Stern
Black Knight Sword of Rage (Premium) Pinside Rating
This game received 156 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.267 /10
Black Knight Sword of Rage (Premium)
Top 100 ranking
This game ranks 2nd in the game group "Black Knight: Sword of Rage". The group itself ranks #51 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game Design: 8.015
Artwork: 8.539
Sounds/Music: 8.162
Other Aspects: 8.179
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 1 of us has rated this game.
This title is part of group: "Black Knight: Sword of Rage"
Found 60 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 60 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 3.
List options
Kiel, WI
9.380/10
33 days ago
I played the pro version lots of times and thought it was ok. Because I didn't love the pro I never gave the premium a chance, thinking the experience would be relatively the same. Boy was I wrong, they're completely different games! Not even in the same ballpark.
The premium is quite the experience to play. Doesn't feel like a Stern at all. I had the longest play time on my first ever try, I didn't find the game to be brutal at all. I played so long that after I matched, I didn't even claim my free game. Not because I don't like the game but because I had to take a break after a 20 minute game.
I love the see-through upper playfield. Let's you see the ball going through the pops underneath and adds lots of depth to the game. Wish the upper playfield had more going on and more to shoot at, but still fun. The loop up there is so fast, really tough to hit when you ball comes around.
Shots all feel great to me, you always know what to shoot at. Oddly enough, the only thing the pro had going for it over the premium is that the pro playfield is so sparse that the Black Knight being front and center gives you something to really shoot at. On the premium the Black Knight doesn't stand out so much. There is much more to shoot at.
I had a hard time taking off points off this one. Feels like such a full and complete machine. Beautiful in every way and I'm happy I gave it a chance. I'll definitely be going back to play this one!
The premium is quite the experience to play. Doesn't feel like a Stern at all. I had the longest play time on my first ever try, I didn't find the game to be brutal at all. I played so long that after I matched, I didn't even claim my free game. Not because I don't like the game but because I had to take a break after a 20 minute game.
I love the see-through upper playfield. Let's you see the ball going through the pops underneath and adds lots of depth to the game. Wish the upper playfield had more going on and more to shoot at, but still fun. The loop up there is so fast, really tough to hit when you ball comes around.
Shots all feel great to me, you always know what to shoot at. Oddly enough, the only thing the pro had going for it over the premium is that the pro playfield is so sparse that the Black Knight being front and center gives you something to really shoot at. On the premium the Black Knight doesn't stand out so much. There is much more to shoot at.
I had a hard time taking off points off this one. Feels like such a full and complete machine. Beautiful in every way and I'm happy I gave it a chance. I'll definitely be going back to play this one!
7.831/10
8 months ago
This is a fun BRUTAL pin. Its just a cool experience being taunted by the Black Knight...but you never have to endure that very long...because...damn...its HARD. This is one I will have to re-evaluate once I have more plays on it...I'm like 20 plays in (which took like 10 mins...yeah I'm that bad). I love what I see and what I have flipped...but gotta play better to see more.
If you are looking for a challenging brutal shooter...this is the one for you.
If you are looking for a challenging brutal shooter...this is the one for you.
7.992/10
1 year ago
A really good game. Fast and punishing, but fair.
Played the premium after many games on a pro. I’m not a fan of upper playfields in general but it feels like it belongs on this one. The pro still feels like a good machine without it however. I really like the back glass on the premium.
Played the premium after many games on a pro. I’m not a fan of upper playfields in general but it feels like it belongs on this one. The pro still feels like a good machine without it however. I really like the back glass on the premium.
8.683/10
1 year ago
London
UPDATE 29th April 2023. Increased my rating after playing again at The Pinball Office. This is a tough, but satisfying, pin. There are several ‘locked’ shots (the flail, the shield) low down the playfield, which increases the difficulty. But, once you make those shots, it’s very satisfying to shoot.
Really fun theme with Warhammer-esque graphics and monsters. Love the Black Knight on the playfield. The upper playfield is, sadly, a disappointment with only a ball lock and lock shot there. It would have been nice to have standup targets, lane guides or similar.
***
Played a couple of times at The Pinball Office in London in a line up with some JJPs, a Spooky pin and a couple of American Pinball pins.
I’m a huge fan of BK2000 and was excited to play this. It plays very much like an update of the original Black Knight pins and I really enjoyed it, despite the amazing music being inaudible in the arcade.
Sadly, I didn’t get much chance to get very far into it as the shots are quite hard, but I’m keen to find another onsite somewhere.
Really fun theme with Warhammer-esque graphics and monsters. Love the Black Knight on the playfield. The upper playfield is, sadly, a disappointment with only a ball lock and lock shot there. It would have been nice to have standup targets, lane guides or similar.
***
Played a couple of times at The Pinball Office in London in a line up with some JJPs, a Spooky pin and a couple of American Pinball pins.
I’m a huge fan of BK2000 and was excited to play this. It plays very much like an update of the original Black Knight pins and I really enjoyed it, despite the amazing music being inaudible in the arcade.
Sadly, I didn’t get much chance to get very far into it as the shots are quite hard, but I’m keen to find another onsite somewhere.
8.060/10
2 years ago
Zürich
Not an easy pin. You get punished for missing your shots. Very good callouts, some of the best in pinball. Overall a pleasant surprise, still a very much underrated machine. Just needs more code polish, let's hope Stern realises that one day.
9.560/10
2 years ago
Berkel En Rodenrijs
Its fast. Its Furious. I f......g. love IT. Great multiplayer game.
One of my favorites.
One of my favorites.
