BLACK B EARD : THE GOLDEN AG E OF PIRACY , 1660-1720 —LIVIN G RULES 2008 1 © 2008 GMT Games, LLC 2 BLACK B EARD : THE GOLDEN AG E OF PIRACY , 1660-1720—LIVIN G RULES 2008 Pirate Port Coat Nationality Port 1 INTRODUCTION Port Locator # of Arms Color Box Blackbeard is a game for 1–5 players that allows you to recreate the 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 Sea Area Port Merchant At-Sea Sea Area Land Company, 1989), but the systems and mechanics for playing those ideas Separator Ratings Box Box Label Area are quite different. Do not assume that any rules from the original ver- sion are in this game. Retired Pirates and Davy Jones’ Locker Boxes: The first is used to Rules Note: The vertical line found in the borders at various locations place the counters of Pirates who Retire, the second for the counters indicates passages that have been modified in these Living Rules. of Pirates who are Eliminated. 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- 2 COMPONENTS trols the Port—or whether or not the Port is a Pirate Port. Ports bear Blackbeard contains the following items: the following information: • 1 34”x22” game board. • Nationality: The Nations to which ports belong are indicated both • 110 cards, in 2 decks by the Coat of Arms and by color, as outlined on the Port Key on • 2 sheets of counters, of various sizes and shapes the map. • 10 Pirate Displays • 2 folded Charts and Tables Cards • Port Box: Each Port location contains the name of the Port, the Coat • 1 Rule Book of Arms and color of its nationality, and its numeric values. This box • 3 six-sided dice, two black and one white holds governors, Pirates, and other information markers as needed. Placing pieces and markers on the Port location indicates that they 2.1 THE PLAYING CARDS are “In-Port”. • Merchant Box: Beside all Ports except Pirate Ports is a box bearing The playing cards for Blackbeard are used in the following two a ship icon. This is the Merchant box. It holds the Merchant Ship for Decks: that port (when required). Pirate Cards: These are the 23 most infamous Pirates of the era. • At-Sea Box: Beside all Ports is a small empty box. This is the At-Sea Event Cards. These 87 cards represent a variety of possible happen- box. It holds anything that does not fit in the Port box. ings that may affect what is going on. They also may allow the player • Port Locator number: All Port boxes display a two-digit number to undertake whatever plans he has as a Pirate. Finally, they provide in a small white box. This is the Port Locator number for that Port. the game with its timing mechanism. Random selection of Ports is performed for various purposes in the game, and requires a D66 roll, as defined in 2.5. 2.2 THE MAP • Port Ratings: All Port boxes (except Pirate Ports) have a pair of Regions: The game map is divided into three major Regions—the numbers separated by a dash. The number on the left is the Port’s Americas, West Africa, and East Africa/India. Each Region has its own Value rating; the number on the right is the Port’s Defense rating. separate map section, connected only (in some cases) by Transit Boxes. Entering and Leaving Ports: Pirates enter a Port from its adjoining Regions have very little effect on play; most of the game is conducted Sea Area, and exit a Port into its adjoining Sea Area. Bermuda, alone in the Sea Areas. of all Ports, adjoins both two Sea Areas: the North Atlantic and the Sea Areas: Each Region is sub-divided into Sea Areas (often just called Central Atlantic. “Areas” in these rules). There are ten (10) Sea Areas in all. Living Rules Note: On the first printing of the map, the following Transit Boxes: These boxes, located between the Regions, allow travel borders are less obvious than they should be: to and from the different Regions. See 7.2. • North Atlantic borders: Central Atlantic and Bermuda. • Central Atlantic borders: North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Ber- Land: The land areas on the map have no effect on the game. muda. Victory Points Track: Used with the double-sided Victory Point mark- • South Atlantic borders: Central Atlantic and West Caribbean. ers to show who is currently winning the game (see 18.0). • West Caribbean borders: South Atlantic, East Caribbean, Central America, South America. Card Holding Boxes: Used to place the respective Card decks. • East Caribbean borders: West Caribbean, South America. © 2008 GMT Games, LLC BLACK B EARD : THE GOLDEN AG E OF PIRACY , 1660-1720 —LIVIN G RULES 2008 3 2.3 PLAYER AIDS governors that Pirate has attempted to bribe (whether successfully or not). A Pirate may attempt to bribe each governor only once. Anti-Pirate The following large cards are provided to help players keep track of what governors may not be bribed, so there are no markers for them. they have, as well as determine the results of certain undertakings; Letter of Marque markers (17.2) come into play when the LETTER OF Actions Summary Card: This card is a handy summary of Actions MARQUE Event Card is played as an Event. and procedures used during the game. Nationality markers (8.44, 9.42, 17.2) are placed as follows: Charts and Tables Play Aid Card: This card contain charts, tables • On the Pirate Display in the “Hostages” box to indicate the nationality and procedure lists used during play. of the Port to which that Hostage was headed when captured Pirate Displays: These large cards provide tracks for markers that let • In the “Letter of Marque” box on the Pirate Display to indicate the you keep track of all the pertinent information about each Pirate and nation for which the Pirate has acquired a Letter of Marque. his ship. The placement of each type of marker is outlined throughout Number markers help Players keep track of a range of details on the the rules (including 3.0, Preparing for Play). Pirate Displays and on the map: Port Grids: These Grids—for 2-player, 3-player, and 4- or 5-player • The Pirate’s Notoriety Points, Cunning Points, and Net Worth games respectively), found in the back pages of the Rule Book, are • The Doubloons in each Hold of the Pirate’s ship used to keep track (with pen or pencil) of a Pirate’s Safe Havens and • The Information Points gained from each Hostage Hostage Information points. Players should feel free to photocopy these • The number of the Action currently underway in the Player-Turn pages for use during the game. You can also simply keep track of this Pirate ID markers (3.0 Step 7, 5.13) are placed beside the Pirate card information on a spare piece of paper if you prefer. on the Pirate Display whenever a Player deploys a new Pirate (includ- ing at the start of the game). These ID numbers are used in conjunction 2.4 PLAYING PIECES with the Port Grid in order to keep track of a Pirate’s Safe Havens and Hostage Information Points. Blackbeard uses a variety of playing pieces—counters and markers—to keep track of details. Pirates, Governors, King’s Commissioners, Mer- Port Attacked markers (9.58) are placed on the map when a Pirate chant Ships, and Warships are represented on the map by the various attacks a Port. counters. Information markers are placed on the map and the Pirate Port Destroyed markers (9.51, 9.55, 10.4, 17.2) are placed on Ports Displays to assist in game-play. that have been destroyed (from attacks, storms, etc.). Living Rules Note: While the components as initially printed accu- Safe Haven markers (9.42, 9.45), are placed on Port spaces the rately reflect the design intentions of the game, the designer/developer map to indicate that at least one Pirate has a Safe Haven at that Port. team recognize that some players feel that Warships and King’s Com- Exactly which Pirate has the Safe Haven is recorded on the Port Grid missioners are too weak. As a result, we recommend—as a standard (see 2.3). rule—modifying all Combat die-rolls for Warships and KCs by +2. Scurvy markers (9.41, 17.2) are placed atop a Pirate counter when This has the effect of higher Combat values for those units, but the that Pirate’s crew contracts Scurvy.