Restarting Rules and New Master Keyword List

Restarting Rules and New Master Keyword List

Here are the Restarting Rules and New Master Keyword List, initially developed for use with the new set (Pirates of the Golden Seas). The first draft was finished in July 2021, and underwent numerous revisions until the current version was finalized in August 2024.  Woelf (the Rules Arbitrator) was consulted heavily throughout the process.

Restarting Rules

New Master Keyword List

 

Changes to the rules:

-One rules document. (not split into Start Here and Complete Game)
-2 action limit is clearly defined under “Rules of the High Seas”
-The standard build total is 60 points instead of 40.
-The “any build total can be chosen” part is underlined for emphasis.
-“Events should not be used unless all players agree to allow them.”
-Round Earth is now the default boundary rule
-Flat Earth now includes: “Players cannot voluntarily move their ships over the edge.”
-Islands must be placed at least 2L from each other (rather than 3L)
-Terrain can be placed anywhere on the play area, and each piece can touch any other piece of terrain or islands.
-The last player chooses their home island first, followed by the second to last player, and so on until the first player is the last to choose their home island.
-Changes to links: “When two linked crew are assigned to the same ship, they share a single cargo space. In the same way, if one crew is assigned to a ship to which it is linked, that crew does not take up cargo space. If multiple links are present on a ship, all crew that link share the same single cargo space. Links are considered rules rather than abilities, so they are not subject to the No-Stacking Rule, and they cannot be cancelled or copied.”

-Movement bonuses can be applied at any time during a move action, rather than just at the end after base move segments are completed (original rule only appears in The Pirate Code, not in the Start Here or Complete Game rules).
-Boarding: Winner chooses whether to take a treasure or eliminate a crew; winner chooses which treasure to take; loser chooses which crew to eliminate.
-Made it clear that towing can occur when a ship is touching the bow of a derelict, not just at the end of a move action.
-Docking a towed ship at an island or fort when the towing ship docks is now optional.
-Ships with any number of masts can now ram and board (they don’t need to have at least one mast).
-A successful ram eliminates masts – removed the part saying “(remove from the game)”.
-Treasures are always looked at when exploring.

-Treasure from a sunken ship is not split between players in a 2 player game. It is always removed from the game regardless of the number of players.

-Added: “The number of flags on a fort must match the number of cannons it has when first built.”
-Players are not required to unload regular (non-UT) treasure when they dock at friendly forts.
-Forts can repair with a shipwright in them (including when they have no flags left).
-Removed the wording around Abandoned forts because it is unnecessary (first sentence moved to Shooting section, second sentence irrelevant with shipwright-repair option).

-Icebergs can continue moving after hitting islands
-Sargasso Sea reworded for clarity
-Whirlpools are bad on rolls of 1-3 and equipment can be lost to them.
-Sea creature rules moved to the back/bottom of rules. Text heavily modified and specific game mechanics will be addressed as part of sea creature type keywords, not in the sea creature rules.

-No “more than half the starting gold” endgame condition in 2 player games.
-Endgame condition changed to only one player can give future move actions (rather than half or more players cannot give future move actions)

-Added some Pirate Code text to maximize clarity of rules.
-Some wording changes for clarity/brevity/etc.

 

Changes to the Master Keyword List:

-Shipwright (made better).
-Sea Monsters may move and shoot using the same move action.
-Sea creature type keywords: Revamped in various ways. Now each keyword says what that creature type can do, without overly relying on the sea creature rules to define what they can and can’t do.
-If a sea monster or titan eliminates crew via boarding, it may repair one of its segments as a free action.
-Scorpions can board sea creatures with their blade attack.
-Changed “boarding action” to “boarding party”.

Pirates CSG Podcast: Mike Mulvihill Supercut

Pirates CSG Podcast: Mike Mulvihill Supercut

You can listen to the audio via Spotify for Podcasters!

You can also listen to it via Archive.org.

Marques Miguel Antonio from Davy Jones' Curse - Mike Mulvihill's personal crew in the game

Marques Miguel Antonio from Davy Jones’ Curse – Mike Mulvihill’s personal crew in the game

Mike Mulvhill is one of the true giants of Wizkids Pirates CSG history, having designed the majority of the game pieces!  He was heavily involved in numerous aspects of the game from Spanish Main through Rise of the Fiends, and helped with certain aspects on Fire and Steel.  The game was basically his in terms of game design, concept creation, game mechanics and gameplay concepts, as well as rules, factions, and the specific individual game pieces.

