each player chooses a clan and collects that clan’s deck, shuffles it and places it facedown on the ‘draw’ space on her side of the board. Soren’s Bounty 8 3. Each player places a player reference card and her clan’s reference card in the reference card spaces. The Wind’s Wish 9

4. Each player draws 5 cards from her draw pile. The Broken Vessel 9

When you gain this crystal, immediately take a free replenish action. 5. Randomly determine which player will take the first turn of the game.

When you gain this crystal, choose up The other player draws 1 more card from her draw pile. to 2 cards in your discard pile and add them to the top of your draw pile.

6. Place the initiative token on the ‘0’ space of the initiative track. At the beginning of a battle, you may remove this crystal from the game. If you do, destroy your opponent’s entire squad. 7. Shuffle the crystal deck and place it to the side of the game board. Note: Collected crystals may be 8. Reveal the top 3 cards of the crystal deck and place them face up stacked in the player’s collected next to that deck. crystals space for easy access.

4 Taking a Turn Actions

On a player’s turn, she will perform one or more There are 5 actions available to a player during her actions. Each time the player performs an action, she turn. Players may use the actions in any order and may must pay for that action by moving the initiative token use the same action multiple times per turn. towards her opponent’s side of the initiative track by a number of spaces equal to the cost of that action. Summon Activate At the end of the active player’s action, if the initiative Score token is still on her side of the initiative track, or is on a Replenish neutral space (the 1, 0 and 1 spaces), she must perform another action. If, at the end of an action, the initiative Invade token is on her opponent’s side of the initiative track (past the neutral spaces), it becomes her opponent’s SUMMON turn. Play will pass back and forth in this way until a To perform a summon action, choose up to 3 units player has won the game by scoring 4 crystals. from your hand and place them all in your home zone. Pay initiative equal to the Tridents 6 1 1 Note: If an action would push the initiative token past totaled summon cost of PSYCHIC • COMMON • WATER CLAN the last space on the initiative track, that action is Shapeshifters3 0 5 1 those units. PERFORMER • COMMON • WATER CLAN Flank Clone: When1 this unit is not allowed. If another game effect would push the destroyed,Sonya you may Saltdaughter summon a 4 8 2 TridentsDEVOUT unit from • HERO your • handWATER CLAN Shift:without When paying summoning initiative. a unit, initiative token past the last space on the initiative Squads you may place3 it in this squad’s zone, return this unit to your hand, and gain 1 initiative. track, the token stops on the last space. When placing summoned Flank Linked: After summoning+4 this unit, +1 , if Harlow Tidebringer is in your units, organize those units discard pile, you may add that card to yourDouble hand. your squad’s attack if all units in No effect. into a squad by stacking the your squad are psychic. cards on top of one another +10 +3 Example: Taking a Turn as shown in the example to the right. 1 unit alone in a zone is still considered 2 a squad. The unit that is completely uncovered is Queen1 Bumble 10 6 2 considered to be the top unit of the squad. FLYING • HERO • FLOWER CLAN 5 The order that units are placed in your squad is Flight: If there are only flying important. The top unit is generally your first line of units in this squad when it is activated, it may move up to 2 zones away and may move out of zones defense in battle. In addition, abilities marked with the containing enemy squads. icon are battlefield abilities, and are only active if that unit is on the battlefield and is the top unit of its squad. Your opponent must remove a unit in her +2 , squad from the game. Each player may only have 1 squad in each zone. Whenever 1 or more units are added to a zone that 1. The active player performed a summon already contains a friendly squad, the new units are action and has summoned a unit that has added to the current squad. The player who controls a summon cost of 5. that squad may then reorder the units in that squad as desired. A squad MAY share a zone with an enemy squad. 2. She pays for that action by moving the initiative token 5 spaces toward her A squad cannot have more than 3 units in it. If an action opponent’s side of the initiative track. or game effect would ever cause there to be more than 3 units in a squad, the player who controls that squad 3. The token ends on her opponents side of must choose units from that squad to discard until the track, so it is now her opponent’s turn. there are only 3 units left in that squad. Discarded units are not considered to be destroyed for the purpose of other effects.

