Yellow Sign

Yellow Sign

Painted

Yellow Sign is one of the four original factions for the Cthulhu Wars boardgame. It focuses on enemy assimilation and Elder Sign generation.

Components

Faction

Setup
8 Power, 6 Acolytes, and a Controlled Gate in the Area with this Glyph:
Unique Ability
Feast (Gather Power Phase): Gain +1 Power for each Area containing both a Desecration token and one or more of your Units.
Spellbook Requirements
Awaken the King in Yellow.		Successfully Desecrate an Area marked with this Glyph:
Successfully Desecrate an Area marked with this Glyph:		Successfully Desecrate an Area marked with this Glyph:
As your Action, select another player to gain 3 Doom points.		Awaken Hastur Receive 1 Elder Sign.
Spellbooks
	He Who is Not to be Named (Action: Cost 1): Move Hastur to any Area containing a Cultist of any Faction. You may then take a second, different Action. You may NOT take The Screaming Dead as your second Action.
	Passion (Ongoing): When one or more of your Cultists are Eliminated by an enemy (Killed, Captured, etc.), gain 1 Power.
	Shriek of the Byakhee (Action: Cost 1): Move any or all Byakhee from their current Area(s) to any one Area on the Map.
	The Screaming Dead (Action: Cost 1): Move the King in Yellow to an adjacent Area. Any Undead in the same Area can move with him for free. You may then take a second, different Action. You may NOT take He Who is Not to be Named as your second Action.
	The Third Eye (Ongoing): If Hastur is in play, the cost of Desecration is reduced by 1. If the Desecration succeeds, you also receive 1 Elder Sign.
	Zingaya (Action: Cost 1): Choose an Area containing any of your Undead and at least one enemy Acolyte Cultist. Your enemy Eliminates one of his Acolyte Cultists from that Area. Place an Undead from your Pool into that Area.

Units

Cultists
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Spellbooks
File:Acolyte (Alternate) - Yellow Sign (Painted).png	Acolyte	6	1	0	Passion
		Availability: [Classic] Cthulhu Wars - Core Game (x6), Acolyte Blister Pack {RPG-CG-A} (x2) [Alternate] Alternate Faction Acolytes {CW-U12} (x6), Cultic Set 2 {EHP-5} (x6)
		From his ancient tome he intones the words of power. Beware, sane world. The realm of madness awakens at his command.
		The alternate sculpt units replace the classic sculpt Acolytes, and were originally developed for Evil High Priest.
Monsters
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Spellbooks
	Undead	6	1	*	Zingaya
		Combat: Roll 1 fewer die than the total number of Undead in the Battle (e.g., 4 Undead roll 3 dice).
		Availability: Cthulhu Wars - Core Game (x6), Cthulhu Wars - Core Game {CW-O3} (x6), Undead Blister Pack {RPG-CG-Y1} (x3)
		Awakened by the power of the King in Yellow, it is no zombie, nor yet a vampire, but an undead mockery, alive and awake and obedient.
	Byakhee	4	2	*	Shriek of the Byakhee
		Combat: Roll 1 die more than the total number of Byakhee in the Battle (e.g., 4 Byakhee roll 5 dice).
		Availability: Cthulhu Wars - Core Game (x4), Cthulhu Wars - Core Game {CW-O3} (x4), Byakhee Blister Pack {RPG-CG-Y2} (x2)
		"Not altogether crows, nor moles, nor buzzards, nor ants, nor vampire bats, nor decomposed human beings; but something I cannot and must not recall."—H. P. Lovecraft
Great Old Ones
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Spellbooks
	King in Yellow	1	4	0
		How to Awaken King in Yellow: You must have a Unit in an Area lacking a Gate. Pay 4 Power. The King appears in that Area.
		Desecrate (Action: Cost 2): If the King is in an Area with no Desecration token, roll 1 die. If the roll is equal to or less than the number of your Units in the Area (including the King), place a Desecration token in the Area. Whether you succeed or fail, place a Monster or Cultist with a cost of 2 or less in the Area.
		Availability: Cthulhu Wars - Core Game (x1), Cthulhu Wars - Core Game {CW-O3} (x1), King in Yellow Blister Pack {RPG-CG-Y3} (x1)
		Herald of Hastur; ruler of madness and art and joy and pain. Seek not to know what lies behind the Pallid Mask.
	Hastur	1	10	*
		How to Awaken Hastur: You must have a Controlled Gate and the King in Yellow in the same Area. Pay 10 Power. Hastur appears in the King's Area.
		Combat: Equals the current Cost of a Ritual of Annihilation.
		Vengeance (Post-Battle): If Hastur is involved in a Battle, choose which Combat results are applied to which enemy Units (e.g., apply a Kill to a particular Great Old One).
		Availability: Cthulhu Wars - Core Game (x1), Cthulhu Wars - Core Game {CW-O3} (x1), Hastur Blister Pack {RPG-CG-Y4} (x1)
		Hastur the Unspeakable. Just saying its name can bring about its undesired, frightful presence.

