A game of swashbuckling and daring ! For 3-5 players ages 8 and above 60-90 minutes egendary home of lore and plunder… hideaway of pirates and buccaneers… Pirate’s Cove haunts the hearts and minds of every young lad who yearns L for a life at sea. Starting with a modestly outfitted sloop salvaged from last winter’s storm, you set sail to Pirate’s Cove one early morning, your eyes filled with visions of treasure and fame, your lungs filled with the salty air of the High Seas. Components Inside the box of treasures lie: N 1 Board map representing the seas and surrounding islands near Pirate’s Cove N 7 Pirate ship miniatures (1 per player & 2 Legendary Pirate black ships) N 5 Pirate Ship Mats and Captain’s Wheels (1 each per player) N 5 Wooden Fame markers (1 per player) N 20 Strength markers (wooden rings – 4 in each player’s color) N 112 Illustrated cards: • 60 Treasure cards • 5 Legendary Pirate summary cards • 1 Royal Navy summary card • 42 Tavern cards (Tavern on the back) - 4 Parrot cards - 7 Mastercraft cards - 14 Combat cards (8 Battle and 6 Volley cards) - 8 Event cards - 9 Fame cards (5 x1, 3 x2, 1 x3) • 4 Blank cards (1 Legendary Pirate card, 1 Event card, 1 battle and 1 volley combat cards) N 44 Doubloons (24 worth 1 gold and 20 worth 5 gold) N Treasure chests (Brown wooden cubes) N 6 wooden dice N 1 Rules booklet N 1 Summary Card 1 Days of Wonder Online access number Treasure (located on back of Rules) Fame Doubloon Treasure Tavern card(s) PIRATES TREASURE TAVERN Event Fame Parrot Combat Mastercraft Blank card Doubloon 2 Setting up the Game Place the board map of Pirate’s Cove Each player chooses: in the center of the table. N a Pirate ship miniature of the color of his choice Shuffle the Treasure cards, and N Four Strength markers and a Fame marker that match his place them in stacks of twelve each, on their matching spot on ship color each of the outer islands N a Pirate ship mat (Islands 1 through 5) N a Captain’s wheel One doubloon of 5 gold and four of 1 gold, for a total of 9 gold. N a Tavern card (drawn from the top of the stack at Tavern Island) Note: When playing for the first time, first remove the dou- bloons and Captain’s Wheels from the punchboard. To assemble the wheels, remove the small center circle from the wheel and fix a black plastic arrow to the front of the wheel, using the small black plastic piece to hold it in place from the back of the wheel. If the wheel spins too loo- sely, reverse the black plastic piece on the back. Each player puts his fame marker on the Jolly Roger start- ing spot on the fame track running along the map’s border. Throughout the game, each time a player wins fame points, he will immediately advance his marker accordingly. Each player lays the Pirate ship mat in front of him. Each player then puts his four Strength markers on their start- ing position – the second position from the left on the Pirate ship mat, as indicated by that section’s skull icon - and stores his doubloons next to his ship mat. All remaining doubloons, and all treasure chests are then buried on Treasure Island (#6), in the center of the board. One of the Legendary Pirate black ships starts the game moored at Tavern Island (#1), so place her there. Reveal the first Legendary Pirate card from the stack next to the board and place it by the black ship. If you are playing with three players, a second Legendary Pirate black ship is anchored off Cannon Island (#4) at the start of the game. Reveal a Legendary Pirate summary card for that second ship, and place it next to her. You are now ready to set sail and become the most famous pirate of the Caribbean! Shuffle the Tavern cards and place them, face down, on the matching spot on Tavern Island. Take the Legendary Pirate cards (with the ship illustration on back). Set aside the Royal Navy card face up, next to the board and shuffle the remaining Legendary Pirate cards before placing them face down next to the board. 