5 ACTIVATE 1. Play a Battle Card Both players must choose a card from their hand as a To perform an activate action, choose a squad to battle card, and then reveal them simultaneously. If a activate and perform the following steps in order. A player has no card in hand, she must play the top card squad can be activated multiple times in a row, so of her draw pile as her battle card instead. long as it is still your turn after completing the squad’s activation. 2. Resolve Battle Cards Each player looks at the battle style of her opponent’s 1. Pay Activation Cost battle card. Then each player looks at the battle effect 2. Reorder of her own card to see which effect triggers. The left 3. Move effect of a BOLD card always triggers versus a 4. Battle GUARDED card. The left effect of a GUARDED card always triggers versus a TRICKY card. And the left 1. Pay Activation Cost (required) effect of a TRICKY card always triggers versus a BOLD Pay initiative equal to the highest single activation cost card. In all other cases, the effect on the right triggers. among all units in that squad. Note: Look only at the battle card section of the played battle cards to resolve them. The unit section does not The units in this squad affect the battle. Likewise, the battle card section of Tridents 6 1 1 have activation costs units on the battlefield have no effect on the game. PSYCHIC • COMMON • WATER CLAN of 1, 2, and 1. Since the Blue3 Oracles 3 4 2 highest single activation 3. Apply Damage PSYCHIC • COMMON • WATER CLAN cost of the squad is 2, The battling squads then simultaneously deal damage Flank it costs 2 initiative to to each other. The amount of damage dealt by each Clone: When2 this unit is 2 3 1 destroyed,Cartographers you may summon a activate this squad. squad is the totaled attack values of all the units in SKILLED • COMMON • WATER CLAN Tridents unit Flank from your hand that squad plus any increases to the squad’s attack without paying initiative. Demoralize:1 When this provided by played battle cards or other game effects. squad moves into a zone, you may pay the activation cost of 2. Reorder (optional) Damage is dealt starting with the top unit of the enemy a unitInform: in that When zone this to place unit is it in squad, continuing to the next unit when the first one summoned,its controller’s look at home the top zone. 4 cards The player may reorder the units in the activated of your draw pile. Add+4 one to your +1 , is destroyed, and so on. A unit is destroyed and put in hand and place the rest on top of squad. (Rearrange the order that units appear in the your draw pile in any order. stack of cards that make up the activated squad.) its owner’s discard pile if it received damage equal to +3 , +2 +2 its defense value. Damage not sufficient to destroy a 3. Move (optional) unit is ignored. Because damage is simultaneous, for The player may move some or all of the units from her the purposes of timing, all units that are destroyed as +3 You may draw 1 card. You may draw 1 card. squad into 1 adjacent zone. A squad cannot move out the result of damage from the battle are destroyed of a zone containing an enemy squad. If the squad is simultaneously. See Example: Battle moved into a zone that already contains a squad the player controls, she must combine the squads and + : If a battle card effect or unit ability provides discard down to 3 units, once again reordering additional defense, the amount of damage received by if desired. the squad is reduced by that amount, before damage is applied to any individual unit. 4. Battle (optional) Finally, if the activated squad shares a zone with an Note: If one squad no longer exists or is no longer in opponent’s squad, the player may initiate a battle the battle zone before applying damage, the battle between those squads. To resolve a battle, execute the immediately proceeds to the discard step and no following steps in order. damage is applied.

1. Play a Battle Card 4. Discard Battle Cards At the end of the battle, played battle cards go to their 2. Resolve Battle Cards players’ discard piles. EXCEPTION: If a triggered battle 3. Apply Damage card effect included a symbol, the player who played 4. Discard Battle Cards that card may place it in her hand instead, even if it came from the top of the player’s draw pile.

