Black Knight 2000

Williams, 1989 — shot-by-shot rules and strategy guide.

Open Black Knight 2000 in the Pinball Genie app →

Williams, April 1989 · Steve Ritchie design · System 11B · one production model (no editions)

The big idea

BK2K is a split-level game. The plunge delivers the ball to the Upper Deck (back ~40% of the table), where a single downgrade-mounted right flipper shoots the Sky Loop, the Drawbridge 1-2-3 targets, and the Drawbridge ramp into the Black Knight's Castle lock. The only way off the upper deck is through the W-A-R lanes, whose wireform feeds the lower right flipper. The core axiom: "Avoid the lower playfield — while the ball is on the upper playfield, you can't lose it." The game's defining skill is the Skyway one-touch: the instant a ball drops off the upper deck to the right flipper, flip it straight back up the Skyway ramp.

Scoring engines

• Hurry-Up ladder — completing W-A-R lights a countdown on the Skyway: 200K → 500K → 750K → 1M → 1.5M. Any collect advances the ladder, and it persists across balls. This WAR → Skyway cycle is the tournament bread-and-butter.
• Sky Loops — consecutive upper-deck loops escalate (20K/40K/60K...). Two in a row holds the bonus X and lights Extra Ball on the Skyway. The machine keeps a dedicated Loop Champion record (default 6 in a row; beating it pays an extra ball).
• Ramp-Loop Combo — a full-power Skyway carries around the whole Sky Loop: loop value +100K in one shot.
• U-Turn ladder — consecutive horseshoe shots inside ~5-second windows: 50K up to 250K (7 shots ≈ 875K). Risky but fast, and it lights the Challenge Lane.

Multiballs

• Castle Multiball (3-ball) — hit the 1-2-3 targets to lower the drawbridge, lock three balls via the ramp (the bank may re-close between locks on harder settings). During multiball the Drawbridge scores the Jackpot, 1M building to 4M, and spots RANSOM letters. The Challenge Lane holds a ball ~10 s as a legal park. Locks are shared in multiplayer — third lock takes the multiball. On the last ball with exactly two locked, an outlane drain triggers Last Chance, kicking both locked balls into play (once per game).
• Double Knight's Challenge (2-ball) — U-Turns light the far-right Challenge Lane; shoot it lit for the 2-ball mode where spelling WAR = 1,000,000, repeatable. Classic line: pre-light two WAR letters, start the mode, plunge with the flipper held up, lane-change the last letter under the ball.

Wizard mode: King's Ransom

Spot R-A-N-S-O-M letters by shooting the open Drawbridge within ~20 s of completing the W-I-N lanes (or via the Wheel). Letters carry over between games on the machine. Completing the word starts a ~20-second 3-ball frenzy with unlimited ball save: bonus X jumps to 5X and stays held for the rest of the game, first Skyway = 1M + Extra Ball, WAR = 1M repeatable, U-Turns = 250K, Jackpot lit. Park a ball in the plunger lane as the timer ends for a de-facto extra ball.

Multipliers and bonus

Bonus X (2X-5X) advances only via W-I-N completions and resets each ball unless held by two consecutive loops (or permanently by King's Ransom). The bonus pool is 2K × your cumulative game total of U-Turns + loops — it never resets, so loops and U-Turns made early pay bonus on every ball. There is no playfield-X or mid-ball bonus collect.

Lower deck support systems

• Lightning Lane (SPIN) — always VUKs the ball back to the upper deck, lit or not (the safe escape). Lit — at ball start or briefly after the left inlane — it spins the Lightning Wheel for 1 of 16 awards (points to 200K, Extra Ball, Special, Light Kickback/Magna-Save, Lower Drawbridge, Knights Challenge, Spot RANSOM, Hurry Up).
• KNIGHT drop targets (K-N-I far left, G-H-T center, timed) — each full six-target completion spots a B-L-A-C-K letter and relights Kickback and Magna-Save; completing BLACK lights the Skyway for 1M. Low points, but it's how you keep your outlane insurance alive.
• Magna-Save — a right-outlane magnet fired by a separate yellow cabinet button (~5 s of magnet time); Kickback guards the left outlane. Both are one-use until relit.

Extra balls

Loops (2-in-a-row lights EB on the Skyway, escalating requirement), first Skyway in King's Ransom, the Wheel's EB slot, Special, beating the Loop Champion, and the replay level (default 4.8M). Factory cap: 3 per game.

Behavioral variance

Behavioral variance between individual machines comes from operator adjustments (drawbridge re-close difficulty, timer lengths, WAR memory, free spins), not editions.

