Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2
Pirates CSG Mega Pack for September 2026
Here are the game pieces for the Golden Age of Piracy Part 2 (GAOP2) Mega Pack, released starting in September 2026 for subscribers of my Buccaneer’s Booty Box!
This product is based on the 1690s, with a heavy focus on one of the most lucrative pirate heists of all time. The Pirates receive 5 new ships and 8 new named crew, for 13 total new game pieces! Since pirates mostly used smaller vessels to carry out their raids, it allows me to include more crew while keeping the ship count for the release about average. 8 cards of ships and 4 cards of crew, compared to my usual ratio of 10:2 or 9:3. Oftentimes there is far more information about people during the Age of Sail than the ships themselves, especially for many of the pre-1700 ships.
Fancy
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 099
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 15
Masts: 3
Cargo: 4
Base Move: S+L
Cannons: 3L-2S-3L
Ability: If this ship has a crew with the Captain keyword, she gets +S to her base move. This ship cannot be towed by opposing ships.
Link: Henry Every
Flavor text: Originally an English vessel, Every’s pirate ship was razeed in the Bight of Benin in 1694. Since then she has become one of the fastest sailers in the Indian Ocean. Every continues to recruit more pirates to his cause, which he hopes will lead to capturing a grand prize from a Mughal convoy en route to India.
The King of Pirates is finally here! This new Mega Pack has a heavy focus on the 1690s, with Henry Every himself at the center of it all. His ship is one of the ultimate pirate vessels, capable of blazing speed for devastating raids. Not only was Every one of the most successful pirates of all time, he managed to disappear with his fortune. Thus his ship cannot be captured without cancelling/etc – originally that ability was on Every, but he’s already a “kingpin” type crew with a bevy of abilities (creating a crew like him is one of those “should be overpowered” type moments). By putting the last ability on the ship instead of the crew, it helps balance the point costs of the combo and limits how OP Every could otherwise become (ex: on a 10 master). Initially I was hesitant to make it a 3 mast frigate design vs. an original 3MA model, but that changed perfectly when I read she was razeed – 3MF suits her as a model type well enough, knowing that her fore and aftercastles were cut down from the regular high sterns of 1600s ship designs.
I love how the artwork turned out – I saved this ship for last and made sure I had enough time to make her special. A worn but realistic wood deck, bronze/brass cannons, and some fancy lanterns with extra glow at the stern. The sails have some of my favorite texturing I’ve done so far, along with battle damage worthy of her tangle with the Ganj-i-sawai. Although Every’s pirate flag is unknown to history, I wanted to include a 1724 attribution of it for fun. The hull has a mix of planking, weathered texture, some details, and some guns I really like. The gunports have a blood red outline, with brass muzzles for the cannons along with gunport lids of a light brown color for contrast against the dark hull.
Pearl
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 100
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 7
Masts: 2
Cargo: 4
Base Move: S+L
Cannons: 3S-3S
Ability: Filching Gold.
Link: William May
Flavor text: After New York Governor Jacob Leisler was executed for treason against the crown, the new governor Benjamin Fletcher gave William May a privateering commission. May’s vessel is armed with 16 cannons, and has been seen operating from Rhode Island all the way to the Indian Ocean.
I decided to spell out the keyword text on the ship’s deckplate since I had plenty of room for it. This is a prototypical pirate ship – fast, armed enough to get what she wants, capacious and with a theft ability that will aid in her plundering. Pirate ships feel like a great excuse to get a little wonky with the art sometimes – multiple sail colors, ragged deck arrangements, etc. Here the crew have rigged a few new sails but others are getting rather old and worn. Relatively standard armament, but with a curved hull gradient, new clipped picture for the stern galleries, and subtle lanterns at the bow so the Jades aren’t hogging all the fun hull lighting!
Susanna
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 102 (Lord Horatio Nelson is #101 due to my numbering scheme for the Age of Sail set changing in 2025)
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 5
Masts: 2
Cargo: 4
Base Move: S+S
Cannons: 4L-4S
Ability: This ship gets -1 to her d6 rolls.
Link: Thomas Wake
Flavor text: A 10-gun vessel commanded by Thomas Wake, she was too slow to participate in the capture of the Ganj-i-sawai. After Wake and many others became sick and perished in Madagascar, the remaining crew took her to Saint Augustine where some of them were killed by Malagasay natives.
This ship had problems and didn’t seem to accomplish much, so I wanted her game status to reflect that. Her poor luck will follow her wherever she goes…. One could argue her cargo could be upped to 5, but I didn’t want her to just become another automatically great Pirate gold runner with a negative ability that barely comes into play given her typical role (like Bloody Jewel/etc). She looks as ragged as one would expect, with yellowed sails peppered by shot holes, a shoddy deck situation, and some gunport lids either askew, closed or missing. I rarely opt for a missing sail because the black background contrast can be jarring to see, but I wanted to finally try that again given the decrepit state of the ship. The pirates have been too sick to replace that sail, with the yardarm dangling suspended in the rigging.
