Beginner’s Guide to Pirates CSG

An epic game of Pirates in progress!

Welcome to the world of Pirates CSG! Glad to have you aboard the ship! 😀

This might be a bit overwhelming at first, but it’s meant as a comprehensive Beginner’s guide to Pirates CSG for people who have just gotten started.

Introduction

First off, introduce yourself!

Next, you’ll want the rules for the game. You likely received them in a pack or other purchase, but if not, here they are:
Start Here rules
Complete Game rules
Master Keyword List (very useful to have on hand since your copy of the Complete Game rules won’t have all the keywords in it)

-Alternatively, you can download my Basic Rules, which combine the Start Here and Complete Game rules into one document. However, keep in mind that I’ve made some edits to the rules to make the game more realistic and adding a few house rule tweaks. (House rules are custom rulings that players come up with based on playing preferences and other factors) If you use them, just make sure to tell anyone else that uses them that some stuff has been changed. That said, the changes are generally for the better, so have at it! 🙂

Sometimes the rules won’t cover how to deal with a situation when playing the game. In those cases, you’ll want to have these documents:
The Pirate Code (FAQ/Errata)
Reference Diagrams

-AFTER consulting the various rules documents, if you still don’t have an answer to your question, ask it in the Rules thread (where you can also clarify what violates the No-Duplicates rule and what doesn’t). Luckily for the community, Woelf, the former official Rules Arbitrator for Wizkids when the game was still in production, has remained active! If nobody else can answer your question, he will definitely be able to. (but he’s a very busy man, so give him time to answer!)

If you need any help building the ships, check out this great document: Pirates – Complete Assembly Diagrams (created by E. Kasnick of the Facebook group)

What to Buy + Collecting

This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
Link to “Pirates CSG” general search on eBay + Pirates CSG packs

The cheapest set is Ocean’s Edge. This is a nice starter set between the cost, the diversity of game pieces it offers, and the fact that it has all of the “Big 6” factions.

The first five sets (Spanish Main, Crimson Coast, Revolution, Barbary Coast, and South China Seas) are the most historical, and many people agree that they are the highest quality sets as well, ranking high in various surveys and polls over the years. The sixth set, Davy Jones’ Curse, is where Wizkids began to experiment more with the supernatural with the introduction of the Cursed and sea creatures. The few sets that followed DJC (Mysterious Islands, Frozen North, and Ocean’s Edge) were a mix of historical stuff and plenty of fantasy/less historical stuff such as Vikings and submarines. There were a few design changes in the Pirates of the Caribbean set, where Wizkids partnered with Disney for a movie tie-in set (keep in mind this set only has the English and Pirate factions). The final 3 sets (Rise of the Fiends, Fire and Steel, and Savage Shores) were the most “out there”, with odd ship designs joining the sea creatures and ship speeds and point costs reaching a new low in the reverse power creep (in other words, as sets were released they became less and less competitive with the stuff from the older sets).

In general:
-The older the set, the more historical it is.
-The older the set, the “better” it is (in terms of gameplay).
(There are exceptions to these rules but this is a good guideline)

Hill’s Wholesale Gaming is a great place to buy packs, but eBay is better for specific game pieces, used lots, great deals, and finding rare stuff like 10 masters. You can check out Gladius’ pricing reports or my eBay history guide (auctions only!) to see what things have sold for on eBay in the past.

Pirates CSG has had a great community of traders for many years now. You can make a list of your haves and wants, post them or a link to your collection data, and then reach out to other people in the community. The Buy/Sell/Trade Facebook group helps to facilitate this. I highly recommend trading some of your duplicates to get new game pieces, it has helped my collection a ton!

Playing

So you’re ready to play the game! But where to start? You’ll need a fleet, and some kind of opponent to go up against (which can include yourself playing another fleet).

If you don’t know how to play, you can check out my simple tutorials on youtube:
How to play Pirates Constructible Strategy Game Part 1: Start Here rules tutorial

How to play Pirates Constructible Strategy Game Part 2: Complete Game rules tutorial

Since Pirates is such a wide-open and customizable game, there’s really not a definitive “fleet-making guide”. There are so many options that it would have to be an encyclopedia! 🙂 However, I made a page on my fansite that gives the general information that you’ll want to keep in mind.

You’ll probably want to start at a small build total, such as the standard 40 points, in order to get used to the gameplay mechanics and fleet construction strategy aspect. Over time, you may develop an affinity for a specific faction or handful of factions. My Sets and Factions pages can help you determine which sets to buy and which factions to try out, based on your preferences.

If you’re very unsure of how to make a fleet or want more guidance, you can check out my fleets or search the site for specific build totals, such as 40 points.