How Black Knight 2000 plays

A knight-themed split-level game where the upper deck is your safe haven. Winning means spelling R-A-N-S-O-M to start King's Ransom, a 3-ball frenzy with unlimited ball save and 5X held.

The loop

1. Plunge to the upper deck and use the upper flipper to shoot Sky Loops and U-Turns for escalating values.
2. Complete W-A-R lanes to light a Hurry-Up on the Skyway, then shoot the Skyway to collect and advance the ladder.
3. Complete W-I-N lanes to advance bonus X and light Ransom on the Drawbridge, then shoot the Drawbridge to spot a RANSOM letter.
4. Clear both KNIGHT drop target banks to spot a BLACK letter and relight Kickback and Magna-Save.
5. Lock three balls in the Castle for multiball, then collect Jackpots at the Drawbridge.

Reading the lights

• W-I-N Lanes (letters) — lit: Completing all three letters advances the bonus multiplier and lights Ransom on the Drawbridge for about 20 seconds. · then: Shoot the Drawbridge while Ransom is lit to spot a RANSOM letter. · control: Both flipper buttons: Both flipper buttons rotate the lit letters to steer an unlit lane under the ball. (While the ball is in the W-I-N lanes area.)
• W-A-R Lanes (letters) — lit: Completing all three letters lights a Hurry-Up on the Skyway. · then: Shoot the Skyway to collect the Hurry-Up and advance the ladder. · control: Both flipper buttons: Both flipper buttons rotate the lit letters to steer an unlit lane under the ball. (While the ball is in the W-A-R lanes area.)
• B-L-A-C-K Letters (letters) — lit: Completing both KNIGHT drop target banks spots one BLACK letter and relights Kickback and Magna-Save. · then: When BLACK is complete, shoot the Skyway for the 1,000,000 Skyway Million.
• Lightning Wheel (mode) — lit: The Lightning Lane is lit at ball start and briefly after the left inlane; shooting it spins the backbox wheel for one of 16 awards. · then: Take the wheel award, which can include points, Extra Ball, Special, or lighting outlane saves.
• Skyway Awards (shot arrows) — lit: The Skyway is lit for Hurry-Up after completing W-A-R, Extra Ball after two consecutive Sky Loops, or the Skyway Million after spelling BLACK. · flashing: The Hurry-Up value counts down from 200K, flashing as it decreases. · then: Shoot the Skyway to collect the lit award and return the ball to the upper deck.
• Drawbridge Ransom & Jackpot (shot arrows) — lit: The Drawbridge is lit for Ransom after completing W-I-N, for Jackpot during multiball, or for locking balls when the drawbridge is down. · flashing: Ransom is lit for about 20 seconds, flashing during that window. · then: Shoot the Drawbridge to spot a RANSOM letter, collect a Jackpot, or lock a ball.
• U-Turn Ladder (ladder) — lit: Consecutive U-Turn shots within flashing time windows escalate the value from 50K up to 250K and light the Challenge Lane. · flashing: The time window for the next U-Turn shot flashes. · then: Shoot the Challenge Lane when lit to start Double Knight's Challenge.
• Sky Loop (shot arrows) — lit: Two consecutive Sky Loops hold the bonus multiplier for the ball and light Extra Ball on the Skyway. · then: Shoot the Skyway to collect the Extra Ball.
• Outlane Saves (status) — lit: Both the Kickback and Magna-Save start lit; each is used once then unlit, and both are relit by completing all six KNIGHT targets. · then: Keep both saves lit by completing KNIGHT targets to protect against drains. · control: Action button: The yellow cabinet button fires the Magna-Save magnet to pull the ball out of the right outlane. (When the ball is heading toward the right outlane and Magna-Save is lit.)
• Bonus Multiplier (multiplier) — lit: Each W-I-N completion advances the bonus multiplier from 2X to 5X; two consecutive Sky Loops hold it for the ball. · then: Build the multiplier at W-I-N, then hold it with two Sky Loops before the ball drains. · control: Both flipper buttons: Both flipper buttons rotate the lit W-I-N letters to steer an unlit lane under the ball. (While the ball is in the W-I-N lanes area.)

Lane change: the flipper buttons move the lit lane. Both flipper buttons rotate the lit letters on the W-I-N and W-A-R lanes to steer an unlit lane under the ball.

