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BLACK B EARD : THE GOLDEN AG E OF PIRACY , 1660-1720 1 © 2008 GMT Games, LLC BLACK B EARD : THE GOLDEN AG E OF PIRACY , 1660-1720 2 1 INTRODUCTION Pirate Port Coat Nationality Port Blackbeard is a game for 1–5 players that allows you to recreate the Port Locator # of Arms Color Box Golden Age of Piracy in the 17th-18th centuries. Players maneuver their Pirates around the map, from sea area to sea area and into and out of ports, collecting booty and gaining notoriety in a variety of ways. Players win by having their Pirates become the richest and most notorious of them all, ideally retiring them after long and successful careers at sea. Design Note: Blackbeard is more of a simulation than most Pirate games. However, it is not a detailed, complex simulation like many other games in the hobby. On the other hand, things that happen in Pirate movies and other fictional approaches that rarely—if ever—happened in reality are not included in this game. It is difficult, for example, to find an actual instance of one Pirate attacking another at sea, something that happens in Pirate movies all the time. Note to Players of the original Blackbeard: This new game uses many of the details found in the original Blackbeard (The Avalon Hill Game Company, 1989), but the systems and mechanics for playing those ideas Sea Area Port Merchant At-Sea Sea Area Land are quite different. Do not assume that any rules from the original ver- Separator Ratings Box Box Label Area sion are in this game. Ports: Sea Areas adjoin Ports that the Pirates may use for a variety of reasons. A Coat of Arms in the Port Box indicates which nation con- trols the Port—or whether or not the Port is a Pirate Port. Ports bear 2 COMPONENTS the following information: Blackbeard contains the following items: • Nationality: The Nations to which ports belong are indicated both • 1 34”x22” game board. by the Coat of Arms and by color, as outlined on the Port Key on • 110 cards, in 2 decks the map. • 2 sheets of counters, of various sizes and shapes • Port Box: Each Port location contains the name of the Port, the Coat • 10 Pirate Displays of Arms and color of its nationality, and its numeric values. This box • 2 folded Charts and Tables Cards holds governors, Pirates, and other information markers as needed. • 1 Rule Book Placing pieces and markers on the Port location indicates that they • 3 six-sided dice, two black and one white are “In-Port”. 2.1 THE PLAYING CARDS • Merchant Box: Beside all Ports except Pirate Ports is a box bearing a ship icon. This is the Merchant box. It holds the Merchant Ship for The playing cards for Blackbeard are used in the following two that port (when required). Decks: • At-Sea Box: Beside all Ports is a small empty box. This is the At-Sea Pirate Cards: These are the 23 most infamous Pirates of the era. box. It holds anything that does not fit in the Port box. • Port Locator number: All Port boxes display a two-digit number Event Cards. These 87 cards represent a variety of possible happen- in a small white box. This is the Port Locator number for that Port. ings that may affect what is going on. They also may allow the player Random selection of Ports is performed for various purposes in the to undertake whatever plans he has as a Pirate. Finally, they provide game, and requires a D66 roll, as defined in 2.5. the game with its timing mechanism. • Port Ratings: All Port boxes (except Pirate Ports) have a pair of 2.2 THE MAP numbers separated by a dash. The number on the left is the Port’s Value rating; the number on the right is the Port’s Defense rating. Regions: The game map is divided into three major Regions—the Americas, West Africa, and East Africa/India. Each Region has its Entering and Leaving Ports: Pirates enter a Port from its adjoining own separate map section, connected only (in some cases) by Transit Sea Area, and exit a Port into its adjoining Sea Area. Bermuda, alone Boxes. Regions have very little effect on play; most of the game is of all Ports, adjoins both two Sea Areas: the North Atlantic and the conducted in the Sea Areas. Central Atlantic. Sea Areas: Each Region is sub-divided into Sea Areas (often just called 2.3 PLAYER AIDS “Areas” in these rules). There are ten (10) Sea Areas in all. The following large cards are provided to help players keep track of what Transit Boxes: These boxes, located between the Regions, allow travel they have, as