Grail Cup
Grail Cup Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 9 Ally cards
- 18 double-sided Clover tokens
- 12 Spear tokens
- 1 Dragon
- 1 Village die
- 1 first player Seal token
- 2 Quest boards
- 1 Board
- Per player: 1 Knight and 1 player aid card
Setup
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Place the Board in the center of the table.
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Place the Dragon on the red space of the track.
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Each player takes a Knight Standee and a player aid in one color.
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Place a face-down Clover token on each green Clover space of the track. Set the remaining Clover tokens as a reserve, face down.
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Place the Village die next to the board.
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Place the Spear tokens next to the board.
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The starting spaces are numbered. Shuffle the Ally cards and deal one to every player. The card number tells each player on which starting space to put their Knight standee. Two knights can start on the same space. Take the Ally cards back, shuffle them, and make a face down draw pile next to the board.
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If one or more Knights start the game on spaces 7, 8 or 9, they each take a Spear token. If no one starts on spaces 7, 8 or 9, the Knight in last position takes a Spear token.
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The Knight in last position on the track takes the first player Seal token.
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Place the Quest boards beside the board, visible to all players. They are a reminder of the effects of Clover tokens.
How to Play
Game Round
The game consists of successive rounds, each divided in two phases:
- Allies choice
- Allies revelation and Knights movement
1. Allies Choice
This phase is divided in three steps.
A - First player
If a player rolled the First Player Seal token on the village die in the previous round, they keep the token. Otherwise, the player whose Knight is last on the track takes the Seal.
B - Discard allies
Depending on the number of players, one or more Ally cards are discarded and won't be used this round. Some are discarded face-up, others face-down, as shown below:
| Player count | Face up | Face down |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 1 (+1) |
| 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | 0 | 1 |
NO MATTER THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS, ONE ALLY CARD IS ALSO DISCARDED FACE DOWN AFTER ALL ALLIES HAVE BEEN CHOSEN.
C - Choosing allies
The first player collects the Ally cards that have not been set aside. The player chooses one, places it face down in front of them, then pass the remaining cards to the player to their right or left, thus deciding in which direction, clockwise or counterclockwise, the Ally cards will be chosen this turn. The player who receives the Ally cards then also chooses a card, places it in front of them and passes the remaining cards to the next player, and so on until all players have chosen an Ally.
With 3 players, after a card has been randomly discarded face down, the first player chooses one of the remaining ones and places it in front of them. They then pass the seven remaining cards to the next player, who also chooses one and passes the six remaining cards to the third player. The third player chooses a card and again passes the five remaining Ally cards to the first player. Without looking at these cards, the first player once more discards a random card, before choosing their second Ally card among the four remaining ones, and passing again the three remaining cards to the second player, and so on. Thus each player ends with two Ally cards, and will play both on turn during the next phase.
With 3 to 7 players, the last player to receive Ally cards has a choice between two cards. The card they don't take is discarded face down.
With 8 players, the last player receives only one Ally card from their neighbor, but also takes back in hand the card that had been discarded face down at the start of the turn. They then discard face down the card they don't keep.
2. Allies Revelation and Knights Movement
Calling allies
After each player has chosen their Ally for the turn, the first player call the Allies, one after the other, in ascending number order.
Revealing an Ally
As soon as a player's Ally is called, they reveal their card and apply all its effects. The next Ally is not called until all the effects have been applied. Every Ally has a Movement Ability, some also have an additional effect.
Example: "I call Ally #1, The Enchantress. I call Ally #2, the Squire, etc."
The round ends once all Allies have been called. With 3 players, this means every player will have played two Allies.
The Allies
1. The Enchantress
Move one space forward, then curse one of the other Allies (for example, say "I curse the Blacksmith!"). If later in the round, when this Ally is called, a player reveals the card you cursed, you immediately swap your Knight with that player's Knight, even if the Dragon is in between you, and move forward one more space. The cursed player applies effects of their Ally card after the swap. If no one has chosen the Ally card you cursed, nothing happens.
2. The Squire
Point at a Knight on the track (and say, for example: "This knight will be first!"), then move forward 2 spaces. If, at the end of the turn, the chosen Knight is leading the race, then you will move your own Knight to the first space past them, taking the lead. If not, nothing happens.
3. Merlin
Secretly look at 3 Clover tokens on the track, then place them back, swapping them as you wish on the same spaces. Then move forward 1, 2 or 3 spaces.
4. The Blacksmith
Take a Spear token from the supply. Then move forward 4 spaces.
5. The Dragon Master
Move the Dragon to any free space on the track, except the finish line. Then move forward 5 spaces.
6. The Princess
Move forward to the next Castle Space. The finish line is considered as a Castle.
7. The Priest
Move forward to the next Church space.
8. The Fairy
Move forward 2, 4 or 6 spaces.
9. The Unicorn
Move forward to the first empty space past the next Knight before you (ignore, of course, Knights on the same space as you when starting your movement). This can make you jump over a group of two or more Knights on consecutive spaces.
