Golden Seas Playtest Game #6
12/17/2023: Dutch vs. Pirates
This was the sixth in a series of playtesting games for the new set, Pirates of the Golden Seas. Some game pieces back then were different, and have undergone revisions since then. I also used the Restarting Rules, though they were also in a somewhat different form back then – the earliest form of that alternate ruleset was finished in July 2021, but the “final” version released with the set in August 2024 more closely resembles the original rules (various rule changes were taken back out, such as the elimination of ram damage). I used the Points in Play + Gold win condition, with gold values to match (all coin values multiplied by 4). 60 point fleets, but this game had random and smaller gold values (not the usual 60 gold per fleet). This game used early physical drafts of the Dutch ships, whose artwork and sizes would change before the set was actually released.
Fleets in the order of play:
Pirates
Black Phoenix + Lord Garhelm, Fists of Fate, helmsman, oarsman (36)
Knife’s Edge + Captain Fletcher, helmsman, oarsman (12)
Dark Angel + captain (12)
Dutch
Maas + Admiral Bartolomeus Clementius, captain, helmsman, oarsman x3 (32)
Hollandia + captain, helmsman, oarsman (15)
Princes Maria + helmsman, explorer (13)
-At the time this game was played, every Dutch ship in the set still had a “Dutch” keyword that gave their ships +1 gold to a treasure unloaded at home, and allowed one of their cannons to shoot twice in a turn.
Important note: This game was played with normal ram damage and pinning rules. (instead of doing away with ram damage and pinning per the Restarting Rules at the time)
Dutch have slower base moves and therefore fill in the island setup more closely than the Pirates. As a note for the future, in general: with only 1L being the minimum distance between islands, speed could become less of a critical factor in the game. (later changed to 2L in the Restarting Rules)
Pirates voted 4 terrain per player, Dutch voted 2. Dutch won that roll 6-5.
Rule change: Players must place their ships at their home island immediately after choosing a home island, rather than everyone placing after all HI’s are chosen (back to the original rule, in order to minimize gamification of players jockeying for position at the same time).
To maximize the possibility of rules questions or interactions with new abilities, each fleet had to contribute 5 random UT’s. The Dutch also put in 2,2,1 and the Pirates 3,4,5.
Pirate fleet looking good courtesy of Gigi!
The Dutch set sail! First time using these full art customs in a physical game!
Pirates weren’t carrying any explorers, but they had many more open cargo spaces (just 1 open in the Dutch fleet to start the game). Princes Maria sped to the northern island as well, and explored out from under the Pirates! She took the 3 and used Shipping Charts to spy Fists of Fate on the Black Phoenix (Lord Garhelm was revealed on the Pirate turn, but failed SAT). This helped a Dutch decision soon afterwards. Runes of Destruction was likely to be irrelevant with no icebergs in play.
With Garhelm, Fists of Fate and the helmsman all revealed on the Black Phoenix and costing 17 points out of the ship’s 18 between them, the Dutch could rest assured that the final facedown crew on the BP was not a canceller. Thus, Maas was able to move in close and blast the BP!! Admiral Clementius sacced to zoom into battle, shooting off 4 masts from the Pirate flagship (4/6 overall with a 3L miss on the first action, and utilizing an extra 2L shot via the Dutch keyword). Maas also docked and used the explored island token to grab the 2 and had Hollandia on her way for backup, completing an excellent first turn for the Dutch.
Dark Angel explored in the northeast, finding a good coin and some UT’s.
Knife’s Edge couldn’t round the island properly to ram and board the Princes Maria for gold, and Black Phoenix was in no condition to properly fight the powerful Maas, so the Pirates ran for calmer waters. However, Maas sacced again to round earth and catch the Knife’s Edge, sinking her abruptly! Princes Maria returned home to plus up her 3 (extra 1 added to the HI via the Dutch keyword). Hollandia also returned home, to drop off her oarsman so the Maas could soon load it as sac fodder.
Princes Maria sped west and found more goodies, with Maps of Alexandria revealing all wild treasure in play…
… which showed the southeastern island to have Lost, Marksman’s Map, 2, 1. Hollandia headed there. Maas and Dark Angel dropped off coins as Black Phoenix repairs.
The Pirates needed some strong moves in order to even up this race, especially after losing 12 points in play from their schooner being sunk. Black Phoenix docked at the southeastern island and shot at Hollandia, but missed both 2L shots! Dark Angel headed south to join her.
The Dutch attack!! Hollandia hits Dark Angel twice, though one hit should have been ignored via the Cross of Coronado (it wouldn’t matter). Maas approached Black Phoenix and sent her to the depths! However, this triggered her “explosion”/phoenix ability as well as Eternal. All three ships within S were set aflame!
Maas wanted gold, but once her fire spread, Admiral Clementius decided it would be best to make a quick trip home to extinguish the flames. What a sight! A brand-new Dutch custom burning fiercely… evokes memories of Anglo-Dutch war paintings….
Lord Garhelm’s SAT finally triggers, allowing BP to repair 2 masts in one turn. Princes Maria explores her third island of the game, triggering Lost! She rolls a 3, with the Dutch reefing both remaining Pirate ships! However, the BP gets a 6 and Dark Angel a 4 to avoid getting wrecked. Dark Angel had a mast up off-camera once I realized the Cross of Coronado gaffe, but she promptly lost it to her “phoenix fire” mast, and would eventually succumb to the flames. Hollandia’s crew keep their fires at bay, while Maas gets ready to return to the chaotic area.
The desperate Pirates continue to press their luck! Black Phoenix successfully sails over a reef and then sets the Princes Maria aflame with a lucky 6! She wins the boarding party, with the Fists of Fate stealing both UT’s and the 2!
Maas sails over to tow Princes Maria, hitting the BP on her way east. Clementius sacs to get the ship started on the towing journey towards home, but the Maas misses her other shots against BP, keeping the 5 master alive in the contested area. Hollandia had sailed out of the way in case Maas sank the BP and triggered another huge explosion.
With no masts up, Black Phoenix couldn’t ram again, so she went home to deposit her 2 coin. Hollandia arrived at the Dutch HI shortly afterwards, ending the game with all gold worth value unloaded at HI’s.
- Dutch: 67 (54 points in play, 13 gold)
- Pirates: 43 (36 points in play, 7 gold)
Quite a rousing affair! The Dutch were in control for pretty much the entire game, but the Pirates fought to stay in it all the way to the end. Black Phoenix having Eternal and an oarsman helped keep their main source of points in play, but the loss of their other ships and lower gold total proved crippling. All three Dutch ships performed quite well. This is notable as the first game the Pirates have lost in Golden Seas playtesting games!
Observations:
-Random UT’s didn’t have ability interactions with the new stuff. Still worth putting some in every game to test out what might break or get compromised when various combos arise.
-Black Phoenix is quite an asset. I don’t think she’s overpowered, but being able to potentially hurt an opponent when “sinking” and then come back via Eternal is quite notable. It nearly happened twice in this game if Maas hadn’t missed shots late in the game.
-Dutch keyword almost feels like something that can be baked into Dutch ships via stats, rather than a keyword. Ex: Increasing the cargo hold of each Dutch ship by 1, which costs a similar amount of points as the +1 gold ability that is part of the Dutch keyword. (Dutch keyword was removed later)
-Overall it was fun, and I can’t think of much else in terms of feedback on the customs.