Die Zukunft von Camelot Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Setup
  • Components and Setup
  • Player Setup
  • Shared Components
  • Magician Cards and Turn Order
• Changes for 2 and 3 Players
  • 2 Players
  • 3 Players
• Game Flow
  • 1. Preparation
  • 2. Send Out Knights
  • 3. Predictions
  • 4. Fulfill Missions
  • 5. End of Round
• Final Scoring
• The Rooms of the Castle
  • Training Ground (A)
  • Tournament Ground (B)
  • Round Table (B)
  • Rebellion (B)
  • Ballroom (A)
  • Intrigue (B)
  • Chapel (A)
  • Library (B)
  • Secret Room (B)
• The Heroes
  • The Abilities of the Heroes
  • Expert Variant

Setup

Components and Setup

• 7 Merlin tiles: Shuffle the Merlin tiles and lay them face down in a row above the castle.
• 1 Secret room: When playing with 5 players, place the secret room next to the castle. With fewer players, do not use it; return it to the box.
• 49 mission cards: On the back, the mission cards show 1 to 3 knights or a key. Sort the cards first by the number of knights shown, shuffle each stack separately, and place them face down next to the castle as shown. The cards with the key are only needed in a 5-player game. With fewer players, return them to the box.
• 1 throne room and 4 rooms: Place the throne room and the 4 rooms in the middle of the table as shown, so that all 4 rooms show their A side. These 5 boards form Camelot Castle.
• 1 hinterland: Place the hinterland board next to the castle.
• 28 Grail tiles: Shuffle the Grail tiles and place them in 3 face-down stacks on the hinterland board.

Player Setup

Each player takes the following components:

• 1 screen: Place your screen in front of you.
• 14 knight figures: Place 1 knight on space 60 of the score track. (This is also the starting space 0, so you start with 0 points as usual.) Place 2 knights on the hinterland board. Place the remaining knights behind your screen. In a 5-player game, each player returns 1 of their knights to the box.
• 1 magician figure: Place your magician figure in front of you for now.
• 1 hero: Not used in the first game. Return it to the box.
• 1 "60" tile: Place your 60 tile next to space 60 of the score track. If you later pass 60 with your score marker, take this tile.

Each player chooses a color and takes the components in that color.

Shared Components

• Fanfare tiles (2), tournament tiles (2), knights' table (1) and black knight (1): Not needed in the first game. Return them to the box.
• 4 A/B tiles: In later games, you can use the 4 A/B tiles for a random starting setup. Not needed in the first game; return them to the box.

Magician Cards and Turn Order

Take the magician cards. You only need the cards in the colors of the players. Return unused magician cards to the box and shuffle the rest face down.

To determine the player order for the first round, turn over the top card and place the magician figure of the revealed color on the topmost free space of the turn order track. Then turn over the following cards one by one and place the remaining magician figures on the track from top to bottom.

Finally, each player takes the magician card of their own color and places it face up next to their screen.

Changes for 2 and 3 Players

2 Players

In a 2-player game, choose both player colors and play with both colors. Keep both colors strictly separate. Tiles and cards you receive for a given color are placed behind the screen of that color. When you send out knights, take the knights of both colors into one hand at the same time. For the turn order, set up one magician for each of your colors.

At the end of the game, only the one of your two colors that has fewer points is scored.

3 Players

In a 3-player game, take the knights of one of the two remaining colors and place one knight on each space marked with the neutral marker. These spaces cannot be used by the players. They count as occupied, however, and can influence certain scorings, for example the majorities in the Treason room. In case of a tie, the neutral color always loses.

Game Flow

The game lasts 7 rounds. Each round consists of 5 phases:

1. Preparation
2. Send out knights
3. Predictions
4. Fulfill missions
5. End of round

1. Preparation

Turn over the following mission cards and place them face up next to their respective stacks:

• 1 card from the 3-knight stack
• 2 cards from the 2-knight stack (in a 3-player game, only 1 card)
• 3 cards from the 1-knight stack

In a 5-player game, additionally turn over 1 card from the key stack. These cards show 1 to 3 shields. Place this card face up in the matching row (1, 2 or 3 shields).

