Mystic Lands, Card Crafting Evolved from AEG

E-Proofs and Plastic Cards!
9 days ago – Mon, Jul 27, 2026 at 03:33:43 PM

Hello Druids,

In the last couple of weeks we've been deep into one of the important quality control stages before production: the E-proof review.

After we send our print-ready files to the factory, they set them up into the format they use for production. They then send those files back to us so we can carefully check every single component before anything goes to print.

We're reviewing every file across all three products:

Mystic Lands: Base Game
Mystic Lands: Tropical Tides Expansion
Mystic Lands: Oran Mor Deluxe Edition

For each one, we're checking:
Every file is present for each product.
Colours appear correctly on the files.
Numbers of components are accurate.

Nothing has changed during the transition of files from us to the printer. It is surprising how easy it is for previously unnoticed formatting issues to cause problems.

We've also been reviewing all of the packaging layouts to make sure every component has a proper place inside each box. It might not be the most glamorous part of game production, but it's one of the most important—taking the time now helps prevent mistakes later.

We've also received an exciting package from our specialist manufacturing partner: the samples of the final printed plastic cards. We had staff on the ground with our partners during several parts of this process, checking the process, and now we get to see the results. 

We review these for any catastrophic failures that may occur (very rare) that may require reprinting the entire run.  Once approved, we ship them to our main board game supplier to be ready for assembly when the other components are completed. 

Here is an example of 4 advances and how they might look if 2 or even 4 of them ended up on the same card.

One thing many people don't realise is that plastic playing cards aren't all the same. Different materials have different levels of clarity, flexibility, durability, and print quality, so selecting the right one involved much more research than simply asking for "plastic cards."

For Mystic Lands, we chose PET rather than the more common PVC used in many plastic cards (including some of our previous games). PET offered several advantages that made it the best fit for this project.

The biggest benefit is clarity. Because these cards include transparent windows, we wanted those areas to be as crystal clear as possible. PET naturally provides better transparency than PVC, helping the artwork shine while keeping the see-through sections looking clean and vibrant.

That introduced another challenge, though. A fully glossy card gives the clearest transparency—but it also shows fingerprints much more easily. After testing different options, we settled on a combination of gloss and spot matte coating. The transparent windows remain glossy for maximum clarity, while the printed artwork receives a matte finish that reduces fingerprints and glare. It generally costs a little more to produce, but we felt the improvement in both appearance and usability was well worth it.

We also looked closely at durability. PET has an excellent balance of rigidity and flexibility, making it well suited to repeated play while maintaining its clarity over time. It also provides more consistent compliance with international safety standards, which is important as we ship Mystic Lands to backers around the world.

These samples are our opportunity to confirm that all of those decisions—from the material itself to the coatings and print quality—have translated into the physical product exactly as intended. So far, we're very pleased with what we're seeing.

--- The AEG Mystic Lands Team

Mystic Lands - Solo Playthrough
2 months ago – Wed, Jun 03, 2026 at 09:17:02 AM

Druids,

More about Solo below, but some updates first! We are placing our factory orders and production limits have now been set. If you haven't already added one of the Mystic Lands t-shirts to your pledge, we still have some available as an add-on in the pledge manager for only $10 while supplies last!

Now for the Mystic Lands solo playthrough. I'd like to tell you a few things before you watch:

We had to shoot this video on TTS, so we had John D Clair and Josh Wood join to talk through some plays and solo strategy with Mark as the player. 

In real life, you'll use another player board to track the Force of Nature opponent's resources, but here on TTS we condensed that resource track a bit.

You can read the solo rules in PDF form here, but I'll include some screenshots of those pages below for quicker reference. If you need to watch a How to Play, I'll include Becca's video below the solo playthrough video so you can watch that first.

If you have any questions, just ask below and I'll check back often to answer!

Finally, don't forget to check out Josh Wood's new entry into the Let's Go! series as he helps you plan your trip to France!

-Kirk

Mystic Lands Update - Through the Barren Places (Plus Tariff refund info)
3 months ago – Thu, May 21, 2026 at 04:45:56 PM

Druids,

There will be no tariff charges for this campaign, you may have already received your refund. 

US Backers: If you have already completed the pledge manager for this campaign, we will contact you about a tariff refund, in fact there is a chance that you have already been refunded cash from Backerkit. Pay Pal users we will be refunding directly to you (not through Backerkit).  More info to follow. 