3 Important: To each man his cannon and vice-versa! The attack capability of a ship (which dictates how many dice are Object of the Game rolled in battle, see Combat page 6) is determined by the lowest number of the ship’s current crew and cannon level. Your objective is to sail the islands off Pirate’s Cove and become Hence a ship with 2 crew members and 3 cannon or one with the most famed and feared pirate the world has ever seen (well, 3 crew and 2 cannon will roll 2 dice in battle, while a ship this year, at least)! To do so, you will in turn need to navigate with 3 crew and 3 cannon will roll 3. shrewdly, fight recklessly and plunder mercilessly. You will gain fame by winning fights, burying gold and treasure, and bragging about your exploits at the Tavern. At the end of twelve months Rigging her properly… (game turns), the pirate with the most fame will be declared win- ner of the game and most fearsome Pirate of the High Seas! At the beginning of the game, before the first turn, each pirate gets a chance to rig his ship to his liking. You can upgrade any or all of the sections of your ship by paying an upgrade cost. To upgrade one of your ship’s sections, move the Strength marker for that section to its desired level. Using your Know your ship gold doubloons, you must pay the upgrade cost indicated in white next to that level by moving the corresponding number Before sailing in these pirate-infested waters, each aspir- of gold doubloons from your hull to Treasure Island. Upgrade ing buccaneer should take stock of his ship. costs are cumulative, so upgrading your sails from 5 to 7 costs A ship’s sea-worthiness and battle-readiness is set by the 1+2 = 3 gold. The rigging of ships at the start of the game is level of its equipment in 4 distinct sections of the ship as done simultaneously, without prior knowledge of the other indicated by the Strength markers: players’ chosen rig settings. - the Hull, which dictates how much treasure can be safely loaded aboard her; - the Crew, which, when paired with cannons, decides how many dice are rolled in combat; Compass Throughout the game, some actions will be performed on - the Cannon, which, when manned by a successive islands in what is referred to as westward (or clock- crew, decides how many dice are rolled in combat; wise) order. This westward order is: the five outer islands, (Tavern, Hull, Sail, Cannon, and Crew island) numbered 1 - the Sails, the more deployed, the faster through 5, followed by Treasure and more maneuverable the ship. Island (6), in the center of the map, and finally Pirate’s Cove, off center. The Game Turn The game is played over 12 consecutive months (game turns). Whoever gains the most fame by the end of the year is declared winner of the game. Each turn is divided into 6 distinct phases: 1. Treasure – Turn over the top card from the stack of Treasure cards on each of the outer islands 1 - 5. Listed on each card are the rewards for capturing this island this turn. Pirate cards run out on the 12th and last turn of the game. 4 2. Navigation – Secretly set the arrow on your Captain’s Wheel to the island you want to sail to and plunder. Reveal all captains’ wheels simultaneously and move each pirate’s ship to her destination. 3. Combat – Beginning with ships moored off Tavern Island and proceeding in FIGHT westward direction, resolve any combat. Combat occurs on any outer island (islands 1 – 5) where 2 or more ships are present, and on Treasure Island when running into a Legendary Pirate anchored there. Each combat is made of a preparatory Battle phase, followed by successive firings of Volleys. Combat continues until one lone player ship remains on the island; or until all player ships have been either crip- pled or fled to Pirate’s Cove. 4. Plunder – Beginning with Tavern Island and proceeding westward, any sur- viving ship occupying an outer island is free to plunder it. Her captain takes the corresponding Treasure card and receives the indicated amount of gold, treasure, Tavern cards and fame points. If treasure, gold, or Tavern cards run out, you get none, hence the importance of plundering in order. 5. Upgrade – Beginning with Tavern Island and proceeding westward, each player may take advantage of the “upgrades” available on the island he occupies: 123 456 N On Tavern Island, to purchase up to 3 Tavern cards at a cost of 2 gold each; 3 X MAX N On Hull, Sail, Cannon or Crew Island, to upgrade his ship’s corresponding section as much as desired, by paying the corresponding cumulative upgrade costs; N On Treasure Island, to bury treasures and gold for fame (1 fame point for each 1 Fame treasure or 3 gold pieces) and/or upgrade any one section of his ship 1 level at twice its regular cost; 1 Fame X 2 N On Pirate’s Cove, to draw 2 tavern cards (or 1 Tavern card and 2 gold) from the stack, and repair his crippled ship.