6 Example: Battle

Marauders 3 1 1 1 RECKLESS • COMMON • BLOOD CLAN Ancestral Warriors 2 2 1 1. Player one (Blood Clan) spends 2 initiative, REANIMATED • COMMON • SKULL CLAN 1 6 10 2 Condor 2 FLYING • HERO • BLOOD CLAN Ancestral Warriors 2 2 1 moving the initiative token from the 0 space REANIMATEDUndying • COMMON • SKULL CLAN 5 1 3 1 Trappers Horde Sacrifice: When2 this squad battles, DEVOUT • COMMON • BLOOD CLAN before choosingAncestral battle cards, Knights you 4 4 1 to the 2 space to activate her squad and Flight: If there are only flying may remove this unit from the game REANIMATED • COMMON • SKULL CLAN units in this 1squad when it is to give this squadUndying +6 or +6 for activated, it may move up to 2 zones Sacrifice:the rest When of thethis battle.squad battles, away and may move out of zones before choosing3 battle cards, you containing enemy squads. may remove this unit from the game move it into an adjacent crystal zone. Player Add this card to Add this card to to give this squad +6 or +6 for Undying theHorde bottom of your the bottom of your the rest of the battle. battling squad. battling squad. Reapers: When+ this7 unit is +1 destroyed, discard the top card two (Skull) already occupies this zone so Destroy the Destroy the of your draw pile. bottom unit of your top unit of your opponent’s squad. opponent’s squad. +7 +1 player one decides to initiate battle. Add this card to Add this card to the bottom of your the bottom of your battling squad. battling squad. +2 , +3 +2 2. Both players must play a battle card. Player one has no cards in her hand so she plays

Enchanter Malek 8 6 2 the top card from her draw pile facedown, MAGIC • HERO • SKULL CLAN Chieftains 2 2 2 2 DEVOUT • COMMON • BLOOD CLAN 3 Chieftains ( TRICKY). Player two chooses 1 Raise the Dead: Reanimated units may be summoned to to play Enchanter Malek ( GUARDED) Horde this squad’s zone. Lead Devout: This unit gains +1 for each devout unit in this squad. facedown from his hand. The battle cards +6 , +4 are revealed and the effects trigger. Player +1 for each devout You may draw 1 card. unit in your squad. one draws a card to add to her hand and player two gains 6 defense which is subtracted from player one’s attack value. 3 Marauders 3 1 1 RECKLESS • COMMON • BLOOD CLAN Ancestral Warriors 2 2 1 REANIMATED • COMMON • SKULL CLAN 1 Condor 6 10 2 2 3. Player one’s squad now has an attack value 3 FLYING • HERO • BLOOD CLAN Ancestral Warriors 2 2 1 Marauders 1 1 AncestralREANIMATEDUndying • COMMON • SKULLWarriors CLAN 2 2 1 5 RECKLESS • COMMON • BLOOD CLAN Horde Sacrifice:REANIMATED When this squad battles, • COMMON • SKULL CLAN before choosing2 battle cards, you of 4 and player two’s squad has an attack Flight: If there are only flying may remove this unit from the game Undying 1 units in this squad when it is to give this squad2 +6 or +6 for Condor 6 10 activated,2 it may move up to 2 zones Sacrifice:the rest When of thethis battle.squad battles, 2 2 1value of 8. Damage is dealt simultaneously away and may move out of zones beforeAncestral choosing battle cards, you Warriors FLYING • HERO • BLOOD CLAN containing enemy squads. may removeREANIMATED thisUndying unit from the •game COMMON • SKULL CLAN Add this card to Add this card to to give this squad +6 or +6 for the bottom of your the bottom of your the rest of the battle. battling squad. battling squad. Sacrifice: When+ this7 squad battles, +1 starting with the top unit of each squad, 5 3 before choosing2 battle cards, you Trappers Horde 1 1 Destroy the Destroy the Ancestral Knights 4 4 1 DEVOUT • COMMON • BLOOD CLAN bottom unit of your top unit of your may removeREANIMATED this unit from • COMMON the game • SKULL CLAN opponent’s squad. opponent’s squad. Undying and the top unit of each squad is destroyed. Flight: If there are only flying to give this squad+ 7+6 or +6 for +1 units in this 1squad when it is Sacrifice:the rest When3 of thethis battle.squad battles, activated, it may move up to 2 zones before choosing battle cards, you Player two’s squad has 5 more attack value away and may move out of zones may remove this unit from the game Trappers 1 3 1 containing enemy squads. to give this squad +6 or +6 for Add this card to Add this card to DEVOUT • COMMON • BLOOD CLAN Undying the restAncestral of the battle.Knights 4 4 1 left, but it is not enough to destroy player the bottom of your the bottom of your Reapers: When this unit is Horde 1 REANIMATED •+ COMMON7 • SKULL CLAN +1 battling squad. battling squad. destroyed, discard the top card of your3 draw pile. one’s “Condor” so the last 5 damage is lost.

