Excalibur

Quickie Version:

Complete the four colored targets for each lit bank. Shoot the center ramp to start multiball. In multiball, continue to shoot the ramp or go for more targets.

Go-to Flipper:

Balanced

Risk Index:

High

Full Rules:

A.K.A. “Countdown with Multiball” I’m throwing this game in even though it’s from 1988 because it is much like 1980’s Countdown. The playfield is very similar; the bottom half is nearly identical, with banks of four drop targets on each side. The top half still has two mini flippers at the sides with lanes above them and two other sets of four drop targets, but now these targets are two pairs, two on each side of the playfield, rather than all four targets on one side for each color. The skill shot is to time your plunge to light your choice of which colored bank of targets you need first to start multiball. Many players prefer to try for the Orange bank first; the upper targets are safer to hit than the lower ones, and the Orange ones are easier to hit than the red ones. At the beginning of the game, you only need to complete one bank of targets to light the lock for multiball. Each time you play multiball, the next time requires an additional colored bank to start multiball until eventually you need all four banks. After you play multiball, you’ll see a flashing target that moves around the playfield. Hit that before the timer runs out to collect your Jackpot. If you double-drain out of multiball, no jackpot. Drop targets build your jackpot. Once you’ve completed your targets from the bank(s) you need, shoot the center ramp to lock a ball. You then plunge to start the 2-ball multiball. During multiball, the center ramp is worth 100K plus advancing your Shield end-of-ball bonus multiplier. End-of-ball Shield bonus goes up to a base value of 99,000 with a multiplier of up to 15X (1+2+4+8). Increase base bonus by hitting drop targets. Increase the bonus multiplier during multiball by either completing any 4-bank of targets or by shooting the center ramp. Most of the time, the end-of-ball bonus will not amount to much unless you play multiball, so don’t focus on it. A good bonus will come naturally with a good multiball. You also get a bonus multiplier for completing a target bank on the same ball after playing multiball. What you would expect to be slingshots above the flippers are just rubbers. Adjust your anticipation of ball bounces accordingly. Key feeds: how balls exit the upper playfield. You want them to either fall straight down to the same-side flipper or to be angled sideways enough to cross over to the opposite-side flipper.