Amity
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 103
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 9
Masts: 1
Cargo: 3
Base Move: S+S+S
Cannons: 2S
Ability: This ship may repair at sea or at any island. This ship ignores terrain when she is given a move action.
Link: Thomas Tew, John Ireland
Flavor text: The sloop belonging to Thomas Tew mounts eight cannons. For a 70-ton vessel she has done remarkably well plying the pirate trade. A single dhow capture netted her crew over £1000 per sailor.
I broke one of my “rules” with this ship – normally I don’t like recreating things that are already in the game, with Amity getting a 3 mast variant in the Fire and Steel set. However, given that she was apparently a sloop in real life, I wanted to create a more historically accurate version. In addition, she fits perfectly into this release for many reasons – she had a more notable career than some of the other ships, has a faster base move, brings another new linked crew into the game, and can still fit the F&S version of Tew if one wanted to go that route. Everything comes from history as always – her speed is based on Tew attacking early in the Mughal fight, she was repaired in Madagascar (shipwright ability), and Ireland kept her safe from terrain until (ironically) she was left on a reef by Dirk Chivers (1 masters are immune to reef damage anyway, so Ignores Terrain fits even more perfectly as an ability). I love the coffee/brown color scheme, with Amity showing some battle scars along with Tew’s flag (which lacks historicity similar to Every’s, but is hard not to include).
Seaflower
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 104
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 4
Masts: 1
Cargo: 2
Base Move: S+S
Cannons: 5S
Ability: Crew placed on this ship cost no points towards this ship’s point cost, but they always each take up one cargo space; this ability cannot be copied.
Link: Joseph Faro
Flavor text: Rumor has it that Joseph Faro ferried the notorious pirate Henry Every to Ireland aboard this vessel.
Couldn’t find much info on this sloop. She gives the Pirates another cheap vessel to play with, and serves to differentiate ship point costs in this release and provides a cheap alternative to the somewhat expensive (for her size) Amity. The ability is based on getting both Every and Faro aboard for a voyage, which normally wouldn’t be possible with Every’s point cost….
I didn’t see any evidence of Seaflower being in combat, so to change it up from the other ships of this Mega Pack, she has clean lines and a fresh look. The more historical ships I make the harder it gets to make them look unique, so I try to find every reason I can for variety and differentiation!
Henry Every
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 105
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 10
Ability: Captain. Hoarding Gold. This crew cannot be captured by abilities, and cannot be eliminated or removed from the game unless this ship sinks. If this ship wins a boarding party, she may capture the crew with the lowest point cost instead of eliminating it. A captive becomes assigned to this ship, takes up no cargo space, and can use its abilities.
Link: Fancy, Alexander Dalzeel
Flavor text: From his humble beginnings in the Royal Navy to becoming immensely wealthy as the “King of Pirates”, Every was the subject of the first worldwide manhunt. His capture of the Ganj-i-sawai made him possibly the richest pirate ever. Known as “Long Ben” to his crew, his exploits became even more legendary after his mysterious disappearance.
Every is the centerpiece of the entire release, and was always going to be a legendary crew. As arguably the most successful pirate of all time, he should almost be overpowered based on historicity alone. He is an “ultimate pirate”, capable of elevating any ship to a buccaneer’s dream vessel. He took Fancy to heights of fame and fortune, hence the Captain ability. Hoard for stealing a huge amount from the Mughal convoy. He got away with his loot and disappeared, hence he cannot be captured or removed/eliminated. He also recruited pirates to his cause, so he’s got a low-point “Nemo capture” ability as well. I think he’ll pair exceedingly well with Fancy, with 5 points left over in the cap space to add a helmsman and possibly some combination of SAT/explorer/oarsman/etc.
Robert Culliford
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 106
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 5
Ability: This ship gets +1 cargo spaces. This crew takes up no cargo space. This crew cannot be captured by abilities. If this ship is towed, place this crew on the nearest wild island. This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls against French ships.
Link: William May, Edward Coates, John Swann, Ralph Stout, James Kelly
Flavor text: Originally teaming up with Captain William Kidd, Culliford mutinied and struck out on his own. His association with William May led to his first command, the “Horne Frigate”. However, his crimes against the Gujaratis led to a prison stint. After escaping, he commandeered an East India Company ketch but was marooned soon afterwards. Ralph Stout rescued him before perishing himself. After another run-in with Kidd, he engaged in piratical activities yet again before being captured by the English. Even Marshalsea prison couldn’t hold him, as he has now vanished….