Destroy the Destroy the Horde bottom unit of your top unit of your Undying Reapers: When this+ unit7 is +1 opponent’s squad. opponent’s squad. destroyed, discard the top card of your draw pile. Player one now places her battle card in her Add this card to Add this card to the bottom of your the bottom of your Add this card to Add this card to the bottom of your the bottom of your +2 , +3 +2 battling squad. battling squad. battling squad. battling squad. discard pile. Because player two’s triggered +2 , +3 +2 battle effect contained the icon, player two may choose to return his battle card to

Marauders 3 1 1 his hand. 4 RECKLESS • COMMON • BLOOD CLAN Ancestral Warriors 2 2 1 1 REANIMATED • COMMON • SKULL CLAN Condor 6 10 2 FLYING • HERO • BLOOD CLAN 2 Ancestral Warriors 2 2 1 4. Each player is left with a two card squad in REANIMATEDUndying • COMMON • SKULL CLAN 5Horde Sacrifice: When this squad battles, before choosing2 battle cards, you Flight: If there are only flying may remove this unit from the game this crystal zone. It is now player two’s turn units in this squad when it is to give this squadUndying +6 or +6 for activated, it may move up to 2 zones the rest of the battle. away and may move out of zones Sacrifice: When this squad battles, containing enemy squads. before choosing battle cards, you and he may take any action. If he wants to Add this card to Add this card to may remove this unit from the game the bottom of your the bottom of your to give this squad +6 or +6 for battling squad. battling squad. the rest of the battle. +7 +1 Destroy the Destroy the initiate another battle, he would need to bottom unit of your top unit of your opponent’s squad. opponent’s squad. +7 +1 spend one initiative to activate his squad.

7 Score

Scoring is how a player obtains 4 crystal cards and wins the game. A player must control at least 2 out of the 3 crystal zones in order to take a score action. To control a zone means that the player has a squad in the zone and the opponent does not. Example: Invade & Reshuffle

Soren’s Bounty 8 The player chooses any 1 of the 3 crystal Trappers 1 3 1 1 DEVOUT • COMMON • BLOOD CLAN 1 cards face-up next to the crystal deck Aarock Riders 5 1 2 to score. She pays the initiative cost of FLYING • COMMON • BLOOD CLAN 2Horde

the chosen card and places that card Flight: If there are only flying units in this squad when it is activated, it may move up to 2 zones face-up in her collected crystal area, away and may move out of zones containing enemyAdd this squads. card to Add this card to the bottom of your the bottom of your When you gain this crystal, immediately battling squad. battling squad. take a free replenish action. resolving any game effects that trigger upon gaining the crystal card. Then she +5 Skull Clan replaces it with the top card of the crystal deck so that REFERENCE CARD there are 3 face-up crystal cards next to the crystal deck.

Facedown Crystal Cards: Some crystal cards feature an effect that flips the card facedown. A facedown

Clan Signature Ability: Undying crystal card still counts as 1 of the 4 crystals needed to 2 This unit may be summoned from your discard pile as if it were in your hand. win, but the text on its face-up side no longer applies.

Ancestral Warriors 2 2 1 REANIMATED • COMMON • SKULL CLAN 2 REPLENISH Undying Sacrifice: When this squad battles, before choosing battle cards, you To perform a replenish action, a player must pay 3 may remove this unit from the game to give this squad +6 or +6 for initiative. The player may discard any cards from her hand the rest of the battle. of her choice, and then may draw cards until she has 5 +7 +1 cards in her hand. If she already has 5 or more cards in her hand after discarding, she does not draw cards. 1. Player one (Blood) paid 2 initiative to activate her squad and move it into Player INVADE two’s (Skull) Home Zone. She then paid 3 To perform an invade action, a player must control her more initiative to perform an invasion. opponent’s home zone and must pay 3 initiative. She 2. Player one’s squad has an attack value of discards cards from her opponent’s draw pile equal to 6, so Player two must now discard 6 cards her invading squad’s total attack value. If her opponent off the top of his draw pile. is forced to reshuffle during the invade action (see “Reshuffling” below), the invade action ends after the Player two’s draw pile is 3Mygard’s Shield 8 reshuffle without discarding any more cards. empty after discarding 4 cards so he is forced to reshuffle and the Reshuffling invasion ends.

