Swords of Fury
A sword-and-sorcery System 11 classic with four flippers, two playfield levels, no bumpers, and one of the best soundtracks in pinball. Lock 3 balls, start multiball, and collect the Lionman jackpot for the big score.
The left spinner leads to the Titan Tunnel saucers where balls are locked for multiball. Lock is always lit — no qualification needed. Three locks starts multiball with 3x scoring. Each lock also increases the left spinner value by 500 points (up to 2,000) for the rest of the ball. This is the most important shot on the game because multiball is where all the big scoring happens, and unlike most games, it never gets harder to start. Lock early, lock often.
The four-flipper layout takes getting used to. The upper left flipper (full-size, high on the playfield) is actually the easiest way to shoot the center ramp for the Lionman jackpot during multiball. The tiny mini-flipper on the upper right handles the upper playfield drop targets. The main challenge: once you hit 2 million, the game cranks up the difficulty — the AVENGER timer at the magic tunnel starts timing out much faster, and the game generally gets less forgiving. The good news: multiball difficulty never increases, so your core strategy stays the same regardless of score.
Your Game Plan
Lock Balls, Build MAGIC Value
BALL 1Lock a Ball at the Titan Tunnel Earnable
Shoot through the left spinner into the Titan Tunnel (Ball Lock) saucers. Lock is always lit. Get at least one ball locked on Ball 1 to set up multiball for Ball 2. If you're feeling confident, go for two locks.
Build MAGIC Value at the U-Turn Earnable
The U-Turn Spinners has spinners on both entrances — each spin adds 200 to your bonus and advances the drop target value on the upper playfield. The star on the return lanes lights the spinners for 3x (600 per spin) temporarily. Keep the MAGIC value high by shooting the U-turn regularly — it counts down if you neglect it.
Work Toward AVENGER Earnable
The AVENGER standup targets around the playfield light letters. Complete AVENGER to qualify extra ball — awarded every 4th completion. The inlanes light the ramp for an AVENGER letter too, which is the safest way to collect them.
Start Multiball, Collect Lionman
BALL 2Complete Your Third Lock → Start Multiball Earnable
Lock your third ball to start multiball with 3x scoring. Everything scores triple during multiball. Multiball never gets harder to start — even if you've already had one, it's the same three locks next time.
Collect Ogre's Alley at 500K During Multiball Earnable
Ogre's Alley behind the upper ramp builds up to 500K. You can only collect the 500K once per game. Save it for the start of multiball — during 3x scoring, it's worth 1.5 million. Shoot the lit side of Ogre's Alley to advance, the other side to collect.
Shoot the Center Ramp for Lionman Jackpot Earnable
During multiball, the center ramp scores the Lionman jackpot — the game's biggest payout, multiplied by 3x. The center ramp can be shot from any of the three big flippers, but it's easiest from the upper left flipper. Build Lionman value throughout single-ball play, then cash it in during the 3x window.
Another Multiball or Cash In Bonus
BALL 3Start Another Multiball Earnable
Since multiball never gets harder, go for another round. If your Lionman value has been building, a second multiball can be even more valuable than the first. Three locks, same as before.
Upper Playfield Drop Targets for Jackpot Earnable
The upper playfield has 5 unusual drop targets. Clearing them awards the jackpot (builds game-to-game, 500K to 4M). The mini-flipper handles these targets. When the drops lower, a path opens where the ball drops to the main playfield — use this to set up a center ramp shot from the upper flipper.
Protect Your Bonus and Kickback Earnable
The left kickback can only be relit during multiball — another reason to prioritize getting multiball started. If your kickback is off and multiball isn't coming, play extra carefully. Bonus is a significant scoring component on this game.
Stay Alive Out There
- → Kickback Relights Only During Multiball: Unlike most games, you can't relight the left kickback during single-ball play. This makes multiball doubly important — both for scoring and for safety. Once your kickback fires, get to multiball as fast as you can.
- → Dead Bounce off the Mini-Playfield Feed: When the ball exits the mini-playfield, you can often dead bounce it on the lower flippers. This gives you a controlled ball to shoot back into the Titan Tunnel for a lock. Practice this feed — it's a free controlled shot opportunity.
- → The Upper Left Flipper Is Your Friend: The full-size upper left flipper can reach the center ramp more easily than the lower flippers. Anytime you have a ball on the upper flipper, consider the center ramp — especially during multiball for the Lionman jackpot.
Don't Be a Hero
- ⚠ AVENGER Standups (Direct Shots): While completing AVENGER earns extra balls, directly shooting the standup targets is risky — they're in awkward positions. The inlanes light the ramp for AVENGER letters, which is much safer. Let AVENGER completions come naturally through inlane passes and mode play rather than targeting standups.
- ⚠ Ogre's Alley Above 500K: Once you've collected Ogre's Alley at 500K (ideally during 3x multiball for 1.5M), it resets and can't reach 500K again that game. Don't waste shots on it after the big collection.
The display rolls at 9,999,990. Average games are 1-3M. A strong tournament game is 5M+. Top players can roll the display by chaining multiballs and Lionman jackpots. For league, consistently getting to multiball and collecting Lionman puts you in a good spot.
At 2 million, the game makes visible difficulty changes: the AVENGER timer gets much faster, and general timing windows tighten. Your multiball strategy doesn't change, but single-ball play becomes more punishing. Don't be surprised if the game suddenly feels harder — it literally is.
Brian Schmidt's soundtrack for Swords of Fury is widely considered one of the best in pinball history. The variations that play during different game states are remarkably sophisticated for 1988. The 'Lionman!' callout has become a pinball meme — referenced in Total Nuclear Annihilation and Rick & Morty pinball.
The Research Pile
Every claim is sourced. Here's where we got our homework for this guide.
Classic community rulesheet covering the full playfield layout, four-flipper system, locking mechanics, MAGIC value, Ogre's Alley strategy, and jackpot mechanics.
Overview of game mechanics, strategy priorities, multiball importance, and AVENGER extra ball details.
Community strategy discussion covering Lionman multiball priority, Ogre's Alley 3x timing, the 2M difficulty increase, and two main strategic approaches.
Detailed rules covering scoring rollover, jackpot building across games, gate system, Ogre's Alley values, and upper playfield mechanics.