2. Send Out Knights

Look at the face-up mission cards and all decide secretly which mission you want to go on.

Be careful: it is not yet certain whether your chosen mission will still be available when it is your turn.

Then take from behind your screen as many knights into your hand as the number of shields on your chosen mission. Hide these knights in your fist.

Alternatively, you may decide to bring knights back from the hinterland behind your screen. In this case, you take no knights into your hand.

Once you have chosen, knock briefly on the table to show the other players that your choice has been made. Then stretch your closed fist holding your knights into the middle of the table. Keep your hand there to prove your knightly steadfastness.

When everyone has chosen, begin the next phase.

3. Predictions

In this phase, the magicians come into play and predict how many knights all players together are holding in their fists.

The player at the bottom of the turn order track begins. Take your magician figure and place it on the number space in the throne room that matches your prediction.

Example: Green holds 2 knights in their fist and assumes that the other 3 players decided similarly. Green therefore places the magician on space 8.

Then the other players follow from bottom to top in the order of their magician figures on the turn order track, and each makes a prediction in the same way. In most cases, you will place your figure on a higher or lower space.

You may also place your magician figure on a number space where 1 other figure already stands. In this case, place your figure on the smaller number, slightly inside. No more than 2 magician figures may ever stand on the same space.

When all players have submitted their predictions and placed their magician figures in the throne room, open your hands and show how many knights were actually sent out. In this example, 9 knights.

You have now proven yourselves worthy of the court of Camelot and no longer need to hold your hand in the middle of the table.

Place your sent-out knights in front of your screen.

Count the knights of all players together and check who made the best prediction.

Now place your magician figures back on the turn order track. Place the figures on the track from top to bottom in the following order:

1. At the top, place the figure that stands on the exactly correct number. (If nobody guessed the exact number, start with the figure on the next-lower number.)
2. Then follow the figures on lower number spaces, in descending order.
3. Finally come the figures on higher number spaces, in ascending order.
4. If 2 magician figures stand on the same space, first move the outer one, then the figure placed later, which is inside.

This is the player order in which you choose your missions.

If you stand on the topmost space of the turn order track, take the Merlin tile at the far left and place it behind your screen. Do not show how many points are on its back. You receive these points during final scoring.

Then begin the next phase.

4. Fulfill Missions

Now send your knights out on exactly 1 of the face-up missions. Choose your missions one after another in the order of your magician figures on the turn order track.

If your magician figure stands on the topmost space, you choose first. You may only choose missions that show at most as many shields as the number of knights you sent out.

Take this mission card from the display. For each shield shown on the card, place one of your sent-out knights on a free space in the matching-colored room of the castle.

On most spaces, certain effects are depicted. You carry these out immediately. The most common effects are:

• Points: Move your score marker forward by the indicated number of points.
• Additional knight: Immediately place one more knight from the hinterland, or from behind your screen, on a free space of the depicted color.
• Multicolor shield: With this shield, you may freely choose in which of the 4 rooms of the castle you place your knight (not the secret room).
• Tree: Take 1 knight and 1 Grail tile back from the hinterland and place them behind your screen.

Finally, place your chosen mission card behind your screen. This card can no longer be used by the players who follow you.

You may also choose a mission card that shows fewer shields than the number of knights you sent out. In this case, place the surplus knights on the hinterland board. These knights are not available to you for now, but you may bring them back to your castle in a later turn.

If a mission shows a knight in a color where all spaces are already occupied, take this knight back behind your screen.

Then the remaining players follow in turn order and also choose one of the still face-up missions.

Grail tiles: Immediately take as many Grail tiles as depicted and place them behind your screen. These tiles give you points during final scoring.