Any time a player must draw or discard a card from her 3. Because Player two had

to reshuffle, Player one When battling, before choosing battle cards, draw pile while her draw pile is empty, she immediately you may flip this crystal facedown. If you do, your squad gains +4 for that battle. reshuffles her discard pile to create a new draw was allowed to claim pile. Then, after the current action is completed, her a crystal card without opponent scores a crystal card without needing to having to pay the initiative cost for it. control 2 crystal zones or pay the initiative cost of that crystal.

8 Winning the Game Deck Construction

When a player has 4 or more crystal cards in her score Currently, the types of cards and number of each card area she immediately wins the game. in each deck cannot be customized. Deck construction rules will be introduced at a future date, when more 9 The Astral Fulcrum The Bitter Blessing The Foxtail 7 8 cards have been released for the game. To stay The Wind’s Wish 7 up to date on release news for Crystal Clans, visit plaidhatgames.com/crystalclans.

When you summon a single unit, you When you gain this crystal, look at your When battling, before choosing maybattle flip cards, this card facedown to summonopponent’s hand and force her to discard it to a crystal zone you control. When you gain this crystal,you choose may upflip this crystal facedown. If you do, a card of your choice from her hand. to 2 cards in your discard dealpile anddamage add starting with the bottom unit of them to the top of your drawyour pile.opponent’s squad during that battle.

Clarifications

When a card effect contradicts the rulebook, the Initial Mulligan card effect takes precedence. Experienced players may optionally play with a mulligan for their initial hand draw during setup. At If 2 or more game effects or choices would ever the beginning of the game, after players draw 5 cards seem to trigger simultaneously, the active player but before the first player is chosen, each player may decides in which order they will resolve. choose to shuffle any number of cards from her hand back into the draw pile and draw back up to 5 cards Whenever a card is discarded for any 1 time. reason, it always goes to its owner’s discard pile. The owner of a card is the player that started the game with that card in her deck. It is possible for a player to control a card which she does not own. In that case, the unit still has the signature ability of its clan, etc.

9 Glossary Terms

Actions: When it is a player’s turn, she takes an action Applying Damage: Applying damage is the third of her choice. After the action, if the initiative token is step of a battle. Each squad’s attack value is applied still on her side of the initiative track or in the neutral as damage to the opponent’s squad simultaneously. zone, she takes another action. Actions may be taken Damage is applied starting with the top unit of the in any order, and the same action may be taken more squad and continuing to the next unit below once the than once during a turn. Some actions have some sort top unit’s defense has been reached. Units who receive of requirement to be possible. Possible actions include enough damage to be destroyed are all destroyed and Summon, Activate, Score, Replenish, and Invade. discarded simultaneously. Damage that was insufficient to destroy a unit is lost. Activated Squad: The activated squad is the squad that was chosen for activation at the beginning of an Attack Value: A unit’s attack value is shown by the activation action. When a squad moves, if some units symbol on its card, plus any possible boosts to the unit were left behind, only the moved units are considered provided by an ability. The attack value of a squad is the to be activated. combined attack value of all units in the squad, plus any possible boosts to the squad provided by abilities or Activate: To perform an activate action, a player must battle card effects. choose a squad she controls on the battlefield and pay that squad’s activation cost. Then she may perform Battle Card Effects: Most battle card effects are each of the following optional steps in order with that laid out by the text of that card effect, except for the squad: reorder, move, battle. following 3: + This effect adds to the squad’s attack value. Activation Cost: The activation cost of a squad is the highest activation cost of any one unit in that squad. + This effect reduces the opponent squad’s attack value before applying damage. Active Player: The active player is the player currently performing actions. When discarding battle cards as the 4th step of a battle, If a battle card effect includes this symbol, Adjacency: Zones that share a border are adjacent. the player who played that battle card may choose to keep it in hand instead of discarding it.

