3 sets of American native canoes in Economy Edition (2015)
Savage Shores (SS, 2008) became the last set of Pirates CSG. The set was only the size of half of a normal set (just over 50 game pieces), released in Scavenger Pack boxes instead of the normal game packs. Each SS box contained 3 packs worth of Savage Shores (in one plastic wrapper, not 3 individual packs), one pack each of Rise of the Fiends and Fire and Steel, a built Special Edition (SE) ship, and a card for one of the set’s two featured 10 masted junk ships. It featured a bunch of new game pieces and ship types despite the small size, and was notable for being the best set for gameplay since at least the Caribbean set. A small blaze of glory before the game went out of print just days after release. You can find all of the game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet, and I’ve ranked the Top 10 here.
Ratings
– Art: 4/5. Definitely stands out, but some ugly ships keep it from a perfect score. I think the named crew artwork was exceptional.
– Set Quality: 4/5. Some great stuff, mostly good. The sea monsters, lack of generic crew, and somewhat unbalanced pieces (navigators, cargo masters, American canoes, Libellule, hoists) keep it from a 5 for me.
– New Content: 4/5. Canoes and hoists are both fantastic, arguably too much so. Hoists are the most excusable Pokeship (if they are even considered to be one) simply due to how interesting they are in terms of gameplay. Navigators and cargo masters are both frustrating to deal with in large games, but they’re a welcome addition to most players.
– Collectability/Misc: 4/5. The set was almost too easy to acquire, and the box idea caused some consternation among people who didn’t or couldn’t (or still can’t!) complete 10 masters. The SR’s were relatively common as well, but I give the set a 2/3 for collectibility. The Miscellaneous score gets a 2/2 due to the set’s good reputation and a kind of positive farewell after the long decline. The set is generally viewed with very positive vibes due to it being so unique in so many ways, and a beacon of hope that unfortunately never was.
= Overall: 16/20. Very good but not all-time great.
Fire & Steel (F&S, 2008) continued the trend of the game delving more into the fantasy aspects, with new ships equipped with movable steel blades and huge flamethrowers. It was a large set, but a slow and boring one. There’s just not a lot in the set to get excited about. You can find all of the game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet, and I’ve ranked the Top 10 here.
Ratings
– Art: 4/5. Plenty of variety and good designs, with some ugly ones as well. The named crew portraits seem below average.
– Set Quality: 2/5. The gold standard for mediocrity in Pirates. So much quantity, and so much of it boring and/or below average.
– New Content: 2/5. Another colossal failure that partly led to the game’s downfall. Giant flamethrowers and freaky blades that pop out from the sides of a hull. Not as bad as Scorpions, but two Pokeship designs instead of one is just sad. On the other hand, equipment would have been perfect to introduce early in the game, such as CC or RV. However, at least it was great when it arrived – lots of variety, mostly historical, and good point costs (once you see the errata). The 0-value gold coins can be evil but funny.
– Collectability/Misc: 2/5. Somewhat fun to collect due to the sheer number of game pieces, including cool SE’s and LE’s. However, it’s a little TOO hard to collect – beyond the LE’s being pricey, you’ve got a Big 3 of very tough acquisitions – the Chum Maker, Raptor Maw, and the big one, the Obago Deuce (and I’m not even including the SiaB’s!). I would say this is the most boring set, so the intangibles are bad. It gets a 1/2 for Miscellaneous due to the Historical Pack and having just enough cool stuff to be worth investigating.
= Overall: 10/20. The most boring set in my opinion. I still enjoy all the sets, but I usually enjoy this one the least.
Features/New Stuff: Name change (Pirates of the Cursed Seas Pocketmodel Game), Scorpions, red islands/terrain, story inserts, 2 glow in the dark Special Edition ships
Ben’s Rating: 11/20
A Scorpion ship in action
Rise of the Fiends (RotF, 2008) signalled the decline of the Pirates game. New “pokéships” alienated some of the player base and the set was smaller than most that came before it, with an abundance of slow ships. Only a few of the widely despised Scorpion ships were even produced, and the red islands didn’t make things any better. Interestingly enough a lot of the regular ships and crew were pretty decent, the saving grace for an otherwise poor set. You can find all of the game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet, and I’ve ranked the Top 10 here.
Ratings
– Art: 4/5. Very colorful ships and crew – many great, but some a bit over the top. Most of the larger ships are quite beautiful. Using different artwork for generic crew is cool, but it does make it a bit confusing and harder to use for new players. Actually one of the most interesting sets for artwork, but too much focus on the red theme was detrimental (mostly with the red island/terrain cards, which look truly disgusting next to any other set’s). I don’t like the cards either – the red and yellow looks great with SM and CC, but combined and brighter it seems unappealing for some reason.