Special missions: If you choose one of these two missions, you must send out the depicted number of knights (2 or 3). However, you do not place your knights in the castle. Instead, you immediately take them back behind your screen. For this, you receive the points shown on the card.

Special rules: Special rules and effects that refer only to a particular room can be found from page 8 onward, under "The Rooms of the Castle."

Special case: If you sent out no knights, you cannot fulfill a mission. Instead, you take up to 2 knights back from the hinterland. Additionally, for each knight you take back, you take 1 Grail tile. Place the knights and Grail tiles behind your screen.

The prospect of finding the Holy Grail is greatest when one is not looking for it.

This phase ends when all players have fulfilled a mission (or taken knights back from the hinterland).

5. End of Round

Return all remaining face-up mission cards to the box and begin a new round.

After the 7th round, the game ends and you proceed to final scoring.

Final Scoring

1. First, score the red room (the Round Table, or Treason). How this room is scored exactly is described on page 9.

2. Next, receive the points for your collected Merlin tiles.

3. For each knight behind your screen, receive 2 points.

4. If you still have knights on the hinterland, take 1 Grail tile for every 2 knights (rounded down).

5. Finally, turn over your collected Grail tiles and try to form as complete a Grail as possible from them. The more different parts you have discovered, the more points you receive:

   • 1 part: 1 point
   • 2 parts: 3 points
   • 3 parts: 6 points
   • Complete Grail with 4 different parts: 10 points

   If you have certain parts of the Grail more than once, you can form several sets and receive the indicated points for each of your sets.

   Naturally, only one of the artifacts found can be the true Holy Grail, but the King is nonetheless satisfied with you.

6. Whoever has no knight in the secret room loses 9 more points.

   Translator's note: the source prints this step in a different color, which the rulebook uses for rules that depend on the number of players. It reads as applying only when the secret room is in play (5 players).

Move the points you have received forward on the score track.

Whoever has the most points at the end wins the game. In case of a tie, the order of your magician figures decides.

The Rooms of the Castle

After a few games, you can also play with the back sides of the rooms. For this, place single rooms or all rooms face down with their back side up during setup. You can combine them freely.

If you want to choose the sides randomly, use the 4 A/B tiles: take all 4 tiles in your hand and let them fall on the table. Then place each room with the side that the tile of the respective color shows.

Training Ground (A)

In this room, you fight 4 battles in a row. You start in the bottom row and work your way up.

When you place a knight here, choose a free space in the bottom row and place one of your sent-out knights on it. You immediately receive the points shown below that column.

If a row is completely filled, you may place your knight in the next higher row.

If you manage a straight line of 3 of your knights, you may choose one of the bonuses shown on the right and carry it out immediately. Your knights may stand in a horizontal line (in the same row), a vertical line (in the same column), or a diagonal line. Your knights must always be directly adjacent.

You receive no further bonus when you place a fourth knight in a row. You cannot receive more than one bonus in a single turn.

The bonuses shown are:

• Immediately place 1 knight from the hinterland, or from behind your screen, in the red room.
• Immediately place 1 knight from the hinterland, or from behind your screen, in the yellow room.
• Take 1 knight back from the hinterland and take a Grail tile.
• Move your score marker forward by 4 points.

Tournament Ground (B)

In the knights' tournament, you first carry out the 3 darker preliminary rounds. Then the final (light green border) takes place, from which one player emerges as the winner.

During setup, place the 2 diamond-shaped tournament tiles on the field at the bottom left, and place the 2 Fanfare tiles each on the matching field for the final (light border) and the winner (dark border).

At first, only the preliminary round fields of the tournament are available. When you place a knight in the tournament, choose a free field and place your knight on it. You receive 2 points for each knight you place on a preliminary round field.

If you have at least one knight in all 3 preliminary rounds, you immediately take one of the two diamond-shaped tournament tiles from the game board and receive 3 additional points.

When all 8 spaces of the preliminary rounds are occupied, the final opens. Take the light-bordered Fanfare tile from the game board.