Even in the lush world of Mystic Lands, every journey must cross a few barren places before the garden blooms.

We have entered what the industry calls white sample stage. This is the moment where beauty temporarily gives way to measurements, tolerances, and the eternal question:

"Does it actually fit in the box?"

Our team in China sent over the first structural samples and, well… they are about as exciting as a stone circle in a drought. Blank white boxes, unlabeled bags, mysterious cardboard rectangles, and components stacked like forgotten relics from an abandoned shrine. 

The current fit is not quite what we hoped for, which is exactly why this stage exists. Adjustments are already underway as we continue refining the retail edition box size and component layout. Better to wrestle with the roots now than discover problems after the forest has fully grown.

Still… there is something oddly magical about unlabeled production photos.

“What ancient artifact rests in this tiny plastic bag?”
“Are those the actual cards or still the print samples?”
“Is this a game component or a container for forbidden seeds?”

We may never know.

Then, like sunlight breaking through the canopy, the Wellspring delivered something far more exciting.

The first shirt picture has arrived. 

Not only do they look fantastic, they also possess the unexpected magical property of being highly visible at night. A useful enchantment for evening walks through moonlit forests.

For our Oran Mor backers, we were not going to leave you without showing you something special.

The individual player storage boxes are beginning to take shape

Each filigreed player box folds open into a functional play tray, holding your cards and components during the game before sealing shut magnetically between sessions. The goal was to make them feel less like storage and more like treasured artifacts carried by wandering druids.

And beneath them rests the player board itself.

Soft and luxurious, like flower petals gathered at dawn.

Multiple production partners are helping pull together the Oran Mor edition of Mystic Lands and a number of new to us production techniques, but the work is progressing nicely as the roots continue to spread beneath the soil.

The next update should finally bring the long-awaited SOLO play video. The team will be gathering on TTS to discuss the design process, explore the systems behind solo play, and almost certainly mock the one playing for terrible decisions made during the game.

As is tradition.

Until then,

May the sun and water always find you in the proper measure.

Backers if you want to travel to someplace a little less exotic but lots of fun our journey to France in Let’s Go to France is live now

Production logistics and Deck Vault prototype process
4 months ago – Sat, Apr 11, 2026 at 10:01:54 AM

Hello Druids,

Mystic Lands is on schedule. This is an Arts and crafts update for Mystic Lands: Oran Mór Edition. If you are not interested in the process Kirk went through to get ideas ready for our printer, consider yourself updated and free to go play games, take a walk, or get in a round of disc golf.

For those who want the behind-the-scenes look, this is where the pieces come together.

Mystic Lands: Oran Mór Edition is not being made in one place, it’s being produced across multiple specialized partners, each handling the part they do best.

The plastic cards are being manufactured in Taiwan. These require a completely different production process than standard cardboard components, with their own materials, molds, and quality checks. Getting these right is critical because they are one of the most unique elements of the game.

The deluxe deck vaults are being produced at a separate facility. These involve different materials, finishes, and structural requirements than standard storage boxes, so they are handled independently to ensure they meet the durability and presentation we’re aiming for.

Kirk W Buckendorf and John D Clair are both very crafty, so their prototypes are always blinged up. Kirk built a prototype to show our manufacturing partners how the storage boxes could be assembled and work. The final versions will have the Mystic Lands logo and graphic design on the outside shell, and a player mat to replace the cardboard mats on the inside when unfolded and laid on the table.

Magnets hold the box closed and hold the card and token boxes in place.

The token box can also be held in place here with magnets, and the player board with track counters will be printed on the inside.

The materials used in this prototype are just what we had on hand to build with and are not final, but we’re using a company that has made similar deck vaults for other games, the print process and materials they used for those have us very excited to see the final product.

Everything else, including the main game components and final assembly, is happening with our long-time partner Meijia. Once all the individual pieces are complete, they come together there, where the full game is assembled, packed, and prepared for shipping.

This stage of production is less visible, but it’s one of the most important. Files have been finalized, decisions are locked, and now the focus is on execution and quality. Each partner is working in parallel, and the coordination between them is what keeps everything on schedule.

Right now, that’s exactly where we want to be. No surprises, no delays, just steady progress.

Next update, Dave Lepore heads to China for production press checks, and we'll get reports from the field!

Thank you all for backing, and we look forward to sharing this amazing game with you. When we started this journey with John D Clair, Mystic Vale was our gateway, and Mystic Lands is our continuation of that amazing partnership!

