3 players, 50 points
Fleet 1:
HMS Meresman + captain, helmsman
Templar + captain, helmsman, oarsman
Loa’s Justice + helmsman, explorer
San Pedro + explorer
Fleet 2:
L’epee de L’ange + helmsman
Antamasia + captain, helmsman
Algiers + explorer
Fleet 3:
Sea King + captain, helmsman
USS Destiny + captain, helmsman
Rum Runner + El Fantasma, helmsman
Honu Iki + helmsman, explorer
The Loa’s Justice reached the first island, which only had four coins compared to six apiece on the other two islands. She was undisturbed as the other fleets raced to the farther islands.
Fleets 1 and 2 didn’t bother shooting at each other, despite how easy it would have been for either of them to do so.
As the Loa’s Justice sailed home, the Honu Iki was the first ship to reach the middle island. The Sea King made an abrupt turn.
The race to the islands:
Fleet 1’s patience ran out when the San Pedro became stuck on a Sargasso Sea. They took their anger out on Fleet 2, knocking out two masts on the Antamasia. Fleet 3, realizing that Fleet 2 would reach the furthest island before them, suddenly turned around.
A nice shot of Fleet 3’s sails:
The San Pedro broke loose, entering the area around the middle island:
As the Loa’s Justice sailed out again, the Sea King sailed within sniping range and promptly rolled consecutive 6’s to dismast the ship!
As the San Pedro explored the middle island, the Antamasia fired a passing shot at the Templar as she turned for home and repairs. The Templar appeared to have trouble cresting a wave.
Fleet 3 was now concentrated in one place and ready to reveal their strategy. The Honu Iki unloaded gold, while the Sea King captured the Loa’s Justice. Fantasma hungrily eyed the fresh gold on Fleet 1’s home island.
The Meresman and Templar turned around, hoping to stop Fleet 3 from pillaging their HI. They took care to dismast the now-helpless Antamasia on the way by. However, Fleet 2 had finally reached the furthest island and drained it of all 6 coins.
Fleet 1 coming home:
Fleet 3 struck first, using the Sea King to dismast the Meresman. The Honu Iki began towing the Loa’s Justice after the Sea King released her. In the meantime, the Rum Runner stole a coin from Fleet 1’s HI.
The Templar dismasted the Destiny before being sunk by the Sea King. The San Pedro approached her home island.
The Loa’s Justice began repairing as Fleet 3 shifted its attention to Fleet 2. However, the Sea King had lost her helmsman in a boarding party to the Meresman, and this time the Sea King’s cannons failed to snipe the Algiers.
The San Pedro docked home 3 coins as well as her +2 bonus, while the Rum Runner and Honu Iki looked to provide support for the daring Sea King. The Sea King had a successful shoot and ram against the Algiers, but lost a mast to the Epee in return.
At this point, the Algiers docked home her gold, only to have some of it immediately stolen by El Fantasma aboard the Rum Runner! The Honu Iki has gone to the right to grab the last coin before the San Pedro can get it.
The Rum Runner docked, and the Epee sunk the Sea King. The Honu Iki was able to grab the final treasure coin, but got rammed by the San Pedro!
The Epee sunk the derelicts Meresman and Destiny, as the Honu Iki was knocked out of the game.
At this point, Fantasma wanted to use a combination of Parley with his HI-raiding ability. However, it was not to be.
The San Pedro was coming home with the final coin, but it was irrelevant after everyone counted up their treasure.
Fleet 3: 23 gold
Fleet 2: 16
Fleet 1: 10
Thanks for reading about this game at 3 players, 50 points!