How to Play Terra Mystica - No BS Guide

Quickly and easily learn how to play Terra Mystica, without all the BS.
Support the No BS Patreon: / nobsguide
00:00 - Introduction
00:29 - Setup
04:39 - Income Phase
05:47 - Action Phase*
06:25 - *1. Transform and Build
09:35 - *2. Advance on the Shipping Track
10:28 - *3. Lowering the Exchange Rate for Spades
10:46 - *4. Upgrading a Structure
11:09 - *5. Send a Priest to the Order of a Cult
12:52 - *6. Power Actions
14:55 - *7. Special Actions
15:16 - *8. Passing and New Starting Player
16:25 - Cult Bonuses and Clean-Up Phase
16:47 - Final Scoring
Rule Edits:
00:55 Set up the Scoring tiles and Bonus cards before choosing Faction boards.
11:18 When sending a Priest to the order of a Cult, "If you do not want to lose a Priest, alternatively, return him to your supply (next to your Faction board) and only advance 1 space." You may do this even if all the spaces are occupied.
16:42 At the end of the game, every 3 coins = 1 point
************************************************************

[@NoBSGuide]

*Rule Edits:* 00:55 Set up the Scoring tiles and Bonus cards before choosing Faction boards. 11:18 When sending a Priest to the order of a Cult, "If you do not want to lose a Priest, alternatively, return him to your supply (next to your Faction board) and only advance 1 space." You may do this even if all the spaces are occupied. 16:42 At the end of the game, every 3 coins = 1 point

[@RedsMiners]

Very nice guide, you should pin this comment btw!

[@games4us132]

i don't get it about "sending priest to the order of a cult and returning him to my supply"? After that i can send him again from supply to the cult, return back and send again in the same action phase?

[@Tennethums1]

Games4us no. When you choose action 5 to send a priest to the cult track you can EITHER - assign them to a space beneath one of the cult tracks (choose one of the four available values) and move your counter up that many spaces on that track (ie, you place a priest on the red 3 at the bottom of the fire track and then move your marker up three spaces on that track). A priest placed on one of these spaces stays there. It is permanently lost (but you gain a nice jump up the track so it’s sometimes worth it!). OR - do not assign the priest to one of the tracks, place it back in the supply (NOT your board - this priest must again be gained in a future action) and move up one space on any cult track. In this way you won’t lock the priest into the cult track as on the first option, but you will need to earn him again using a future action.

[@Davidesonar449]

@@Tennethums1 was looking for this response. I know you've written it 3 months ago but it still cleared up a big question for me. Thanks a lot dude :)

[@milleryusuf9802]

you probably dont care at all but does any of you know of a trick to log back into an Instagram account? I was stupid lost the account password. I would appreciate any tips you can give me

[@Alexanderkermani]

Wow. An 18 minute guide on Terra Mystica *WITH* A table of contents? Beautifully executed, my friend. Absolutely stellar, top notch guide.

[@NoBSGuide]

Thank YOU, my friend. I'm thrilled you enjoyed it so much! Cheers.

[@ljonata]

Ditto. Great job, No BS Guide!

[@vaarios]

Even after 6 years, this still remains to be the best Terra Mystica guide out there. The order and way in which he chooses to explain the game should be studied. Great work

[@Davidesonar449]

I'm sad you dont post anymore. Your guides are the best ones i've found on youtube, because just like your channel name; there's no bullshit around it. Just a very solid, quick and clear explanation video.

[@BaneWilliams]

My brain hurts.

[@NoBSGuide]

I had to make this video just to thoroughly learn the rules myself!

[@christianryle6062]

u must b dum

[@defiantworkshop]

So I don't normally comment, but this is must see viewing for owners/first time players of the game. Bravo, well done.

[@NoBSGuide]

I'm thrilled this is helping people learn an amazing game. Thanks!

[@StevenVandenabeele]

Excellent video to refresh your memory after you haven't played Terra Mystica for a while. Excellent job!

[@riccat7196]

Clearest and most precise explanation I've seen on KZbin when it comes to Terra Mystica

[@NoBSGuide]

Exceptionally happy to hear that, Ric Cat! Thank you very much!

[@tilimo007]

Wow man, you explained it in 17 min and it was clear as hell. Big thanks!

[@NoBSGuide]

That's so great to hear, Tim, thank you!

[@CandyCinema]

Thank you so much for this. I watched it twice. Playing for the first time today, and the owner of the game hasn't even played or learned the game yet, so I'm hoping we can have a good first time learning this game thanks to this video.