To place a knight on one of the 3 final fields, you must already have at least 1 knight in the corresponding preliminary round. Each preliminary round is connected to its final field by an arrow.

If you place a knight on a final field, you immediately receive 4 points. Additionally, you may take 1 knight and 1 Grail tile back from the hinterland and place them behind your screen.

When all 3 final fields are occupied, take the dark-bordered Fanfare tile from the game board. To place a knight on the winner's field, you must have at least 1 knight in the final.

If you place your knight on the winner's field, you receive 6 points and may place 1 knight from the hinterland, or from behind your screen, in the red room.

Round Table (B)

A place at the king's round table promises a high reward at the end of the game.

You may place your knight on any free field. However, when placing a knight in this room, you receive neither points nor a bonus.

During final scoring, you determine the majorities.

• Whoever has the most knights at the round table receives 13 points and may additionally place their magician figure on a free space in one of the other 3 rooms of the castle (not the secret room). For this, you immediately receive the points and bonus shown there, exactly as if you had placed a knight there.
• The other players then receive points according to their placement, as indicated.
• If 2 players have the same number of knights at the round table, check whose magician figure stands higher on the turn order track. That player wins the tie.
• If you have no knight at the round table, you do not take part in the majority scoring and additionally lose 4 points.

Rebellion (B)

Resistance is rising against King Arthur. The players divide into royalists and rebels.

At the start of the game, place the Knights' Table on the room so that the green side (rebels) is showing.

The first knight you place in this room always goes on the field next to the 1. Every following knight of your color goes on the next free field that is adjacent to your most recently placed knight.

The first knights of the following player colors are placed on the fields next to the 2, 3 or 4. The first knight you place in this room therefore determines which side you stand on. Later in the game, your side cannot be changed.

Note: in a 5-player game, not all players can get a place in this room.

The upper area has 7 fields for the royalists, and the lower area has 6 fields for the rebels.

Whenever one of the two sides gains the upper hand, i.e., when the royalists have more knights in the room in total, or when the rebels draw level, turn the table to that side (green for the rebels, gold for the royalists).

The side on which the most knights stand at the end of the game wins.

The Knights' Table now shows how many points you receive.

• If you are on the winning side and have more knights than the other player(s) on your side, you receive 13 points and may move your magician figure as described under "Round Table." In case of a tie, the player whose magician figure stands higher on the turn order track wins.
• The losers likewise receive the indicated points according to their majority.
• If you have no knight in this room, you receive no points, but you also lose none.

Ballroom (A)

In this room, the knights compete for a dance with the queen.

Place your first knight on the first space of the row. Every following knight, regardless of color, goes on the next free space. When you place a knight on a space, you immediately receive the points or bonus shown there.

Additionally, you collect the hearts shown on the space.

If you have occupied fields with a total of 3 or more hearts on the outer fields, you have gained the favor of the queen. You may then place your next knight, instead of on the next free space, on the field by the queen in the middle. You may do this only as long as that field is not yet occupied.

Intrigue (B)

Here, small conspiratorial groups make secret arrangements.

In principle, you may place your knight on any free space. However, you may be represented by at most 1 knight in each of the 5 groups. When you place a knight, you immediately receive the points indicated for that group.

• If you have no knight yet in a group, you may place a knight there.
• If you already have a knight in a group, you may not place a second one there.

Immediately after the last free space of a group is occupied, all other players who are not represented by one of their knights in that group lose the points shown next to the group (-4).

In the top group, all players who are not represented there lose 2 points. They must also take one of their own knights from the red room and place it in the hinterland (-2).

Chapel (A)

In the chapel, the knights advance as far as possible along the path of the faithful.

When you "enter" the chapel, that is, when you place your first knight there, you must choose one of the 4 starting fields.

Subsequent knights must be placed adjacent to your most recently placed knight, in the direction of the arrow, on the next higher level. You immediately receive the points indicated, and possibly further bonuses.

Note: in a 5-player game, not all players can get a place in this room.