The Dragon doesn't block your movement. If passing a Knight or group of Knights would make you land on the Dragon space, treat the Dragon like part of a group of Knights and move to the first empty space past the group.
Note: the printed Ally card reference (the card images on page 3 of the rulebook) describes the Blacksmith as getting "a Lance token from the reserve." The body text above, the Blacksmith's icon, and the components list use Spear tokens; this transcription follows the body text as printed.
First Past the Post
The race ends as soon as a Knight reaches the finish line. That Knight wins the game, and since there's only one Grail, there's no point in continuing the race.
Since the game ends immediately when a Knight lands on the Finish space, there can be no tie at the end of the game.
What Happens in the Forest
Dragons and Spears
Spear tokens
During their quest, a Knight can get Spear tokens, which will be used to jump over the Dragon and continue moving forward. A Knight can carry more than one Spear, and Spear tokens must be kept, visible, in front of the player.
When a Knight uses a Spear to ignore the Dragon, the Spear is spent and placed back in the supply.
Dragon
Ignore the Dragon when using the Unicorn Ally Card. If, for example, the Dragon is placed just before the next group of Knights, move past the Dragon as if it were one more Knight in the group.
The Dragon starts the game on the red space of the track.
When a Knight is moving forward, and would either move past the Dragon or end its move on the Dragon's space, it stops its movement on the space just behind the Dragon. It can also spend a Spear token to ignore the Dragon and keep moving forward.
Ignore the Dragon when swapping place with the Enchantress Ally Card.
The Dragon can never be placed on the finish line space.
When a Knight is moving backwards and should move past the Dragon, it ignores the Dragon and keeps moving backwards. If a Knight would end its movement on the Dragon space, it passes the Dragon and stops just behind the dragon. Spears cannot be spent when moving backwards.
Track Spaces
Path spaces
These spaces have no specific effect.
Numbered spaces
The numbered spaces at the beginning of the track are where the Knights start their quest. Knights who start on space 7, 8 or 9 start with a free Spear token. They took the time to equip themselves before leaving Camelot, which explains their lateness.
Castles and Churches
Knights moving with the Princess or Priest Ally card end their move respectively on the first Castle or Church space.
The Finish line, at the end of the track, is considered a Castle. A Knight can move there and win the game with the Princess. On the other hand, it is not a Church.
Villages
If, after applying the effect of their Ally card, a player's Knight ends its move on a Village space, the player rolls the Village die and applies its result.
However, if another player's Knight is moved by any effect on a Village space, they do not roll the die.
Village die effects
- Seal (x1): Take the seal, even when you're not last on the track.
- Thief (x2): If you have one or more Spear tokens, lose one to the supply.
- Spear (x3): Get one Spear token from the supply.
Two or more Knights on the same space
There is no limit to the number of Knights on the same space. When a Knight stops on a space where there is already at least one other Knight, no matter whether it is moving backwards or forwards, it is placed behind the last Knight on the space. It may allow to decide who is first or who is last in the race.
Enchantress note: A player whose Ally card has been cursed swaps their Knight on the track with the Enchantress player. Since it is not due to their own Ally card, the cursed Knight doesn't roll the die if landing on a Village space. On the other hand, if the Enchantress player's knight lands on a Village space, they roll the die.
Clover
Clover tokens are magic nudges or pitfalls found on Clover field spaces.
If, by applying the effect of their Ally card, a Player's Knight ends its move on a Clover Field space, they reveal the token and apply its effect. If this moves the Knight to another Clover field, they reveal another token, and so on. Similarly, if this moves the Knight to a Village space, they roll the Village die.
However, if another player is moved by any effect on a Clover Field space, they do not reveal the Clover token.
The effect of a revealed Clover token are applied at once. The token is then shuffled, face down, into the Clover token supply and a new token is placed face down on the Clover space.
Example (the printed example names the token "Fake Grail", the effects list "Fake Graal"; both refer to the same token): A player reveals the "Fake Grail" Clover token, which allows him to move another Knight back two spaces. If this Knight lands on a Field of Clover space, the token is not revealed. On the other hand, if a player reveals the "Speed boots" token and moves fours spaces forward to a another Clover Field space, they reveal the Clover token and apply its effect.
Effects of Clover Tokens
- Speed Boots (x4): Move forward 4 spaces.
- Goblin (x4): Move back 2 spaces.
- Dragon Decoy (x4): Move the Dragon to a free space of your choice (except the Finish line).
- Fake Graal (x3): Move another Knight back 2 spaces.
- Spear Magnet (x3): Steal a Spear token from the player of your choice.
Enchantress note: A player whose Ally card has been cursed swaps their Knight on the track with the Enchantress player. Since it is not due to their own Ally card, the cursed Knight doesn't reveal the Clover token if landing on a Clover space. On the other hand, if the Enchantress player's knight lands on a Clover space, they reveal and apply the effect of the Clover token.
Castle and Clover
A few Castle spaces also give access to a Clover token. The rules are the same as for the Clover field spaces.