[@NoBSGuide]

Let me know how it goes! Terra Mystica is a blast.

[@MrBananaWaffles]

This was an exceptionally good video. The amount of effort that you put into getting the right shots and explaining the rules in a coherent manner is much appreciated. This is the gold standard for rules explanations, in my book.

[@NoBSGuide]

Your words are so encouraging, you have my thanks! My goal is streamlined, accessible, complete, quality instructional videos. Stay tuned, new video coming soon!

[@GuiltySpark1817]

This is excellent! Clear instruction and solid editing throughout. THANK YOU for putting this together.

[@NoBSGuide]

You're welcome, thanks for the kind words! Really happy you liked it!

[@mavrikgandalf]

This is by far the best rules explanation channel on the market right now. It's even better than Watch It Played, in terms of concise and clear rules presentations. Do you have a patreon I can subscribe to, to incentivize doing more of these?

[@NoBSGuide]

NoahTheDuke, you have inspired me. Please stay tuned...

[@NoBSGuide]

Hey NoahTheDuke thank you for believing in me! www.patreon.com/nobsguide

[@mavrikgandalf]

Pledged! :D

[@sad0happy]

Might be playing this tomorrow with new players, this was a really awesome video refreshing my memory. Top quality stuff!

[@NoBSGuide]

That's all I hoped for when I made this video, thanks a bunch!

[@zaslamel]

Top notch guide! Very rare to find a video guide this thorough within 18 minutes! Looking forward for your future guides and already subscribed to your channel :)

[@NoBSGuide]

Thanks man, I'm looking forward to making more!! Bonus note: You're my 300th subscriber! /confetti/

[@tomaszziomek5219]

You've saved me a loot of time explaining the rules to my friends :) Even though we had problems with the nitty-gritty of using shovels here and there, this is the shortest and the cleanest guide of terra mystica I've seen. Great job!

[@NoBSGuide]

You may think it's funny, but I made this video so that I didn't have to take the time to explain the rules to my friends anymore! Thanks for the complement.

[@BaneWilliams]

After watching this we played a game and figured everything out, excellent work! Only thing we noticed differently in our rules was that if the spots for priests on the cult board are completely filled, you can still use a priest for cult points, it simply gives one. This became important when two players raced for 10 in a single track, player 1 thinking he was going to win due to a favour token, and player 2 knowing he could win after getting an additional priest.

[@NoBSGuide]

You're absolutely right! I'm so happy to hear this guide successfully taught you and your group to play Terra Mystica!

[@simonmirsky3970]

Thank you for such a succinct and clear explanation on this game. My wife and I were very intimidated by the rules but we set up the game while watching your video and now we are comfortable enough with the mechanics of the game to play it. Thanks for your dedication to teaching it.

[@NoBSGuide]

You are so welcome, Simon. Thanks for watching!

[@nicolehiller2795]

Amazing how much info you fit into such a short time. Great description!

[@russellscott1151]

Just got the game and watched this before opening the box. Think I might watch it a few times before I start trying to play. Many thanks.

[@lordkrekt]

Wow! super great video, thanks for putting it up. I got this Terra Mystica for my birthday but haven't been able to get my brain fully wrapped around it yet. This has cleared so much up, so i subscribed, can't wait for more vids!

[@NoBSGuide]

You're welcome, Brendan! Thank you for subscribing!

[@Searcher_314]

Great work! Wish I had watched this before playing for the first time last night, would have saved us some time.

[@NoBSGuide]

I hope it will be a great resource for you in the future! Thanks a lot.

[@MaxFilto]

Thanks man! I was late to a game and never played so watching this video (the shortest ''how to'' i found) saved me some trouble!

[@NoBSGuide]

You're welcome! That's my goal: short, but thorough enough to skip the manual and get right to playing!

[@dickijo]

Thanks so much for taking the time to make this video; I'm looking forward to trying this game out soon!

[@NoBSGuide]

You are welcome, Joe! I made the video I couldn't find. You're going to love Terra Mystica!

[@madmak72]

Amazing video! Very quick and accurate. Edited well! Thanks for all your effort Mr. No BS. Subscribed.

[@NoBSGuide]

You rock, Mike! Thanks for watching and subscribing!

[@rafkaw1]

Your guide is perfect on some many levels: short but informative, neatly summarizing practically everything one should know and remember about the game. And I like the quality of the recording: the video, your voice and the recorded sound and the choice of things to show. You helped me find a few missing pieces of information too while watching it. I will watch other videos about you've made on various games and I could end up buying a few more games too. Greetings from Poland! Your guide rules!

