Revolutionary War
Pirates CSG Mega Pack for June 2026
Here are the game pieces for the Revolutionary War (RevWar/RW) Mega Pack, released starting in June 2026 for subscribers of my Buccaneer’s Booty Box!
This release was intentionally timed to coincide with the 250th 4th of July, as I will have all the subscriber Mega Packs for it mailed before 7/4/2026. What better way to celebrate 250 years of independence than with a look back at how it all started! It is focused primarily on the early days of the American Revolution, split half and half with the American and English factions. Normally the English come before America in this game’s numbering system, but I wanted to feature American stuff first in this one.
USS Alfred
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Revolutionary War (RevWar) (June 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 081
Nationality: American
Point Cost: 10
Masts: 3
Cargo: 3
Base Move: S+S
Cannons: 3S-3L-3S
Ability: This ship gets +1 to her cannon and boarding rolls against ships that had 1 or 2 masts when constructed.
Link: John Barry, Esek Hopkins, John Paul Jones, Dudley Saltonstall, Elisha Hinman
Flavor text: Originally a merchant ship named Black Prince. Now she has become one of the most heavily armed ships in the new Continental Navy, carrying over 20 cannons. After taking a number of small British prizes under John Paul Jones, the ship headed off to France under Elisha Hinman.
One of the first ships in the US Navy! This was a fascinating ship to read about. She was adept at capturing ships smaller than her, hence her “bully” ability. A large number of notable commanders served aboard Alfred, so she has a bunch of good link options (Hopkins is also in this release, and Barry was released in 2024).
I didn’t see too much else noteworthy about her actual service (captured by the British in 1778), which is why I kept her stats simple as I could not justify better/more unique stats. I have a tendency to see ships like this as “boring” – same cargo as masts, average-ish speed, rank-3 cannons, etc. However, I’m aware that if I avoid that kind of thing with every single ship I ever make, it cuts out that midrange option and feels overly constrictive when I try to make every ship “interesting” with unique combinations of stats. In this case I think the new ability, links, historicity and brand-new look will allow her to shine and not feel like “pack filler”.
I couldn’t resist making a new ship type for this release, despite being pressed for time on it and not wanting to overextend myself. It’s similar to a 3-mast B variant with jib and gaff added for some historical realism, while also decreasing the sail count per mast and making the fore taller than the mizzen. I also lowered the freeboard slightly to make them a bit sleeker and improve the mast to freeboard height ratio, which also helped in keeping the model on 2 cards (which was a personal mandate for the new model from the start). As with my 2MB models, the jib and gaff slot into regular masts and do not function as extra durability/etc, just extra pieces to make the ship look and feel more historical.
Her artwork is color-matched to the paintings I found of her, especially for the hull. I like the blue-gray and orange/yellow color scheme. She has the Continental Union Flag flying from her spanker. This ship was the first appearance of that flag, hoisted by Esek Hopkins at her commissioning. Perhaps even more unique is that apparently Esek Hopkins flew the Gadsden flag from the ship, so I used a little artwork trick to color the old drawing of that one and make sure it flies prominently from the main topsail. Ideally more flags might fly from the tops of the masts on these historical ship recreations, but that often forces them to be made so small that they are hardly visible/notable on the final laser cut ships. She also has a Continental Navy Jack flying from her mizzen (not visible on this picture), as this ship was a great opportunity to use a plethora of historical flag details!
I also added some lines to the backs of her square sails, a detail I’ve been wanting to experiment with for a while now. Her deck is one of my favorites I’ve ever made, with realistic wood planking on top of texturing, along with stern lanterns and various details such as cannonballs for the 6-pounders on her weather deck. Her cannons varied but I decided to go with her December 1777 armament, which lines up with her “present tense” flavor text ending shortly before then. In theory those 6-pounders should be further towards the stern to appear on the quarterdeck, but then the laser cut outlines would likely destroy those details, hence some historical liberties taken.
USS Lexington
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Revolutionary War (RevWar) (June 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 082
Nationality: American
Point Cost: 7
Masts: 2
Cargo: 3
Base Move: S+L
Cannons: 2S-3S
Ability: You may double the range of any of this ship’s cannons each action, but if you do, that cannon must roll a 6 to hit.
Link: John Barry, William Hallock, Henry Johnson
Flavor text: Purchased for the Continental Navy in 1776, this 16-gun brigantine escaped British blockade under the command of John Barry. She later participated in the Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet and captured various British privateers and warships. Now she sails east to France in a squadron commanded by Lambert Wickes.
Here we’ve got a small warship that saw short but notable service in the early days of the US Navy. Her fast base move is partially based on the blockade escape, while her ability is based on her gunpowder stores being used to increase her cannon ranges.
I wanted to do my “1700s” 2 masted brig ship design, as the snow-brig I made for USS Niagara and USS Lawrence is more of an 1800s concept. Her artwork is mostly based on this painting, with the big flag flying from her mainmast. Wind blowing to starboard on all details. Small swivel guns added to her gunwales to match the historical armament.
