If you've ever played Shadow's Over Camelot, this is the list for you. Here I will list the top 5 ways to be a successful traitor in the game, no underhandedness experience required.
5. Playing a Normal Game
This is the easiest and not as enjoyable way to do it, but if you play just well enough that no one thinks there is a traitor at the end of the game you turn the tables on a close game.
"But Stephan, it is not a close game."
Strategist rule number 1: adapt your strategy for your audience, you get stuck on one it is bound to be broken.
4. Almost Helpful
Here is where you pretend like your way is the great way while actually doing nothing. The stall tactic. Shadow's over Camelot is a game of stalling the doom that encroaches upon you. The best thing a traitor can do is not help stall the doom but stall the players from accomplishing anything. First, go to a location no one is at (the best is Excalibur or the Grail which are hard to do alone) then begin to "help" complete the quest which is utterly futile. Down side to this tactic: it's easily figured out. Upside to this tactic: by the time they figure it out they have to play catch up before accusing you.
3. The Excalibur Throw Away
This quest just lends itself to a traitor. Throwing away white cards to advance a quest. Oh, is that a Merlin card...they don't know that so have fun Excalibur. This tactic just requires you to sit at Excalibur and get rid of all the useful white cards in the game. It is hard for anyone to notice because they cannot see the cards and you are helping with the quest. However, if you throw too many cards or even your whole hand, people begin to see what you are doing. The trick is to get rid of useful cards while keeping the useless cards in your hand like you have good stuff.
"Hey...uh...the Excalibur Quest got completed before I could do much."
Lucky for you this little trick is compatible with any of the other four.
2. Playing Dumb
Easier for your first game and takes lots of skills for most, if you act fully convinced that your traitorous ways are actually loyal, they are bound to side with you if you make it seem like you don't fully understand your actions. Trust me, this works wonders as a traitor and causes much mayhem and maybe even wrongfully accusations and will be the most fun you have ever had being a traitor. And the most fun ever because after you pull this stunt it never works again.
1. Lancelot: The Great Traitor of Camelot
Yes, just like the legend itself this is one of the most diabolical tactics in the game if you can pull it off. You are magic no matter what you do as if the powers at be blessed you with greatness, Lancelot's Armor is the coup de grace to all loyal knights unless they can get to it first. Allowing you to draw two black cards you can fake like you have two terrible decisions because all the black cards are terrible and decimate the loyal knights while you reap the benefits. Oh, they found out you were the traitor, oh well, the fun continues as a traitor keeps the armor and continues to draw two black cards and play the worst.
And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, make the loyal knights cower in fear as you now have the beginning book of the Traitor's Bible.
This is Stephan telling you goodnight, and be careful, a good traitor is not always well liked
Have fun.
The problem with the Excalibur throw away is that everyone starts with a Merlin card and people know when their teammates have played it. A friend tried this tactic and when she said she didn't have one to help out with something everyone knew she was the traitor. One has to keep that Merlin in their hand and not toss it.
ReplyDeleteFor Lancelot - chances are that the other players are eventually going to have to draw those black cards and will question you when they see the second card is not as bad.
Effectively the only times I've seen a traitor win is when they play normally and turn over black swords at the end or play the almost helpful tactic. I've done the play normally tactic so perfect that other players have said that I was the only one they trusted completely in the game and have accused other players while I laugh inside.