Golden Seas Playtest Game #7
1/12/2024: Spanish vs. Dutch
This was the seventh 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. We 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). We used the Points in Play + Gold win condition, with gold values to match (all coin values multiplied by 4). 60 point fleets with 60 gold contributed per player for 240 “total points” available at the start of the game. We also used an additional house rule with 40 minutes per player via a timer.
Spanish: (A7XfanBen)
La Mensajera + Hernán de Orozco, helmsman, oarsman (15)
Oro del Oeste + Antonio de Bolivares, helmsman (19)
La Grapa + captain, helmsman, oarsman (17)
El Antiguo + Febe (name later changed to Floriana), helmsman (9)
Coins: Sunken Treasure, Barbary Banner, Dead Man’s Chest, 5 3’s (worth 12 gold each)
Fuerte de la Desolación
Dutch: (Xerecs)
Friesland + helmsman, explorer
Amsterdam
Admiral Maarten de Hollander + helmsman
Rotterdam
Vers Maan + helmsman, explorer
Scores:
- Dutch: 153 (60 points in play, 93 gold)
- Spanish: 80 (54 points in play, 26 gold)
Observations:
-Should there ever be tournament-specific rules guidance related to the Restarting Rules?
-What is the best way to prevent the clock from being weaponized? (not a Restarting rule, just in general)