MYSTIC SPINDLE GUIDE Hi all, so I've noticed that we haven't got a guide on Mystic Spindle. Since I'm so much in love with this game, and I bet many people are, I'll write a guide for it to help beginners familiarise themselves with it, and make the most out of it. If you happen to find any part of the guide that can be improved or needs correcting, please post a comment and I will edit the guide.

In this guide I will focus mostly on Four Corner Modes. But first, let's start with the game basics. Why Mystic Spindle? Mystic Spindle is a game that rewards 3 achievements, some sP and intelligence experience points, which can be used to buy books in the Mystic Spindle shop and buy intelligence point for your pets as well. Pet intelligence points are useful for the Job Agency and boosting AP for battling. If you want more information on AP and battling, you can visit the Battle Forum for more detailed information. ***Note: If you start fresh on a battling pet, don't read any books to it yet before you read this guide. See Section 1 for details You can play Mystic Spindle 10 times per day for the sP. After that, sP will not be rewarded, but you will still earn intelligence experience point for the games you play (remember to click Send Score for it to work). The maximum sP payout is 15,000 sP, but only if you complete Four Corners mode with fewer than 100 moves and under 1 minute.

For clarification, we're going to use the following throughout the guide:

Mystic Spindle = MS
Four Corners = FC
Pet intelligence point = IP
MS intelligence experience point = XP

Please click on each section to read.

SECTION 1: THE GAME BASICS

1. Game levels and XP payout: Very Easy Classic 3 = 2 XP; Illumination 3 = 4 XP; Matchmaker 3 = 2 XP Easy Classic 4 = 4 XP Intermediate Classic 5 = 8 XP Hard Classic 6 = 15 XP; Illumination 6 = 40 XP; Matchmaker 6 =10 XP Very Hard Four Corners = 40 XP

For maximum XP payout, you can play Illumination 6 if you're not confident yet with FC, but it will take you much more time to complete it.

2. Types of MS games Most MS games start out with 3 spindles and 3 to 6 discs, and you will need to move these discs around according to the game's instructions. Apart from Matchmaker, most other games have discs of the same colour. FC alone has 4 spindles and 2 blocks of discs, 6 in each. They are of different colours and you'll need to move the discs so that the discs of the same colours are placed on the spindle that matches their colour.

3. The MS shop a. Books You can buy books and IP with the game XP at the MS shop. The maximum discount is 15% and the discount increases with each game you successfully complete (and you'll need to click Send Score for it to work).

b. Intelligence points Besides, you can buy IP for your pets. Pet IP is cheap to buy when it's still low, but gets more expensive as it increases. You can calculate the XP cost at certain intel points using the following formula: XP cost = desirable IP8 + (desirable IP/2) The result is rounded up to the next 1.0 For example, if you want to buy 200 IP points via MS shop, the cost at 200 IP will be: 2008 + (200/2) = 1,700 XP equivalent to 42.5 FC games per day, or 10 FC games over more than 4 days for 1 IP. It's up to you to decide at which point you'd want to stop buying IP via the MS shop for a pet. *** This formula is to be used for XP cost at a certain IP level, not the total XP cost until that IP level. This is what my pets' current IPs are and what the cost looks like for different IP levels. You can try the formula using these numbers as examples, but please bear in mind that the XP cost in the far right column is for the next IP, or the number in Intelligence column + 1: So if you want to work on your pet's IP, start with MS first. The first 100 points is not too expensive or time-intensive, and it can save you an equivalent of 55-65 mil in intelligence boosters later on.

SECTION 2: THE RULES OF THUMB OF FOUR CORNERS

4 rules of thumb When it comes to techniques, the game is quite basic even in FC mode. There are a few things you'll need to remember and apply to the game:

Always work your mind around blocks, rather than individual discs. (Blocks change their size throughout the game and new blocks are formed all the time)
The number of discs in each block dictates your very first move.
Pay close attention to the last disc in each block, both its colour and its size. I'll call it the block base.
Make sure the top disc (if any) at the target spindle* (more on this later) is at least one size bigger than the base of the block you want to move; and top disc of the extra spindle (if any) is at least one size bigger than the disc directly above that block base.

