Mana Hoarding

The question about mana is a complex one. There is no quick fix for collecting mana, it's the hardest thing to accumulate when you need it in this game. But, it's also one of the few things that comes in a steady stream. I've been thinking about your question (one I've publically asked a handful of times - it ALWAYS comes up). I'll share with you what I've found.

1. The easiest way to get mana and help your level progression is like I said, grow the Optic plants. If you can grow the full blown ones, you'll get more mana (per time growing), but it takes about a while. I think it's 24 hours without any "boosters", but I forget, because each time you transform, you get a plant time aide. There is also the Optic Mush, from the green mushrooms you collect. These are valuable, especially if you're just going to be hanging out for a while. Mine grow in about 12 minutes - unless I drop some downpour spell on them. They might run you 20-30. But, they add up, however slowly. This is the easiest way to control an influx of mana.

2. Make sure you keep your magic circle leveling as quickly as possible. This provides mana on a regular basis (I think it's hourly). It starts with a handful, but by the time you get your character to level 50, if you've been working your circle the whole time, you should be producing 200-300. I know there are other buildings that are equally important, but this is where being able to use the Gold Membership comes in handy - two buildings at a time. Save your rubies, and get your dwarves mining. It's a valuable tool, you cannot lose rubies on this investment. Anywa, the magic circle is a critical to to getting the mana you inevitably need.

3. Water the tree, or be hapy that you're watering it a lot and finishing in third. You can see ont he tree watering screen ho many mana each person in the village gets every time someone waters it. The more on the ball the village is, the more mana you'll receive. If we miss a watering, or are very late into the 2 hour interval, the numbers begin to drop. This won't make an immediate impact, but it will make an impact if it lingers.

4. Upgrade the furniture in your Lab. The items in your lab cost gold, so it's beneficial for you to buy them. Keep an eye on the main Lab screen, and it will explain what kind of boosts you're getting. Some of them are a mana boost, and I think it can get into the 40%'s, or maybe higher. Of course, this requires time to upgrade your building, but it's a balance, because you can get a mana boost.

5. Work on your Dream World Islands. I'm not talking about your portal islands, I mean the islands outside your dream house. Once you achieve certain milestones, you get boosts to your gameplay. This is why the game becomes faster and easier the more you transform.

6. The only way thing that I've found it's worth spending mana on early in a transformation is the downpour spell. I don't use it all the time, but with the Seal of Returns on (and this is important, too, even though it costs 500 mana, it boosts all rewards of a harvest), it's kind of important to make sure you'll be available to harvest your crops. So, I use it at times. It's nice because it costs 30 mana to do your whole field, regardless of how many spots you have open.

Now that I've explained where the mana comes from, let me help you save your mana. There are temptations, especially early in the game. Your Djinni may be prompting you to spend mana unbeknownst to you. Keep reading, and I'll tell you where NOT to spend mana until you get what's needed for the fifth (unbearably expensive) level of vaporizing.

7. The Lab. Don't do the extra labs. Don't work on the trophies until you've cleared your field. (by the way, by clearing your field, I mean setting them in motion) After you clear your field, you won't need mana quite as much. Now, feel free to work on the lab. Might I suggest stocking up on the trophies under the Bronze and Platinum categories - you can trade them for XP in the valley.

8. Valley Traders. Don't trade mana until you clear your field. You need them all in order to grow your crops, and you won't level far without your crops. You'll have plenty of time after your field is cleared to trade in the valley. And, the trades can be valuable. But, I won't touch them until my field is clear. A full field is priority number one. (Which is why your dragon's lair level is critically as well. Get that as high as possible so your vaporize works faster.)

9. Questies. Feel free to trade with the Questies as you wish. However, don't use mana to trick them. This hurts you in two ways. One, you lose mana. I'm not sure how much mana it costs, but it charges you by the crop tricked. Secondly, and more important to a competitive player, you won't get the Miragic boost from them. Admittedly, this is a minor setback, I think, but it's another place to spend unneeded mana. There's no penalty for not doing the Questies.

10. Valley Map. I know I've started out here, but I realized that this will be a second temptation for your first couple of transformations. You want to clear the clouds in the valley. That's understandable, and admirable. However, the costs will continue to rise. Hold off until you clear your garden. Remember what I said about your garden being most important. It is.

11. Dream World. Don't worry about your Dream Mansion quite yet. It's not critical unless you're playing the game for its limited decorating aspects. You'll have plenty of time to worry about this later. This, by the way, is one of the reasons that you'll wait past level 100 to transform. These start costing over 1,000,000 mana near the end.