Dragon Ranch Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Course of the Game
  • Course of a Season
    • Phase 1: Develop the Ranch
    • Phase 2: Feed the Ranch
    • Phase 3: Reproduction
    • End of Season
• Essence Card Combinations
• End of Game
  • Victory Points
• Dragon Powers
• Power Cards
• Power Card Effects
• Medal Tokens
• Variants
• Solo Variant

Components

• 195 tokens:
  • 50 "Mandragora" tokens
  • 35 "Griffin" tokens
  • 60 "Egg/Dragon" tokens (35 level 1, 20 level 2 and 5 level 3)
  • 39 "Ingot" tokens
  • 1 "First Player" token
  • 5 "Medal" tokens
  • 5 "Score" tokens
• 108 "Essence" cards: 27 Griffin Essence, 27 Farmer Essence, 27 Mandragora Essence and 27 Dragon Essence
• 30 mini "Power" cards: 20 blue and 10 red
• 1 score track
• 5 "Memo" sheets and 1 rulebook

Setup

1. Essence cards.
   • With 2 players: take 17 Essence cards of each type plus all 30 Power cards. Return the other Essence cards to the box.
   • With 3 players: take 22 Essence cards of each type plus all 30 Power cards. Return the other Essence cards to the box.
   • With 4 or 5 players: take all the cards.
2. Place the score track in the centre of the table.
3. Place all the tokens in piles next to the score track, sorted by category.
4. Each player chooses a "Score" token in the colour they prefer and places it on the 0 space of the score track.
5. Shuffle the Essence cards and deal 5 to each player, who keeps them in hand out of sight. Place the remaining cards face down as a shuffled draw pile.
6. Shuffle the Power cards and place 4 of them face up next to the pile.
7. Shuffle the "Medal" tokens and place them face down next to the score track.
8. Give each player a "Memo" card.

The setup diagram (printed page 5) shows the components numbered 1 to 8 on the table. The diagram carries no text of its own.

Course of the Game

The game is played over 2 seasons of 3 phases each.

Course of a Season

The youngest player takes the "First Player" token and starts the game.

Phase 1: Develop the Ranch

On their turn, each player may perform only one of the following 3 actions:

1. Make a combination with several of the cards in hand (see "Essence Card Combinations"). The cards used in a combination are discarded. Note: only one combination is allowed per turn.
2. Do not make a combination this turn in order to take one additional Essence card into hand and add 1 ingot to the reserve. Note: the number of cards in hand is limited to 7. If a breeder has 8 or more cards at the end of their turn, they must choose and discard enough cards to stay within the maximum.
3. Discard 2 Essence cards from hand to draw 2 new Essence cards and add 1 ingot to the reserve. Do not make a combination this turn.

Once their action is done, the player draws as many cards as needed to have 5 cards in hand again, and ends their turn.

Play then passes to the player on the left, continuing clockwise, until the draw pile is completely exhausted. Once the draw pile is empty, finish the round so that every player has taken the same number of turns (stop just before the First Player's turn). At the end of that last turn, any Essence cards still in hand are discarded.

The player on the left of the player who held the "First Player" token takes that token: they will start the 2nd season.

Phase 2: Feed the Ranch

As in the first phase, the First Player begins feeding their ranch.

Step 1: each player feeds their Griffins with their Mandragora tokens.

• Each Mandragora token paired with 1 Griffin token is discarded (it has been eaten).
• Each Griffin token that is not paired with 1 Mandragora token is discarded (it is not fed and so dies of hunger).

Step 2: each player feeds their Dragons with their Griffin tokens.

• Each Griffin token paired with 1 Dragon token is discarded (it has been eaten).
• Each Dragon token that is not paired with 1 Griffin token is discarded (it is not fed and so dies of hunger).

Notes:

• Level 2 or level 3 Dragons also feed on a single Griffin.
• Eggs do not feed.
• You may choose not to feed a creature and let it die (then discard that token).

Example (printed page 7): It is Julien's turn to feed his ranch. He has 2 Mandragoras, 3 Griffins, 2 level 1 Dragons, one level 2 Dragon and 1 level 1 Egg.

Julien must begin by feeding his Griffins. 2 can eat (the Mandragoras are then discarded) and the 3rd cannot feed, so it is discarded too.

He must then feed his 3 Dragons but has only 2 Griffins left. He chooses to feed his level 2 Dragon and one level 1 Dragon. The 3rd Dragon and the 2 Griffins that were eaten are then discarded.

