Final update re: the long game between Malta and the Corsairs.
The initial rules unfairly favored Malta, however Malta made some pretty bad moves in the first two days that kind of evened things out (like purchasing the all L-range L’Aube when the Corsairs had the immune-from-L-range Tiger’s Eye.) So despite the disadvantage the Corsairs had been hanging in there.
Disaster struck on the third day as everything went wrong for the Corsairs. First They lost the Terror of Gibraltar to a L’Aube early in the day, then a perfectly timed Marine landing took out the Whisper. And finally, the Tiger’s Eye got a bit desperate and tried to take on the HMS Oxford only to miss with all but one gun and for the Oxford to sink it on the next turn.
MVP of the match was probably the HMS Algiers. At one point it was able to carry 6 pieces of cargo at once. (Admiral Blake, Watkins Defoe, First Mate Ismail, and 3 gold coins)