– Set Quality: 3/5. I’ve underrated this set many times, but it has a lot of interesting game pieces. However, there’s a bunch of mediocre stuff as well. Most ships are either slow or have small cargo holds, so it’s not a good set for getting gold at all. There are a few balance issues with the extremes of the set – mostly the San Cristobal and Blood Money being OP, while stuff like Merrow and some of the 1 masters should not have been made.
– New Content: 1/5. I nearly put 0/5 and said “am I allowed to do this?”, but flotillas and the glow in the dark stuff just barely make up for the atrocity of scorpions and the Hostile/Loyal stuff. Scorpions are my least favorite ship type, though the sharks are up there as well. Only one of them stands out, while all the flotillas are usable and quite good. The Hostile/Loyal keywords feel like an unnecessary gimmick to lower point costs (Eternal for one point?), though I do like when flavor text is part of the gameplay. The Turbine and Double Catamaran randomly thrown in at the end of the set really show that the game was completely coming off the rails at this point. The Turbine keyword is underpriced and weird from a historical perspective, while the Double Catamaran ship type is way too wide and big, not to mention awkward. Though the ship types weren’t new, I love the glow in the dark concept.
– Collectability/Misc: 3/5. Another small set, but a decent one to collect. Positives included a cool variety of SE’s and LE’s, some of which are very expensive to acquire. Negatives include a silly rarity distribution with generic crew and an SR pack that was too common. Not much to say about the story inserts. Throw in the mythical Ochobrazo, and it’s definitely a unique set for collectors. The Miscellaneous score is 1/2 since the set is just not that great when you consider everything. Throw in the odd name, “Rise of the Fiends”, and you can’t even find a sea creature outside of an SE kraken nor an abnormally strong Cursed presence. (sure they got Scorpions and a 10 master, but any of the large gunships from the set easily outclass them)
= Overall: 11/20. Not one of my favorites, but the positives of the set are pretty cool.
Features/New Stuff: Rarity based numbering system, different die cutting method, no pennants, UT’s on crew cards, krakens, pack art variation
Ben’s Rating: 12/20
The Black Pearl surrounded by The Kraken in the PotC 10th anniversary game, just like in the movies!
Pirates of the Caribbean (POTC, 2007) saw Wizkids partner with Disney to produce a movie-themed set, with only the Pirates and English as playable factions. It’s a very unique set, and it changed the design of the ships along with the rarity/numbering scheme. For me it’s a fantastic collaboration that makes perfect sense given how similar DJC and OE already were to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but there are some issues. The lack of a Cursed faction and the collation issues (a whole booster box full of commons, for example) plague the set. Great idea, imperfect execution. You can find all of the game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet, and I’ve ranked the Top 10 here.
Ratings
– Art: 3/5. Design changes actually annoyed me, as I found the old look more pleasing and I like using pennants. However, limiting how often the ships break is definitely a good thing. In addition, more rounded hull and mast tabs usually make for easier assembly.
The actual artwork was pretty cool and fun to look at. However, a bunch of it was reused from earlier sets, but the biggest problem was the total failure to make the Endeavour, Dauntless, and Interceptor look ANYTHING like the ships from the movies. An inexcusable gaffe that nearly ruins the experience of playing those ships (so silly looking that the excellent Flying Dutchman and Black Pearls don’t make up for it). Notable for introducing the split card colors which stayed until the end. I did enjoy the crew and UT pictures, as it really ties the movies into the game quite well. I think the kraken design and artwork is about as good as could be expected.
– Set Quality: 3/5. Lots of good ships with a few great ones as well. This gave the Pirates and English that many more options (including very nice crew options), which neither of them really needed. I deducted a point for not having other factions, and another point for the OP stuff (mostly Captain Jack Sparrow, but the Endeavour, Cursed Captain Jack and Kraken Gong have all had somewhat detrimental effects on the game).
– New Content: 3/5. Krakens were quite well done overall, as a relatively playable sea creature that effectively incorporated the movie theme. The Parley keyword can be confusing at first and is probably underpriced a little, but it’s definitely a cool addition to the game and another effective movie tie-in. Going a little deeper, this set also introduced a handful of new “1 of 1” game pieces such as CJS, Calypso, the Hai Peng, and Jailhouse Dog. Most of the unique stuff was either confusing or ruined some of the fun, but there’s no denying the importance of those and other game pieces on modern competitive play.