Start scoring

• Ball one — Stay on the upper deck: full plunge to the upper flipper, shoot Sky Loops and U-Turns for escalating values, and use the Skyway one-touch to return any ball that falls downstairs. — Beginner Opener: Stay Upstairs, Full Plunge to the Upper Flipper, Skyway One-Touch Recovery, Consecutive Sky Loops, U-Turn Ladder Burst
• Building — Build bonus X at the WIN lanes, hold it with two Sky Loops, lock three balls for Castle Multiball, and climb the WAR Hurry-Up ladder for escalating Skyway values. — Build Bonus X at the WIN Lanes, Hold the Multiplier with Two Loops, Castle Multiball (3-Ball), Multiball Jackpots, Skyway Hurry-Up Ladder
• The big one — Spell R-A-N-S-O-M by completing WIN lanes and shooting the Drawbridge within the timed window, then survive the 20-second 3-ball frenzy with unlimited ball save, 5X held, and Jackpot lit. — King's Ransom

The Magna-Save on Black Knight 2000

Right cabinet wall, just above the right flipper button (the separate yellow button).

BK2K gives you one extra button and it is pure insurance. The yellow button on the right side of the cabinet switches on a magnet mounted above the right inlane, guarding the right outlane the way the kickback guards the left. It is a limited resource: one save, then the button is dead until you relight it, so half of playing BK2K well is keeping that light on.

• Ball entering the right outlane: Tap it; the magnet runs about five seconds, snares the ball and drops it down the right inlane instead.
• Ball rattling toward that outlane: Fire early rather than late — the magnet has to catch the ball before it is past, and the five seconds start on the press.
• The Magna-Save light is out: The button does nothing at all. Clearing all six KNIGHT drop targets relights it and the kickback together.
• Stuck grinding the lower playfield: Take the KNIGHT banks while you are down there — low points, but it restores both outlane saves before multiball.
• Lightning Wheel offers Light Magna-Save: That is a free recharge, and worth more than most of the wheel's point awards when you are playing unprotected.

Goals in Black Knight 2000

Every goal below is tracked step-by-step, with shot paths drawn on the playfield map, inside the app.

• Full Plunge to the Upper Flipper skillshot · Easy

  BK2K has no lit skill-shot award — the plunge itself is the skill element. The control plunge rides the ball around the upper-deck loop straight to the upper flipper, handing you the Sky Loop immediately.

  Reward: Instant upper-flipper control and a head start on the loop ladder

• Lane-Change Plunge into WIN skillshot · Medium

  The soft-plunge variant: drop into the W-I-N rollovers and use lane change to steer an unlit lane under the ball — the fastest route to bonus X and a Ransom window.

  Reward: 20K + bonus X advance + Ransom lit at the Drawbridge (~20 s)

• Ramp-Loop Combo combo · Medium

  The game's one literally named combo: a full-power Skyway shot carries all the way around the Sky Loop in a single motion — ramp plus loop in one shot, with a 100K kicker.

  Reward: Current sky-loop value + 100K, and your loop chain starts/continues

• Skyway One-Touch Recovery combo · Hard

  The single most important skill in BK2K: when the ball exits the upper deck through the WAR lanes, the wireform feeds the right flipper — one-touch it straight back up the Skyway without trapping.

  Reward: Ball returned to the safe upper deck, collecting anything lit on the Skyway (Hurry-Up, Extra Ball, Skyway Million)

• Consecutive Sky Loops combo · Medium

  The signature repeatable shot: low, strong upper-flipper shots around the top of the upper deck, back to the same flipper. Escalating values, bonus-X hold, extra balls, and the machine's Loop Champion record.

  Reward: 20K/40K/60K/80K... escalating, +2K bonus pool per loop; 2-in-a-row holds bonus X and lights Extra Ball

• U-Turn Ladder Burst combo · Hard

  Rapid consecutive U-Turns through the horseshoe inside the flashing ~5-second windows. Highest value-per-second on the lower deck — and the riskiest sequence in the game.

  Reward: 50K-50K-75K-100K-150K-200K-250K — a full 7-shot chain = 875K, plus Challenge lit and +2K permanent bonus per shot

• WIN → Drawbridge: Spot a RANSOM Letter combo · Hard

  The timed two-shot combo that builds toward the wizard mode: complete the WIN lanes, then hit the open Drawbridge while Ransom is lit (~20 s) to spot a R-A-N-S-O-M letter. Letters carry over between games.

  Reward: One RANSOM letter (six letters = King's Ransom)

• Left Inlane → Lit Lightning Lane combo · Medium

  The lit-spin combo: the left inlane relights SPIN for a few seconds — immediately shoot the Lightning Lane off the left flipper to spin the Lightning Wheel.

