PIRATE WAR
by Ian Milnes
INTRODUCTION
Players control Pirate ships in search of plunder & adventure.
VICTORY
The first player to accumulate 7 Treasures and have them stored in
their home port is the winner.
PIRATE SHIPS
Pirate ships have a hull rating of 12 and a cargo space of 12 (unless noted).
A player can only control one ship at a time.
A new ship costs 20 Gold. This includes one crew & one cannon
Empire Ship
Move either 4 or 6 hexes (oars or sail)
Start with 3 crew and one cannon facing forward
Cannon can be placed forward or midships (broadside)
Can perform a ramming move.
Brettonian ship
Move 9 hexes (sail).
Start with 3 crew and one cannon
Cannon can only be place midships (broadside)
Elves
Move 9 hexes (sail) and ignore turning into wind restriction
Start 2 crew and one bolt thrower
Bolt thrower can fire in a 1800 arc to forward
Only 10 hull points (extra sail)
Dwarves
Move 5 hexes (steam) ignore wind restrictions
Start 2 crew and one cannon
Cannon can fire in a 1800 arc to forward
Can perform ramming move
Only 10 hull points (extra armour), no movement restrictions
Orcs
Move 4 or 6 hexes (oars or sail)
Start 4 crew, one catapult facing forward
Catapults can be placed either forward or midships (broadside)
Orc ships have grappling hooks for boarding
Chaos
Move 4 or 6 hexes (oars or sail)
Start 3 crew and one cannon to forward
Cannon can be placed forward or midships (broadside)
Can perform ramming move
SETUP
Players start with one ship
All ships start in their home port.
Determine turn order by rolling dice. High roll goes first and so on down.
HULL RATING
Ships start out with a hull rating of 12.
If a ships hull rating is reduced to 0, it sinks and the player will have
to buy a new ship.
If a ship sinks or is lost all cargo is also lost.
If a ships hull rating is reduced to half or less, all movement is halved
Elven and Dwarf ships have a hull rating of 10
CARGO SPACE
Ships have cargo space equaling the number of hull points they currently have
Each crew, cannon/bolt thrower/catapult or treasure takes up one cargo space
CREW
If the number of crew is reduced to 0, the ship is lost, and
the player will have to buy a new ship.
Additional crew can be hired at Port for 2 Gold each.
CANNONS
See Battles section.
Additional cannons can be purchased at Port for 2 Gold each.
You can't use more cannons then you have crew.
FREE PORTS
Ships automatically stop on the port space.
The port is a safe harbor: Players cannot attack each other here.
Treasure can be traded for an equal number of gold at port.
Damaged hulls can be repaired for two gold per point of damage.
Crew can be hired for 4 gold per counter
Cannons can be bought for 4 gold per cannon
Trading can be undertaken at the Free Port by rolling on the following table:
1D6 Event
1 Lose 1 crew, D6 gold, and miss next turn
2 Lose D6 gold and miss next turn
3 Gain D6 gold and miss next turn
4 Gain D6 gold and miss next turn
5 Gain D6 gold
6 Gain D6 gold
TREASURE
Each treasure occupies one cargo space.
Each home port and Treasure Island holds 5 specific treasures as follows:
Empire rum and tobacco
Brettonian wine and spices
Elves gems
Dwarves mithral
Orcs artifacts
Chaos hostages
Treasure island treasure chests
Once the 5 treasures have gone, the home port no longer has treasure to
plunder. It can still be traded with.
Treasures are acquired by plundering home ports or visiting Treasure Island
When plundering home ports, roll on the plunder table
You cannot plunder or trade with your home port
GOLD
Gold does not occupy cargo space.
THE BOARD
The map board is attached.
The 3 grey hexes on each long side of the board are Free Ports.
Ships are at a Free Port if they are anchored in a hex that touches any
hex side of the grey hexes.
The Home ports are two grey hexes together by a three hex harbour protected
by two further grey hexes (the shore forts).
Ships are considered in the harbour in any of the three sea hexes, and are
anchored at the home port for trading, plundering or repairs if they occupy
the one hex that touches the two joined grey hexes.
THE CARDS
Change wind direction to any direction you choose
Change wind direction 2 hexes clockwise
Change wind direction 2 hexes counter-clockwise
Change wind direction 1 hexes counter-clockwise
Change wind direction 1 hexes clockwise
Scurvey- Loose one crew
BeriBeri- Loose one crew
Mutiny- One of your crew attacks the rest (Boarding Action)
Treasure Map- Hold this card. Discard on the deserted island dig up 4D6 Gold
Albatross- Go again
Uncharted Waters- Miss next turn.
Hurricane- Take 1D6 hull damage. Storm
Tropical Storm- Miss next turn. Storm
Blown off course- move D6 hexes in direction of wind
Weather Storm- Hold Card. Negate Storm card.
Run aground- Take 1D6 hull damage
Sextant- Hold this card. Discard to Ignore any result of: Miss next turn.
Charts- Hold this card. Discard to Ignore any result of: Miss next turn.
Spyglass- Hold this card. Discard to Ignore any result of: Miss next turn.