well as determine the results of certain undertakings; to and from the different Regions. See 7.2. Actions Summary Card: This card is a handy summary of Actions Land: The land areas on the map have no effect on the game. and procedures used during the game. Victory Points Track: Used with the double-sided Victory Point mark- Charts and Tables Play Aid Card: This card contain charts, tables ers to show who is currently winning the game (see 18.0). and procedure lists used during play. Card Holding Boxes: Used to place the respective Card decks. Pirate Displays: These large cards provide tracks for markers that let Retired Pirates and Davy Jones’ Locker Boxes: The first is used to you keep track of all the pertinent information about each Pirate and place the counters of Pirates who Retire, the second for the counters his ship. The placement of each type of marker is outlined throughout of Pirates who are Eliminated. the rules (including 3.0, Preparing for Play). © 2008 GMT Games, LLC BLACK B EARD : THE GOLDEN AG E OF PIRACY , 1660-1720 3 Port Grids: These Grids—for 2-player, 3-player, and 4- or 5-player Pirate ID markers (3.0 Step 7, 5.13) are placed beside the Pirate card games respectively), found in the back pages of the Rule Book, are on the Pirate Display whenever a Player deploys a new Pirate (includ- used to keep track (with pen or pencil) of a Pirate’s Safe Havens and ing at the start of the game). These ID numbers are used in conjunction Hostage Information points. Players should feel free to photocopy these with the Port Grid in order to keep track of a Pirate’s Safe Havens and pages for use during the game. You can also simply keep track of this Hostage Information Points. information on a spare piece of paper if you prefer. Port Attacked markers (9.58) are placed on the map when a Pirate attacks a Port. 2.4 PLAYING PIECES Port Destroyed markers (9.51, 9.55, 10.4, 17.2) are placed on Ports Blackbeard uses a variety of playing pieces—counters and markers—to that have been destroyed (from attacks, storms, etc.). keep track of details. Pirates, Governors, King’s Commissioners, Mer- Safe Haven markers (9.42, 9.45), are placed on Port spaces the chant Ships, and Warships are represented on the map by the various map to indicate that at least one Pirate has a Safe Haven at that Port. counters. Information markers are placed on the map and the Pirate Exactly which Pirate has the Safe Haven is recorded on the Port Grid Displays to assist in game-play. (see 2.3). Attack History markers (9.58) are placed in the Attack History box Scurvy markers (9.41, 17.2) are placed atop a Pirate counter when on the Pirate Display when that Pirate attacks a Port. Use an Attack that Pirate’s crew contracts Scurvy. History marker corresponding to that Port’s Nationality. Ship Type markers (5.13, 6.21) are placed on the Pirate Displays to D&R markers (13.0) are placed atop a Pirate counter to indicate that indicate which type of ship (Sloop, Schooner, or Brigantine) the Pirate his crew is undergoing Debauchery & Revelry. is currently using. Governor Bribed markers (9.45 and 18.41D) are placed in the “Gov- Ship Ratings markers (5.13, 6.2) come in three types: Combat, Speed, ernors Bribed” box on the Pirate Display to indicate which Pro-Pirate and Loyalty. They are placed on each Pirate Display in the appropriate governors that Pirate has attempted to bribe (whether successfully or boxes and moved whenever that rating increases or decreases. Speed not). A Pirate may attempt to bribe each governor only once. Anti-Pirate and Combat markers work in conjunction with the “Ship Type” markers governors may not be bribed, so there are no markers for them. to show the current Speed and Combat ratings of that Ship. Victory Point markers (18.11) allow Players to track their Victory Letter of Marque markers (17.2) come into play when the Letter of Points on the Victory Point track on the map. Marque Event Card is played as an Event. Nationality markers (8.44, 9.42, 17.2) are placed as follows: 2.5 DICE • On the Pirate Display in the “Hostages” box to indicate the nationality The game uses six-sided dice. The following abbreviations differenti- of the Port to which that Hostage was headed when captured ate the various rolls: • In the “Letter of Marque” box on the Pirate Display to indicate the • 1d6 is the roll of one black die (for a possible result of 1–6). This nation for which the Pirate has acquired a Letter of Marque.