Overview
Artus is a game of political maneuvering at King Arthur’s round table. Players lead groups of Knights, competing for the most prestigious seats around the rotating table. Since the King changes positions and new Kings can be crowned, players must constantly reposition their Knights. The player with the most prestige points wins.
Components
- 1 game board (3 sections)
- 1 rotating board (“table surface”) with suckling pig marker
- 12 point tiles (marked “50”)
- 28 playing figures: 6 Knights per player color (4 colors) + 2 Princes (silver and bronze)
- 10 golden rings
- 88 cards (22 per player): Knight cards, King cards, and scoring cards
- 1 plastic stand
Setup
- Assemble the game board. Place Princes on the 4 crown-marked seats (identical colors opposite each other).
- Place 3 rings on the Prince at the larger crown seat (this becomes King Arthur). Place 1 ring on each other Prince.
- Position the rotating table so the crown plate is adjacent to King Arthur.
- Each player takes 6 Knights (5 with 4 players), places 1 on the 0/50 prestige track.
- Each player sorts their 22 cards into Knight cards (helmet backs) and King cards (crown backs). Set aside scoring cards for beginner game.
- Shuffle each pile separately. Draw 2 from each for 4 hand cards.
Turn Structure
On your turn, play 1 card from your hand, execute its effect, then draw 1 replacement card (from either Knight or King pile).
Actions
Knight Cards (positive and negative values):
- Play a Knight card to move any Knight (yours or opponent’s) around the table. Positive values move clockwise toward the King; negative values move away.
- Moving a Knight onto an occupied seat pushes the current occupant to the next empty seat in the direction of movement.
King Cards (positive and negative values):
- Play a King card to move the King around the table. The rotating table surface moves with the King (the crown plate stays adjacent).
- Moving the King changes which seats are most valuable.
Seat Scoring:
- Seats behind the King (in clockwise direction) have positive prestige values.
- Seats in front of the King have negative prestige values.
- When scoring occurs, Knights score based on their current seat’s value.
Scoring Triggers:
- When a Knight lands on or passes through the seat with the suckling pig (crown plate), scoring occurs for that Knight.
- Players can also trigger scoring through specific card plays.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
- Knights earn or lose prestige points based on their seat position relative to the King.
- The highest-value seats are directly behind the King.
- The game ends when the draw piles are exhausted.
- Final scoring: all Knights score their current seat positions.
- The player with the most prestige points wins. Use point tiles for scores exceeding 50.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
- Rings on a figure make it worth more during scoring (each ring = additional points).
- When the King is moved, the rotating table physically turns to keep the crown plate adjacent.
- The Princes can be crowned as new Kings under certain conditions.
- Negative prestige points are possible; track carefully.
- The advanced game adds scoring cards for additional strategic options.
- Knights pushed by another Knight landing on their seat do not trigger scoring from being moved.
Player Reference
| Card Type |
Effect |
| Knight (positive) |
Move Knight clockwise toward King |
| Knight (negative) |
Move Knight counterclockwise away from King |
| King (positive) |
Move King clockwise, rotate table |
| King (negative) |
Move King counterclockwise, rotate table |
| Seat Value |
Position |
| Highest positive |
Directly behind King |
| Decreasing positive |
Further behind King |
| Negative |
In front of King |