The Egg must not feed, so at the end of the season Julien keeps 1 level 2 Dragon, 1 level 1 Dragon and 1 level 1 Egg.

Phase 3: Reproduction

As in the two previous phases, the First Player begins reproduction in their ranch.

Pairing tokens. Each player may pair 2 "Creature" tokens in their ranch to obtain new tokens, according to the combinations below.

• 2 Mandragora tokens: the player adds a Mandragora token to their ranch.
• 2 Griffin tokens: the player adds a Griffin token to their ranch.
• 2 Dragon tokens: the player adds to their ranch an Egg token whose level is that of the lower-level Dragon of the two paired tokens.
• 1 Dragon token and 1 Egg token: the player turns the Egg token over to its Dragon side.

Paying one gold ingot per pairing. The first pairing is free, but for every other pairing the player must pay one gold ingot for each operation.

Notes:

• Each token may be paired only once during the same reproduction phase.
• New tokens obtained during reproduction cannot be used in that same reproduction phase.
• New tokens need to be fed only in the following season.
• When you obtain a level 2 Egg, take the one of your choice.
• Any Dragon can hatch an Egg of any level.

Example (printed page 8): Vincent has 3 Mandragoras, 1 Griffin, 2 level 1 Dragons, 1 level 2 Egg and 2 ingots. He chooses to pair one Dragon with his Egg and can then turn it over to its Dragon side. He then chooses to pay one ingot to pair his 2 Mandragoras and obtains a new Mandragora.

End of Season

Once the reproduction phase is over, determine which players obtain the "Medal" tokens (see the "Medal Tokens" section), score points on the score track, and then begin the 2nd season. Shuffle the discarded Essence cards and set them out as a draw pile, as at the start of the first season.

Example (printed page 9): At the end of season 1, Louise has a level 1 Dragon (1 VP), a level 2 Dragon (2 VP) and a level 2 Egg. She totals the points from her 2 Dragons and so advances 3 spaces on the score track.

Essence Card Combinations

On their turn, each player may discard two or more cards from hand to combine essences and enlarge their ranch.

2 "Mandragora Essence" cards

• Effect: the player takes 1 Mandragora token and adds it to their ranch.
• Improved combination: any "Farmer" card added to the basic combination lets the player take one additional Mandragora token.

2 "Griffin Essence" cards

• Effect: the player takes 1 Griffin token and adds it to their ranch.
• Improved combination: any "Farmer" card added to the basic combination lets the player take one additional Griffin token.

2 "Dragon Essence" cards

• Effect: the player takes 1 level 1 Egg token and adds it to their ranch.
• Improved combination: any "Farmer" card added to the basic combination lets the player take one additional level 1 Egg token.

1 "Dragon Essence" card + 1 "Mandragora Essence" card

• Effect: the player turns 1 of their level 1 Egg tokens over to its Dragon side.
• Improved combination: any "Farmer" card added to the basic combination lets the player hatch one additional Egg token.
• Note: this combination lets the player hatch an Egg of any level.

1 "Mandragora Essence" card + 1 "Griffin Essence" card

• Effect: the player takes 2 gold ingots.
• This combination cannot be improved.

1 "Dragon Essence" card + 1 "Griffin Essence" card

• Effect: the player replaces an Egg of their choice in their ranch with an Egg of the next level up.
• This combination cannot be improved.

Notes:

• When an Egg of a higher level is obtained, the player may take the one of their choice (of the matching level).
• A level 3 Egg cannot appear during season 1.
• The cards played are discarded.
• Once hatched, a Dragon can no longer evolve.
• 1 "Ingot" token may be used in a combination to replace any other card ("Mandragora Essence", "Griffin Essence", "Dragon Essence" or "Farmer").
• You may use a maximum of 2 ingots per turn in this way.

Example (printed page 10): Matthieu plays a "Mandragora Essence" card and pays 2 ingots to replace a "Mandragora Essence" card and a "Farmer" card. The player thus adds 2 Mandragoras to their ranch.

End of Game

1. The game ends at the end of the 2nd season.
2. The winner is the player with the most Victory Points (VP).

Victory Points

• 1 Dragon level 1 token = 1 VP
• 1 Dragon level 2 token = 2 VP
• 1 Dragon level 3 token = 3 VP
• 1 Medal token = 3 VP
• 1 red Power card = 1 VP or 2 VP (as printed on the card)

Points are recorded on the score track at the end of season 1 and at the end of season 2. Medal tokens are recorded on the score track at the end of the game.

