Objective of the Game

Welcome, noble Knights, to the treacherous lands of Shadows Over Camelot! In this epic cooperative game (with a hidden traitor, of course!), you and your fellow Knights of the Round Table must work together to complete Quests, defeat the forces of evil, and ultimately save Camelot. Your goal is to fill the Round Table with a majority of White Swords by the time the 12th sword is placed. But beware, a hidden Traitor lurks among you, secretly working to bring about Camelot's downfall!

You lose the game if any of these grim fates befall Camelot:

• The 12th Siege Engine is placed around Camelot.
• There are 7 or more Black Swords at Camelot.
• All Knights are dead.

If the Traitor is still alive and undetected when the 12th sword is placed and there's a majority of White Swords, they get one last chance to reveal their true colors and turn 2 White Swords to Black. So, stay vigilant!

Preparation (Setup)

Let's get Camelot ready for battle! Here’s how to set up your game:

1. Place the Main board in the center of your playing area.
2. Arrange the various Quest boards around the Main board. Make sure the Lancelot/Dragon board starts with the Lancelot side facing up.
3. Place all Quest Relics on their respective boards.
4. Keep the Picts, Saxons, and Siege Engines in a reserve pile – you'll need them soon enough!
5. Each player randomly selects a Coat of Arms. Introduce yourself and your unique Special Power to the group.
6. Place your Life Dice at 4 on your Coat of Arms.
7. Place your Knight figure at the Round Table on the Main board.
8. Give one Merlin Card to each player.
9. Shuffle the White Cards, Black Cards, and Loyalty Cards into separate decks.
10. Deal 5 White Cards to each player.
11. Place the White and Black decks on their designated spots on the board.
12. From the shuffled 8-card Loyalty deck, deal 1 Loyalty Card to each player. Each player secretly looks at their card and places it under their Coat of Arms. Any unused Loyalty Cards are put away unseen.
13. Each player selects one White Card from their hand and places it on the Round Table.
14. Now, for a crucial step: players should discuss and negotiate how these initial White Cards on the Round Table should be distributed among the Knights.
15. King Arthur begins the game, and play proceeds clockwise.

The Game Turn

A turn in Shadows Over Camelot is a tense two-part affair, where you first face the "Progression of Evil" and then perform your "Heroic Actions."

1. Progression of Evil

At the start of your turn, you must choose one of the following actions to advance the forces of evil:

• Draw a Black Card: Draw a Black Card, read its effect aloud, and apply it.
  • If it's a Special Black Card (with an orange orb in the top right), Knights can immediately cancel its effect if they collectively play 3 Merlin Cards.
  • If it's a Standard Black Card, play it face up or face down on its corresponding Quest board, as per the card's instructions. These can be canceled later by playing a Merlin Card as your Heroic Action.
  • If a Black Card pertains to a Quest that is no longer in play (i.e., completed), instead of applying its effect, a Siege Engine is placed.
• Add a Siege Engine: Place one Siege Engine around Camelot.
• Sacrifice a Life Point: Decrease your Life Dice by 1. Remember, Life Points can never go below 0 or above 6.

2. Heroic Actions

After dealing with the forces of evil, it's time for you to shine! You must choose one of the following actions. Crucially, you can never perform the same Heroic Action twice in a single turn. Always discard all cards face down.