[@NoBSGuide]

Yo, thanks so much! I live in the USA but I'd love to visit Poland someday. Let's get together and game.

[@rafkaw1]

Now that I know the rules behind Terra Mystica there's at least one game I should be good at. Thank you.

[@therubberducktube]

Really good explanation. I feel quite ready to take on the game for the first time this weekend.

[@jamessherman7797]

I haven’t played the game yet, but now I should be able to do so with the help of your detailed tutorial. I’ve seen a few other tutorials but your tutorial seems more comprehensive.

[@SylvainEcoleDuJeu]

Great job explaining the game in 18 minutes. That was very helpful.

[@NoBSGuide]

It takes a lot of planning to be thorough and concise, I'm so glad it helped you out!

[@KimiiiRaikkonen]

This is.. amazing. this complex game covered and structured in that short time. Love it.

[@NoBSGuide]

I'm so glad you love it, thanks a lot!

[@mbhayes98]

Seriously amazing video. I wish you still made content!

[@LtRogers5]

A complete intro guide. Very impressed. The only thing a miss is info that every 3 coins = 1 Victory point.

[@NoBSGuide]

You are correct! Thank you for pointing that out, I'll add a note in the description.

[@MrAndyjobo]

This guide rocks! Easy to follow and understand, but still moves along rather quickly.

[@Gamont]

Perfect guide, I have no words... Thank you

[@Humfrie1989]

Thank you for the nice explanation. We just recently bought the game and are trying it out tonight :)

[@greginfla7211]

You make it sound so easy! Great video

[@ftedghop]

Bought it on the weekend, and have been struggling to get my head around the rules. This video has helped so much, thanks.

[@NoBSGuide]

That was my hope in creating this video! I'm glad it helped you learn how to play.

[@qlu7273]

This may be the best board game channel I've ever seen. Can you PLEASE do an Imperial Assault guide!? I'd love you forever!

[@NoBSGuide]

I would love to, but sadly I do not own that game at this time. Thank you so much for the kind words!!

[@qlu7273]

Do you have an Amazon wishlist or something like that? I'd donate a copy just to see the video that you'd come up with!

[@NoBSGuide]

Holy cow, that is so generous of you!! I will absolutely make a video of Imperial Assault if you are willing to donate it for the cause! Here is my wishlist: amzn.com/w/2G4P9BA1MICYX

[@mGARANDEUR1]

Thank you for saving me $60. This is game is nauseating to learn and this channel does a better job than most at explaining games.

[@elessar11]

Excellent video - thanks for putting this together

[@NoBSGuide]

You're welcome, I'm thrilled you enjoyed it!

[@jamesfbartlett]

Thanks, I love this game, but it has been taking SO LONG to introduce to my friends!

[@NoBSGuide]

I know how you feel. I made this video so I wouldn't have to explain it anymore! I hope it's a great resource for you.

[@petrchval5662]

Great guide. Thanks!

[@JeffMcLeod]

Really great! Best I've seen. Thank you!

[@NoBSGuide]

Thank YOU, Jeff!

[@cedricsaint-cyr1610]

Thanks for this, since I'm pretty bad at explaining myself, i was looking for a guide for my friends and it is exactly what i needed. I did spot a major mistake tho: This game involves 0% Luck, so you should mention that the scoring tiles and the bonus tiles are to be randomly pulled BEFORE the races are picked, rather than after. This allows you to plan which race you're going to pick based on the scoring tiles and on the bonus tile you expect to get in turn 1. I understand it's a beginner guide but it does make a huge difference for such a strategy oriented game. hope this helps, keep up the great work !

[@NoBSGuide]

Thank you Cédric, that's a great catch! I'll add this to the rule edits.

[@Articulate99]

Nicely done, thank you.

[@saskiavangelderen608]

Thanks for this amazing video! I was a bit lost after reading the rules, and this really helped me to get a better understanding of the game. Will try it out tonight with 4 other newbies, very excited!

[@NoBSGuide]

Let me know how it went! So glad the video could help you.

[@saskiavangelderen608]

bit late, but yeah, it went great. Recommended this video to my fellow gamers and purchased a copy of the game myself, love it.

[@taylormcdiarmid1893]

Very Informative and well expressed

[@juicethief]

This video is fantastic, thanks for getting me into the game faster!

[@NoBSGuide]

You're welcome, David!

[@danielzitnik4247]

Awesome video. I hope you continue producing content.