Questions of the Day:
Ben: Would you buy a similar but not compatible version of the Pirates of the Spanish Main IP from Wizkids? (similar theme and artwork, but not compatible with the original CSG)
Mike: Would you be interested in a scenario model of play?
How do you play the game?  Do you play it for a 30 minute quick game, or larger games that take longer?
Would you have liked to see the minor faction storylines in more of the sets?

Questions thread: https://pirateswithben.com/forums/topic/submit-your-questions-for-pirates-game-piece-creator-designer-mike-mulvihill/

Master Spreadsheet: http://bit.ly/PiratesCSGMasterSpreadsheet

Tilor’s database: https://tilorfire27.github.io/PiratesCSGDB/index.html

150 point game referenced: https://pirateswithben.com/4×150-in-redmond-washington-september-9th-2023/

Schooner stern turn example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxY_W6zkE_o

Pokeships: https://pirateswithben.com/what-is-a-pokeship/

RotF checklist: https://pirateswithben.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Checklist-RoF-Front-scaled.jpg

Pokeships: https://pirateswithben.com/what-is-a-pokeship/

WotC patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US7201374B2/en

News article about settlement between Wizkids and WotC: https://icv2.com/articles/games/view/12811/wotc-wizkids-settle-lawsuit

Court case: https://pirateswithben.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Wizkids_CSG_complaint_2007.pdf

MT thread about faction discounts: https://pirateswithben.com/apparently-american-ships-automatically-costed-1-point-more-miniature-trading-forum-thread/

SimCost: https://psmlist.com/public/blog/documentation_simcost

UDC: https://psmlist.com/public/blog/documentation_udc

Game Mode options for ban lists/etc: https://pirateswithben.com/game-modes-for-playing-pirates-csg/

Customs Database: https://bit.ly/CustomsDatabase

SOE version: https://pirateswithben.com/pirates-constructible-strategy-game-online/

Wizkids Pirates forum via the Internet Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20081225232002/http://forum.wizkidsgames.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=180

Giant ships at GenCon 2007: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Gen_Con_Indy_2007_exhibit_hall_-_Pirates%21_large_scale_models.JPG

Facebook group post about the Alliance Open House announcement: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PiratesCSG/posts/7088056634567258/

Ravensburger/Villainous: https://www.ravensburger.us/discover/games/marvel-villainous/index.html

His IG: https://www.instagram.com/prime_runner/

Pirates CSG on eBay: https://ebay.us/5C1kyR (affiliate link – purchasing through it will help support my content and efforts with the game!) This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

 

Uncut sheets:

https://pirateswithben.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DJC-uncut-sheets.jpg

https://pirateswithben.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/RV-and-BC-uncut-sheets.jpg

https://pirateswithben.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SCS-Uncut-sheet-about-8.25-inches-high-Matt-L-scaled.jpg

https://pirateswithben.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SCS-Uncut-sheet-about-11.25-inches-wide-Matt-L-scaled.jpg

 

Thanks for listening!

 

Take the podcast survey! https://goo.gl/forms/CsnwVmi3qhtqik323

Feel free to rate and review the podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pirates-csg-podcast/id1258016060

Pirates packs on eBay: https://ebay.us/S14uSE This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Sign the Petition!  https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bring-back-pirates-of-the-cursed-seas

Join the Forum at Pirates with Ben!  https://pirateswithben.com/forums/forum/pirates-csg/

 

The following should eventually be updated from Anchor so they will be available when they get the podcast. 

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pirates-csg-podcast/id1258016060

Blubrry: https://www.blubrry.com/piratescsgpodcast/

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1258016060/pirates-csg-podcast

Maelstrom Game Mat and House Rules

Maelstrom Game Mat and House Rules

Thanks to my awesome friend Gigi, a unique Christmas gift arrived recently: a Maelstrom game mat!  😀   He was inspired to make it after seeing the concept as a Game Idea, and now fittingly enough I will be able to recreate the incredible scene from At World’s End!  I’ve come up with both regular and deathmatch house rules which you can see below.  The Maelstrom game mat is about 3 feet square, and has 10 concentric circles within it, not counting the foreboding center area.

