Medieval Pong Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object of the Game
• Setup
• Turn
• What to Do with Destroyed Towers?
• End of the Game
• For a More Tactical Game
• Balance the Levels
• Build Your Team!
• Playing with 2 Sets
• Base Characters
  • The Princess
  • The King
  • The Dragon
  • The Architect
  • The Seer
  • The Ghost
  • The Blacksmith
  • The Gunner
  • The Blind Magician
• Alternative Characters
  • The Ninja
  • The Two-Sword Knight
  • The Archer
  • The Guard
  • The Hunter
  • The Catapult
• Safety Information

Contents

• 2 balls
• 18 plastic Towers
• 36 tokens (2 x 15 Characters, 4 Crowns, 2 Traps)
• 2 player aids

Object of the Game

The first side to capture one of the two Crowns of its opponent is declared the winner.

Setup

Before the first game, carefully detach all the tokens from the pre-cut sheets EXCEPT those bearing this symbol (padlock).

Form 2 teams. Each team takes a place on one side of the table.

It does not matter whether the teams have the same number of players. Try to divide up the players as fairly as possible according to their skill at throwing.

Each side sets up at one end of the table and forms a 3x3 square of Towers in front of it. This is its kingdom. The space between the two kingdoms should be roughly equal to the length of 2 player aids. Place, behind each kingdom, one piece of the box (lid or bottom, either one).

Secretly place 1 base Character in each Tower. Hide 1 Crown under the Princess and 1 under the King.

For your first game, we recommend using the base Characters (see page 5).

Turn

NOTE: From here on, the rules always refer to "a player" in the singular. If you are more than one per team, choose at each turn who throws or performs the requested action. The term "attacker" designates the side whose turn it is and which throws; "defender" designates the side that is targeted.

On its turn, the attacker throws a ball aiming at the defender's kingdom.

The attacker may throw by bouncing the ball or aim directly at the Towers. The only rule to observe is not to go past the edge of the table with its torso.

• If the ball does not enter a Tower: the attacker's turn is over and it is the defender's side's turn to play.
• If the ball enters a Tower (it ends its course at the bottom of the Tower without bouncing out): the defender applies the power of the destroyed Character (see pages 5 to 10).

If this power is a throw, the defender immediately becomes the attacker and performs the throw under the conditions requested by the power (in place of its turn of play).

What to Do with Destroyed Towers?

When one of its Towers is destroyed, the defender discards its Character token, then turns the Tower over and places it on its box (a rampart is thus built up over time, bit by bit).

To help build its rampart: the defender may use the battlements to reinforce its rampart. If, at any moment in the game, one of its Towers falls, it may place it freely back on its box.

The power of certain Characters (Gunner, Architect, Guard) uses destroyed Towers, so they are placed on the box only after they have been used.

Attention: the Towers of the King, the Princess and the Dragon are never destroyed (see the section "Base Characters").

End of the Game

When a ball enters a Tower where a Crown is located without a Character, the game ends. The Crown has therefore been captured, and the opposing side is declared the winner.

NOTE: At the start of the game, the Crowns are hidden under the Princess and King tokens: they wear their Crowns. If a ball enters the Tower where one of these Characters is located, that Character is discarded (and its power is activated), thus revealing the Crown to be captured.

AUTOKILL: It often happens that balls bounce back and return toward their own side. If a player throws a ball into one of the Towers of its own kingdom, it destroys that Tower, places it normally on the game box, and applies the power of the Character that was in it.

Note: if it destroys the Archer or the Tower containing the Hunter's trap, their power is ignored.

For a More Tactical Game

If you wish to put more strategy and bluff into your games, you may use this variant:

On its turn of play, the attacker now has the choice between throwing its ball OR swapping (or not) 2 Towers; see the King's power on page 6.

The King, however, always grants the right to a free swap. Tip: this action is very useful to hide an exposed Crown... especially if your opponent is a sharp shooter.

Balance the Levels

If you play with children or with people who are not skilled at throwing, you may agree to give them one extra throw per turn in order to balance the levels.

