Moonstone

Moonstone is an award-winning, fantasy-themed skirmish miniatures game for 2-4 players set in the whimsical world of Tauber, where players lead a troop of fairy-tale inspired characters to collect valuable Moonstones, a task requiring prediction, misdirection, and bluffing using a unique card-based combat and magic system.Players aim to control objectives (Moonstones) on a 3×3 board while using their characters’ abilities and special card combos to defeat opponents.

Game Goal & Objective

Collect Moonstones:
The primary goal is to secure more Moonstones than your opponents by the end of four rounds.
The Moonstones:
These are special four-sided dice scattered across the battlefield, which players must interact with to reduce their value and eventually collect them.

Gameplay & Mechanics

Fantasy Characters:
Players assemble a troop of 4-6 miniatures from different factions, such as Goblins, Fauns, or Humans, each with unique abilities.
Card-Based Combat:
Unlike many miniature games, Moonstone does not use dice for combat. Instead, players use a shared “melee deck” to resolve attacks, where card values and combos determine damage.
Bluffing and Misdirection:
A key mechanic is the ability to “call a bluff” on an opponent’s declared card, adding a layer of social deduction and strategic play.
Energy & Actions:
Characters have a limited amount of “energy” or “action points” to move and use abilities, and energy can also be used outside of a character’s activation to take “Reaction Steps”.
Terrain:
The 3×3 playing space features terrain that players must navigate.

Setting & Theme

Whimsical Fantasy:
The game’s aesthetic is described as whimsical and fairytale-like, rather than grimdark, featuring diverse characters and magical elements.
Tauber:
The game is set on the island of Tauber, a world with rich history, where wizards offer a high price for intact Moonstones.

Why it’s Unique

Card Mechanics:
The prediction, misdirection, and bluffing mechanics set it apart from many dice-based skirmish games.
No Point Costs:
Players select their troops of 4-6 characters based on faction alignment, rather than using a point-buy system.
High-Quality Miniatures:
The game is known for its unique and characterful miniatures, which are generally of high quality.