USS Providence
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Revolutionary War (RevWar) (June 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 083
Nationality: American
Point Cost: 7
Masts: 1
Cargo: 3
Base Move: S+L
Cannons: 3L
Ability: This ship gets +2 to her d6 rolls against English ships. This ship’s scuttle attempts succeed on a 2-6.
Link: Abraham Whipple, John Paul Jones, John Rathbun
Flavor text: Previously named Katy while in service to Rhode Island, this sloop has captured numerous British warships and merchantmen. A number of different captains have sailed her, from Nova Scotia to the Bahamas. She now heads to Penobscot Bay under Commodore Dudley Saltonstall.
Another one of the Navy’s first ships, Providence had been on my radar for a while. She is a little more wild than the other ships in the release with her abilities, featuring two new ones. She absolutely owned the British during the war, and was scuttled to prevent capture during the Penobscot disaster. Hopefully she’ll be worth her point cost, although mostly against the English of course. I really wanted to keep the link to John Paul Jones usable with his 7 point Revolution crew, so I raised her cargo from 2 to 3 to try to help justify her 7-point cost.
Her artwork that I did is primarily based on paintings of her, but with a few details inspired by the replica. As an aside, yes it would be neat to see her as a topsail sloop, but then it wouldn’t fit properly onto a single card. Very happy with how it turned out; a proud little ship that met a sudden end.
HMS Rose
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Revolutionary War (RevWar) (June 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 084
Nationality: English
Point Cost: 14
Masts: 3
Cargo: 3
Base Move: L
Cannons: 3S-2L-2S
Ability: Once per turn, one ship, crew, or fort within S of this ship cannot use its ability that turn.
Link: James Wallace
Flavor text: This sixth-rate post ship was nearly the vessel James Cook explored the Pacific Ocean with, but she was rejected due to cargo limitations. However, her wartime career under James Wallace has been stellar. Between anti-smuggling operations, multiple ship captures, and helping to force George Washington’s army out of New York, she has been the bane of rebels across the northeast coast.
This ship had a major effect on the rebels in the early years of the Revolutionary War. She was so effective against the Americans that I thought giving her the Canceller ability would be the most fitting. Her deterrence capabilities were one of the main reasons for the formation of the Continental (US) Navy in the first place! It is the first “full” canceller of my Pirates CSG Relaunch, one of the most powerful abilities in the game and one I don’t take lightly. This variant can cancel a fort ability as well, making it worth at least 6 points and explaining why the ship is relatively expensive.
One of the most notable aspects of this ship is that her replica has genuine fame, playing the roles of HMS Surprise in Master and Commander, and HMS Providence in On Stranger Tides! I have been aboard her in San Diego and it’s a treat to visit. I based most of her artwork on some older pictures of HMS Rose, since it’s meant to be historical and not an Aubrey-Maturin clone. I really liked bringing her pale yellow and blue hull to life, combined with textured sails. The American resistance is seen on her artwork as well, with small holes peppering her sails and some blood on deck. Just like USS Alfred, the ship model is the “1700s frigate” type I made for this release.
HMS Gaspee
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Revolutionary War (RevWar) (June 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 085
Nationality: English
Point Cost: 7
Masts: 2
Cargo: 4
Base Move: S+S
Cannons: 4L-4S
Ability: Schooner. Hoard. This ship gets -1 to her terrain rolls.
Link: William Duddingston
Flavor text: Customs collection in and around Narragansett Bay may take a turn for the worse if antagonized colonists take up arms….
For a ship as famous as this one, I was surprised not to find many individual pages/history for her. As always her specific abilities are based on history. I think she’ll fill an interesting niche role in English fleets as a gold runner with heist potential. The middling cannons and speed coupled with the (somewhat) negative ability help keep her cost down, so with a helmsman and explorer/oarsman she’ll be able to get gold in potentially multiple ways. I tend to write long flavor text for these historical game pieces (it’s often hard to keep the summary to 2-3 sentences!), so here I wanted to change that up and give more of a Crimson Coast-esque feel. Kind of an ominous anti-British slant given the circumstances….
Once in a while I let myself be content with a ship that isn’t as pretty. Both for historical reasons, and because I know I don’t need every ship to be some colorful stunning masterpiece. I couldn’t get the hull to look the way I wanted, but a bit gnarly is fitting for a ship that met a grisly end (burnt to a crisp for being a customs/inspection bully). I do like the subtle textures I added to the sails and deck. Many small barrels on her deck to represent the cargo seizures from before the Revolution started. Great to have a schooner in this release, especially since I was a little surprised last year not to have one in my War of 1812 release.
HMS Liberty
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Revolutionary War (RevWar) (June 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 086
Nationality: English
Point Cost: 5
Masts: 1
Cargo: 2
Base Move: S+S+S
Cannons: 5S
Ability: This ship can tow a ship by touching a derelict in any location (not just the bow).
Flavor text: Once a merchant sloop owned by John Hancock, this vessel was seized by the British. She is patrolling off Rhode Island for potential customs violations. However, her captain is unaware of the sheer anger quietly brewing amongst the local colonists.