Completely insane life story, and very well-connected… it was hard to fit everything into his flavor text! The ability concerning his ship getting towed works perfectly both ways: if it’s a friendly ship starting the tow, it ties into his marooning/mutiny background, while if an enemy ship starts the tow, it’s him being an escape artist!
William May
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 107
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 5
Ability: Captain. This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls against the French.
Link: Pearl, Charming Mary, Robert Culliford, Edward Coates
Flavor text: Joining the mutiny led by Robert Culliford against Captain Kidd, May found himself captain of multiple ships during his pirate career. Making several trips between New York and Madagascar, he harassed the French, gave a prize to Culliford, sailed his new brigantine from Rhode Island, and assisted Henry Every in the capture of the Gunsway. He was able to escape capture by the English and retired to Whitehorse Tavern.
Another interesting pirate life story, May was one of many who went all the way from the northeast coast of America to the Indian Ocean and back.
Thomas Wake
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 108
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 5
Ability: Captain. After looking at treasure on a wild island, you may trade any one treasure from that island for a random treasure on any other wild island. This ship must load the traded treasure.
Link: Susanna
Flavor text: Wake joined Henry Every and other pirates for the pursuit of the Mughal convoy in the Indian Ocean. With his ship too slow to keep pace, he and his crew missed out on the immense winnings. Their bad luck continued, with most of the crew dying of illness on Madagascar following a visit to Adam Baldridge’s pirate trading post.
Susanna’s captain just barely fits aboard the ship (point cap space of 5), though I realize most players probably won’t put him there. Overall a solid addition to the Pirate named crew ranks.
Giles Shelley
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 109
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 5
Ability: Merchant. One of this ship’s treasures is worth +1 gold when she docks at your home island.
Link: Nassau
Flavor text: From New York to Sainte-Marie, his ventures have brought riches to his benefactors and many pirate friends.
One of the final additions to the release. I was really excited to find out about this guy. Having a Merchant crew in the Pirate ranks should make for an interesting dynamic, especially for games or players that involve flavor in their plot. His linked ship looks like it should be a 3 master, so it missed the cut. I almost justified giving him a bunch of crew links, but stopped because some of the combos might starting getting ridiculous given how a lot of these pirates all seemed to know each other. Plus, his connections seemed like more of a passing thing than a long-term partnership. I like trying to base crew to crew links on relationships where they served together on the same ship (vs. being on different ships in the same fleet, or having only one short voyage together/etc). Many of the named crew in this release (and my sets in general) have long flavor text, so I wanted to change that up and keep his short and mysterious.
John Ireland
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 110
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 4
Ability: Navigator. This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls against targets with all their masts.
Link: Amity, Thomas Tew
Flavor text: Claiming to be forced into piracy against his will, Ireland nevertheless has maintained relations with many scoundrels in his seafaring days, among them Thomas Tew and Richard Bobbington. Regardless of his true affiliation, he has proved to be a valuable pilot.
A very unique ability set that might not pair well. He does have some intriguing links, and I was happy to include some color for his crew art based on a painting of (I think) Amity and others chasing down the Mughal convoy.
Richard Want
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 111
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 2
Ability: After this ship resolves a shoot action, she may move as a free action.
Link: Dolphin, Thomas Tew, George Raynor
Flavor text: Having experienced piratical success as Thomas Tew’s first mate and a buccaneer under George Raynor, Want eventually commanded his own ship. He ended up in South Carolina with a new privateering commission.
With a whopping 8 named crew in the release, I definitely wanted at least one of them to be under 4 points, and Want fit the bill perfectly. First Mate has sometimes been used as a shorthand for the Reverse Captain ability, which I value at 2 points.
Joseph Faro
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Golden Age of Piracy: Part 2 (GAOP2) (September 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 112
Nationality: Pirate
Point Cost: 4
Ability: Captain. Place this crew face up during setup. Reduce the cost of all other crew placed on this ship by 1.
Link: Portsmouth Adventure, Seaflower, Dirk Chivers
Flavor text: Hailing from Newport in the Rhode Island colony, Faro made it as far as the Indian Ocean to watch Every’s capture of the Grand Mughal Fleet. Being denied a share of the prize money, he was nevertheless rescued by Every later on and may have assisted in his disappearance….
This guy was originally 1 point without the Captain ability, because the 2 point “reducer” crew in the original sets only really ever get used if they’re absolutely necessary. However, I didn’t want to suddenly make a full upgrade crew that makes those original 3 Pirate crew suboptimal to use in small games. Plus, Faro had multiple commands in his career, so the Pirates get 4 named captains in GAOP2!