– Collectability/Misc: 3/5. Mostly negatives here unfortunately – a small set is easier to collect (which can be a good thing), and there wasn’t much extra stuff (SE/LE/PR pieces) to get. The real problem was when the distribution went awry, with some packs having all commons, and in extreme cases, “god boxes” full of SR packs. Throw in just 2 factions, and even the PotC name can’t save the set from having major collectibility problems. However, the partnership with Disney was absolutely perfect for a game like Pirates, so the Miscellaneous score is definitely a 2 and could be bumped to a 4/5 overall if you value intangibles more than collectibility (or are just a huge PotC fan heh). Though, the change to a rarity-based checklist was a negative.
= Overall: 12/20. A great effort with Disney’s help, but with some glaring flaws that make the set quite polarizing.
OE 10th anniversary game in progress, showing many of the new features of the set
Pirates At Ocean’s Edge (OE, 2007) was a large set that got produced in huge quantities, featuring a ton of different ship types as well as new types of sea monsters. Due to the massive production, it’s both the cheapest set and the easiest to find. It features the “Big 6” factions together again, marking the end of minor factions being introduced in their own sets. OE is a great set for beginners due to the variety, quantity, and price. Highly recommended if you’re on a budget and just getting into the game, though it can get boring once you’ve used the stuff from the set a lot. It’s also not balanced at all, as some game pieces are terrible and some are among the best in the game. You can find all of the game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet, and I’ve ranked the Top 10 here.
Ratings
– Art: 1/5. The ugliest ships are from this set. Overall the artwork is quite boring (Le Musarde lol – even the French got it), with a couple standouts (Zeus). Some of the ships are absolutely garish, and not in a good way (Salte el Tiburon).
– Set Quality: 3/5. A lot of mediocre and extremely boring ships. However, I didn’t give a 2 because there are some absolutely amazing finds here – the brief return of 6 masted junks, a few cool SE’s, two All-Powerful crew, surprisingly playable sea creatures, and some good 5 masters (except for the “new” Acorazado). In addition, the sheer quantity, especially when including the SE’s and LE’s, gives a ton of options for playing, which is great.
– New Content: 3/5. Titans are the best sea creatures by far, and can be rather good. Sea dragons aren’t so hot, but they’re also few in number. The sharks are absolute trash, so thank Wizkids for not releasing any more in later sets (or condemn them for even releasing them in the first place!). Catamarans have always seemed overrated to me, and their disproportionate size looks silly. Windcatchers have always seemed like a glorified 3 masted schooner, but the ones that came out are certainly interesting to play. I happen to love whirlpools, despite them not being realistic at all. Obviously a ton of new stuff – once again the sheer quantity helps the score because it gives options and pleases most people to some degree even if you only like one or two of the new things.
– Collectability/Misc: 5/5. I rate the collectibility as a 3/3 easily, and though I would normally put the miscellaneous score as 1/2, the collectibility is so high that I’m giving the overall category 5/5 (collectibility breaks the scale heh). The biggest set ever, extremely cheap packs (great for new players), very easy to get most of the main set. SE tins rereleased some older ships, while they and the SE’s weren’t terribly difficult to find. Throw in megapacks, the legendary Zeus, and a tough LE set to collect, and you have a crazy collector’s dream while still being the most accessible set to new players due to how common it is and the low price.
= Overall: 12/20. A set famous for being very diverse, common, and cheap. The prevalence of OE makes it very easy to get sick of; I have once again tired of it after a short renaissance around 2017.
Literally my entire goal in the whole process was to $ave Dat Money. (Normally I hate songs with autotune but that song just hits me in a way that no other song has lol) That became my theme song and “anthem” if you will when I thought about making stuff. All corners would be cut, all the monies would be saved and nearly zero dollars would be spent.
With that in mind, how would I go about making stuff on such an insanely strict budget? I’m more of an Englishman than a pirate, so stealing stuff was out of the question.
Well, the perfect combination was already in place. I worked part-time at an Ace Hardware store. So then, how could that translate to saving money on the mammoth project?
