Mycelia: North American Expansion
Mycelia: North American Expansion Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
- 35 Mushroom Cards
- 5 Mushroom Tokens & 1 Mother Mushroom
- 30 Spore Tokens
- 5 Spore Counters
- 10 Insect Tokens
- 15 Saplings
- 15 Grandfather Trees (3 per player)
- 5 Player Mats
- 6 Player Aids
Set Up
Set up Mycelia in the same way as in the base game, but with the following exceptions:
Starting Saplings
Place saplings on the tiles in the formation shown in one of the three options below. Choose a sapling set up by rolling the wind die and choosing the corresponding set up or just be an absolute maverick, pick one yourself and don't tell anyone else. Place the remaining saplings to one side as a supply.
The Set Up page of the printed rulebook shows the three starting formations as tile diagrams, one for each wind die symbol (U, O and A). The layouts are diagrams only and are not reproduced as text here; see page 3 of the printed rulebook.
Sapling Reminder
Place one of the remaining saplings on top of each pile of the face down triangle tiles. This serves as a good reminder to roll wind die to see if newly placed tiles will contain a sapling or not. Be sure to replace the sapling on top the tile pile if a sapling is used.
Cards and Grandfather Trees
Shuffle the expansion cards with deck from the base game. Each player should also place their three Grandfather Trees next to their player mats.
Saplings
Investing in Saplings
As part of your SPORE action you can choose to invest one of your spores into a sapling. This can only happen once per SPORE action. When a spore lands on a tile containing a sapling, choose to place it on either the tile or on top of the sapling. Once a spore is on a sapling it is not considered part of your network, nor a traditional spore. It cannot be used for fruiting future mushrooms or be removed/stolen from decay actions (unless specifically stated as sapling spores).
Symbiosis Bonus
In return for adding a spore to the sapling you get to roll for the symbiosis bonus! The amount of spores on the sapling determines the likelihood of receiving a bonus. A third spore placed is a guaranteed bonus. Simply roll the wind die and match the wind symbol with the corresponding bonus.
| Spores on the sapling | Wind symbol U | Wind symbol O | Wind symbol A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Place one spore within your existing network | Nothing: you're getting nothing! Move along! | Nothing: you're getting nothing! Move along! |
| 2 | Place one spore within your existing network | (EXPLORE action) Add a triangle tile to the board | Nothing: you're getting nothing! Move along! |
| 3 (guaranteed bonus) | Place one spore within your existing network | (EXPLORE action) Add a triangle tile to the board | Gain one insect token |
Adding New Saplings
Every time a player adds a new triangle tile to the board they need to roll the wind die. If the "O" symbol is rolled also add a sapling to the new tile. Be sure to keep sapling tokens on top of the tile supply piles to remind players! Only one sapling can be present on each tile.
AGE
This is the only new action, as part of this expansion that can be performed on your turn. To AGE your sapling firstly your Mother mushroom (M) must be located on the same tile as the sapling. Secondly, the sapling must have 3 spores (of any colour) on top of the sapling. If these requirements are met you can convert your sapling into a Grandfather Tree (G) using the AGE action. Remove the sapling from the board along with the spores on top. Give the spores back to their respective players' supplies and return the sapling back to the supply. Then place your G on the triangle tile. Once placed, G are worth 5 points each. A G is part of your network. A M does not break up this network. Both M and G can occupy the same space and be part of their own networks.
AGE cost diagram: 3 spores + sapling + M = G = 5 points.
Grandfather Tree Tiles
A G tile can no longer contain any spores or mushroom tokens. The player who owns the G pushes any spores landing on the tile outwards to any single or multiple adjacent tiles of their choosing. Any mushrooms on the G tile immediately decay regardless of how many times they've spored. Then resolve any decay action from the mushroom.
Any future spores that land on a G tile are pushed outwards to any single or multiple adjacent tiles - the direction is determined by the owner of the G. As good practice, when sporing near a G, place the spores as you would normally, then redirect the spore that has landed on the G tile.
If on your SPORE action one of your spores lands on another player's G and as long as you haven't already placed a spore into a sapling, the player who owns the G can redirect the spore into an adjacent sapling if they choose. But you will get the symbiosis bonus as it was your SPORE action.
You can redirect spores through multiple G creating a daisy chain effect syphoning spores to a desired location.
Other players' M can move to and through a G tile only the mushroom tokens and spores can't stay on the G tile.
Why Trees?
Some mycelia (plural of mycelium) form a symbiotic relationship through mycorrhizal networks, where fungi attach to tree roots and exchange nutrients. The fungi provide trees with essential nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen from the soil, while the trees supply fungi with sugars produced through photosynthesis. Trees have also been known to send chemical signals through mycelial networks to share resources, detect distress, and support others, often favouring their own species, which suggests a mix of cooperation and competition.
Cards
- The small 5 pointed star under the points indicates that it is part of this expansion.
- A grey outlined square (wild spore symbol) represents a 'wild' spore. Any spore colour can be used.
All mushrooms in this expansion are endemic to North America. Although some have found their way further afield as spores can cover large distances and can be spread unknowingly by humans.
Decay Action Glossary
- Add spore to any sapling and roll for a symbiosis bonus: Add a spore from your supply on to any sapling and gain a symbiosis roll.
- You can re roll (once) symbiosis bonus rolls: You can re roll any future symbiosis rolls a second time if the first roll is not to your liking.
- EXPLORE action: Pick two triangle tiles & discard one: Every time you perform an EXPLORE action you pick up two tiles place one and discard the other.
- Add two saplings to the board: Add two saplings from the supply to the board. Only one sapling per tile.
- Remove a spore from a sapling: Remove any colour spore from any sapling on the board and return to players supply.
Common Questions
What is the grey outlined square on the cards? This means a wild spore. So you can use any colour spore as payment.
Can I add multiple spores into saplings? No, you can only add ONE spore to a single sapling as part of your SPORE action.
Can I use spores on saplings to fruit a mushroom? No, once spores are on a sapling they cannot be spent on fruiting mushrooms and are no longer considered part your network.
Can my Mother mushroom move through a tile that contains an opponent's Grandfather Tree? Yes! It can also stay and spore on the same tile as a Grandfather Tree.
If I spore from my Mother mushroom located on a Grandfather Tree, which I own, can I choose the direction of my first spore? Yes you can! Although it is best practice to place your spores as you would normally THEN redirect any spores that land on a Grandfather Tree tile.
If I AGE a sapling into a Grandfather Tree whilst my mushroom token is present does it instantly decay? Yes! Even if it hasn't spored at all, it still decays. You sneaky sausage you.
Is my Grandfather Tree part of my network? Yes!
Is my Grandfather Tree still part of my network if another player's Mother mushroom is also on the same tile? Yes it is! The Mother mushroom does not break your network. They are still both individually part of their own networks.
If I spored into a Grandfather Tree, can I redirect the spore back from the direction it came from? Yes, as long as it is your Grandfather Tree.
When a spore is displaced by a Grandfather Tree that has just been added to the board, can it be played on a sapling? No, a spore can only be added to a sapling through a SPORE action - in this scenario it was an AGE action.
I moved someone else's spore into a sapling, via my Grandfather Tree. Do I get the bonus or do they? The owner of the spore gets the bonus. But this can only happen if the player who played the SPORE action hadn't already invested a spore onto a sapling.
Can I place my "one spore within your existing network" symbiosis bonus spore on a Grandfather Tree then redirect it to a new tile? Yes, because your Grandfather Tree is part of your network and you can redirect spores to any adjacent tiles.