7.700/10
2 years ago
This is a solid modern stern that appeals most to fans of the older black knight games. Some of the better original animations from Stern on their LCD display. There isn’t quite as much depth here as some other recent games, but there’s still plenty to do. Layout if fine but nothing that special. The upper play field is pretty bare and the ball kinda just bounces around up there. The black knight flail is cool in theory but a little annoying to shoot. The shield shot is fun though and the black knight being right on the play field is fun and immersive. Overall a solid game, but somewhat forgettable with Sterns other recent offerings.
9.144/10
2 years ago
This table surprised me. The pro was fun and spent a good couple hours on it, but when i found a premium...I had a hard time getting off it. So much so I just purchased one. The upper playfield truly takes this game to the next level, i love that upper playfield loop and multi ball shot. The old school multiball sounds are amazing, don't know what multiball it's called, but it's on both pro and premium. Visuals are some of the best i've seen and the music is absolutely perfect.
This theme isn't one i thought i'd like as i gravitate to "themes of nostalgia" but this brought be back to the Williams era where it felt like they had a theme, and built the table around it. The shots are very rewarding. The rules are easy to follow, but difficult to execute. Honestly one of the more "fun" games to come out of stern the past few years...(second only to Dead pool ;))
This is far too low of a ranking and a very underrated game in my opinion.
This theme isn't one i thought i'd like as i gravitate to "themes of nostalgia" but this brought be back to the Williams era where it felt like they had a theme, and built the table around it. The shots are very rewarding. The rules are easy to follow, but difficult to execute. Honestly one of the more "fun" games to come out of stern the past few years...(second only to Dead pool ;))
This is far too low of a ranking and a very underrated game in my opinion.
9.660/10
2 years ago
Surrey, BC
Wonderful game that gets better with age. This game can be dialed in to have a good difficulty level for experienced players.
I have played the Pro and LE versions about 50 times each now, TBH, I like them both equally for different reasons.
The layout of the Prem/LE is a true successor to the Black Knight series. If you like the originals, you'll like this one, as each pays homage to its predecessor.
I really enjoy the rules on this game, as when you make the correct shots, you are really rewarded quickly. Like most Steve Ritchie games, random or missed shots will punish you.
The media package for this title is mind blowing, considering it is not one of your typical licensed IP titles. Everything comes together in a cohesive fashion, Visual Art, Sound/Music, Playfield. Everything is so well done.
I have played the Pro and LE versions about 50 times each now, TBH, I like them both equally for different reasons.
The layout of the Prem/LE is a true successor to the Black Knight series. If you like the originals, you'll like this one, as each pays homage to its predecessor.
I really enjoy the rules on this game, as when you make the correct shots, you are really rewarded quickly. Like most Steve Ritchie games, random or missed shots will punish you.
The media package for this title is mind blowing, considering it is not one of your typical licensed IP titles. Everything comes together in a cohesive fashion, Visual Art, Sound/Music, Playfield. Everything is so well done.
7.886/10
2 years ago
This is a great machine game play and classic callouts of Black Knight taking trash. The shot to the upper playfield can be hard if the flippers aren't full powered. But you can keep the ball on upper field with a little bump forever! Overall awesome game
8.852/10
2 years ago
Black Knight Sword of Rage is a great game but ultimately if I were new to Pinball and played this in a commercial setting I wouldn't play it much. For new players its very unforgiving and you'll ultimately gutter ball on your first few games while you get used to the unforgiving lanes to land your shots. Professionals will deny this is a problem but likely don't put themselves in the shoes of newbies. I love this game with the voice lines and smack talk from the Black Knight I just wish the lanes were a bit more forgiving to my feeble Pinball skils.
8.336/10
2 years ago
Updating my rating as I finally "get" this game. I think some earlier criticisms are still valid, but this has something a lot of newer games lack- tense risk/reward shots. The layout and individual shots aren't anything amazing, but the fact that it has very close and very important tight shots makes this way more like a Bally/Williams than a lot of the open games that often provide easy returns on botched shots. This one punishes you, and has more of a Fish Tales or BSD feel, though not quite as brutal. It's a harder game, and benefits from that.
Pros: It looks unique, interesting, and the demarcation of the playfield fits with the theme, shots for the most part feel well laid out. A simple strategy (mode start->multiball) makes sense, I also like that modes continue after draining, since there are a lot of dangerous shots. It's also nice that the basics of this with the ball lock and mode start are easy to understand but not easy to hit. It's not like Infinity Quest or Mando where half the points lie in knowing the code.
Cons: No one shot is that great here, the fan layout is meh, but it's an engrossing game nonetheless. I hated this one for a long time, but one game of executing the shots and strategy well changed my mind. It still can be a frustrating drainer, but the shots are there, you just have to make them.
Pros: It looks unique, interesting, and the demarcation of the playfield fits with the theme, shots for the most part feel well laid out. A simple strategy (mode start->multiball) makes sense, I also like that modes continue after draining, since there are a lot of dangerous shots. It's also nice that the basics of this with the ball lock and mode start are easy to understand but not easy to hit. It's not like Infinity Quest or Mando where half the points lie in knowing the code.
Cons: No one shot is that great here, the fan layout is meh, but it's an engrossing game nonetheless. I hated this one for a long time, but one game of executing the shots and strategy well changed my mind. It still can be a frustrating drainer, but the shots are there, you just have to make them.
You too can add your own comment by rating this game! Click here to rate this game!
Over the years
Visualizing this game's rating and rank over the years
Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!
Donate to PinsideGreat to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!