-Free foam sourced from the dumpsters and trash cans (almost none of it dirty and the rest very easily cleaned off)
-Infinite amount of free cardboard
-Spray paint was bought on sale AND with my 20% off employee discount (would have spent $8+, instead got it for around $5.50) (I considered trying to get it cheaper somehow or waiting until someone would bring in a defective can or something lol, but wanted to get stuff done so I could start Command the Oceans)
-Use only tools and things I already owned:
–Utility knife that I used for most of the foam cutting and sculpting was literally given to me as a gift by a former Ace employee who had left the store about 4 years prior
–Durabuilt toolbox was also a gift so no money spent there
–Crayola scissors from childhood (likely not purchased with my money lol) didn’t get used much but since they’re in some pictures I’ll just emphasize that they weren’t bought for the project either lol
The second “main idea” of my projects was something that speaks to me on a personal level for the Pirates CSG world as a whole: GAMEPLAY TRUMPS EVERYTHING. By that, I mean that using my stuff in games is far more important than how aesthetic it looks. I want to be able to use epic and unique custom stuff that functions properly and in an “epic” way when I play Pirates. As with other things in Pirates (custom ships, etc), I think it is best to play, not just ponder and pontificate. I realize that this mindset is completely contradictory to how to win this contest, as the most aesthetically beautiful entry will likely win. However, to me playing the game is the most important thing; if the stuff doesn’t get used, why bother making it? (other than selling it for a profit haha)
Full disclaimer: I don’t expect to do particularly well in this contest, because a lot of my stuff is not as aesthetic as what other people make. However, the experiences of playing are second to none for me.
IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE:Command the Oceans is the game I played with the stuff I made for this contest. I originally started the game to show off my creations, but it quickly morphed into something FAR bigger than that, both literally and figuratively. I HIGHLY recommend checking out the battle reports for that game to see how this stuff functions in a real game. It was the biggest game of Pirates ever up to this point, and one of the best games I’ve ever played.
MAJOR SPOILERS for CTO are within this post, so read about the game first if you want. (or just don’t look too hard at the “in action” pictures, and avoid most of the videos XD)
Tools of the trade. Although, the utility knife and large scissors were used far more than anything else. I did try a few “hammer shots” lol, but it just kicked up a ton of the foam beads into the air. In case you’re wondering, that black plastic sheeting was also free. I took it off the top of the pallets we have outside when it covers the mulches and rocks. It came in VERY handy as a foam catcher/workspace/dropcloth for all of the messy work.
Very strong and very thick corrugated cardboard. Had no idea what I would use this for, for a decent amount of time, until I thought about DOCKS!
Captain Mission’s Pirate Kingdom
That big middle chunk turned into an awesome Pirate base…
… but I had to start somewhere. Once I looked at the block from this angle, I knew what I wanted to do. I always try to take what the foam/cardboard is giving me and go from there. So, I thought it could be cool if I hollowed out the middle part for a “cave” type hideout location, with a raised area for troops/defenses higher up where you see the crescent on the left.
The bottom was far less inspiring, but it seemed like a solid idea to create arches on both sides of the enclosed area.
The messy part. Tons of shaving and hacking.
It took a lot to get it less blocky and manmade-looking.
The Kingdom after being blasted with spraypaint. As I said in the CTO thread, I did NOT intend for that “melted” look haha. The paint partially affected the foam a bit to create that on its own. However, some people like it so it worked out fine.
The unfinished Pirate Kingdom from the front. I purposely kept that “pillar” thing in the middle since maybe it could protect ships inside from potential mortar fire/etc. XD At the bottom you can see the ledge I glued on, specifically for a situation that would soon arise….
Showing the double archways:
THE PIRATE KINGDOM IN PLAY! Command the Oceans began with the first of many grand reveals, and the Pirates were up first.
Using the ledge to get some shipwrights onto ships waiting below. That way they don’t have to go inside and experience the traffic jam of gold runners. XD
There’s a decent amount of space inside, especially for a more reasonably sized game:
The ledge was added partly for this reason: perfect for a fortress!
A great place to come home to with Eternal. I think Gollum would like it, rather dark and evil. XD
Over the course of Command the Oceans, it truly became a Pirate Kingdom!
Large enough to sustain considerable operations of a decent-size fleet, with coins, resources, ladders and army units on/inside it as well.
I loved the idea of having this cardboard molding used as a hideout. The openings at the bottom are perfect for submarines, whether they’re underwater or on the surface.
After getting the right cut, I used the spray paint to get it looking more “natural”, almost like a volcanic island with sea caves. As this picture shows, I cut cardboard doors to put in the openings in the “rock”!
The current piece, with Nemo and his Mercenaries operating the doors from within to protect the submarines inside.
Shoot me if you can! The metal doors are resistant to cannon fire.
The doors/openings are the perfect size for keeping submarines safe and keeping ships out!
You can just see some subs entering here. Lightweight and relatively small, it’s easy to take the Sub Hideout off the ocean to get at the stuff inside. For example, I let the Mercenary submarines repair while inside.
