Ben

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  • #19662
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Atakebune
    For my first custom ship type, I decided to go with something rather unique but still historical. These were Japanese warships active during the Age of Sail, with a focus on boarding and hand-to-hand combat rather than gunnery.
    The flag towards the bow has the Tokugawa crest on it, while the flags with black and white are based on the naval ensign of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atakebune

    Atakebune #1

    Here is the new Atakebune keyword: (should be mostly finished; credit to Woelf for some assistance with it)
    “A ship with this keyword printed on its deckplate card has removable flags that are treated exactly the same as masts on a normal ship (they can be replaced by fire masts).
    This ship may be given move actions when it has no flags; its printed base move becomes S. When given a move action, this ship can rotate on her bow (the front of the ship) OR stern (the rear of the ship) in any direction as an additional, final movement segment (she cannot rotate on both bow and stern in the same move action).
    This ship gets +1 to her boarding rolls for every crew assigned to her. If this ship wins a boarding party, she may eliminate a mast from the enemy ship, steal one treasure, and eliminate one crew.
    This ship cannot be assigned treasure except for treasure taken via boarding party.
    Crew assigned to this ship do not count towards the ship’s point limit.
    If this ship has no crew, she cannot be given move actions.”

    I know it is rather extreme, but I wanted to capture the nature of the ships and what they were used for. In a couple playtesting games involving the first one I’ve made, I didn’t see any real need for changes. Of course, it may be revised in the future.

    Here is the first full custom Atakebune:
    Sengoku
    Nationality: Japanese
    Point Cost: 6
    Masts (flags): 3
    Cargo: 5
    Base Move: S+L
    Cannons: 5S-5S-5S
    Ability: Atakebune.
    Flavor Text: With feudal conflicts ongoing, many warlords have joined the naval arms race, seeking to be the ruler with the largest fleet of Atakebune.

    #19651
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Apologies if I’ve asked this before….

    Links

    Multiple different crew may be linked to a single ship at once, but each crew can link with only one other crew or ship at a time unless an ability specifically allows additional links to be created.

    How many cargo spaces would a ship gain if it carried all three Knights of Malta at once? (Don Rafael Y de Teresa, Roderick the Pure, Benoit de Marseilles)

    All three of them link to the other two.  The rule seems to imply that a ship would only get +1 cargo from having all three of them – if two link to each other, then the third one is the odd man out. Or, Don links to Roderick and Roderick links to Benoit, but Benoit can’t link to Don?

     

    Also, do Marines stack?

    #19650
    Ben
    Keymaster
    #19637
    Ben
    Keymaster
    #19630
    Ben
    Keymaster

    You can help the visibility of Pirates by voting in the BoardGameGeek monthly poll!

    (or by submitting your own Pirates picture!)

    #19629
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Rock terrain now available!

    Rock Terrain

    #19622
    Ben
    Keymaster

    For ships that can stern turn, I assume that rotation “sweeps” across the playing surface?  (and the ship needs a clear path, rather than getting picked up and placed, though the Code mentions the latter under Moving)

    Also, do you think the Home Island Raider ability should have been handled differently?  Similar to boarding parties, I don’t think it should be the loser’s choice – either have the winner choose, or make it a random coin.  Of course, if the winner chooses, then they get to see all the coins on the enemy HI (in multiplayer at least), which can be a big information advantage too.

    #19581
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Cabo Mayor lighthouse

    Lighthouse

    Building lighthouses follows the conditions for building forts. Gold used to build the lighthouse is placed face-up next to the lighthouse and still counts towards a player’s total for victory conditions. A lighthouse cannot use its abilities on the same turn that it is built. The effects of Mysterious Islands (including Great Turtles) are ignored if a lighthouse is present on the island.

    If the Lighthouse has its light, a friendly ship within L+L of the Lighthouse gets +S to its base move once per turn (a yellow L+L tool can be used to indicate the range of this effect, or a light yellow plastic can be placed under the lighthouse).

    Two hits from the same shoot action are required to eliminate the lighthouse light; when it is eliminated, remove it and the lighthouse top (if applicable). Once a lighthouse loses its light, it loses the L+L effect but retains its other abilities. When a lighthouse has no light, one additional hit destroys the lighthouse and it is eliminated; the gold used to build the lighthouse remains on the island (face down).