10 Battle Cards: The bottom portion of each card from a Clan: Within the Crystal Clans game, there are clan deck is the battle section of that card. This section numerous clans. All cards sharing the same clan name only applies when a card is played as a battle card in (found in the ‘unit type’ section of a card) make up 1 step 1 and 2 of battles. Each battle card has 2 possible clan. Example: Stone Clan, Blood Clan, Skull Clan, etc. effects depending on the card’s battle style and the battle style of the opponent’s played battle card. The Combining Squads: Whenever a unit or a squad would unit section of the battle cards do not effect the battle. be added to a zone (for example, due to moving or being When a battle card is played, it is not considered to be summoned), if a friendly squad is already in the zone, either discarded or in-hand until the discard step of the player who controls the units combines them into 1 the battle. squad, reordering the units if desired. If this results in a squad of more than 3 units, the player must discard units Battle Styles: Each card is one of 3 battle styles: bold, until there are 3 units in the combined squad. guarded, or tricky. In a battle, when resolving battle cards, look at your opponent’s card’s battle style, and Controlled Squad: The controller of a squad is the then look at your own battle card to see which effect player who is able to activate that squad. Usually this triggers as listed on the card. The left effect of a is the player who summoned the units in the squad, BOLD card always triggers versus a GUARDED although there are exceptions due to card effects. card. The left effect of a GUARDED card always triggers Squads should be oriented so that they are read right- versus a TRICKY card. And the left effect of a side up by the person who controls them. TRICKY card always triggers versus a BOLD card. In all other cases, the effect on the right triggers. Controlled Zone: Controlling a zone means that a player controls a squad in the zone and her Battlefield Abilities: Battlefield abilities are abilities opponent does not. with the symbol. A unit’s battlefield ability is only active while that unit is the top unit of a squad on the battlefield (i.e. while that unit is on the battlefield and its ability is showing). All other abilities are active at all times.

Battling: Battling is the last, optional step of activation. Battling consists of 4 steps: Play a battle card, resolve battle cards, apply damage, and discard battle cards. After a battle is over, a zone may contain 1 squad, 2 squads (a squad controlled by each player) or no squads.

Bottom Unit of Squad: The bottom unit of a squad is a card in a squad that is not physically covering any other units in that squad. If a squad consists of just 1 unit, that unit is both the top and bottom unit of that squad.

Cartographers: If there are less than 4 cards in a player’s draw pile when Inform activates, merely look at the cards that are in the draw pile. Do not trigger a reshuffle.

Citadel Knights: If the Tactical ability is used while the opponent’s draw pile is empty, a reshuffle triggers.

11 Damage: (see applying damage on page 6 or 11) Facedown Crystals: Some game effects flip crystal cards facedown. A facedown crystal card still counts as Deck Construction: Deck construction refers to 1 of the 4 crystal cards needed to win the game, but the customizing which cards appear in your deck before a text on its face-up side no longer applies. game. At the release of this rule set, deck construction is not allowed. Visit plaidhatgames.com/crystalclans Free Actions: Some game effects result in an action to stay updated on news about future Crystal Clans being free. When a free action is performed, no releases and the introduction of deck construction initiative is paid to perform the action. rules. Friendly: A friendly squad or unit is a unit controlled Defense Value: A unit’s defense value is shown by the by the same player as the card with the “friendly” symbol on its card. boosts provided by battle reference on it. cards or other card effects do not increase the defense of any individual unit; instead, boosts reduce the Gaining Initiative: Whenever a player gains initiative, attack value of the opponent’s squad while in battle. move the initiative token toward the player gaining initiative a number of spaces equal to the initiative Destroying Units: Whenever a unit is destroyed, gained. If this would move the token past the last space due to applying damage in battle or a game effect on the initiative track, it stops on the last space. that explicitly destroys a unit, that unit is discarded. Units destroyed due to applying damage in battle are Hand Limit: There is no hand limit in Crystal Clans. destroyed simultaneously. However, players with 5 or more cards already in hand after discarding cards during a Replenish action will Discarding: Whenever a card is discarded, it is placed not draw any cards. in its owner’s discard pile. Discard piles are face-up at all times and the order of the discard pile does not Home Zone: Each player’s home zone is the zone matter. Units are discarded when they are destroyed, closest to that player. but other game effects may discard units on the battlefield, in hand, or from the top of a player’s draw pile. Units that are discarded are not necessarily considered to be destroyed, unless they were discarded due to applying damage during battle or due to a card effect that explicitly destroys them.

Drawing Cards: Whenever a game effect leads to drawing a card, the player who draws the card takes the top card of her draw pile and adds it to her hand. There is no hand limit.

Enemy: The enemy is a player’s opponent. An enemy squad is a squad controlled by the opponent. And enemy unit is a unit controlled by the opponent.