[@NoBSGuide]

I plan to, Daniel! Looking forward to doing the next one.

[@hggm0002]

Great video man, i haven't finished it yet but during the part you talked about sending a priest action, i think you missed a rule. The player can, instead of placing a priest permanently on the cult track, return it to his/her supply and only move one space on the cult track.

[@NoBSGuide]

You are correct! Thank you for pointing this out.

[@gregorykrupp7197]

Thank you for this video. Very digestible!

[@NoBSGuide]

You're welcome, man, so glad it was beneficial to you!

[@blackjack2150]

Just got the iPad app on sale, since I'd probably never find a group to play with. Thanks for the guide!

[@ArchmageRises]

Very helpful, thanks!

[@allencordell]

Still the best TM tutorial there is

[@bluetornadicamusic2010]

actually orange octagons. great vid. no wasted time !

[@mrnnhnz]

very good guide thanks.

[@AlexNguyen]

Nice job!

[@trenthogan4212]

Fantastic. You earned my sub. Thank you

[@NoBSGuide]

You're welcome, thanks Trent! Keep on Gaming.

[@Daniel.H-E]

That was very well explained.

[@NoBSGuide]

Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@blairlafferty7488]

fantastic. you made an absurdly difficult rulebook bearable. my gratitudes.

[@NoBSGuide]

You're welcome, blair!

[@mitchc6476]

Fantastic video, just subscribed

[@NoBSGuide]

Thanks for Subscribing, Mitch! I'm glad you liked the video!

[@goodmanners5040]

Excellent coverage.

[@NoBSGuide]

Hope it helped you out!

[@Tarikac]

Great how to play, thank you.

[@RulebooksForYou]

Great. Thanks a lot!

[@TheRottenICE]

Great guide thank you! 👍

[@NoBSGuide]

Glad you liked it!

[@Norm-R]

Solid guide, thank you. Quick and concise. If I had any issues is that it was too quick and concise at times, but a quick rewind of a few seconds usually cleared up any questions, though I would appreciate a longer tutorial on resources as they are so key, used in so many different aspects, and it was hard to keep track of what symbols were which resource. Like I didn't figure out that the white hex meant worker until watching through a second time. Still, minor gripes. Good guide and thank you for your time.

[@NoBSGuide]

That is absolutely valid. There's a balance to find for sure. I'm happy that after 2 watches the video was able to answer all of your questions! Thanks, DoctorFelf!

[@DerekHohls]

Its not a hex. Its a 3D view of a cube. But, yeah, easy to get confused.

[@lukerazor1]

Really good guide, thx

[@NoBSGuide]

Thank you, appreciate it.

[@JohnDoe-tb6nn]

nice, and with timeline in the description. +1

[@NoBSGuide]

Thanks for watching!

[@Tennethums1]

Great video! I've owned this game for years and it's made it to the table 3 times...but never played. Ha! For one, the set up took a while. Also, the play time is a bit long for some. But most notably, just the incredible amount of stuff and iconography tends to make people sweat. But! I finally have enough people genuinely interested (and committed to a possible all day game!) that I think it's finally going to happen...👏

[@NoBSGuide]

If you can get 2 or 3 other friends interested in this game, you guys will have a blast trying out different factions and attempting new strategies to best each other. Have fun!!

[@bigbuzzty]

Wow ok.. subscribing to this channel for more guides like this!

[@annhrt]

excellent, thanks!

[@NoBSGuide]

You're welcome!

[@chriskorfmann4656]

Good job Mr. No BS guy. :-)

[@alejandroveenaas]

Your review might just be the best on the web. You should do more! I can only find three more games? Is that correct or an I missing some?

[@NoBSGuide]

Thank you for the high praise! There are more videos on the way!

[@andymoore7130]

That was excellent

[@NoBSGuide]

Thanks, Andy!

[@dubiouslycrisp]

That was fantastic. What are some other games you are considering teaching in this way? Legend of the Five Rings?

[@stephan19912710]

Hi there, very adequate and pleasant guide to the game Terra Mystica! Definitely worth the upvote, many thanks :)! I was wondering a few things though when I was playing my first game: 1) Are you allowed to do the same action (e.g. transform and build) multiple times during a single round?; 2) The guide book specifies something about Special Actions which I don't fully get -> "Each special action may be taken only once per round". Do they actually mean that you are not allowed to, e.g. spend in one turn the special action on your Bonus Card and the next turn (in the same round) spend the same bonus action you have on your Favor Tile? One reoccurring (on Bonus Card and Favor Tiles) bonus action is e.g. advancing one step in any arbitrary Cult track. I hope my questions make sense, haha, and thank you in advance if you have time answering! Thanks again for the guide as well, it helped clarify some things that were unclear in the actual Guide Book :)!