Example: Ines is playing against her father Didier. Ines throws the ball: if it enters a Tower, she applies the power of the Character; then it is Didier's turn. Otherwise she is entitled to a second throw.

Build Your Team!

We recommend that you gain a little experience with the base Characters before discovering the alternative Characters.

Afterward, you may use one of the scenarios below or compose your kingdom in this way: Princess, King, Dragon + 6 Characters of your choice.

• Ultimate Defense: Princess, King, Dragon, Architect, Guard, Blind Magician, Hunter, Seer, Catapult
• Challenges Galore: Princess, King, Dragon, Ninja, Blacksmith, Two-Sword Knight, Catapult, Gunner, Ghost
• Elite Marksmen: Princess, King, Dragon, Architect, Gunner, Blind Magician, Ghost, Archer, Catapult
• Single Target: King, Dragon, Seer, Blind Magician, Ninja, Hunter, Guard, Two-Sword Knight, Archer
• Vanished Dragon: Princess, King, Seer, Architect, Gunner, Forge (Blacksmith), Ninja, Two-Sword Knight, Archer
• The Full Set: Each side takes one Princess, one King and one Dragon. One copy of each of the 12 other Characters is placed face up in the centre of the table. Then, in turn, each side chooses a Character until it has 9 in total.

NOTE: new scenarios are available on our website at www.ravensburger.com.

Translator's note on the source: the printed list for "Vanished Dragon" reads "Forge" where the Character is the Blacksmith (Forgeron). The English term used here is "Blacksmith", and "Forge" is shown in parentheses as printed.

Playing with 2 Sets

Using 2 boxes of Medieval Pong, you can face each other in epic battles!

Each side receives: 2 Princesses, 2 Kings, 2 Dragons and 1 copy of each remaining Character (base and alternative).

Form your kingdom as follows: one row of 5 Towers, then one of 4, two of 3, one of 2 and one of 1.

The distance between the 2 kingdoms must always be 2 player aids.

Then place 2 pieces of the game box (2 lids or 2 box bottoms) side by side behind your kingdom.

The game is similar, except that to win the game a player must obtain 2 Crowns.

Base Characters

The Princess

"Who dares attack us? They'll see what wood I'm made of! FIRE AT WILL!"

Leave the Tower and the Crown token in place.

Then the 2 sides face each other in fire at will:

• each side receives one ball;
• there is no longer a turn: all players throw at the same time, as often and as quickly as they wish. If a ball falls to the ground, the first player to pick it up may throw it again.

Fire at will stops as soon as a ball enters a Tower. Its owner applies the power of the destroyed Character, then plays its turn normally.

In case of a tie (2 balls enter at the same time in each kingdom): the player who has just lost its Princess wins the fire at will.

The King

"An attack? Yes, go on ahead, proud companions! As for me... I'll cover your backs..."

Leave the Tower and the Crown token in place.

The defender may swap 2 Towers of its choice in its kingdom: it takes them, swaps them several times under the table (so that the opposing player cannot know whether the swap was made or not) and puts them back. Then it plays its turn normally.

The Dragon

"Grmmmpfffffff" (sorry, I don't speak dragon... but apparently we woke it up... it looks angry!)

Leave the Tower and the token in place: the dragon is immortal!

The defender is entitled to 1 classic throw. BUT, if it misses its throw, the Dragon is mad with rage and destroys one Tower of its own kingdom (chosen by its owner), without applying the power of its occupant. Then it is the opposing player's turn.

Note: the Dragon is immortal and therefore cannot destroy itself. It can, however, destroy the King and the Princess (thus leaving the Crown undefended), the Guard or the Architect's roof. If a player has no other choice than to destroy one of its own Crowns, its opponent wins the game!

The Architect

"But let's see, a hammer blow here, a bit of plaster there, and we might make something of this rubble!"

Instead of destroying the Architect's Tower, the defender places it upside down on another Tower of its kingdom, like a roof.

This protects access to the Tower underneath.

