- BGG rating
- 7.3
Rules assistance for Crystal Clans: Shadow Clan
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 30–60 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.5/5
Rules assistant for Crystal Clans: Shadow Clan
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Crystal Clans: Shadow Clan is an expansion for Crystal Clans released in 2018 for 2 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by J. Arthur Ellis, Colby Dauch, and Andrea Mezzotero and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Grid Movement.
About the game
Out of the darkness, a new clan emerges seeking the power of the magic crystals. Summon all of your guile and embrace the shadows with the Shadow Clan expansion deck for Crystal Clans! This deck contains an array of stealthy and magical units for you to choose from when building your armies. Deploy Atticus Nightstalker and quickly teleport him across the battlefield into confrontations with your opponent. Or bring the Puppeteer and a never-ending army of Shadow Puppets to the battle and overwhelm the enemy with superior numbers. Tap into the darkness within and seize the crystals with the power of the Shadow Clan!
Categories
Mechanics
Publishers
- Plaid Hat Games
Questions and answers
Crystal Clans: Shadow Clan supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Crystal Clans: Shadow Clan is 30–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Crystal Clans: Shadow Clan for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Crystal Clans: Shadow Clan has a complexity rating of 2.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Crystal Clans: Shadow Clan belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Grid Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Crystal Clans: Shadow Clan are: J. Arthur Ellis, Colby Dauch, and Andrea Mezzotero. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Crystal Clans: Shadow Clan as an expansion for Crystal Clans. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Crystal Clans to use it. Check that your edition of Crystal Clans is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.