When discussing gameplay on the various Pirates sites, there is a lot to know and learn. This page has an acronym list can help you navigate the waters. I’ve also compiled some tips for gameplay, and Cadet-Captain Mike’s page has a TON of great info.

Feel free to post what happens in your games in the Battle Reports thread. (a report does not have to be long or include pictures to be of good quality)

What if I don’t have anyone to play with? What if I don’t have any Pirates stuff right now?

Guess what? You can play remotely with anyone in the world over an online server! Even if you don’t have any physical stuff!

VASSAL is an free, open source engine for running boardgames over an online server. Luckily for all of us, bj_o (their Miniature Trading username) created a module for Pirates CSG! I made a few edits to the module in 2016, which you can find here: VASSAL module

That page has links to download the program and module, as well as a guide to getting started. In addition, I made a tutorial for how to use it.

The module has seen at least 23 players on it since it’s “rebirth” in early 2016. I’m on the module every week, and I’d love to have more opponents, especially for campaign games!

Conclusion

Go forth and plunder, new pirate! 😀

After playing your first game, there is no limit to what you can accomplish. Try out a trade. Collect the rarest of the rare. Seek out admirals in other countries and challenge them to games on the VASSAL module.

For those who want to go deeper into these waters, boy do we have stuff for you! 😀

If you really want to “go down the rabbit hole”, there is an endless amount of content to dive into. Checking out Game Ideas would be a good start. Beyond that, you can give up your soul, as I have done.

Finally, Pirates with Ben might be the best site for Pirates CSG, but it’s not nearly the only one. Check out this page for a plethora of other options, many of which have unique features and community members.

If you ever have a question, just ask.

Thank you for reading. Now go play! 😀

Ranking the Sets

Here are my rankings based on godmason’s criteria, originally posted on Miniature Trading. However, I have some different opinions on how to apply the different categories, which you can tell from my comments. Also, I’m almost treating the Collectibility as /3 and Miscellaneous as /2 for the total of 5 for that score. This is partly to add extra points for overall set greatness, or “likeability”. (Also, I had a little too much fun bashing stuff in the “new content” section, so some of my comments there can be taken with a grain of salt haha)

This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. Feel free to buy from them to help support the site, thanks!

Spanish Main
– Art: 4/5. Great historically-based artwork that set the foundation for how the hulls and decks would look for the rest of the sets. It may look bland nowadays but I’ve always liked the historical theme of Pirates a lot. The cards are the perfect parchment color for the 17th/18th century.
– Set Quality: 5/5. Tons of great ships, most of which are at least playable today. Large numbers of ships per faction meant that each was quite competitive. The standout ships are some of the most beloved and useful in history.
– New Content: 5/5. Tough not to give a 5 here – without this set, there’s no game. Things were fun right from the start, with enough abilities and combos to keep things interesting.
– Collectability/Misc: 4/5. Relatively easy to find, both back then and today. Not extremely difficult to get a full set, and rares were plentiful enough to keep you happy and not get bored with the typical rarity of CCG’s. Loses a point due to the somewhat inferior numbering system used in the first print runs, which becomes more confusing with the Unlimited edition’s release.
= Overall: 18/20. The gold standard and foundation for everything that came afterwards. Still a fan favorite!

Crimson Coast
– Art: 4/5. More nice historical designs, with slightly more flair than SM. Nice red background on the cards.
– Set Quality: 5/5. Large quantity of good or great ships for all main factions. For me, the forts make it from a 4.5 to a 5. Also, some rather memorable UT’s.
– New Content: 5/5. The final entry to the “Big 4”, France was immediately established as a powerhouse faction. Terrain was a HUGE addition, while forts were a great mechanic – very aesthetic and fun, while providing a nice diversion from the usual naval affairs.
– Collectability/Misc: 5/5. Picked up where SM left off with the faction-based checklist. A perfect little introduction to the super rare concept, and plenty of fantastic commons and uncommons for people with less money to spend. Almost loses a half point due to the cards seeming to fingerprint easily, but perhaps that’s just my experience.
= Overall: 19/20. I actually prefer SM, but CC could be considered a more “perfect” set.

Revolution
– Art: 5/5. Absolutely agree with godmason above – simply fantastic!
– Set Quality: 4/5. The “best” set for gameplay, but unfortunately it was plagued by a small handful of OP (and arguably game-breaking) pieces. Also, I haven’t seen it discussed much, but the small Spanish representation and lack of inspiring named crew don’t help.
– New Content: 4/5. The Americans are the highlight, with events as the lowlight. Another batch of interesting UT’s and the SR pack help make things interesting.
– Collectability/Misc: 4/5. Collectibility gets a 3/3 here, but a point is lost due to the overall “likeability” being lower than SM and CC in my opinion. Indeed, the named crew options are rather atrocious for 3 out of the 5 nations, while the massive mistake that was events has not been fully corrected (banhammer please).
= Overall: 17/20. The favorite of many old-school players, and for good reason. The reasons listed above keep it from being the best set ever.

