Game 50: Pirates!

This game was played with a group of friends using my homemade 40mm pirates and an adaptation of Medieval Mayhem.  Having 5 players to hand and not having a fleet of ships, I opted to rerun a Pirate Island game from Cold Wars 07. ( This was the game that the figures were sculpted for) Hidden treasure, monsters, cannibals, caves, cliffs, jungles  and 5 Pirate captains each with  a Mate and 7 pirates. 


In a cave on Phoam Island is a cave, rumoured to full of the gold of the long dead pirate, Captain Bling. The members of his crew have been scattered around the Caribbean but each of our five Captain's has one in his employ. These know the location of the island and they know that rumour has it that "The cannon is the key". Each crew includes the ship's gunner whose knowledge may be important.  In fact, while there are some small chests of gold, the majority of the gold is the cannon barrel itself. Each captain also has a luck card which can be used to cause a re-roll of any die involving him. Apart from the gold, the island also contains the traditional cannibals and a bit of local wildlife. The game begins as the pirate crews emerge from the jungle, onto the board.  The colours refer to the sashes worn by each crew to distinguish them.

Green Jeff tangled with some cannibals losing 2  pirates and then lost 2 more in a brush with Red Gary before striking a deal with him. Moments later, he was shot down by one of Black Jeff 's crew. Throwing in his luck card he survived before being shot down again. Being below 1/2 and without their Captain, the rest of his crew took to their heels. 


Gold Jeff successfully bypassed the other native village to enter the lower cave where he startled a massive Cave Bear. It cost him a luck card but eventually he slew the massive beast just as the Cannibals attacked his rearguard. They were easily driven off while one of his crew crept up a hidden stair to the upper chamber.


Blue Martin's men proceeded without incident, through the jungle and up the side of the mountain to the main cave entrance. While he examined the large cannon outside the cave entrance, several of his men approached the main cave only to disturb a Dragon, well ok a Giant Alligator. Luckily for them it merely watched them as they slowly backed off. Behind the  monster, one of Gold Jeff's men snuck into the cave, snatched up a chest of gold pieces and scuttled back into the secret passage without being noticed. 


Red Gary now split his force, 1/2 engaged  Black Jeff's men in a firefight while the rest rushed into the lower cave from the far side. A fierce underground sword fight broke out with Gold Jeff's men. Gold went down and had to use his extra luck card. Fate was not to be denied and Red Gary soon laid him out again before being surrounded and cut down himself, last of his crew. 


Above the din, Blue Martin recognized that the cannon guarding the cave was made of solid gold. He set 1/2 his men to haul it back to the ship while the rest stood guard. A few well aimed shots saw off a party of Black Jeff's men, leading the survivor to scamper up the side of the cliff to the peak where he found himself looking down on the monster. At that moment, the monster scuttled out, grabbing one of Blue's men in its massive jaws. Charging forward, Blue Martin deftly stabbed his cutlass through its eye and slew it. Seeing the cave empty, Black Jeff's man dropped down and seized a barrel of gems. 


A few more shots were fired as the parties went their way but no one wanted to risk what they had.  Blue Martin got the lion's share of Plunder, suffered fewest losses and emerged a Pirate of Great Renown.