Note (tie-break): if players are tied, the number of Eggs they hold is used to separate them. Among those tied, the player with the most level 3 Egg tokens wins. If the tie persists, the player with the most level 2 Egg tokens wins. If necessary, the number of level 1 Eggs can be checked and, finally, the number of ingots.

The winner officially becomes the governor's dragon breeder.

Dragon Powers

(Printed page 12.)

When a level 1 Dragon hatches, you may choose a blue "Power" card.

When a level 2 or level 3 Dragon hatches, you may choose a blue "Power" card or a red "Power" card.

The hatching of an evolved Dragon is accompanied by a further effect:

• Yellow Dragon (level 2): when it hatches, the player takes an "Ingot" token.
• Green Dragon (level 2): when it hatches, the player takes a "Mandragora" token.
• Blue Dragon (level 2): when it hatches, the player takes a "Griffin" token.
• Violet Dragon (level 2): when it hatches, the player takes a "level 1 Egg" token.
• Red Dragon (level 3): when it hatches, the player chooses a "level 1 Egg", "Mandragora", "Griffin" or "Ingot" token from an opponent and steals it to add to their own ranch.

Notes:

• A level 1 Egg cannot become a level 3 Egg directly. It must first evolve into a level 2 Egg, which takes several turns.
• Power cards cannot be taken during the feeding and reproduction phases.
• Evolving a level 2 Egg into a level 3 Egg does not activate its power: the power only takes effect when it hatches.

Power Cards

(Printed page 13.)

At the start of a season, 4 Power cards are revealed next to the pile.

When an Egg hatches, you may choose one of the visible Power cards. Replace that card directly with another one taken from the top of the draw pile. When the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new pile.

• Blue Power cards are kept in hand and are used to influence the course of the game.
• Red Power cards are placed directly in front of the player and score victory points if their condition is met.

A player may use a blue Power card only on their own turn, at the moment of their choosing.

A player may not play more than one blue Power card per turn.

When a blue Power card is played, its effect applies immediately and the card is then discarded.

At the end of a season, unplayed blue Power cards are kept.

At the end of a season, red Power cards are kept. They therefore score VP in season 1 and in season 2.

Notes:

• Power cards cannot be used or taken during the feeding and reproduction phases.
• Several Power cards may be drawn in the same turn if several Dragons hatch at the same time.

Power Card Effects

(Printed page 14.) The printed legend is reproduced below. Each blue card shows its effect beside its icon. Each red card shows its scoring condition with the number of tokens required.

Blue Power cards (basic creature = Mandragora / Griffin / Egg):

• Play 2 combinations instead of one this turn.
• Wild card: when used in a combination, this card may be played as any card of your choice.
• Double Farmer: when used in a combination, this card may be played as 2 "Farmer" cards.
• Destroy a base token: destroy one opponent's base token of your choice.
• Swap a base token: exchange one of your base tokens for the opponent's base creature of your choice.
• Take a base token: take the base token of your choice from the reserve.
• Reverse a Dragon: turn a Dragon token of your choice over to its Egg side. This card may be played on an opponent's token. It cannot be played on a level 3 Dragon.
• Repeat: repeat the combination the opponent before you has just played. You may not make any other combination during this turn.
• Steal an ingot: take one "Ingot" token from the opponent of your choice.
• Take a card at random: take a card at random from the hand of the opponent of your choice and add it to your hand. That opponent may not draw cards before the end of their next turn.

Red Power cards (scoring at the end of the season):

• Mandragora (1 VP): 1 VP if you hold at least 3 "Mandragora" tokens at the end of the season.
• Mandragora (2 VP): 2 VP if you hold at least 5 "Mandragora" tokens at the end of the season.
• Griffin (1 VP): 1 VP if you hold at least 3 "Griffin" tokens at the end of the season.
• Griffin (2 VP): 2 VP if you hold at least 5 "Griffin" tokens at the end of the season.
• Egg (1 VP): 1 VP if you hold at least 3 "Egg" tokens at the end of the season.
• Egg (2 VP): 2 VP if you hold at least 5 "Egg" tokens at the end of the season.
• Dragon (1 VP): 1 VP if you hold at least 3 "Dragon" tokens at the end of the season.
• Dragon (2 VP): 2 VP if you hold at least 5 "Dragon" tokens at the end of the season.
• Creature (1 VP): 1 VP if you hold at least 6 "Creature" tokens at the end of the season.
• Creature (2 VP): 2 VP if you hold at least 10 "Creature" tokens at the end of the season.