Maelstrom Game Mat for Wizkids Pirates CSG

General House Rules:
-Ships can only travel around the maelstrom in an “anticlockwise” direction, just like in At World’s End.
-A move segment is required in order to move from one concentric ring to an adjacent one. This uses that move segment for the move action. Instead of moving the ship forward around the ring it’s currently in, move it laterally to the desired adjacent ring. (ex: a ship with L+S base move can use either segment to move to an adjacent ring, then use the other segment afterwards to move forward in that new ring. Or, it can jump two rings, or move L+S in the ring it’s already inside of.)

Maelstrom of Gold Scenario

These house rules are for a regular game with gold, though additional changes may be necessary.
-Set up for a regular game of Pirates, but with a minimum distance between islands of only 1L or 2L.
-Ships in the innermost ring can shoot at other ships in that ring regardless of cannon range (“unlimited” range to reach ships on the other side), as long as a clear line of fire can be drawn to the other ship.
-If a ship enters the center of the maelstrom, immediately remove the ship and all her cargo from the game.

Deathmatch Scenario

These house rules are for a deathmatch, ideal for recreating the epic movie scene.
-No islands. Each fleet starts outside the maelstrom on one of the four corners (opposite sides in a 1v1 deathmatch), and must enter the maelstrom from that corner during the first round (though not necessarily in the same spot for all ships).
-Ships cannot move rings towards the outside of the maelstrom. Concentric ring movement is limited to going towards the center of the maelstrom, as all ships get sucked into the middle.
-At the end of each player’s turn, each of their ships move laterally one ring closer to the center. (this cannot result in ramming/boarding/etc because it is not a move action)
-Ships within the innermost 3 rings of the maelstrom can shoot at other ships in those rings regardless of cannon range (“unlimited” range to reach ships on the other side), as long as a clear line of fire can be drawn to the other ship.
-If a ship enters the center of the maelstrom, she may be given one final action (unless she has already been given two actions that turn) before being removed from the game.
-Eternal only works once, regardless of whether or not the ship was sunk normally or by entering the center of the maelstrom.  If Eternal is triggered, the ship returns to the corner of the map she started in, outside the maelstrom.  She can repair normally there, and the player can move the ship into the maelstrom before repairing all masts.  If all masts are repaired, the ship’s next action must be to move the ship into the maelstrom.

Other Ideas!
These are meant to be interesting alternatives worth trying out, but not part of the core scenario ideas.
-Changing the movement rules: Instead of using an entire move segment to move laterally from one ring to another, ships can move “normally” under the same idea – you still need a move segment to cross a ring line, but you can move forward/diagonally as normal for enhanced speed.
-You may voluntarily eliminate any type of cargo during a ship’s action to move laterally towards the outside of the whirlpool (as if the ship is getting lighter and can potentially outpace the maelstrom).
-Risky middle: ships in the innermost 3 rings get +S to their base move, but must roll a d6 at the end of each of their actions.  On a 1-2, they lose a mast.
-All range extending abilities are doubled (or tripled). Ex: a flotilla with S range cannons and Extended Range can now shoot at a range of 4S (or 6S if tripling is preferred).
-Maximum shooting: S range cannons shot from within the innermost 5 rings can shoot at targets within those rings. L range cannons can hit anything in the maelstrom rings that a clear line of fire can be drawn to.  Or, all S range cannons have a range of 6S and all L range cannons have a range of 6L.
-Combine with the Other Worlds scenario with the Maelstrom being the “home island ocean” with HI’s on the outskirts of the maelstrom. Only once a ship reaches the center of the maelstrom can she use it as a whirlpool to teleport to the other oceans where the gold lies. (this may require banning HI raiders or other house rules to discourage blockading)

I realize there are a lot of game mechanics that might get fuzzy or confusing given these house rules, but they can be worked out as necessary. This post is subject to editing upon playtesting. 🙂

Maelstrom game mat - Black Pearl and Flying Dutchman

We have seen this before….

Maelstrom game mat - Black Pearl vs. Flying Dutchman

Black Pearl vs. Flying Dutchman!

The Importance of using proper L and S measurements vs. full card lengths.

Measurements of L and S compared to full card measurements

This year I’ve noticed many players measuring L and S incorrectly, usually by using a full card length of a ship deckplate on the top side or using a crew card to measure.  Various third party accessories have also become quite popular, as sometimes a deckplate card leaves some maneuverability or angles to be desired, such as when trying to determine a close measurement or for premeasuring move actions.  I got my vernier calipers out to see what distance differences there are between S, L, full card lengths often used in their place, and some extra straws and tubes I’ve been using.  Disclaimer: Measuring with or without the black border lines on the S and L segments may produce slightly different measurement results.