I'll explain these with illustrations below. First, look at this example of a block of discs: . Always work your mind around blocks You start out with a 6-disc block, or full block. but when you move the top disc, you'll have a new 5-disc block as I mark in the picture. Each time you make a move, consider the chunk of the discs you need to move next a new block. That will make it easier for you to decide where to move the next disc. More on the reason in point .

. The number of discs in each block dictates your first move (for that block) To avoid lengthy references, I'll call the spindles as follows:

The home spindle houses the block you want to move
The target spindle is where you'll move the block to
Any other spindles are extra spindles

Every time you move the top disc of a new block, that is your first move for that block. The spindle housing that new block becomes the home spindle.

If the number of discs at the home spindle is odd (1, 3 or 5), your first move will be placing the top disc onto the target spindle.
If the number of discs at the home spindle is even (2, 4 or 6), your first move will be placing the top disc onto an extra spindle. Now look at the picture of the block again: If you want to move the full 6-disc block from the yellow spindle (its home) to the blue spindle (its target), because the number of discs is 6 (even), you'll need to move the top disc (blue size 1) to an extra spindle (not visible in the pic). When the top disc is gone, a new block forms with 5 discs. This time the number of discs in it is odd, so the top disc (blue size 2) will go straight to its target blue spindle.

. Pay attention to the colour and size of a block's base ... before you make any move. This will help you decide which spindle you'll need to move that block to, or to give priority for a block to be moved first, if you've got 2 blocks that need moving. I also find it easier to mark a new block by looking at its base upward. You can try to see if it works for you as well. Now let's look at this example: Here you'll want to move either block 1 or 2 first because they contain the largest white discs (size 5 and 6). Priority is given to block 1 simply because it has a larger base. If rid of the white disc at its base, block 1 becomes a smaller block with the yellow disc as its base (let's call it block 1a). This yellow disc is size 5, and the largest yellow disc, so you'll want to drop block 1a at the yellow spindle, and the big white disc at the white spindle. Technically, it means you won't have to move the whole block 1 to the white spindle, but rather you move block 1a to the yellow spindle, and the white disc size 6 to the white spindle. Like this:

Now we've got 2 new blocks to move, and judging from their base you know which one to move first, right? Yes, it's block 2, and similarly you won't move the whole block to the white spindle, but you'll drop the smaller block 2a (with the red base) at the red spindle.

. Top disc at target spindle must be bigger than base disc of a block; top disc at extra spindle must be larger than the disc directly above that block base Look at this example:

There are 3 blocks marked with different coloured border. Let's call them block Red, block Blue and block Green respectively. You may want to move block Red to the red spindle & block Blue to the blue spindle. But which first?

Option 1: You can leave block Red alone and start with block Blue first, because both the other spindles are either free or have a disc larger than the base disc of block Blue.
Option 2: You can move block Red first. Why? Let's assume block Red is now at the red spindle, which you'll leave alone. You'll have the white and blue spindles to work with. Look at block Blue: its target blue spindle is free, so no obstruction to its base. Now rid of the red block, its extra white spindle has at its base white disc size 5, which is 1 size larger than the disc above block Blue's base (which is blue disc size 4). So it's still possible to move block Blue after block Red. Or more clarification: Let's focus on block Green. To free blue disc size 5 under it, it needs to be moved to the white spindle. The white spindle thus becomes the target spindle. When block Red is removed, white disc size 5 remains at its base. This disc is 1 size bigger than the base disc of block Green (blue disc size 4), so it's still safe if you choose to move block Red first. If the white disc is size 4 or smaller, you won't be able to move block Green to the white spindle, and therefore cannot free blue disc size 5 underneath it.

[spoiler=SECTION 3: TIPS ON CUTTING DOWN MOVES] Move counts So the aim while playing FC is to keep the number of move to the minimum. Otherwise, any person with enough patience and time can complete any FC game. I'd say focus on trying to make your moves right before cutting down the time. When you've got the hang of the game, your timer will take care of itself.