Expansion Units

Cultists
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Spellbooks
File:Acolyte (Handicap) - Yellow Sign (Painted).png	Acolyte	1	1	0
		Availability: CW Onslaught 3 Stretch Goal Box {CW-E20} (x1)
		This unit is used as a Handicap Acolyte.
File:High Priest (Alternate).png File:High Priest (Alternate) (Painted).png	High Priest	1	3	0
			Unspeakable Oath (Ongoing): At the end of any player's Action (even if it is not your turn), Sacrifice your High Priest (return him to your Pool) and gain 2 Power. This may also be done during the Gather Power and Doom Phases.
		Notes: The High Priest is a new type of Cultist, it is Recruited like an Acolyte. Each High Priest generates 1 Power during the Gather Power Phase, can Create and Control a Gate, and can be Captured. Each Faction has only a single High Priest available. This unit may also be used as one of the Unique High Priests.
		Availability: [Classic] High Priests {CW-U3} (x1), High Priests {CW-U3-O3} (x1), High Priest Blister Pack {RPG-U3-HP} (x2) [Alternate] High Priests {CW-U3-O4} (x1), Cultic Set 2 {EHP-5} (x1), Cultic Set 3 {EHP-6} (x1)
		He leads the rites of old. It is time to awaken the great old ones! Iä! Iä!
		The alternate sculpt unit replaces the classic sculpt High Priest, and was originally developed for Evil High Priest.
File:Brain Cylinder Figure - Yellow Sign (Painted).png	Brain Cylinder	4	0	0
		Availability: [Token] Yuggoth Map {CW-M3} (x4) [Figure] Shining Trapezohedron {CW-E15} (x4), Shining Trapezohedron {CW-E15-O3} (x4), Shining Trapezohedron {CW-E15-O4} (x4), Brain Cylinder Blister Pack {RPG-E15-10} (x1)
		This helpless human, reduced to a mere living brain by the surgical and mechanical skill of the aliens, can now only communicate through electronic devices. What wisdom or warning can he relate?
		See Brain Cylinders for rules. The Brain Cylinder figures replace the Brain Cylinder Tokens.
File:The Dark Demon - Yellow Sign (Painted).png	The Dark Demon	1	1	0
			How to Obtain the The Dark Demon Loyalty Card: In the Doom Phase, when it is your turn to perform a Ritual of Annihilation, you may pay 2 Doom to obtain this Loyalty Card and then place the Dark Demon matching your Faction's color anywhere on the Map. If you wish, you may also perform a Ritual of Annihilation. Each of the other Factions permanently loses an Acolyte from their Pools (or from the Map, if all are in play) and then adds to their Pools a Dark Demon of their Faction's color.
			The Summons (Ongoing): Any Faction with a Dark Demon in its Pool cannot take any Action other than Recruiting the Dark Demon. (You can still choose to drop your Power to 0 and take no more Actions this Action Phase instead). Metamorph (Ongoing): Dark Demons are a new type of Cultist and are treated as Cultists in every way, but they produce 0 Power during the Gather Power Phase. They are Recruited rather than Summoned, so a Controlled Gate is not needed to bring them into play. Dark Demons may Create and Control Gates, and they are worth 1 Power when Captured. They can be targeted by any Spellbooks or abilities that reference Cultists, but not Acolytes.
		Availability: Masks of Nyarlathotep {CW-U10} (x1), Dark Demon - green Miniature STL {U10-N4}
		Nyarlathotep is infamous for his multiple shapes. As the Dark Demon, this pig-like humanoid is terrifying to behold, but the horror it leaves in its wake is far worse.