From the third level onward, the path narrows and fewer and fewer knights get the chance to reach the top field. If your path is "cut off" by a knight of one of your fellow players, you may not place any further knights in the chapel.

Library (B)

Here, knights secretly collect knowledge about the Grail.

When you "enter" the library, that is, when you place your first knight there, you must choose one of the starting fields.

Subsequent knights must be placed adjacent, in the direction of the arrow, to one of your knights in the library. You immediately receive the points indicated, and possibly further bonuses.

Note: in a 5-player game, not all players can get a place in this room.

Secret Room (B)

Only a few know that this room exists, and the value of the secrets hidden in it.

You may place one of your knights in the secret room only via mission cards with the violet shield (not with the four-colored shield).

You always place your knight on the topmost free point symbol and immediately receive the points indicated for it.

Remember that only 5 violet shields appear on the mission cards, and there is no other way into the secret room. If you have no knight in the secret room at the end of the game, you lose 9 points.

The secret room is only in play in a 5-player game.

The Heroes

If you already know the game, you can also play with the heroes of Camelot.

During setup, take the hero in your color and place it with side 1 face up in front of your screen.

Each hero has 2 unique abilities, which you may use during your turn in the phase "4. Fulfill Missions." You may use each of the two abilities exactly once during the game.

You must first use the ability on side 1. Then turn your hero over so that side 2 shows. In a later turn, you may then use the second ability.

After use, return the hero to the box.

The Abilities of the Heroes

Kay (red) Kay has always annoyed his stepbrother. Since Arthur is now not only his brother but also his king, Kay prefers to annoy other people.

1. You may use 1 of the shields on your chosen mission card to place a knight in the red room instead of in the room of that color.
2. After you have fulfilled a mission, you may discard 1 further mission card, thereby preventing your fellow players from fulfilling that mission. You may also use this ability when you take knights back from the hinterland.

Tristan (green) Tristan can usually be found near Isolde. Through his flirting, he sometimes gives the impression that he is not wholeheartedly involved in the search for the Grail.

1. You may use 1 of the shields on your chosen mission card to place a knight in the green room instead of in the room of that color.
2. If you place 2 knights in the same room in one turn, you receive 3 extra points. These points are in addition to the regular points or bonuses you receive on the respective fields.

Parzival (yellow) Parzival has already once stumbled upon the Grail and injured his big toe. Only when the pain subsided did he realize what he had stumbled upon.

1. You may use 1 of the shields on your chosen mission card to place a knight in the yellow room instead of in the room of that color.
2. When you receive one or more Grail tiles during your turn, you may look at the tiles and choose suitable ones instead of drawing them as usual. Then shuffle the remaining Grail tiles and place them face down back on the hinterland board.

Mordred (purple) Mordred was himself once a knight of the Round Table. Rumor has it he is even the son of King Arthur. One cannot simply choose one's relatives.

When you play with Mordred, you also take the black knight at the start of the game. The black knight is treated as a knight of your color.

1. After you have fulfilled a mission, you may discard 1 further mission card with 1 shield. This can be a card from the regular 1-knight stack, or a secret room card with a shield. You may also use this ability when you take knights back from the hinterland.
2. After you have fulfilled a mission, you may pay 2 points to place the black knight in any room of the castle (not the secret room). You may also use this ability when you take knights back from the hinterland.

Lancelot (blue) Lancelot is insanely attractive, eloquent and humorous. The queen thinks so too ...

1. You may use 1 of the shields on your chosen mission card to place a knight in the blue room instead of in the room of that color.
2. If your chosen mission card shows at least 1 blue shield, you may use 1 of them to place a knight in one of the 3 other rooms of the castle. You may not use this to place a knight in the secret room.

Expert Variant

If you know the game and the individual hero abilities better, you may also decide on the player colors accordingly. For this, the eldest player takes the magician cards and chooses one. They take the components in that color and immediately place their magician on the topmost free space of the turn order track. The other players then choose their colors in the same way, going clockwise.