    Enemy ships may dock, load treasure, and drop off crew or equipment from islands with lighthouses built on them. Enemy ships cannot load crew or equipment from this island that belong to the lighthouse controller as long as the lighthouse has its light. If the lighthouse has cannons, their ranges are measured from any part of the lighthouse base.

    If a friendly ship is docked at the island, it can give up its turn and conduct a repair action on the lighthouse. If an enemy ship is docked at the island and no ship friendly to the current lighthouse controller is within L+L of the lighthouse, that ship can give up its turn to simultaneously capture and repair the lighthouse.

    If a lighthouse has cargo space available, shipwrights and musketeers can use their abilities inside a lighthouse.

    #19553
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Pirate Morning Star   (affiliate link)

    #19531
    Ben
    Keymaster

    #19522
    Ben
    Keymaster
    #19497
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Very excited to finish a near-final draft of HMS Victory yesterday for Trafalgar Day!  (she will link to Lord Horatio Nelson of course)

    HMS Victory draft

    #19495
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Removing any creatures captured this way if you lose this crew is a decent idea, but specifically due to elimination or removal.  Cancelling would make it too easy to defeat.

    Makes sense, thanks for all the feedback.  I think this crew could be interesting as a +5 inclusion.  Though it’s possible it might see usage in a VASSAL campaign game before I end up using Li Quin again in a regular game.

    #19493
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Q4 update to the Scan Project is complete.  Thank you to FoxTrot, Baltimore8, Kyle Walker, and js75free for uploading scans.  The Master Scan List spreadsheet has been updated.

    #19490
    Ben
    Keymaster

    5th Golden Seas playtest game:

    Golden Seas Playtest Game #5 – June 24th, 2023

    #19473
    Ben
    Keymaster

    #19464
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Latest template available: 10 Mast Junk (10MJ)

    Master Artwork Template folder (central location for all finished templates)

    #19454
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Event Horizon 2: from an old fleet posted by darrin at Miniature Trading.

    #19421
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Hi Woelf, if you see this I am checking out this thread and it made me think of my “super capture” historical Pirates, such as Black Bart and Black Sam Bellamy.

    The real trick will be to find a good middle ground. Keep some luck so it’s not always going to in favor of the big ships, but not so much that it’s completely random or rewards lucky insanity. You also have to make sure it’s not so easy to do or so game-breaking that it becomes the dominant tactic in the game. Short of redesigning the entire game, I don’t know if that’s even going to be possible.

    Curious as to your thoughts on these. What about:

    1. Basing the capture on a boarding score differential  (ex: If this ship wins a boarding party by a differential of 8 or more, you capture the other ship but she cannot be given actions this turn.)

    2. Only being able to capture non-derelict ships if they have no crew  (ex: If this ship wins a boarding party against an enemy ship that isn’t assigned any crew, you capture the other ship but she cannot be given actions this turn.)

     

    Currently I have the “nerfed” version as follows (from an edit made some years ago): This ship can tow a ship by touching a derelict in any location (not just the bow), and can immediately initiate towing after resolving any action.  (currently ~7 points on a couple custom crew)

     

    ~~~~~

    From the Proboards forum:

    marhawkman said:

    Eternal Dragon – 5 – Jade Rebellion

    Whenever this ship eliminates the last segment of a sea creature, instead of eliminating the sea creature, it gains the eternal keyword, becomes docked at your home island, becomes a member of your fleet, and its faction becomes Jade Rebellion. If Eternal Dragon is eliminated, all sea creatures affected by his effect are eliminated as well.

    This one is really interesting. I think you could possibly justify a cost of 5 if it got nerfed a little more.  I would add “removed” to the last part – “If Eternal Dragon is eliminated or removed from the game….”   That way, if their ship sinks, the sea creatures go with them as well.

    I know these probably aren’t the best for keeping it flavorful, but these alterations could also help:
    -Have it only apply to Sea Monsters, not all sea creatures (or some variant that excludes perhaps at least two sea creature types)
    -When he is eliminated or removed, eliminate all friendly sea creatures, whether or not they were “reanimated” by the crew or not.
    -“If this crew is cancelled, sea creatures affected in this way cannot be given actions that turn.”