Ivory Coast- Hold this card. Play to automatically gain 2 treasures from a
home port (do not roll on plunder table)
Saint Augustine- Hold this card. Play to automatically gain 2 treasures from a
home port (do not roll on plunder table)
Treasure Ship- Loot 3D6 Gold
Stowaway- Gain one crew
Wine, Women & Song- Play face up immediately. Miss next turn & lose 1D6
Gold when you next visit any port
Kings Ransom- Gain 3D6 Gold
Repairs at sea- Repair 1D6 Hits for free
Shipwreck Survivors- Gain one crew
Captives- Gain one crew or 1D6 Gold
Narrow Escape- Hold this card. Discard: End battle or avoid it before it begins
Whirlpool- Take 1D6 hull damage
Mermaid- Go again
Skull & Crossbones- Go again
Buccaneers- Attacked by two crew (Boarding Action)
Hostile Natives- Attacked by one crew (Boarding Action)
Blown Away- Hold this card. Battle Card +1 to hit, 2 hull point damage if no
save, max 2 hex range. For all weapons in attack
Broadsides- Hold this card. Battle Card +1 to hit, 2 hull point damage if no
save, max 2 hex range. For all weapons in attack
Grapeshot- Hold this card. Battle Card +1 to hit, 2 hull point damage if no
save, max 1 hex range. For all weapons in attack
Chainshot- Hold this card. Battle Card +1 to hit, 2 hull point damage if no
save, max 1 hex range. For all weapons in attack
Swashbuckling- Hold this card. Boarding Card +1
Matchlock Pistols- Hold this card. Boarding Card +2
Cutlass- Hold this card. Boarding Card +1
Medicinals- Hold this card. Discard to prevent a Crew from being killed
TURN SEQUENCE
Players take turns. Roll initiative and wind direction each round
Each turn has 3 phases:
1.Draw Card
2.Movement Phase
3.Battle Phase
DETERMINE WIND DIRECTION
Roll one dice for the initial wind direction at the start of the game and
place arrow facing the number of the hex side rolled.
For subsequent rounds, roll two dice.
The wind direction changes if a double is rolled.
It moves one hex side clockwise if an even double is rolled, and one
hex side counter-clockwise if an off double is rolled.
DRAW PHASE
Draw 1 card. Play that card face up unless otherwise stated.
The card immediately takes effect.
MOVEMENT PHASE
Movement rates are noted under ships
Cannot combine oars and sail in one movement turn
Can turn one hex side for free, subsequent sides reduce the movement total
by one Note, can turn max 2 hex sides
Must move forward one hex before turning
Must stop immediately if turn directly into wind if using sail movement.
Get free one side move next turn without having to move forward first.
Gain an extra 2 hex movement if moving straight down wind for entire move
Can turn freely in port hex (ie do not have to move forward first)
Can move backwards up to 2 hexes under oars
Can spin on spot under oars, but each hex side costs one movement
RAMMING
Ships that can ram do so in the movement phase
They must move at least 2 hexes in a straight line to ram
Roll on the following table
1D6 Event
1 Take 2 hull points of damage
2 Inflict 1 hull point and take 1 hull points of damage
3 Inflict 2 hull points and take 1 hull point of damage
4 Inflict 2 hull points and take 1 hull point of damage
5 Inflict 2 hull points of damage
6 Inflict 3 hull points of damage
BATTLE PHASE
Cannon have 2 hex range
Bolt throwers and dwarf cannon have 3 hex range
Catapults have 3 hex range, but cannot target the first hex
Roll one dice for each cannon firing
Hits on 4,5 or 6
Defender “saves” against damage by rolling a 6
If the defender doesn’t “save”, the ship takes one hull point of damage
Anything in the hull space is immediately lost
If the attacker rolls “doubles” to hit (eg two 4s, or three 5s) the defender
can only “save” if the previous “save” did not fail. Otherwise, an automatic
loss of a hull point
Play any battle cards before rolling the dice
Dwarves save at +1 due to heavy armour on the ships
BOARDING ACTIONS
Adjacent ships can board each other
Roll a dice, add the number of crew counters, highest number wins
Winner takes one treasure, or 10 gold
Loser loses a crew counter
Use any boarding cards before the dice are rolled
Orc grappling hooks
The non-orc player must roll 4,5 or 6 at the end of the boarding phase, or
suffer another round of boarding from the orc player
HOME PORTS
Ships can be attacked in their home port
Home ports are defended by two shore forts at the entrance of the harbour
These forts are armed with 2 cannon each, and will attack any plundering or
attacking ship within range. This attack happens immediately the ship decides
to plunder or attack, and before any roll on the plunder table.
Players can either trade with or plunder other players Home ports
Ships can be repaired at 1 gold per hull point
Crew can be hired at 2 gold per crew
Cannon/bolt throwers/catapults can be bought for 2 gold each
TRADING TABLE
1D6 Event
1 Lose one crew, one treasure (or 10 gold), and miss next turn
2 Lose D6 gold and miss next turn
3 Gain D6 gold and miss next turn
4 Gain D6 gold
5 Gain D6+2 gold
6 Gain 1 treasure
PLUNDERING
Plundering ships are immediately attacked by the shore forts when the player
announces he/she will plunder. The outcome of these attacks are determined
before any roll on the plunder table. The shore forts will continue to attack
while the plundering ship remains in range.
PLUNDER TABLE
1D6 Event
1 Lose 1 crew, 1 treasure (or 10 gold) and miss next turn
2 Lose 1 crew and miss next turn
3 Lose 1 crew
4 Gain 1 treasure
5 Gain 2 treasures
6 Gain 3 treasures
Attacking ships in home ports.
The shore forts will attack any ship attacking another ship in the harbour
hexes, and will continue to do so until the attacking ship is out of range.
TREASURE ISLAND
The island in the middle of the map is Treasure Island
If your ship is anchored next to Treasure Island, you can search for buried
treasure by rolling on the Treasure Island table:
1D6 Event
1 Lose 1 crew and miss next turn
2 Miss next turn
3 Gain D6 gold and miss next turn
4 Gain D6+2 gold and miss next turn
5 Gain one treasure and miss next turn
6 Gain one treasure
FINAL NOTES
"Avast ye scurvey mates, prepare to be boarded!"
Be sure to play in character.
DOWNLOADS
Map & Word Version: Click Here