I used the back of a spare Martinette deckplate that I’ve been using for years as my primary measurement tool, as well as an HMS Goliath deckplate to confirm accuracy given that my official card has been exposed to so much playing that perhaps it isn’t 100% accurate anymore (this experiment determined that to not be the case, though I should swap it out if more finish comes off to the point where I cannot determine the endpoints of S or L).

I measured L at 83.8 millimeters.

Pirates CSG L segment measuring 83.8 millimeters

Using the other side of the calipers with the Goliath card, I measured the same 83.8mm.  It may look like the number should be higher, but that’s because the calipers are slightly above the card and I couldn’t get a camera angle showing it head on at both ends.

Next was the test using the entire length of the card.  This came in at 89.2mm, a 5.4mm bonus compared to L actual!

Measuring S and L segments

In a separate test on the wrong side of the Goliath card, this number was confirmed:

Measuring S and L segments (Pirates CSG)

S was next.  The official distance comes in at 57.5mm.

Measuring S and L segments (Pirates CSG)

The Goliath S segment measured exactly the same.

Measuring S and L segments (Pirates CSG)

Now came another full card test.  Standing the Martinette deckplate on end and pinching the calipers to it, we see a measurement of 63.7mm!

Measuring S and L segments (Pirates CSG)

Perhaps this measurement was slightly off, but the “inside calipers” still showed the Goliath card at a similar number.  If you average these two measurements to approximately 63.5mm, that means that measuring with the full width of a Pirates card gives you a 6 millimeter advantage compared to using the proper S distance!  As anyone who has played the game surely knows, that can easily be more (sometimes much more) than the difference between: docking vs. not docking; being in or out of range for cannon shots; being in or out of cancelling range, etc.  Even if you don’t add up how big these differences would compound over the course of a full game, any one instance of these measurement differences could be the difference between winning and losing.

Now it was time to test some unofficial segments.  Fittingly enough, I did not make any of these myself, though I have used them in games somewhat consistently, though I still try to use my deckplate most of the time.  That I didn’t make them is not to clear my name of any wrongdoing, as I have played many things wrong in the past and will likely accidentally screw up additional rules (hopefully just minutiae) in the future.

An S straw I received years ago in an eBay lot measures 58.1mm, very close but still .6mm more than 57.5mm.

An L straw from the same lot actually came in slightly short at 83.6, .2mm less than the 83.8 “official” measurement.  Vernier calipers closed over both ends to show it’s raised off the surface for the best possible measurement.

Measuring S and L segments (Pirates CSG)

Next was the string of metal tubing that Captain Redgoat gave me.  The silver S tube measured 58mm, .5mm more than what we saw from the official segment.

The L tube measured 84.2mm, .4mm above the 83.8mm from the card L.

Measuring S and L segments (Pirates CSG)

I think a fair question to ask is: what could be considered “close enough”?  I would posit that a difference of .5mm or less is fine for most games and all casual play, simply because the difference is barely (or not) perceptible to the naked eye and that distance is likely to be mis-measured anyway due to slight shaking of hands when a ship is placed at the end of a segment, or the slight movement of a hand above a ship measuring the distance to see if a shot can be made.  In addition, I think the benefits of having accessories and convenient tools for players outweigh the slight differences, not to mention other elements such as bumping the table, “undoing” move segments and trying to estimate where the ship’s bow had started, and other accidental calculation errors.

However, I think it would be fair for any player playing competitively or for any kind of prize to request full enforcement of using strictly Wizkids official deckplate cards for all measurements during a game.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway is to not measure with full card lengths, as this gives such a player a decided advantage.  In addition, I highly recommend comparing any accessories you may have to the L and S segments on a Wizkids card, and trimming or editing them so they’re as close as possible to standard measurements.

Lastly, I welcome any community feedback regarding my measurements, if you have made your own and they differ, or what your group considers “close enough” as far as unofficial measuring accessories.

Pirates CSG Podcast #46: Former Rules Arbitrator Tony Vigil! (Piranha)

Pirates CSG Podcast #46: Former Rules Arbitrator Tony Vigil! (Piranha)

You can listen to the audio via ShoutEngine!

You can also listen on Archive.org.

Tony Vigil (Piranha) was the Rules Arbitrator before Woelf.

His store: http://neverlandgames.tcgplayerpro.com/

 

Questions of the Day

Piranha: What is your favorite house rule?