  Reward: One of 16 Lightning Wheel awards (up to 200K, Extra Ball, Special, Spot RANSOM, Lower Drawbridge, Knights Challenge...)

• Castle Multiball (3-Ball) multiball · Medium

  The main multiball: batter down the drawbridge door, lock three balls in the Black Knight's Castle, and the game releases all three for untimed multiball with Jackpots at the Drawbridge.

  Reward: 3-ball Multiball with Jackpot (1M-4M) lit at the Drawbridge

• Multiball Jackpots multiball · Hard

  During Castle Multiball the Drawbridge scores the Jackpot — building from 1M to a 4M max. Park a ball in the Challenge Lane to shoot jackpots one-ball-at-a-time.

  Reward: Jackpot 1M building to 4M (resets to 1M when collected); Drawbridge also spots RANSOM letters during multiball

• Double Knight's Challenge multiball · Hard

  The 2-ball mini-wizard: light the Challenge Lane with U-Turns, start the Challenge, and spell WAR for a repeatable 1,000,000 — as many times as you can keep both balls alive.

  Reward: WAR = 1,000,000, repeatable for the whole 2-ball mode

• Skyway Hurry-Up Ladder mode · Medium

  Completing the W-A-R lanes lights a Hurry-Up on the Skyway that counts down from 200K — and every collect, even 10K at the last instant, advances the ladder: 200K → 500K → 750K → 1M → 1.5M, persisting across balls.

  Reward: Up to 1.5M per collect; the full ladder run is ≈3.95M

• Spell BLACK — Skyway Million mode · Hard

  Each full KNIGHT completion (both timed drop banks) spots one B-L-A-C-K letter; completing BLACK lights the Skyway for 1,000,000. Low value-per-risk — but each completion also relights both outlane saves.

  Reward: 1,000,000 on the Skyway when BLACK completes; Kickback + Magna-Save relit per KNIGHT completion

• Spin the Lightning Wheel mode · Easy

  The lit Lightning Lane spins the backbox wheel for one of 16 pseudo-random awards — points to 200K, Extra Ball, Special, Light Magna-Save/Kickback, Lower Drawbridge, Knights Challenge, Spot RANSOM, Hurry Up.

  Reward: 1 of 16 Lightning Wheel awards; the lane is also a safe escape to the upper deck even unlit

• Build Bonus X at the WIN Lanes multiplier · Medium

  The only multiplier on BK2K is the end-of-ball bonus X: each W-I-N completion advances it 2X → 3X → 4X → 5X max. Medium Skyway shots feed the WIN lanes on demand.

  Reward: Bonus multiplier up to 5X on a bonus pool that never resets (2K × every U-Turn and loop you've ever made)

• Hold the Multiplier with Two Loops multiplier · Medium

  Bonus pays only at end of ball, so the cash-in play is: build X at the WIN lanes, then hold it with two consecutive Sky Loops — and stuff the pool, since U-Turn/loop bonus counts are cumulative for the whole game.

  Reward: Bonus X held for the ball; every ball's bonus phase pays pool × X

• King's Ransom wizard · Hard

  Spell R-A-N-S-O-M (letters persist between games on the machine) for the wizard mode: ~20 seconds of 3-ball frenzy with unlimited ball save, 5X held for the rest of the game, WAR = 1M, U-Turns = 250K, Skyway = 1M + Extra Ball, Jackpot lit.

  Reward: 20-s three-ball frenzy; 5X bonus held permanently; 1M Skyway + EB; 1M WAR repeatable; 250K U-Turns; Jackpot 1M-4M

• Beginner Opener: Stay Upstairs strategy · Easy

  The consensus opener — the ball cannot drain on the upper deck, so live there: full plunge, loop twice, nudge across the WAR tops, and answer every fall with the Skyway one-touch.

  Reward: Extra Ball lit, bonus X held, and a ball that spends its life where it can't drain

• Tournament Line: The Hurry-Up Farm strategy · Medium

  The tournament bread-and-butter — the whole plan in one line: spell WAR on the rollovers, then shoot the Skyway for escalating hurry-ups. The ladder persists across balls, and almost all of it happens where the ball can't drain.

  Reward: 200K → 500K → 750K → 1M → 1.5M collects ≈ 4M on a game where 10-40M is big

• Keep Kickback and Magna-Save Lit strategy · Medium

  Both outlane saves are used-then-unlit, and only a full six-target KNIGHT completion (or a Wheel award) relights them. Clear the banks when you're stuck downstairs anyway, and learn the Magna-Save button.

  Reward: Both drain insurances relit (plus a BLACK letter spotted)