[@NoBSGuide]

Stephan, thank you for your complements! I hope I can answer your questions clearly: 1) Correct, there is no limit to the amount of times you can perform an Action during a round. But during your turn, you are only allowed 1 Action. 2) You may do the Action again if it exists elsewhere. Whenever you perform a Special Action (which can be distinguished by an orange hex) you must cover it's hex with an Action Token. If it exists in multiple locations, choose one, cover the hex with an Action Token, and do the Action. Any remain Special Actions can be used on a subsequent turn even if they happen to be the same Action as one that is covered up.

[@stephan19912710]

Thank you very much for the fast response, it exactly answered my question :)!

[@DerelictWrath]

Dat hand placing the remaining pieces back in the game box though...

[@NoBSGuide]

Th.. thank you.

[@johng7410]

Really good job explaining the rules. If you take requests, try Rune Wars. :-)

[@NoBSGuide]

I'll add it to the list!

[@johng7410]

Ha! I wouldn't go out of your way. Game came out in ~2010 and I don't think it's that popular. (Since it's complicated). A good one, though, would be Last Will. Fun and pretty popular game. but got a fair bit of bits that a good rules video would help for. Either way, good job.

[@alexandersilver6373]

curious, what is the most difficult game they have reviewed?

[@elsholz2365]

Do the actions have to take place in order, or can I first do action three, then action one?

[@kazzyanddecchan733]

I could have sworn I played a game very similar to this a few years ago

[@AppleseedInTheShell]

Just bought a copy of this game. one thing I'm still a little confused about and Im hoping you can clarify: When you transform an area, do you HAVE to transform it to your home tile? For example: The tile I want to transform is 2 spades away from home. Can I spend 1 spade to transform it to, say forest, then next round use 1 spade to transform it i to my home tile?

[@NoBSGuide]

Your example is correct, you are not required to Transform a terrain space into your Home terrain.

[@AppleseedInTheShell]

No BS Guide awesome, thank you!

[@Krste198]

But, I am guessing that's an inefficient move.

[@timsmith31]

Please make a video on Lorenzo il Magnifica.

[@NoBSGuide]

Wow that game looks neat! Thanks for the suggestion.

[@NSMike87]

Those orange shapes (power actions, bonus cards, etc.) are octagons, not hexes.

[@christianryle6062]

I like games!

[@DrMcFly28]

Great vid. But why so yellow?

[@bigbuzzty]

Is this channel still active? Do Spirit Island!

[@abcdefg54321x]

This seems complicate ASF

[@NoBSGuide]

Learning is complicated, but playing is easy! Once you know the basics, it's a breeze.

[@Questington]

I found this went through a lot of detail, but failed to provide an overview first. Maybe the rules are just more complex than other strategy games.

[@JoeOByrne66]

Can someone please explain why bonus cards have identifying marks on both sides?

[@NoBSGuide]

[After passing at the end of a round] you may wish to put the newly taken Bonus card face-down in front of you to indicate that you have already passed.

[@lithuets]

The intro to this video makes my OCD come out

[@Shoutinthewind]

Great Guide but honestly I’ve been officially scared away from this game... some poor sucker is going to get it as a gift from me. 😂

[@Trenegeut87]

That was actually... not that difficult. Great!

[@haywoodyoudome]

Setup alone is confusing. Guess this isn't for me.

[@NoBSGuide]

It's a fantastic game once you get the hang of it! Eurogames are definitely more complicated than other types of board games though.

[@haywoodyoudome]

Ah, "Eurogame". That explains it. Got anything for an average American that doesn't involve three hours to set up?

[@NoBSGuide]

Check out my other video to learn my favorite game, Carcassonne! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmmcpmCdjc98jLs

[@TheLuminousCleric]

God! Don't you think there's enough shit to worry about and keep track of?! There are so many different tokens and counters, my head explodes. The explanation alone puts me to sleep, let alone the actual gameplay.

[@Big_Dai]

Thanks for the explanation.. but this game.. TOO. MUCH. SH*T! Games that are this "overly complicated" are not THAT fun.

[@sakshamkaushik1017]

Bakchod

[@user-ik2ps1fu5e]

How/what is a bullshit guide?

[@douglashull6803]

This wasn't very good.