Ben: What is the most difficult Rules situation you have come across while playing Pirates CSG?

Thanks for listening!  Feel free to answer the Questions of the Day below!

Here is the thread for this podcast at Pirates with Ben: https://pirateswithben.com/forums/topic/submit-your-questions-for-rules-arbitrator-tony-vigil-piranha/

The Pirate Code: https://pirateswithben.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-Pirate-Code-FAQ-Dec-2016.pdf

Find all the game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18Z-x-z9gaWiKFLk-kw1weamc0A1-NxMN3xLjWWKsUmA/edit?usp=sharing

 

Past podcasts: http://shoutengine.com/PiratesCSGPodcast/

Take the podcast survey! https://goo.gl/forms/CsnwVmi3qhtqik323

Feel free to rate and review the podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pirates-csg-podcast/id1258016060

Pirates packs on eBay: https://ebay.us/S14uSE This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Sign the Petition!  https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bring-back-pirates-of-the-cursed-seas

Join the Forum at Pirates with Ben!  https://pirateswithben.com/forums/forum/pirates-csg/

 

The following should eventually be updated from ShoutEngine so they will be available when they get the podcast.

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pirates-csg-podcast/id1258016060

Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1258016060/pirates-csg-podcast

Google Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/m/Imxc6vplvkqlmagcvkxvi2er2wu?t=Pirates_CSG_Podcast

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Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/a7xfanben/pirates-csg-podcast?refid=stpr

Points in Play + Gold – An Intriguing House Rule

Points in Play PLUS Gold for the win – An Intriguing House Rule

This “points in play” thing is a concept I started really liking in 2017, and now it’s one of my favorite house rules despite needing more time to playtest it.

– Whoever has the most points in play AND gold in play at the end of the game is the winner.

Here’s an example. Two people set up for a 40 point game, so both start the game with 40 points. These points can fluctuate throughout, but you’d rather have that number go up (through captures) than down (through sinkings and deaths). Player A captures two 5 point ships from Player B, giving him a 50-30 point advantage at the end. Player B collects 15 gold to Player A’s 7, resulting in a 57-45 victory for Player A.

This can’t be new, but I also haven’t seen it discussed that I remember. There are variations you could try, such as those in the thread linked above. Perhaps ships are only worth their full point cost if they have all their masts. Each lost mast could be -2 to the final tally.

The problems include making combat too important, and making the treasure game almost irrelevant if low value coins are used. In games with this (or similar) rule, perhaps only coins with a value of at least 4 could be used.

Here is a game played with this house rule!

Please leave a comment below saying what you think of this Points in Play and Gold for the win as a house rule!

I’m interested in the way the game is played in regards to points afloat and making it more of a practical game. In reality, there weren’t gold-laden islands lying around waiting to be explored ad infinitum. The real value was in resources, political power, and of course winning engagements in a decisive manner.

Points In Play AND Gold For the Win - July 29th, 2017

The last picture taken from the first game in which I tried this house rule, played against Repkosai and Wifey on the VASSAL module.

On a similar tack:

Canceled user wrote:
Prize Value Ships are valuable beyond their cannons and sails; some have excellent rigging–others have above average food stores on board. Some ships are just better constructed. Set up per usual. For each ship in your fleet roll one of the mini dice: the number rolled represents the ship’s prize value for the rest of the game. Place the die on the bow of the ship for all to see. If the ship is captured and remains in posession of the capturing player until the end of the game, its prize value in gold is added to the capturing player’s total gold. Prize value is only counted if the ship changes hands at least once.

This is an intriguing idea, and could really incentivize capturing ships in smaller and shorter games when it’s usually less practical. However, I find the die roll a bit too random. Perhaps the prize is worth 1/3 or 1/4 of its point value in gold. Or, make it a full 50% (the Bragi could round down to 4, for example) and completely change the game. This could be a way to alleviate the emphasis on getting gold, which is one thing that some players dislike.

A Brief Experiment with Return Fire – February 4th, 2017

A Brief Experiment with Return Fire

I was joined on VASSAL by agiantpie! The setup was for 80 points.

I went with a French fleet that had also hired El Fantasma aboard the Hades’ Realm, while agiantpie went with an all-SM English fleet. Plenty of fog was around. (you can find all the game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet)

In addition, we decided to experiment using basic return fire rules! Once a ship was done shooting at another ship, the second ship could return fire with any cannons it had left, though they would get -1 to their rolls.


