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 for a Llife 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: ◆ 1 Board map representing the seas and surrounding islands near Pirate’s Cove ◆ 7 Pirate ship miniatures (1 per player & 2 Legendary Pirate black ships) ◆ 5 Pirate Ship Mats and Captain’s Wheels (1 each per player) ◆ 5 Wooden Fame markers (1 per player) ◆ 20 Strength markers (wooden rings – 4 in each player’s color) ◆ 112 Illustrated cards: • 60 Treasure cards • 6 Legendary Pirate summary cards • 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) ◆ 44 Doubloons (24 worth 1 gold and 20 worth 5 gold) ◆ Treasure chests (Brown wooden cubes) ◆ 6 wooden dice ◆ 1 Rules booklet ◆ 1 Summary Card ◆ 1 Days of Wonder Online access number (located on back of Rules) PIRATES TREASURE TAVERN Event Fame Parrot Combat Mastercraft Blank card 2 Setting up the Game Place the board map of Pirate’s Cove Each player chooses: in the center of the table. ◆ a Pirate ship miniature of the color of his choice Shuffle the Treasure cards, and place ◆ Four Strength markers and a Fame marker that match his them in stacks of twelve each, on their ship color matching spot on each of the outer islands (Islands 1 through 5) ◆ a Pirate ship mat ◆ a Captain’s wheel ◆ One doubloon of 5 gold and four of 1 gold, for a total of 9 gold. ◆ 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 starting position – the second position from the left on the Pirate ship mat, as indicated by that sec- tion’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. Object of the Game Your objective is to sail the islands off Pirate’s Cove and become Take the Legendary Pirate cards (with the ship illustration the most famed and feared pirate the world has ever seen (well, on back). Set aside the Royal Navy card face up, next to this year, at least)! To do so, you will in turn need to navigate the board and shuffle the remaining Legendary Pirate shrewdly, fight recklessly and plunder mercilessly. You will gain cards before placing them face down next to the board. fame by winning fights, burying gold and treasure, and bragging 3 about your exploits at the Tavern. At the end of twelve months from 5 to 7 costs 1+2 = 3 gold. The rigging of ships at the start (game turns), the pirate with the most fame will be declared win- of the game is done simultaneously, without prior knowledge ner of the game and most fearsome Pirate of the High Seas! of the other players’ chosen rig settings. Compass Throughout the game, some actions will be performed on Know your ship successive islands in what is referred to as westward (or clock- wise) order. This westward order is: the five outer islands, Before sailing in these pirate-infested waters, each aspir- (Tavern, Hull, Sail, Cannon, and Crew island) numbered 1 ing buccaneer should take stock of his ship. through 5, followed by Treasure Island (6), in the center of the A ship’s sea-worthiness and battle-readiness is set by the map, and finally Pirate’s Cove, off center. level of its equipment in 4 distinct sections of the ship as indicated by the Strength markers: The Game Turn - the Hull, which dictates how much treasure can be safely loaded aboard her; 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 dis- tinct phases: - the Crew, which, when paired with cannons, decides how many dice are rolled in 1. Treasure – Turn over the top card from the stack of combat; 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. - the Cannon, which, when manned 2. Navigation – Secretly set the by a crew, decides how many dice are rolled arrow on your Captain’s Wheel to the island in combat; you want to sail to and plunder. Reveal all captains’ wheels simultaneously and move each pirate’s ship to her destination. - the Sails, the more deployed, the 3. Combat – Beginning with ships faster and more maneuverable the ship. moored off Tavern Island and proceeding in westward direction, resolve any combat. Combat occurs on any outer island (islands 1 – 5) where 2 or more ships are pres- Important: To each man his cannon and vice-versa! The ent, and on Treasure Island when running into a Legendary attack capability of a ship (which dictates how many dice are Pirate anchored there. Each combat is made of a preparatory rolled in battle, see Combat page 4) is determined by the Battle phase, followed by successive firings of Volleys. Combat lowest number of the ship’s current crew and cannon levels. continues until one lone player ship remains on the island; or Hence a ship with 2 crew members and 3 cannon or one with until all player ships have been either crippled or fled to 3 crew and 2 cannon will roll 2 dice in battle, while a ship Pirate’s Cove. with 3 crew and 3 cannon will roll 3. 4. Plunder – Beginning with Tavern Island and pro- ceeding westward, any surviving ship occupying an outer island is free to plunder it. Her captain takes the correspon- Rigging her properly… ding Treasure card and receives the indicated amount of gold, At the beginning of the game, before the first turn, each treasure, Tavern cards and fame points. If treasure, gold, or pirate gets a chance to rig his ship to his liking. You can Tavern cards run out, you get none, hence the importance of upgrade any or all of the sections of your ship by paying an plundering in order. upgrade cost. To upgrade one of your ship’s sections, move the 5. Upgrade – Beginning with Tavern Island and pro- Strength marker for that section to its desired levels. Using ceeding westward, each player may take advantage of the your gold doubloons, you must pay the upgrade cost indicat- “upgrades” available on the island he occupies: ed in white next to that level by moving the corresponding number ◆ On Tavern Island, to purchase up to 3 Tavern cards at a cost of gold doubloons from your hull to of 2 gold each; Treasure Island. Upgrade costs are ◆ On Hull, Sail, Cannon or Crew Island, to upgrade his ship’s cumulative, so upgrading your sails corresponding section as much as desired; 4 ◆ On Treasure Island, to bury treasures and gold for fame (1 fame 3. Second and all subsequent rounds: Additional point for each treasure or 3 gold pieces) and/or upgrade any rounds of firing volleys then occur in similar fashion in order of one section of his ship 1 level at twice its regular cost; decreasing ship’s speed until all opposing ships have been crip- ◆ On Pirate’s Cove, to draw 2 tavern cards (or 1 Tavern card and pled and one lone player ship remains on the island; or until all 2 gold) from the stack, and repair his crippled ship.