The Tunnel
Here is the GIANT piece of foam that was eventually turned into the Tunnel, one of my personal favorites of the project!
The Tunnel! After being cut out, having a fitted piece glued onto the open wall to close it off, and getting spray painted.
The fitted piece was actually the hardest part because it was difficult to make right, with plenty of trial and error finally leading to a decent but not perfect piece that worked well enough for my satisfaction. I LOVED how the Tunnel was not the same on both sides up top – one side has a wall going up from the flat part, while the other is not enclosed and is a sheer drop. The ends were great too since they were also different without me having to do anything. One is a sloped wall while the other is a nice little opening and the perfect spot for a cannon to fire from!
As previewed on my Instagram before CTO even started….
Things got even more interesting when I realized that things could be dropped down from the top. Cutting a very thin piece of screen makes a perfect ladder, which could be used to get supplies or troops from the top to ships waiting below, or vice versa to supply and reinforce a garrison defending the Tunnel!
Inside the Tunnel is dark and foreboding…
I really enjoyed adding to the top of it. After painting it to get a rocky black look, I wanted to make it look more natural with rocks and some sparse grass.
Overall the Tunnel is one of my favorite things I’ve ever made for Pirates.
The Tunnel in play
The top is great as a platform for troops and artillery:
One end shrouded in fog for maximum mystique:
VERY tall inside, to the point where you could comfortably fit multiple 10 masters side by side! This makes the top very difficult to access, which is cool from a logistics perspective.
The Pirates wanted to “tunnel” through the Tunnel!
After much hard work, they finally made it through! O_O
Doesn’t get much more epic than this. A HUGE battle happening INSIDE and around the Tunnel, with the Pirates firing down on the Cursed from the fort they built in the new opening at the top.
Angelica used flamethrower to set the fort alight and burn some of the Pirate infantry!
Overall the Tunnel is very unique to me because I want it to have a “story” as a “legacy piece” that encompasses all the games it is involved in. Command the Oceans was hopefully just the beginning for this epic terrain piece. I have many more ideas with it, so more modifications will take place in future epic games.
This idea was borne from this piece of foam. It originally sat on top of another piece of foam as a sort of box top for the thing inside. However, once I flipped it over and saw how the middle could get punched out (notice the cracks towards the top), my mind was off to the races. I was still unsure of what to do with it for a while, but I took this picture once I had a vague idea. It could be a massive harbor structure with high walls on all sides except for a double entrance at the front! That idea is illustrated here before I did any of the cutting.
I cut out the middle area and did a quick blast-over with paint for the basic premise.
An example of my “workshop” area, showing the concept of a giant jetty/pier going all the way out of the Harbor and into the ocean!
Tunnel and Harbor, two peas of the same pod! XD Before really delving into the Tunnel idea, I really considered a ton of options with the bigger piece here. I nearly left it completely intact so it could be a double tunnel thing with a side alley where a big fleet could be contained within (imagine it upside down). I decided it would be far too boxxy from any angle, but worse, it would be a NIGHTMARE for gameplay unless I developed an elaborate system with multiple removable tops (but I would want things on top during gameplay, which would be difficult with RISK army units and whatnot. In the end, I cut it nearly down the middle and then glued a separate piece to cover the opening of the Tunnel to complete that piece, setting the other big chunk aside for a while.
The Harbor in play
The French had the Harbor as their “home island”/base in CTO, and here you can see the completed dock system (they started with just one dock and bought them for 10 gold apiece) at nearly full capacity:
Overhead view from the back:
Truly a gigantic and amazing piece, I love the modular customizability of it!
I LOVE how the docks are perfect for carnage, debris, and destruction.
An invasion by a hostile nation can SEVERELY complicate things!
With this HUGE piece of foam, I wanted to do something epic with it.
Here you can see it upside down at the upper left with some other stuff:
I cut some of the sides and part of the back out to have 4 ways to get into the huge tall “hall” of sorts. Then I hacked at some of it (mostly the top/upper structure) to get a jagged, sinister look. Then I blasted it with black spray paint because I had decided the height and evilness would be perfect for a Cursed sea dragon roosting area!
The “front” top area, where dragons can nest in the slots:
The Monkey’s Paw sailing into the intimidating structure:
The Roost in CTO!
I love how huge ladders can be dropped down through the holes to put Cursed infantry on unsuspecting enemies waiting below!!
Not in the original form here, these were cardboard protectors for candles or something like that.
Once I thought about flipping them upside down, I thought about making castles!
The bottoms and scraps of those cardboard cutouts used to hold candles or whatever was inside them.