Enemy Squad’s Zone: A zone is considered an enemy squad’s zone if there is an enemy squad in the zone. It does not necessarily mean that the opponent controls that zone.

Entering a Zone: A squad or unit is considered to have entered a zone when it moves into the zone (usually during a unit’s activation) or is placed in the zone (due to summoning or another card effect).

12 Horde: Only the top unit in the squad needs to have Placing: When a card effect places a card or squad the Horde ability in order for the squad to benefit from somewhere on the battlefield, that is not considered the ability. If at any point the top unit of the squad does a move and does not have the same restriction of not not have the Horde ability, the player who controls the being able to move out of an enemy squad’s zone. squad must immediately discard down to 3 units. When a card is summoned, it is placed in a zone (usually the home zone) as well. Initiative: Initiative is a resource that represents time in Crystal Clans. The initiative token tracks who Remove From Game: Removing a card from the game has initiative and how much. On a player’s turn, she means that the card returns to the game box and is not must take actions until the initiative token is on her considered to be in any card pile or in hand or on the opponent’s side of the initiative track, past the neutral battlefield. A card removed from the game will never be (1, 0 and 1) spaces. Then play passes to her opponent. placed back in any pile or in a hand or on the battlefield for the rest of that game. Invading: To perform an invade action, a player must control her opponent’s home zone and must pay 3 Reordering: Reordering is when a player chooses the initiative. She discards cards from her opponent’s draw order of the units in a squad she controls. The top pile equal to her invading squad’s total attack value. If unit is the unit that is not covered by any other cards. her opponent is forced to reshuffle during the invade Reordering can happen in 3 different ways: action, the invade action ends after the reshuffle without discarding any more cards. Reordering happens optionally as a step of the activation action, after paying the activation cost Moving: Moving is an optional part of an activation and before movement. action, after reordering and before battling. During Whenever a unit is added to a squad (for example, this part of activation, the player may move some or all of the units from her squad into an adjacent zone. when summoning a unit), the controlling player may However, a squad cannot move out of a zone containing reorder at that time. an enemy squad. If the squad is moved into a zone Whenever 2 squads are combined (for example, that already contains a squad the player controls, she when moving a squad into a zone that already must combine the squads and discard down to 3 units, reordering if desired. contains a friendly squad), the controlling player may reorder the combined squad at that time. Neutral Spaces: The 1, 0, and 1 spaces of the initiative track are neutral spaces. On a player’s turn, that player Replenishing: To perform a replenish action, a player must take actions until the initiative token is on her must pay 3 initiative. The player may discard any cards opponent’s side of the initiative track, PAST the from her hand of her choice, and then may draw cards neutral spaces. until she has 5 cards in her hand. If she already has 5 or more cards in her hand after discarding, she does not Owner: The owner of a card is the player who started draw cards. the game with that card in her deck. Whenever cards are discarded, they are always discarded to Reshuffling: Any time a player must draw or discard a their owner’s discard pile, which can occasionally be card from her draw pile while her draw pile is empty, different than the controller’s discard pile. she immediately reshuffles her discard pile to create a new draw pile. Then, after the current action is Paying Initiative: Whenever a player pays initiative, completed, her opponent gets to take a score action move the initiative token toward the opponent a without needing to control 2 crystal zones or paying number of spaces equal to the initiative paid. If an the initiative cost. action’s cost would move the initiative token past the last space on the initiative track, that action is not Returning cards to hand: Some game effects return available. If any other game effect would move the a card to its controller’s hand. In this case, the player token past the last space on the initiative track, it stops controlling the card places it in her hand whether or on the last space. not the card had ever actually been in her hand.