Buildings

Buildings
Image	Unit	Quantity	Cost	Combat	Spellbooks
File:Gate - Yellow Sign (Painted).png	Gate	1	3	N/A
		Notes: Used for Colour Out of Space
		Availability: Colour Out of Space {CW-U7} (x1), Eldritch Gate Pack {CW-U9} (x1), Eldritch Gate Pack {CW-U9-O3} (x1)

Other components

Other components
Image	Component	Quantity	Notes
	Faction Card	1
		Availability: [Cardstock] Cthulhu Wars - Core Game (x1) [3mm] 3mm Die Cut Faction Card Pack {CW-E10} (x1), 3mm Die Cut Faction Card Pack {CW-E10-O3} (x1), Cthulhu Wars - Core Game {CW-O3} (x1)
	Faction Token	1
		Availability: Cthulhu Wars - Core Game (x1), Cthulhu Wars - Core Game {CW-O3} (x1)
	Power Marker	1
		Availability: Cthulhu Wars - Core Game (x1), Cthulhu Wars - Core Game {CW-O3} (x1)
File:Doom Marker - Yellow Sign (Painted).png	Doom Marker	1
		Availability: Cthulhu Wars - Core Game (x1), Cthulhu Wars - Core Game {CW-O3} (x1), Upgraded Cardstock Items {CW-E11} (x1)
File:Desecration Marker Figure (Painted).png	Desecration Marker	12
		Availability: [Token] Cthulhu Wars - Core Game (x12), Cthulhu Wars - Core Game {CW-O3} (x12) [Figure] Shining Trapezohedron {CW-E15} (x12), Shining Trapezohedron {CW-E15-O3} (x12), Shining Trapezohedron {CW-E15-O4} (x12)
		The Desecration Marker figures replace the Desecration Marker tokens.
	Custom Dice	1	Used for Desecration
		Availability: Custom Dice Pack {CW-E14} (x1)
	Battle Dice	20
		Availability: Battle Dice - Yellow Sign {CW-U17} (x20), All 200 Battle Dice! {CW-U24} (x20), ALL 240 BATTLE DICE {CW-U24-O4} (x20)
	Neutral Unit Identifier	6 (25mm) 3 (40mm) 3 (50mm) 3 (60mm) 1 (80mm)
		Availability: Neutral Unit Identifiers {CW-U26} (x16), Neutral Unit Identifiers {CW-U26-O4} (x16)

Strategy

Faction strategy

Yellow Sign's primary method of gaining Elder Signs is through The Third Eye, requiring Hastur and the King in Yellow to be used in concert; at the latest, Hastur should be summoned by the third round. Similarly, the use of Desecration is fundamental to Yellow Sign's strategy. As such, it's important to protect the King in Yellow and Hastur, both of which are made easier using The Screaming Dead and Shriek of the Byakhee to ensure a suitable meat-shield at all times. Yellow Sign is also quite skilled at dealing with enemy Cultists, as they will almost always have the King in Yellow out in the first few actions of the first round, meaning that they can capture Cultists before most other factions are able to build up defenses against it. Even when they are prevented from capturing the Cultist, they can still remove it from the board using Zingaya. While Yellow Sign has two GOOs, it's usually more profitable to save power for Desecration rather than spending it on Rituals of Annihilation—but this will change if the enemy factions are positioned to eliminate King in Yellow or Hastur in the next phase.

Yellow Sign has a major weakness in that its Spellbook Requirements require it to travel to known destinations. As such, enemy factions can effectively use blockades to prevent Yellow Sign from advancing. While the Yellow Sign's GOO and Monsters have excellent mobility, their Cultists do not, so they often get left in Europe until other Factions try to take the Gate. If enemies focus on instead attacking the King and routing his Undead bodyguards, it can be difficult for Yellow Sign to take advantage of Gates that it happens across during its trek.

Spellbook strategies

• He Who is Not to be Named: This spellbook is primarily useful in attacking enemy factions.
• Shriek of the Byakhee: This spellbook can be used alongside He Who is Not to be Named or The Screaming Dead to quickly bring a large army to bear against the enemy.
• Passion: This spellbook reduces the incentive for enemy factions to kill or capture your Cultists, making it safer to leave them behind to generate Power from Desecrated areas. It can also be used in concert with another faction using Cat from Venus to stall for both factions.
• The Screaming Dead: This spellbook can allow the King in Yellow to move into an area and Desecrate before enemy factions can react, and makes the Desecration more likely to succeed by bringing along his Undead horde. The second Action is not mandatory.
• The Third Eye: This spellbook is critical for taking advantage of Desecration and generating Elder Signs. It should be taken when or before Hastur is summoned.
• Zingaya: This spellbook is very offensive and subverts the normal protections against losing Acolytes. It can be extremely useful when the other factions have run out of power, allowing the King and his Undead to march around weakening the other factions. Make sure to keep a few Undead in your pool in order to take advantage of this.