• Move: Move your Knight figure to a Quest location or back to Camelot.
  • Each move to a new Quest requires an action.
  • Movement between the Siege Engines and the Round Table (Camelot locations) does not require an action.
  • Movement back to Camelot before a Quest is complete also requires a Heroic Action.
• Play 1 White Card or Action Related to a Quest: Play a White Card onto your current Quest location or perform an action specific to that Quest. Quests are completed or lost by playing specific combinations of cards.
  • If a Quest is abandoned (no Knights are present), all White Cards on that Quest are discarded.
  • If a Quest's End Condition is met, all Knights on the Quest move back to the Round Table, the Quest's Victory or Defeat consequences are applied, and all cards played on the Quest are discarded. Saxon and Pict figures, if any, are returned to the reserve.
  • Grail Quest: Cover all spots on the board with Grail Cards, starting closest to the Grail. Despair and Desolation Cards are played on the first available spot farthest from the Grail. Playing a Grail Card on a Black Card (if it's the next spot) removes both. Placing a Black Card on a Grail Card spot also removes both. The Dark Forest Card is played at the end of the board.
  • Excalibur Quest: Move Excalibur to the Knights' side of the river by discarding any White Card face down. Black Excalibur cards move her away. The Quest ends when she reaches either side.
  • Black Knight Quest: Play 2 pairs of Fight Cards. Play Black Knight Cards face up or face down (drawing a White Card if face down). Reveal all Black Knight Cards when 2 pairs are complete. Win if Fight Cards total is greater than Black Cards total. Fails if a 4th Black Card is played. This Quest can be re-attempted.
  • Pict/Saxon Wars: Lay a straight of 5 White Cards (1-5) before 4 Enemy Warriors appear. An Enemy Warrior is played whenever a Pict, Saxon, or Mercenary Black Card is drawn. If the 4th Enemy is played before the straight is complete, the war is lost. These Quests can be re-attempted.
  • Lancelot Quest: Play a '3 of a kind' and '2 of a kind' ('full house'). Play Lancelot Black Cards face up or face down (drawing a White Card if face down). Reveal all Lancelot Cards when the 'full house' is complete. Win if Fight Cards total is greater than Black Cards total. Fails if a 5th Black Card is placed.
  • Dragon Quest: Play 3x '3 of a kind'. Play Dragon Cards face up or face down (drawing a White Card if face down). Reveal all Dragon Cards when the third '3 of a kind' is complete. Win if Fight Cards total is greater than Black Cards total. Fails if a 5th Black Card is placed.
• Play 1 Special White Card: Read the card aloud and apply its effect. You can never play more than 1 Special White Card per turn.
• Heal Yourself: Discard 3 identical White Cards to increase your Life Dice by 1.
• Play a Merlin Card: Use a Merlin Card to cancel the last Black Card that was played.
• Sacrifice a Life Point for 1 Extra Heroic Action: Once per turn, you may sacrifice 1 Life Point to gain an additional Heroic Action.
• Combat a Siege Engine (if at Camelot): If you are at Camelot, you can choose to combat a Siege Engine. Play as many Fight Cards as desired from your hand and roll the 8-sided dice. If the dice result is lower than the total of your Fight Cards, a Siege Engine is removed from Camelot. Otherwise, you lose 1 Life Point.
• Draw 2 White Cards (if at Camelot): If you are at Camelot, you may draw 2 White Cards to replenish your hand.
• Accuse a Knight of Being the Traitor: This is a serious accusation!
  • This action can only be taken if there are at least 6 Siege Engines around Camelot OR at least 6 Swords on the Round Table.
  • Each Knight may choose this action only once during the entire game.
  • Accuse a Knight of being the Traitor. That Knight reveals their Loyalty Card.
    • If they are Loyal, turn a White Sword on the Round Table to its Black side.
    • If they are the Traitor, add a White Sword to the Round Table. The Traitor then turns their Coat of Arms over and follows its instructions.

If either the White or Black deck ever runs out, shuffle their respective discard piles to form a new deck.

Remember, all ties in the game are always resolved in favor of Evil!

End of Game and Scoring

The game concludes when one of the loss conditions is met (12th Siege Engine, 7+ Black Swords, or all Knights dead) – in which case, Evil triumphs!

Otherwise, the game ends after the 12th sword is placed at the Round Table. The Loyal Knights win if there is a majority of White Swords. However, if the Traitor is still alive and undetected at this point, they reveal their Loyalty Card and immediately turn 2 White Swords to Black, potentially snatching victory from the Loyal Knights!

Tips for Winning

To give yourselves the best chance of saving Camelot, consider these strategies:

1. Prioritize Quests and Communication: Don't try to do everything at once! Focus your efforts on a few key Quests, especially those that offer valuable rewards or prevent immediate threats. Open communication is vital – discuss which Quests to pursue, who should go where, and what cards to play. But remember, the Traitor will be trying to sow discord!
2. Manage Your Hand and Life Points Wisely: Your White Cards are your most valuable resource. Don't waste them! Think about card combinations needed for Quests and when to save cards for healing or combating Siege Engines. Similarly, your Life Points are precious. While sacrificing one for an extra action can be powerful, don't leave yourself vulnerable, especially if you suspect a Traitor might target you.
3. Keep an Eye on the Siege Engines and Black Swords: These are your primary loss conditions. Never let the number of Siege Engines or Black Swords get too high. If one of these threats is nearing its limit, it might be worth diverting resources to deal with it, even if it means temporarily abandoning a Quest.