So here's the breakdown of minimum total moves for each block size:

disc = 1 : 1 move

disc = 2 : 3 moves

disc = 3: 7 moves

disc = 4: 15 moves

disc = 5: 31 moves

disc = 6: 63 moves

So now I guess you can see, the minimum total moves for each group size is previous group size multiplied by 2 and add 1 more move to it.

With this in mind, you'll want to avoid moving full 6-disc blocks as much as possible, or moving several 5-disc blocks. Same goes with moving a 5-disc block several times. That is why the layout you pick matters a lot when it comes to FC. Below are some to pick and some to avoid.

Selecting layouts 1. The true match If possible, you'll want to pick a layout with both blocks having their base (their disc 6s) matching the bases of their house spindles. Keep clicking on Start Over until you see one. The more discs at the base a block has that match its house spindle colour, the fewer moves you'll need to make.

Stick to this layout if you're new to the game. Once you get more experience, you'll manage to make fewer than 100 moves with the following layout too: 2. The full-6 move In these layouts, you can usually expect at least one block with disc 6 matching the spindle base colour. The other block may not share the same luck, but it doesn't have its disc 5 and 6 matching the colour of an occupied spindle.

3. The base disc cross-match In these layouts, you can expect to see disc 6 of one block matches the colour of the other's disc 5. There is only one pair of cross-match, not two. However, in these layout there is at least one block with their disc 5 & 6 matching two free spindles, as in the following example: You can see the left block has its disc 5 matches the red spindle, and its disc 6 matches the white spindle. Both red and white spindles are free.

Besides, there are layouts that you need to avoid at all cost. These layouts almost always require more than 100 moves, so not something you'll want to deal with. Below is a list of them, in descending order: 4. The sandwich bottom: Here's a classic example of 'the sandwich bottom': disc 5 in a block matches its spindle base's colour, but disc 6 matches the base of another spindle. Avoid this layout like the plague, because you'll end up having to move a 5-disc block about twice to make just one base match. The example above is the worst kind of sandwich bottom you'll come across, because both blocks have it. Even if one block has a sandwich bottom, just skip for another layout.

5. The full cross-match Look at the layout below and notice how the 2 bottom discs (size 5 & 6) of both blocks cross-match in colour.

6. The half cross-match Below is an example of the cross-match layout. Notice how the red disc size 6 in the left block cross-matches the base colour of the redoccupied spindle. So next time when you see any disc size 6 matches the colour of another occupied spindle, skip that layout too.

How to make the most out of your moves Let's try it out with some layouts. First we'll work out the priority of blocks (rule ) to be moved. Look at this example: Now you'll want to leave the right block alone because its 3 base discs (size 4, 5 & 6) match its house spindle, and the smaller, white-based block at the top doesn't have the largest white disc. We'll work on the left block. First you'll start with the block with the white base disc. This happens to contain a smaller block with a red base disc (which I have marked with the red border), so instead of moving everything to the white spindle, you'll just move the smaller block to the blue spindle, and toss the white disc to the white spindle.

Next, you'll have something that looks like this:

You'll free up the red disc at this new block's base by moving a new 3-disc block to the white spindle. Then you'll move it back to the blue spindle, because the blue disc it has is the largest blue disc. The order of movement is marked near the arrows.

Then you'll have something like this: Again you won't have to move the whole 3-disc block with blue base to the blue spindle. Since this block has a red disc, and the final piece for the red spindle, you can drop the smaller block containing white disc size 1 and red disc size 2 onto the red spindle.

Now you can start moving the white-based small block at the yellow spindle to the white spindle. But since its two top discs are blue, you'll drop them at the blue spindle.

Then your final task is to move the smallest white disc, now at the red spindle, to its white spindle. Total move = 33

Now when you're more familiar with blocks and what to move first, we'll work on how to move blocks around. In this example I'll need to move the left block to return the base disc (blue size 6) to the blue spindle. There are six discs in this block, so my first move would be placing the top disc (white size 1) to the white extra spindle (or away from the target blue spindle) Next, I'll move white disc size 2 to the blue spindle, then move white disc size 1 on top of it, also at the blue spindle. This will make room for the next disc, blue disc size 3. ***Remember, make sure the current di

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Guide to Mystic Spindles

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