AN INDEPENDENT FIELD GUIDE TO MINALIMA’S BOARD GAME EST. 2026
✧THE DEFENDERSF I E L D   G U I D EOfficial rulebook ↗
THE FIELD GUIDE / RULES GUIDE

How does Replenish work for each side?

Defenders of Hogwarts · a practical answer for your next game.

THE SHORT ANSWER

A House player may discard cards, draws back to five, revives their stunned pawns and advances the Dark Arts Marker one space. Dark Arts instead revives its stunned pawns and draws to five, without the optional discard. Do not apply the House procedure to both sides.

Based on the publisher’s rulebook ↗

House Replenish: follow this order

HOUSE REPLENISH IN THIS ORDER
1 · RefreshDiscard any number.
Draw to five.
2 · ReviveRevive your
stunned pawns.
3 · AdvanceMove the Dark Arts
Marker one space.

The refill helps you, but also advances Dark Arts.

Official rulebook · printed pp. 16–17 ↗

House vs Dark Arts at a glance

QuestionHouseDark Arts
May I discard unwanted cards?Yes, any number.No optional discard during Replenish.
Which happens first?Discard / draw, then revive.Revive, then draw.
What is the target hand size?Five cards.Five cards.
Advance Dark Arts for this action?Yes, one space.No advance from Replenish itself.
Official rulebook · printed pp. 16–17 ↗Official rulebook · printed pp. 20–21 ↗

Example: you still have two cards

House player

Keep both and draw three; or discard one and draw four. Then revive your stunned pawns and advance the Dark Arts Marker.

Dark Arts player

Revive your stunned pawns, keep the two cards and draw three. You cannot cycle them away using Replenish.

If the House player’s advance reaches an Event Space, resolve the event procedure. Refilling is therefore a change to the shared game state, not just your hand.

Official rulebook · printed pp. 22–23 ↗

When is refilling worth it?

Editorial advice: compare your best legal action now with the benefit of new cards or revived pawns. Check where the next Dark Arts step lands before deciding. There is no universal “always wait until empty” rule.

Endgame exception: at the final Dark Arts Path space, players draw up to five and cannot Replenish again. Card effects and draw spaces are treated separately by the rulebook.

Official rulebook · printed pp. 22–23 ↗