At the right you can see the main Castle that features heavily in Command the Oceans. There’s a ton of great stuff you can do to customize these, similar to the modular nature of the Harbor. Bridges, extra docks, artillery/sharpshooter platforms, roofs, a town/citadel inside, etc. Lots of great possibilities, most of which still need to be explored in future games.
There’s not a ton of space for ships on the inside “harbor” portions of the Castle, but it further suggests the more defensive nature.
A roof over the main command station, or even crazier – a retractable roof that doubles as a bridge to a castle extension!! O_O
The Castle in play
Inside:
I love how the archways going through are low enough to let shorter ships through, but not the bigger ships:
The Americans took over the former Spanish Castle and made it into a base of their own!
So many cool things you can do with something like this. Blast a hole in the wall, station troops and artillery on the walls and ramparts, and set it on fire! XD
Like a sea castle with medieval siege ramifications:
With a Castle extension! O_O
With a “moat” or bridge high enough for tall ships to pass underneath!
With enough time and resources it could become a sprawling fortress of epic proportions:
Broken Horn Island
At first I was excited about Broken Horn Island as one of my easily made customs, but I didn’t like the way it turned out and I may put more effort into it after the game to make it a little better. It’s a sloped piece of foamy material (not at all like the regular foam though, way stronger, almost impossible to cut, and not as beady/messy) that held screwdrivers so I left some of those holes and just put stuff I found in my childhood in place of them. I cut a slope down to the water level where ships can now dock.
The island is pretty large, and I might edit it more in the future. The Cursed used it as a resource island/gold island, the latter due to the Gold Ship.
Icewrecks
These are icebergs with shipwrecks attached to them – in Command the Oceans, the ships were Cursed and still “possessed”, meaning the Cursed could move the icebergs S in the direction they wanted, rather than a random direction.
This is how I reused some of the wrecks from my Economy Edition game, at the left you can see a broken 4 masted galley icewreck driving a regular iceberg into the Clear Wind:
These work great in games and add a nice 3 dimensional aspect to things:
(wood cracking and splintering sound)
A lot of cardboard cylinders could be used for making lighthouses. The ones used for paper towels and toilet paper are a bit wide, but could still work. I was able to find some thin cylinders with thick walls. This meant they would be a decent width (still a little too wide to be realistic), but punching holes in the sides for “light” and windows proved somewhat difficult without ruining the small structures.
To get the windows, I usually started with a small screwdriver and sometimes widened it after with unopened scissors. Gets a little gnarly inside, but the exterior ends up looking decent.
Nobody wants a hollow lighthouse with rain pouring in, so I had to figure out a practical idea for tops. I traced a line with pencil on the thinnest corrugated cardboard I have, then cut the circle out. Some of the roofs fit better than others but it works well enough! This also allows for fun things like hiding coins in the lighthouse during games, or perhaps something even more fun….
The French introduced the first lighthouse in Command the Oceans, on an island made years ago by RossinAZ.
Blue striping makes it a good option for a French or American lighthouse. A bit stocky/stubby, but small enough to fit on an island and not look obscene.
I used an L-range straw from the lighthouse to simulate the effect of the ability:
The Pirates built a black lighthouse of their own on another of RossinAZ’s custom islands. (ISLAND NOT MADE BY ME, NOT PART OF MY ENTRY!)
I made sure to make each one slightly different between height/paint/width/windows. The black one also has a depressed roof.
One of my favorite pictures from Command the Oceans, Google Photos edited the coloring on this one for me for some reason.
Minor additions
I also used some old rocks in Command the Oceans, though even this one could hardly be considered “custom terrain”. No need to factor these into your voting on my entry, but they were glued together during the contest period. XD
Luck Island (rocks with holes in them are considered “lucky stones” by some; you can also see a tiny fossil or two)
Top left: Pearl Island
Bottom left: Fish Island
Top right: icewreck
Grand Shots
Some pictures showing more than one of my creations at a time. These really show how large and dominant the pieces are, and how fun and “commanding” they are during gameplay.
The Sea of Allost, showing the Roost, Tunnel, Kingdom, and part of Broken Horn Island. (other islands/terrain not to be considered for the contest!)
Tunnel and Roost! (island in foreground made by RossinAZ, obviously not for my entry)
Here you can see the Tunnel, Kingdom, and Pirate lighthouse:
Kingdom and lighthouse:
With fort:
Kingdom of Heaven?
The Sea of Karkuda, showing the Castle, Hideout, and Harbor. (other stuff in picture (outside of the lighthouse) not to be considered for the contest!)
