How to Play Arkham Horror: The King in Yellow Expansion

Game Objective

In Arkham Horror: The King in Yellow Expansion, an infamous play called "The King in Yellow" has arrived in Arkham. This play, when read or seen, possesses a mysterious power that transforms people's minds. Investigators must uncover the truth behind "The King in Yellow" and prevent the dark powers that may awaken from being unleashed. The standard victory condition of the base game remains, but the expansion adds new threats and challenges that investigators need to overcome to avoid immediate defeat, such as the entry of Act III into play, which causes immediate loss.

Preparation (Setup)

Preparation varies slightly depending on the chosen play style (Touring Performance, Permanent Performance, or the optional "The Herald" variant). Generally, you set up the base Arkham Horror board as usual, with the following extra steps:

Setup for Touring Performance Style

1. Step 6a: Shuffle the base game Investigator cards separately and place them in their respective decks. Then, shuffle the new Spells, Common Items, and Unique Items into three separate decks and place them on top of their respective original decks.
2. Step 6b: Shuffle the base game Mythos cards, Gate cards, and Location cards separately and place them in their respective decks. Then, shuffle the new Gate cards, Mythos cards, and Location cards into separate decks and place them on top of their respective original decks.
3. Step 6c: Place the Magic Effect cards in a deck near the other special investigator card decks. Take the three Act cards and place them face down (with the large Roman numeral visible) in a pile in numerical order (Act I on top, Act III on the bottom) next to the Mythos deck.
4. Proceed with Step 7: Receive Permanent Possessions.

Setup for Permanent Performance Style

1. Step 6a: Shuffle the new Spells, Common Items, and Unique Items into their respective decks.
2. Step 6b: Shuffle the base game Mythos, Gate, and Location cards into their respective decks.
3. Step 6c: Place the Magic Effect cards in a deck near the other special investigator card decks. Take the three Act cards and place them face down (with the large Roman numeral visible) in a pile in numerical order (Act I on top, Act III on the bottom) next to the Mythos deck.
4. Proceed with Step 7: Receive Permanent Possessions.

Setup for the Optional "The Herald" Variant

This variant is played in conjunction with any of the above performance styles and increases the game's difficulty.

1. Step 5a: Place the Herald The King in Yellow sheet to the left of the Ancient One sheet. Then, place 10 Yellow Sign Tokens in the upper left corner of the Herald sheet.
2. Step 6a: Shuffle the Blight cards and place them face down near the investigator decks. Place the Monster Riot Tokens near them.

Game Flow

The game flow follows the standard rules of Arkham Horror, with some additions and modifications depending on the play style.

Gameplay in Touring Performance Style

In this variation, all first encounters in Arkham will be new, as will most Other World encounters and Mythos cards. Victory conditions remain the same. The only new rule is that when having encounters in Arkham, you do not shuffle the Location deck beforehand. Simply draw the top card of the deck, resolve it, and then place it face up. After all Location cards have been drawn from the deck, you must shuffle it, placing the cards face down again.

Gameplay in Permanent Performance Style

In this variation, most encounters in Arkham and the Other Worlds will be familiar, but mixed among them will be encounters, events, and characters related to the Tour. Although less likely to be encountered, new Spells and Items will be available. All game rules and victory conditions remain the same.

Gameplay in the Optional "The Herald" Variant

This option uses all standard rules and victory conditions but adds the rules listed on The King in Yellow Herald sheet. In summary, whenever the terror level increases, investigators must choose to place a Yellow Sign Token on the Ancient One's Doom track (where it acts as a doom symbol) or on the terror track in the space unoccupied by the terror marker. The full effects of these tokens are on the Herald sheet.

• Act Cards: Each time one of the six Mythos cards titled "The Next Act Begins!" is drawn and resolved, the top card of the Act deck enters play. Act I and Act II list ways for investigators to prevent their entry into play. Act III cannot be prevented once initiated.
• Blight Cards: If investigators place a Yellow Sign Token on the terror track, the first player must draw a Blight card from the respective deck and place it next to the Herald sheet. Each Blight card causes a varying global effect on the game. Once in play, Blight cards do not leave.
• Blights and Encounters: If an Encounter mentions a person who appears on a Blight card in play, ignore the Encounter. Instead, the investigator will lose 1 Sanity or 1 Stamina (their choice). This applies only to Location Encounters; the effects of Mythos cards are not affected by Blight cards.

Actions and How to Play

Most actions and game rules follow the base game of Arkham Horror. Additions and modifications are as follows:

• Act Cards: These cards are placed in a small deck in numerical order (Act I on top, Act III on the bottom). When a Mythos card "The Next Act Begins!" is drawn and resolved, the top card of this deck enters play. Act I and Act II can be prevented. Act III cannot be prevented.
• Magic Effect Cards: These cards represent lasting magical effects caused by certain Spells. When the appropriate Spell is cast, the investigator who cast it takes the Magic Effect card indicated on the Spell. They do not count as items and are discarded if the Spell that created them is restored or lost. However, they use "hands" in combat like an item or Spell. Magic Resistance and Magic Immunity apply against combat test bonuses granted by Magic Effects.
• Yellow Sign Tokens (in "The Herald" variant): When the terror level increases, investigators must choose to place a Yellow Sign Token on the Ancient One's Doom track (where it acts as a doom symbol) or on the terror track in the space unoccupied by the terror marker.
• Blight Cards (in "The Herald" variant): Enter play each time a Yellow Sign Token is placed on the terror track. Once in play, they have a global effect and cannot be removed. For example, Oliver Thomas increases the cost to seal gates by 1 clue token. Doyle Jefries causes a wave of Monster Riots. Velma makes the terror level rise by 1.
• Monster Riot Tokens (in "The Herald" variant): These are Spawned monsters. They are not added to the monster cup but enter play through special rules (e.g., when Doyle Jefries' Blight card enters play, they are placed in the street areas indicated by their Starting Location). They do not count towards the monster limit, never go to the Outskirts, and cannot be claimed as trophies. When an investigator defeats a riot, it is simply returned to the box and removed from the game.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends and scoring is determined according to the base Arkham Horror rules, with an additional defeat condition specific to this expansion:

• Immediate Defeat: If Act III enters play, a massive performance of "The King in Yellow" takes place in Arkham, driving people insane and destroying the city. In this case, investigators immediately lose the game.
• Standard Victory/Defeat Conditions: The base game's victory and defeat conditions remain the same, unless Act III is activated.
• "The Herald" Variant: If the Ancient One awakens, the Herald sheet is returned to the box and no longer has any effect on the game. The base game's victory and defeat conditions apply.

Tips for Winning

1. Monitor the Act Deck: Keep an eye on the "The Next Act Begins!" Mythos cards. Preventing the entry of Act I and Act II is crucial, as the entry of Act III results in immediate defeat.
2. Manage the Terror Level (in "The Herald" variant): In "The Herald" variant, the terror level is a constant threat. Deciding where to place Yellow Sign Tokens (on the Doom track or the terror track) is an important tactical choice, as placing them on the terror track can bring in Blight cards with negative global effects.
3. Beware of Blights: Once a Blight card enters play, it does not leave and its global effects remain for the rest of the game. Be aware of how each Blight affects the game (e.g., increased cost to seal gates, monster riots, increased terror level) and prioritize actions that mitigate these effects or prevent more Blights from entering play.