On its turn, the opposing side may try to aim at this roof in the manner of a skittles game, to tip it over. If at any moment this roof tips over, its owner places it on its box and access to the lower Tower is freed. Then it plays its turn normally.

If the roof slides onto another Tower without tipping over, it stays in play.

The Seer

"I see, I seeeee... What do you want to see, anyway?"

The defender may ask the opposing side for the location of the Character of its choice. The opposing side may not lie. Then it plays its turn normally.

The Ghost

"You feel a cold breath on the back of your neck..."

The defender must make its next throw by placing the ball in the hollow of its hand and blowing on it.

The Blacksmith

"A second cannonball? Easy, I'll forge you another one right away!"

The defender must make its next throw with 2 balls in one hand.

Note: if both balls enter adverse Towers, their owner chooses which Tower to destroy.

The Gunner

"Cannooon ready!!!"

The defender must make its next throw by using a Tower: it takes the Gunner's Tower in its hand, in the manner of its choice, places the ball in it, then fires.

The Blind Magician

"Feel the extent of my powerrrr... but... where have you gone?"

The defender must make its next throw with its eyes closed. If it succeeds, it has the right to immediately rebuild the Tower of its choice: it recovers a Tower placed on its box, places on it one of its discarded Character tokens and puts the Tower back in its kingdom at the location of its choice.

Note: the most daring among you may agree to make this throw with your back turned.

Alternative Characters

Each alternative Character is locked by a certain number of padlocks.

After each of your games, tick off a padlock of a Character of your choice. As soon as all the padlocks of a Character have been ticked off, it is unlocked and you may play with it from then on.

The Ninja

"Aouuuyyaaaaaaaaaah.... Ninja!"

The Ninja, like the Warrior Princess, triggers fire at will. Each side receives one ball, there is no longer a turn of play, and you may throw as quickly as you wish.

The Ninja has an additional power: you may repel the balls thrown toward your kingdom with the back of your hand. If one of the returned balls touches your opponent, it must choose one of its Towers, destroy it and immediately apply the power of its occupant. Then the game resumes normally.

There are therefore 2 ways to end the phase of the Ninja: enter its ball directly into a Tower, or touch the body of one of your opponents by returning a ball.

The Two-Sword Knight

"Being ambidextrous is handy, heh-heh!"

The defender must make its next throw by taking 1 ball in each hand and throwing them simultaneously.

Note: if both balls enter adverse Towers, their owner chooses which Tower to destroy.

The Archer

"Nobody escapes my lynx eye!"

The defender must make its next throw after stepping back one pace. If it succeeds in entering a Tower, its opponent must, before playing, choose a second Tower of its kingdom and destroy it without applying the power of its occupant.

Note: if only the Dragon's Towers and the 2 vulnerable Crowns remain, the side that was hit is defeated.

The Guard

"Wake up, you slacker, and get back to your post!"

Instead of destroying the Guard's Tower, the defender stacks it on top of another Tower of its kingdom to protect it. Then it plays its turn normally.

If a ball enters it, only the Guard's Tower is destroyed and placed on the box of its owner. The Tower underneath and its Character therefore remain safe and sound.

The Hunter

"I'm going to catch something with this..."

The defender takes a Trap token and places it secretly in one of the Towers of its kingdom. Then it plays its turn normally. If the opposing side enters a ball in the Tower containing the Trap: the Tower is destroyed normally and the power of its occupant is applied, BUT the attacker gets its hand bitten and must therefore make ALL its next throws with its non-dominant hand. Special throws are also made with the non-dominant hand when possible.

It will regain the use of its dominant hand the next time it enters a ball in a Tower (adverse or not).

In the meantime, it places the Trap token in front of it to clearly signify its handicap.

The Catapult

"Powerful these machines, but not easy to aim!"

The defender must make its next throw by flicking the ball: it places the ball on one of the Towers turned over on its box, then aims at the opposing kingdom with the help of a flick.

Safety Information

Caution. Not suitable for children under 36 months. Small balls. Choking hazard.

Safety information: the game's material is not designed to contain liquid.

Do not use the Towers as drinking vessels.