VASSAL Campaign Game 4 continues at a glacial pace, but a few developments have happened so far in 2019.
Most of the factions have expanded a bit with new ships. UT shenanigans continue to literally Plague a few fleets. This update mainly concerns my 4 factions.
The Pirates have the biggest fleet, now numbering at 21 ships. A handful are gathering metal in the south, while in the north (via the connected home island with round earth), the rest of their fleet collects textiles. This resource change has finally slowed the Pirate launchings, but the resources are set to change again next round. The Pirates have some of the first gunships in play, with the Akua Lapu and Eagle both equipped with the captain ability.
The Pirates have done a great job salvaging the captured Santa Isabel over the course of MANY turns, knowing their patience would probably pay off. Maps of Hades was transferred to a flotilla, which cannot be affected since it cannot be given move actions. Things like Rotting Hull and Wet Gunpowder were eliminated via repairs, and now the Santa Isabel is finally repairing her actual masts! The Pirates don’t know what to do with the Fruit UT yet, so it will probably have to stay aboard for good and decrease the ship’s cargo to 4, still plenty for a solid gold runner.
The Dungeon has had both Plague and Enemy of the State for a while now – the Pirates launched her specifically to be the designated carrier of both UT’s. She was making sail towards the Archipelago, but found a target before I expected her to. On my latest turn, the Dungeon rammed the Virtuous Wind to unload the Plague and kill Tsai and a helmsman! The Pirates have no beef with the Jade Rebels, but were simply looking to unload the nasty UT on a valid target before too long. In addition, the game has seen no combat thus far, which combined with the glacial pace makes for an extremely passive game. Perhaps stirring the pot will entice the other players to get in action more? I doubt it, but one can try….
The Cursed have been going slow but steady. They have 5 ships, all of which are going to and from separate islands as of now. The Sea Duck managed to get in and out of the Archipelago with a load of spices, while the Opal Shrine and fog-hopping Wisp are heading home with UT’s as well.
The Vikings are not satisfied with their launch pace, growing more bored as they once again don’t have valuable resources. The Frost is returning home with textiles from the island the Pirates have gotten rich off of, with two more Viking ships headed that way now.
The Corsairs have also been taking advantage of the nearby textiles, with four of their galleys docking there this past turn. Some of their 13 ships are grabbing spices from the east, though the presence of HMS Hyena has made them a little nervous.
Here is the full map. Bad Maps has changed the look of the Archipelago, moving the SE island towards the center to make the area more compact. Factions are starting to spread out a little and the opportunity for combat is barely beginning. Right click to open in a new tab for the full size picture!
Feel free to check out Xerecs’ battle reports for the game as well!