Here we go even further back in time to tell the story of the Revolutionary War and its beginnings. This ship filled multiple roles in the release beyond her storytelling aspect: cheapest ship (and the only one under 7 points), fastest ship, different cannon rank, different cargo count, finally a ship with no links, etc. She wasn’t the last ship designed for RevWar, but fills out some variety aspects which is nice to have if you’re playing this release by itself or focusing on it very heavily in a small game. She also features a new ability, which actually got its start on some historical Pirate crew we may see eventually in other releases….
With no art references found, I experimented a bit for her look. Most parts intentionally look a bit aged. My favorite part is the color scheme across the mast and sails and the sail texture.
Esek Hopkins
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Revolutionary War (RevWar) (June 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 087
Nationality: American
Point Cost: 7
Ability: Captain. This ship can dock at an enemy home island or fort and load one random treasure; if able, she must leave on your next turn.
Link: USS Alfred
Flavor text: As the Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy, he sailed a fleet to the Bahamas to raid the British colony at Nassau. This has made Royal Navy leadership worried about losing parts of their West Indies holdings. However, he now faces political attacks based on his prior inability or unwillingness to defend Chesapeake Bay, despite the larger British presence there.
Although a controversial figure, it is hard to tell the story of the US Navy’s founding and its role in the Revolutionary War without Hopkins. He should pair well with Alfred, with 3 points still available in the cap space to add a helmsman and oarsman/etc. His second ability is a twist on HI Raider – he can steal from forts too, and the coin is specifically random rather than unspecified (which defaults to the loser’s choice in the original rules). With HI Raiding, I generally like the house rule of having the coin(s) be random rather than loser’s choice, both to make the ability more worth its cost (usually 3+ even without this upgrade) and in the spirit of piracy as the game’s namesake. The fort addition was of course based on his Nassau raid. With the upgrades to HI Raider, 4 points seems appropriate.
Abraham Whipple
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Revolutionary War (RevWar) (June 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 088
Nationality: American
Point Cost: 6
Ability: Captain. Merchant. When touching an English ship, this ship can load as much of that ship’s treasure as she can carry.
Link: USS Providence, USS Columbus
Flavor text: Having gained experience as a privateer during the Seven Years’ War, Whipple was a prime candidate to lead one of the first ships of the Continental Navy. His command of Providence (then named Katy) led to the first cannon fire against the Royal Navy during the American Revolution. “Always catch a man before you hang him.”
Merchant: Once per turn if this crew or ship is within S of any ships, home islands, or forts, the controllers of each game piece may agree to trade any number of cargo between the game pieces as a free action (if applicable, up to their available cargo space). If the trade is between friendly game pieces, all friendly game pieces involved must unload at least one non-identical cargo; you cannot trade between friendly ships and your own home island.
There was certainly some competition for this final American crew slot in such an iconic release idea, but Whipple played a big role in the early days and is fascinating to read about. He also brings a somewhat lacking mercantile focus to the ranks of American named crew.
George Collier
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Revolutionary War (RevWar) (June 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 089
Nationality: English
Point Cost: 4
Ability: This ship gets +1 to her d6 rolls against the Americans. Once per turn when this ship hits an enemy fort, also eliminate one cargo from that fort.
Link: HMS Boulogne, HMS Edgar, HMS Tweed, HMS Levant, HMS Flora, HMS Rainbow, HMS Raisonnable, HMS Canada, HMS St George
Flavor text: He joined the Royal Navy in 1751. After a string of frigate commands, he led the fourth-rate HMS Rainbow to success against both USS Hancock and in various amphibious operations. His current assignment is commodore of the North American Station.
Collier absolutely crushed the Americans multiple times. It was hard not to make him expensive, but I decided to shy away from the “super named captain” route that is so tempting to take with a lot of these historical figures. This way he’s the cheapest crew in the release (and the only one under 5 points), and at 4 points can be brought in via a 0LR+5 crew if you see an American fleet opposing you. His abilities are a bit hard to price but I think his cost is fair given how situational they are. Many of his linked ships may never get made, but you just never know so I like to cover all or most of my bases.
James Wallace
Set: Pirates of the Age of Sail
Release: Revolutionary War (RevWar) (June 2026 Mega Pack)
Collector’s Number: 090
Nationality: English
Point Cost: 6
Ability: Captain. Once per turn if this ship is touching a friendly ship, you may remove all of that ship’s fire masts. When this ship unloads treasure at your home island, any coin printed with a silver number is worth +1 gold.
Link: HMS Rose, HMS Experiment, HMS Warrior
Flavor text: Wallace saved a small British ship from being burnt by the American rebels and then captured USS Raleigh. After a lopsided engagement, he was captured by the French. He was returned to England, and later served under Rodney during their brilliant victory at the Saintes.
Yet another interesting life story. A unique combination of abilities, likely best suited for a hybrid ship. He is one of the few links in this release to some of the later events of the war, having participated in the legendary Battle of the Saintes….