Along with the lighthouse:
Another angle focusing on the Castle:
So! How much did I spend? Well, approximately $5.18 for the whole project. O_O AKA the spray paint, which is pretty much the only thing I spent money on. Everything else I either already had, or sourced for free.
Sadly I haven’t even used this stuff yet, as almost all of the stuff I made was worked on in August 2017. I used a $20 gift card at Michael’s on some more stuff, but I’ll have to use it another time. Still, I’m even saving money on future ocean/terrain projects!! XD
Huzzah! Hopefully someday there will be an “OTC4”! XD
Viking fleet during the Pirates of the Frozen North 10th anniversary game played in 2017
Pirates of the Frozen North (FN, 2007) saw the Vikings sail into battle aboard their Longships. The Vikings are another very poor minor faction, as they have small fragile ships and have trouble in the gold game. Icebergs were featured as a new terrain option. FN is another slow set, but there are a bunch of very solid game pieces among the mediocre stuff. You can find all of the game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet, and I’ve ranked the Top 10 here.
Ratings
– Art: 3/5. Pretty much all of the longships are interesting, but most of the regular ships are not. The repetitive UT’s and mostly boring named crew don’t help. However, the French and Americans have some very pretty ships, and I think the rather dull look actually fits the theme rather well, keeping the score from being a 2. Though the white look of the cards is also very thematic, it’s hard not to prefer the vibrancy and color of the first 5 or 6 sets in terms of cards.
– Set Quality: 3/5. FN continues the trend of more mediocre ships where MI left off. I’ve noticed that the named crew, UT’s, and LE’s seem either fantastic or terrible. Plenty of playable ships, just not a lot that people prefer to use. In addition, I believe Cadet-Captain Mike proved that this was the slowest set for ship speeds.
– New Content: 1/5. Wow… where do you even start with this one? Icebergs are by far the most obnoxious terrain type – of course they should damage your ships, but moving them at the beginning of each player’s turn has consistently been the most-forgotten aspect of gameplay in my experience. They’re annoying to no end, and they look silly compared to the reefs and sargassos because they would never be flat. Then we have the Vikings, where the historicity of the set comes into question. Many people have lamented the Viking faction even more than the Mercenaries, simply because the timing of their exploits in real life is so far from the Age of Sail. However, I think the Longship keyword takes the cake for worst new content in this set. Viking longships didn’t even carry cannons as far as I know, but here they get the most potent offensive ability in the game just because they have small ships. The Vikings would be far better off with a different version of the keyword while functioning as a swarm nation.
– Collectability/Misc: 4/5. Not much to say here, other than the fact that FN remains one of the pricier sets.
= Overall: 11/20. A decent set strictly from a gameplay perspective. A rather strange direction to take the game in, and the reverse power creep continues.
Pirates of the Mysterious Islands anniversary game, showing a submarine docked at an MI
Pirates of the Mysterious Islands (MI, 2006) featured the new Mercenary faction and introduced Submarines. Honestly it was not a great set, as the artwork seemed dull and the ships were worse than the ones from DJC. In addition, the Mercenaries are the worst of the minor factions since they cannot dock at their own home island! However, you’ll enjoy the set if you like subs and the tie-ins to Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. You can find all of the game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet, and I’ve ranked the Top 10 here.
Ratings
– Art: 3/5. Some boring ships with a small handful of incredible standouts (including those little-known SE’s), along with decent artwork overall. Submarines were the highlight of the set, but they’re very lackluster and even hard to tell apart. I also didn’t enjoy the boring gray cards, though it fits with the Mercenary faction. (perhaps a tropical look would be too much)
– Set Quality: 3/5. The Mercenaries introduce an interesting dynamic to the game, and some of their game pieces have affected fleet-building ever since. Each faction got some solid if unspectacular ships, but plenty of mediocre/boring ships were introduced as well.
– New Content: 2/5. I enjoyed the Mysterious Islands, but some of them can be OP. The Mercenaries have always been the worst faction in the game, and submarines are often either useless or borderline OP (think deathmatches, marines, cancellers, etc). Novelty and excitement barely keep the score from being a 1. (for the second set in a row – when a lot of people can agree that the new stuff stinks, you know things are in decline)
– Collectability/Misc: 2/5. Not entirely collectible, between the low playability and lackluster PR’s (with the exception of the MiaB pack). The miscellaneous score has to suffer as well – this set can be rather boring and hasn’t stood the test of time that well for me. It doesn’t help that this set came out at a bad time – soon after the general brilliance of the “golden age” and when DJC (a superior set) and its sales likely set expectations too high. In addition, I noticed that the ships are generally more brittle than usual, which is especially bad for newer players.