13 Scoring: To take a score action, a player must control Titan Knights: The In Step ability also reduces its at least 2 out of the 3 crystal zones. The player chooses squad’s activation cost for the purpose of opponent any of the 3 crystal cards face-up next to the crystal effects (example: Blue Oracles). deck. She pays the initiative cost of the chosen card and places that card face-up in her collected crystal Top Unit of Squad: The top unit of a squad is a card area, resolving any game effects that trigger upon in a squad that is not physically covered by any other gaining the crystal card. Then she replaces it with the units in that squad. If a squad consists of just 1 unit, top card of the crystal deck so that there are 3 face-up that unit is both the top and bottom unit of that squad. crystal cards next to the crystal deck. Tridents: Tridents summoned as a result of the Clone Signature Ability: Each clan has a signature ability ability must be placed in the player’s home zone as listed on its reference card. If a card from that clan has usual, unless another ability such as Shapeshifters’ the title of that clan’s signature ability on it, that card Shift says otherwise. has that clan’s signature ability. If a card from that clan does NOT have the title of that clan’s signature ability Turns: 1 turn may be made up of multiple actions. on it, that card does NOT have that ability. Units Types: All units are either heroes or commons. Simultaneous Effects: If 2 or more game effects or There are 3 heroes in each deck and 24 commons. choices would ever seem to trigger simultaneously, the Each unit also has a clan to which it belongs. Finally, active player decides in which order they will resolve. each unit has an additional descriptor in its unit type, which may be referenced by certain card effects. A unit Sleep: Sleep reduces the attack value of the top unit has its type even if it is not the top unit of a squad on of the opponent’s squad to 0. The unit’s printed value the battlefield. is considered to be 0, and any ability that affects the unit’s attack value is nullified. Battle card effects that boost attack value and abilities that boost the squad’s attack value are unaffected, even if there is only one unit in the squad.

Spirit Guide: If the left effect of the Spirit Guide battle card triggers while the opponent’s draw pile is empty, a reshuffle occurs.

Squad Limits: Each squad may only have up to 3 units in it. Any time a game effect would cause there to be more than 3 units in a squad, the controller of that squad discards units of her choice from that squad until there are only 3 units in that squad.

Summoning: To perform a summon action, a player chooses up to 3 units from her hand and places them all in her home zone. Pay initiative equal to the totaled summon cost of those units. Although some card effects allow cards to be summoned to zones other than a player’s home zone, a player may not summon units to two different zones during one summon action.

14 Credits GAME DESIGN Andrea Mezzotero

GAME DEVELOPMENT Colby Dauch • J. Arthur Ellis

ILLUSTRATION Martin Abel

ART DIRECTION Samuel J. Vega • Isaac Vega

GRAPHIC DESIGN David Richards • Kendall Wilkerson

PLAYTESTING Tyler Backman, Evy Ben-Asher, Jeffrey Berman, Gabriele Bubola, Brodi Chase, Jordan Chase, Nathan James Chase, John Choong Chun Han, Nick Conley, Francesco D’Alessio, Cameron Dabbs, DrLivingston, Jeremy Durga, Andy Englund, Ciro Facciolli, Thibaud Francois, Nathan Friesen, Arkadiusz Golunski, Gordon Helle, Hannah Helle, Carl Joyce, Jeffrey Joyce, Jenny Joyce, Matt Kaminsky, Eugene Khoo Teng Jin, Benji Klas, Matias Korman, Mitsuyo Kurosawa, Federico Latini, Brandon Massengill, Jon Robert Merkle, David John Meyer, Gabriel John Meyer, Scott Moran, Paolo Mori, Elan Pavlov, Marco Pietrosanto, Brooklyn Poulson, Loren Poulson, Luca Ricci, Jared Ridinger, Marcel Roeloffzen, Carlo A. Rossi, Sara Rubino, Kaitlyn Sevits, Raymond M Sevits, Nathan Stephens, Simon Stephens, Gary Sigrist, Donovon Thakur, Stephen Thomas, André van Renssen, Noa Vassalli, Emanuele Vissani, Teage Watson, Anne Wiksell, Cameron Wiksell, Ian Wiksell, Parker Wiksell, Benjamin Witham, Jeffrey Wolfe, Laura Wolfe, Ron Wood, Christian Zoli, Everett Zuras, Holden Zuras Andrea would like to give special thanks to Arianna and Emilia

15 WWW.PLAIDHATGAMES.COM © 2017 Plaid Hat Games. Crystal Clans and Plaid Hat Games are trademarks of Plaid Hat Games. Plaid Hat Games is a division of Asmodee North America, Inc. Plaid Hat Games, 1995 W County Rd B2, Roseville, MN 55113. 651-639-1905. Actual components may vary from those shown. Made in China. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A TOY. NOT INTENDED FOR USE BY PERSONS 13 YEARS OF AGE OR YOUNGER.