Recommended openers

1. Turn 1 (8 Power)
   1. Move 1 Cultist to an open location, preferably Arabia to threaten Crawling Chaos. (7 Power)
   2. Awaken the King in Yellow, take "The Screaming Dead". (3 Power)
   3. As your Action, select another player to gain 3 Doom points, take "Passion". (3 Power)
   4. If another Faction has built their second Gate a space away from the King:
      1. Move the King in Yellow and your Acolyte to that space. (1 Power)
      2. Capture the enemy Cultist, take control of the Gate. (0 Power)
   5. Otherwise, build a Gate. (0 Power)
   6. If another Faction Captures a Cultist in Europe, use the Power to summon an Undead. If necessary, capture their Cultists with the King.
2. Turn 2 (~10 Power, 2 Doom)
   1. Awaken Hastur, take "The Third Eye". (0 Power)
3. Turn 3 (~10 Power, 4 Doom)
   1. Start Desecrating, making sure to keep Hastur in the same space as the King.

Building your own Gate can be disrupted if another faction decides to be aggressive, but this will usually harm their prospects as well. Conversely, stealing an enemy Gate is unlikely to be possible unless the enemy is being careless, and can backfire if the enemy has enough power to summon a Combat-ready monster and kill the King.

Story

Along the shore the cloud waves break,
The twin suns sink behind the lake,
The shadows lengthen
In Carcosa

Strange is the night where black stars rise,
And strange moons circle through the skies,
But stranger still is
Lost Carcoa

Songs that the Hyades shall sing,
Where flap the tatters of the King,
Must die unheard in
Dim Carcosa.

Song of my soul, my voice is dead,
Die though, unsung, as tears unshed
Shall dry and die in
Lost Carcosa
--Cassilda's Song in "The King in Yellow"

A certain school of thought holds that art serves to provoke, to shock, and to upset the norm. A society's fears are reflected in the art it produces, and this has never been more apparent than in John Dark's production of the lamentable play "the King in Yellow". For many years the mere existence of this play was only a rumor. Those in the theater circuit always seemed to know a 'friend of a friend' who'd seen the play in some forbidden underground spectacle, but few firsthand accounts were found. Inevitably, the story ends that the viewer later lost his or her grip on reality, went mad, and vanished off into some hideous secret society.
After last night's play, I must laugh at such preposterous ideas. How any viewer of this turgid piece would be led insane by the experience smacks of the trite ghost stories of a yellow Sutter Kane potboiler. The wooden acting was surpassed only by the flat direction and dire pacing and yellow.
The actress who portrayed the confusingly-written character of Cassilda seemed drugged or in a daze, mumbling her lines without the yellow sign. I see no future for her in any sort of acting; a cable-access used-car commercial would stretch her talents.
The set design was haphazard and doubtless an afterthought. I don't know what they were getting at with the strange pasteboard castle sets. The costuming was laughably have you seen it with one stunning exception.
The arrival and design of the character of the titular King in Yellow was impressive. As it oozed whispering from a vault, I found myself actually quite taken with the effects. The actor's flight harness was completely occluded as it hovered menacingly over have you seen the yellow sign. I was momentarily distracted from the King's speech by a rogue cellphone during, but I've pieced it together from the playbook and a pirate youtube video. I'm amazed the video already has a million+ views, and seems the yellow sign. I wish the rest of the production had been as intricately-crafted as this single monologue. But while the yellow sign, I find myself pondering have you seen the yellow sign. In the end, have you seen it? Yellow is really the only thing have you seen the yellow sign. Otherwise the yellow sign have you seen the yellow sign have you seen the yellow sign have you seen the yellow sign have you seen the yellow sign have you seen the yellow sign have you seen the yellow sign have you seen the yellow sign have you seen the yellow sign have you seen the yellow sign have you seen the yellow sign have you seen the yellow sign have you seen
By Ben Monroe

Epilogue

"I've done horrible things. I killed lifelong friends. Parents. Children. Why, you ask? Because ... the King in Yellow. He whispered ... secrets and portents. It just made sense. Don't worry, my victims didn't stay dead. They are a gift to the Unnamed One and so they follow, like the others. So the King in Yellow has his entourage as he spreads his message."
—David Mendiola