Translator's note: the printed red-card text says "manche" (round) while the rules use "saison" (season) for the same scoring point. It is read here as the end of the season, as the rules state.

Medal Tokens

(Printed pages 15 and 16.)

"Medal" tokens are season objectives. Each one scores 3 VP. They are counted only at the end of the game.

At the start of the first season, turn 2 "Medal" tokens face up at random. These 2 tokens can be won. At the end of the season, determine the players who obtain the Medal tokens.

• Mandragora Medal: the player with the most "Mandragora" tokens at the end of this season obtains this medal.
• Griffin Medal: the player with the most "Griffin" tokens at the end of this season obtains this medal.
• Dragon Medal: the player with the most "Dragon" tokens (all levels combined) at the end of this season obtains this medal.
• Egg Medal: the player with the most "Egg" tokens (all levels combined) at the end of this season obtains this medal.
• Ingot Medal: the player with the most "Ingot" tokens at the end of this season obtains this medal.

At the end of a season, if 2 players are tied for a Medal token, then nobody obtains that token, and it is put back into play for the next season.

At the start of the 2nd season, turn 2 new "Medal" tokens face up, even if some medals were not won in the previous season.

Translator's note: the printed page uses "manche" (round) in the first sentence and "saison" (season) in the same paragraph; both are rendered as "season" here.

Variants

(Printed page 16.)

• Variant for young or beginner players: play without the Power cards and without the "Medal" tokens.
• Variant for hardcore players: play 3 seasons instead of 2.
• Solo variant: described in the solo rules below.

Solo Variant

(Printed pages 17 to 19.)

In the solo version of Dragon Ranch, you play against the game itself, which acts as your opponent.

Setup

Follow the steps on page 4 of the rulebook, with the following changes:

• Take 17 Essence cards of each type.
• Remove the "DRAGON" medal and the "POWER" cards. These will not be used during the game.
• In front of you, place 4 tokens whose families match the 4 medals (a level 1 Egg, a Mandragora, a Griffin and an Ingot). These tokens represent your opponent's ranch.

Play

Apart from the Power cards, the rules are the same as for a game of 2 to 5 players.

1. Reveal 2 medals at random.
2. Draw 5 cards and make your combination.
3. After refilling your hand, draw a card and place it in the discard pile:
   • If it is a "FARMER" card, draw an ingot and place it in your opponent's reserve.
   • If it is a "MANDRAGORA" card, draw a "Mandragora" token and place it in your opponent's reserve.
   • If it is a "GRIFFIN" card, draw a "Griffin" token and place it in your opponent's reserve.
   • If it is a "DRAGON" card, draw a "level 1 Egg" token and place it in your opponent's reserve.
4. Then draw a second card and place it in your opponent's play area.

During the game, when your opponent gets 2 identical cards, those cards are discarded immediately and you lose a matching token:

• 2 "FARMER" cards: discard one of your ingots.
• 2 "MANDRAGORA" cards: discard one of your "Mandragora" tokens.
• 2 "GRIFFIN" cards: discard one of your "Griffin" tokens.
• 2 "DRAGON" cards: discard one of your "level 1 Egg" tokens.

If you have no matching token, nothing happens.

5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 until the draw pile is completely exhausted. Once the last card has been drawn, phase 1 ends with your opponent's turn.

6. End of season: carry out the feeding and reproduction phases. Then determine which medals are obtained. Medals obtained by your opponent are placed back in the box. In case of a tie, they are put back into play. Then score your VP on the score track and begin season 2 in the same way, remembering to turn over the 2 medals.

End of game

Depending on the number of VP obtained, the player earns the following title:

• fewer than 10 VP: "Éleveur raté!" (Failed breeder!)
• 10 to 14 VP: "Apprenti éleveur!" (Apprentice breeder!)
• 15 to 19 VP: "Éleveur confirmé!" (Experienced breeder!)
• 20 to 24 VP: "Éleveur expert!" (Expert breeder!)
• 25 to 29 VP: "Maître éleveur!" (Master breeder!)
• 30 VP or more: "Éleveur officiel du gouverneur" (Official breeder of the governor)

Variant (solo)

(Printed on the end-of-game page of the solo sheet, page 19.)

• Remove the "EGG" medal and keep the "DRAGON" medal.
• During setup, replace your opponent's "level 1 Egg" token with a "Dragon" token.
• In steps 2 and 3, you draw or discard "level 1 Dragon" tokens instead of "level 1 Egg" tokens.