= Overall: 10/20. As godmason said, bad execution. Perhaps more playtesting could have improved the new mechanics.
Factions: The Cursed, Pirates, English, Spanish, French, Americans
Features/New Stuff: The Cursed, Sea Creatures, translucent Super Rares
Ben’s Rating: 14/20
Sea creatures in action against the Pequod, also from DJC!
Pirates of Davy Jones’ Curse (DJC, 2006) is easy to acquire and features the Cursed and their sea monsters. This is when the game marked a dramatic turn from mostly historical content to some fantasy content. In some ways one could argue it was the “beginning of the end” since it drove away some of the player base, but it did attract a younger audience for the sets to come as well. In addition, this set is when the reverse power creep began – meaning that the general effectiveness of game pieces began to decline. The Cursed faction and sea creatures were part of it in this set, but ships also began getting slower in this set. You can find all of the game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet, and I’ve ranked the Top 10 here.
Ratings
– Art: 4/5. The wacky advent of the Cursed highlights an underwhelming set for artwork. However, the crew art, American ships, and SR pack certainly keep the score from being a 3.
– Set Quality: 4/5. This set began the long slow decline of Pirates CSG. A reverse power creep started, and wouldn’t be reversed back until the final set. Sea monsters stink in-game, and the set features more boring ships than previous sets. However, a nice selection of named crew and a few standout ships per faction make it somewhat memorable.
– New Content: 2/5. The Cursed have always been the worst faction of the Big 6, even with their introductory set. Sea monsters have always been overpriced. A large portion of the existing customer base was alienated by the overemphasis on the supernatural and magical elements, which is arguably what started the end. Very close to a score of 1, if not for the inherent “coolness” factor.
– Collectability/Misc: 4/5. A point deducted for the low quality first print runs, but otherwise a fun one to buy. All 6 major factions for the first time, which leads to much collecting. I’m actually glad the Guichuan and LE’s are rare (they should be), and the SE boxes and cool SR pack are great reasons to buy DJC.
= Overall: 14/20. The beginning of the end. The glory days of Pirates were over, with the dark cloud of Cursed madness threatening to take over the beloved game. OK, I’m being too dramatic! Heh, definitely a good set but the reputation is somewhat horrible between how many people left the game soon afterwards and the scratching issues.
Features/New Stuff: Jade Rebels, Junks, first 10 master (Baochuan)
Ben’s Rating: 18/20
Jade Rebellion ships at the 10th anniversary of SCS game in 2016
Pirates of the South China Seas (SCS) is by far the hardest set to acquire, and the first set released in 2006. The Jade Rebellion and their new ship type, Junks, highlighted the set. This is another fantastic set on par with the first three sets, doing extremely well on gameplay, theme, and artwork. Tough to beat, but tough to find. You can find all of the game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet, and I’ve ranked the Top 10 here.
Ratings
– Art: 5/5. Godmason already nailed it: “Huge variety of artwork. Creative, yet keeps the factions distinct.” Very colorful, pretty, diverse. Throw in the crew and UT’s, and possibly the best set for artwork.
– Set Quality: 5/5. Absolutely amazing – as I’ve said before, I’ve fallen in love with this set over the past year and a half or so. The brief return of events can’t even keep it from a perfect 5, especially with the surprisingly good PR’s and the cool SR pack.
– New Content: 5/5. I agree that the Junk and Turtle Ship keywords were somewhat underwhelming, but the Jade Rebellion faction makes up for it. Throw in the first 10 master, and there’s not much to dislike.
– Collectability/Misc: 3/5. The hardest set to collect by far – commons from SCS can be harder to acquire than rares from other sets. It’s simply tough to get, and not quite as much fun to acquire since it will usually cost you a lot. However, this can also make you appreciate the ships more, as you’ll treasure them. The common PR’s make for a truly bizarre rarity distribution, as they can be cheaper than commons!
= Overall: 18/20. Probably my favorite set of the last 2 years, but imperfect due to collectibility problems and the return of events.
(Normally I hate songs with autotune but that song just hits me in a way that no other song has lol) That became my theme song and “anthem” if you will when I thought about making stuff. All corners would be cut, all the monies would be saved and nearly zero dollars would be spent.
So then, how could that translate to saving money on the mammoth project?
(would have spent $8+, instead got it for around $5.50) (I considered trying to get it cheaper somehow or waiting until someone would bring in a defective can or something lol, but wanted to get stuff done so I could start 