With an SAT, the Hades’ Realm (HR) made it into a fog bank near the English home island.
A Brief Experiment with Return Fire - February 4th, 2017

The Soleil Royal, Royal Louis, and King Edward all reached wild islands. The HR got an SAT coming out of the fog, and hit the Dover and King Edward with consecutive attacks! The Dover only lost one mast, but the King Edward was nearly dismasted, and Fantasma stole a 5 coin.

A Brief Experiment with Return Fire - February 4th, 2017

With yet another SAT, the HR eventually sank the Dover! This was too much for the English, and the Titan finally caught the Cursed menace and dismasted her. In the meantime, the Montreal had taken up station in the fog bank where the HR was hiding earlier.

A Brief Experiment with Return Fire - February 4th, 2017

The Titan captured the HR and towed her into a fog bank to avoid the Montreal and get the stolen 5 back in English possession. The King Edward docked home gold and started repairing, while the Lord Algernon would explore the middle island. The Royal Louis and Soleil Royal sought the untouched southern island.

A Brief Experiment with Return Fire - February 4th, 2017

The Royal Louis has loaded gold, while the Soleil Royal prepares to defend her, waiting in the fog. The remaining English ships head southwest, while the captured HR repairs.

The Royal Louis parleyed her way out of some sticky situations, but that started to decrease the French gold advantage. The Soleil Royal lost a battle to the Titan after going 2/5 (including losing her grape shot on a 1) and taking major return fire damage (the Titan went 3/3). The Montreal did what she could to help, but it wouldn’t be enough. The Royal Louis ended up pinned, which further ruined French hopes. In the end, although the French parley gamble worked for a while (the lowest value coins from the HI were given up), the gold differential kept tilting towards the English, while the French fleet was soundly defeated in the south. The Royal Louis’ masts finally fell when she couldn’t afford to give away more gold, and the game was over!

A Brief Experiment with Return Fire - February 4th, 2017

The English were up 21-15 at that point, when we decided to call it. The Montreal would have rowed home to repair, allowing the English to get the rest of their gold home and make the final score 33-15.

It was definitely a good game, if not frustrating for both of us lol. The return fire aspect was interesting, though I’m not sure the -1 to cannon rolls is enough moving forward… more playtesting is needed, and hopefully other forms of this oft-discussed but rarely-played house rule will see the light of play.

Pirates CSG Rules – Start Here, Complete Game, and More

Pirates CSG Rules

Here at Pirates with Ben, you can always be sure to find the Pirates CSG Rules in all their various forms and formats.  If you’re a beginner, the Start Here Rules are what you’ll want.  However, they assume you only have one pack with which to play, so you’ll quickly want to move on to the Complete Game Rules.  This is a much more advanced version of the game, but the way it’s intended to be played.

Now that you’ve got the main rules, you should be ready to play full games of Pirates CSG without too much trouble.  However, there are some very good supplemental materials that can greatly aid in your playing time.  Woelf‘s Master Keyword List is a classic document containing all of the keywords ever made.  This is great because Wizkids only printed keywords in the Complete Game rules associated with that pack’s specific set.  If you use a copy of the MKL, you’ll never have to search through various Complete Game rulebooks just to find one set-specific keyword.

Unfortunately, Wizkids made a number of contradictions, gaffes, and confusing wordings in the rules and abilities for this game.  That is where another fantastic document from Woelf comes into play.  The Pirate Code (FAQ).  This is a life saver.  Although it’s much larger than any of the other Pirates CSG Rules documents, “the Code” (from Pirates of the Caribbean and of course pirate history) is an incredible resource that will answer nearly ALL of the potential questions you could have about the rules of the game.

Finally, although it’s far less necessary than any of the above documents, the Reference Diagrams (also by Woelf of course!) contain a number of useful tidbits.  Veteran players will not need them for the most part, but they can be quite useful for beginners.  Even after playing hundreds of games, I learned of a towing option I had never thought of or realized before!

Now that you have all of the Pirates CSG Rules, go forth and PLAY!!  If you ever have rules questions that are not answered by any of the above documents, feel free to ask in the Rules Thread.  You can also find all the set-specific rules in the Scan Project.  Thanks to Woelf, we also have the Wizkids Organized Play Comprehensive Tournament Rules (from January 2008).

If you want some house rules that I believe make the game better, you can check out My Basic Rules.

Pirates CSG Rules

Example of an answer from Woelf in the old Miniature Trading Rules thread