The AEG team

Mystic Lands Pledge Manager and Late Orders Are Open on BackerKit
7 months ago – Wed, Jan 14, 2026 at 01:22:10 PM

Hello Druids!

Thank you for backing the Mystic Lands campaign on Kickstarter!

We have received the funds from Kickstarter and all orders have been imported into the pledge manager for this campaign: BackerKit. It is now time to close your order. Every time we run a crowdfunding campaign we have a small number of backers who ignore these BackerKit messages and end up not getting their Rewards due to not completing their orders. If you do not log into BackerKit and complete your order before fulfillment begins, your order will be cancelled.

BackerKit will send you an invitation to complete your order, which they refer to as a "Survey". That link will be sent directly from BackerKit and not From Kickstarter.

On BackerKit you will be able to change your Reward level, and you will be able to add items to your order. You will also provide your delivery address and you will arrange payment for any balance due on the order.

If you pay via PayPal any balance due will be collected at the time you complete the order checkout process. If you pay via credit card your card will be charged after we close the pledge manager next year. We will notify all backers before credit cards are charged.

We will transmit Updates related to the schedule for closing the pledge manager and ending Late Orders. Generally speaking we close it 8 weeks before we begin fulfillment. The current plan for Mystic Lands is to fulfill in November of 2026 so we plan to close the pledge manager in September of 2026. If those dates change we will provide lots of notice to the community to ensure everyone is aware.

You can see the current milestones and status of all our Crowdfunding campaigns here:

https://alderac.com/kickstarter

If you have never used BackerKit before or if you are not receiving email from BackerKit about your order and need to gain access to it we've prepared a page on our website that explains how to use it.

The newsletter promo, Cumulonimbus Auspex has been added to the orders of all Kickstarter Backers who were subscribers to our Newsletter list as of the end of the campaign on Kickstarter. If you log in to BackerKit, and review your order and you do not see the Cumulonimbus Auspex Add-on on your order, and you believe you were eligible to receive it for free, please contact [email protected]. If you were not a Newsletter subscriber or you made a Late Order you can purchase the Add-on for $10.

For those of you who did the pre-order for the Mystic Lands T-Shirt on alderacstore.com we have imported those orders and added the shirt to your order. You will be asked to choose a size as a part of the Survey.

Other important info:

• All orders (Kickstarter Orders and Late Orders) will ship at the same time, next year, in one wave. We don't do split shipping.
• If you have questions about retailer orders, group buys, or other questions involving larger orders please see the FAQ. We have not yet added the Alpha Store items to the system and Alpha Stores should not place orders at this time. You will be notified via email when we're ready for Alpha Store orders to begin.

You may encounter an issue related to the country you wish to have your order sent to. You may see an irrational shipping cost ($1,000,000) if you attempt to select a country or region we don't service.

We only ship to the following locations: the United States; Canada; the UK; the EU (plus Norway, Switzerland and Lichtenstein); Australia & New Zealand; and select countries in Asia (China (including Taiwan), Japan, South Korea, and Singapore). If you want to complete your order and you live in any place other than those listed you need to arrange for a freight forwarding service to accept delivery of your order in a country or region where we do deliver.

If you live in a country or region we do not service and you want to cancel your order, email [email protected] and we will cancel and refund your order.

If you decide after completing your order on BackerKit that the total price including tax and shipping is higher than you were led to expect and you believe the total amount is unreasonable you can email [email protected] and we will cancel your order and issue a full refund. 

The final issue we need to address is AppleID. Kickstarter allows you to use your AppleID and Apple allows you to configure any service using your AppleID as private. If you have done so the email we receive from Kickstarter associated with your order is useless to us (and BackerKit). The only people who can use it are Kickstarter themselves. If you have done this you must contact us at [email protected] and we can change the email address on your order to something that actually works. Every year we have a few customers who ignore these requests and have their orders cancelled as incomplete because they never received any notices or reminders about their order on BackerKit.

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If you missed the campaign on Kickstarter you can now make a Late Order on BackerKit. Late orders have the same pricing and same components as Kickstarter Rewards. They will ship as the same time as Kickstarter Rewards. In all respects, Late Orders and Kickstarter Rewards are identical.

If you have any other questions or concerns about your order please email [email protected] and we'll be happy to help!

-- The AEG Mystic Lands Team