    #19420
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Sheer Chaos fleet and video overview:

    https://psmlist.com/public/fleet/show/1035772149

    #19404
    Ben
    Keymaster

    The Claw of Archimedes

    The Claw of Archimedes - Pirates CSG custom equipment

    Type: Equipment
    Point Cost: 5
    Ability: This equipment can only be used inside forts, never on ships. If the fort this equipment uses is destroyed, eliminate this equipment from the game.

    Once per round when an enemy non-submerged ship ends a movement segment within range of the Claw or is already in range of the Claw (within 1S perpendicular to a fort wall), you may use this equipment. The first time the Claw is used, place it into one of the 4 fort walls. Move the Claw into contact with the enemy ship; the affected ship must stop moving immediately (any remaining movement segments are lost), and cannot be given move actions until until the Claw is retracted or the fort is destroyed. When the Claw is moved into contact with an enemy ship, roll a d6. On a 6, eliminate three masts from the ship; the ship sinks if it has less than three masts remaining. On a 4-5, eliminate two masts from the ship. On a 2-3, eliminate one mast from the ship.

    At any time during one of your turns, you may retract the Claw to break contact with an enemy ship. The Claw cannot be used on the same turn that a fort is built (because that play turn is over). The Claw may be moved from one wall of the fort to another – if there are crew in the fort, moving the Claw is a free action; if there are no crew in the fort, moving the Claw requires a full action and the fort cannot shoot or repair that turn.

    #19401
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Talk Like A Pirate Day sale: Use coupon code TLAPD for 10% off any items in your order!  (through tonight at 11:59pm PST)

    https://pirateswithben.com/store/

    #19368
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Latest template available: 1 Mast Sloop

    Master Artwork Template folder (central location for all finished templates)

    #19367
    Ben
    Keymaster

    First draft of new terrain: Shallow Water

    Submerged game pieces cannot move or be moved into shallow water.

    If a ship with 3 or more masts (when constructed) touches shallow water, she runs aground. Roll a d6; on a 1-2 eliminate a mast from the ship. When a ship is aground, one full action is required to free the ship; after the action ends, place the ship’s bow at the edge of this terrain; the ship can begin moving normally with her next move action.

    If a ship sinks in shallow water, mark the spot where the ship sank with a hull silhouette piece and move the ship’s deckplate and any non-crew cargo to a neutral area; the ship and her non-crew cargo are not eliminated or removed from the game. Ships sunk in shallow water do not block lines of fire or measurement. Ships with 3 or more masts (when constructed) cannot be placed in contact with ships sunk in shallow water, nor can they move or be moved over them.

    Example of appearance:

    Shallow water

    #19366
    Ben
    Keymaster

    trying to figure a value to put on it, and was hoping you guys could possibly help

    Ahoy, Holofernes sold his with a few other things for $151 in 2021.

    #19305
    Ben
    Keymaster
    #19286
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Fixed flavor text of Guichuan (DJC 300): hailed instead of “hauled”.

    (saw it while making a replica of Guichuan)

    #19281
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Arshellan runs PSMList, he is probably most easily reached at the Pirates CSG Discord.

    He just released an awesome update less than a week ago 🙂

    #19280
    Ben
    Keymaster

    New products: 2 Masted Schooners, both custom and replica!

    #19277
    Ben
    Keymaster

    Will someone please enlighten me what the crew, treasure, and equipment do in the game?

    Various effects; treasure is usually required to win the game.  Full rules are at the bottom of the homepage if you don’t have them already.

    Aren’t they just chits you place on islands and ships after they are punched out from their deck plates? I would assume their deck plates have the affect of the punched out chits? How does one keep track of it all?

    Treasure goes on islands, crew and equipment usually go on ships. Yes, abilities are on the cards (usually a deckplate is only in reference to a ship’s main stat card, the first card of a ship).  For tracking, just keep all the cards for your fleet in your designated spot on the table, likely with non-ship cards hidden away in a tin/etc so opponents can’t look over and see all your plans.

Viewing 30 posts - 1 through 30 (of 2,075 total)