Barbary Coast
– Art: 5/5. Tons of great artwork – the Barbary Corsairs are arguably the prettiest faction, while the crew art feels very thematic.
– Set Quality: 4/5. The Corsairs are the strongest minor faction in the game and arguably better overall than the Cursed, one of the eventual Big 6 factions. Many other quality ships from the other factions, and the set feels very balanced overall – a return to normalcy after some problems in RV. However, the lack of the Pirate faction and (for me at least) the lack of any larger (4 or 5 masted) square rigged ships hold this set back from being a standout.
– New Content: 4/5. Corsairs and galleys are welcome additions, but sometimes the set feels rather lackluster, especially in comparison to the first 3 sets. However, the combination of good named crew, fun UT’s, an awesome SR pack, and new editions of SM crew make up for the set being a little boring.
– Collectability/Misc: 3/5. The Corsairs hogged almost all of the rare ships, while the cardboard crew PR’s were somewhat obnoxious and bizarre after the already-established crew chips. IMO, this set feels like the least likable of the first 5, so it loses a point for miscellaneous/intagibles as well, partly due to the above deficiencies.
= Overall: 16/20. Interesting and cool, but doesn’t stand the test of time as well as SM/CC/RV.

South China Seas
– 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.

Davy Jones’ Curse
– 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.

Mysterious Islands
– 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.

Frozen North
– 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.

Ocean’s Edge
– 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 last year.

Caribbean
– 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.

Rise of the Fiends
– 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.

Fire & Steel
– 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 provide an interesting twist to the game.
– 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.

Savage Shores/Return to Savage Shores (latter not released but found here)
– 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. RtSS is sort of included since it’s so similar.

Best to Worst:
19/20: Crimson Coast
18/20: Spanish Main
18/20: South China Seas
17/20: Revolution
16/20: Barbary Coast
16/20: Savage Shores/Return to Savage Shores
14/20: Davy Jones’ Curse
12/20: Caribbean
12/20: Ocean’s Edge
11/20: Frozen North
11/20: Rise of the Fiends
10/20: Mysterious Islands
10/20: Fire and Steel

Compared to my original or “favorites” list, CC jumps to the top spot! As I expected the top 4 are all very close, with the “perfection” of CC and the flaws of RV narrowly keeping them from a 4-way tie. SS climbed ahead of DJC, while FN and MI dropped a bunch. Very interesting. It will be interesting to see how my favorites change over the years, and if I edit any of the ratings to reflect more comprehensive experience with the sets.

Information and Stats

-Check out the Informational category and the Useful tag for a lot of helpful information and stats about Pirates CSG! To find past information from Miniature Trading that is no longer available, check out this post.

RULES
Full credit goes to those who created and uploaded the documents at BoardGameGeek. (The pdf’s will open in a new tab, no need to download)
Start Here Rules
Complete Game Rules
Master Keyword List
The Pirate Code (FAQ)
Reference Diagrams

If you consult those documents and still have Rules questions, try the Rules thread. (where you can also find the No Duplicates List in the second post)

Wizkids Organized Play Comprehensive Tournament Rules (from January 2008)

GAME PIECES
Pirates CSG Master Spreadsheet (shared Google Sheet)
Pirates CSG Master Spreadsheet (.xlsx file download)
Other database resources: Tilorfire27’s online database; PSMList; jetmoto-1996‘s Full Catalog (+ PDF link)

How to Build the Ships – Complete Assembly Diagrams courtesy of thunderbros
–PDF document with official diagrams, created by Cameron Neill of the Facebook group.

Pirates on eBay history – A spreadsheet with auction prices dating back to around 2011 for many of the rarest Pirates CSG game pieces, along with pack price averages and data on complete sets and numerous other categories.

Number of sets released: 13

Number of unreleased sets: 1 (Return to Savage Shores)

Release schedule

Pirates of the Spanish Main: June 2004
Pirates of the Crimson Coast: March 2005
Pirates of the Revolution: June 2005
Pirates of the Barbary Coast: October 2005
Pirates of the South China Seas: February 2006
Pirates of Davy Jones’ Curse: May 2006
Pirates of the Mysterious Islands: November 2006
Pirates of the Frozen North: February 2007
Pirates at Ocean’s Edge: April 2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: November 2007
Rise of the Fiends: January 2008
Fire and Steel: April 2008
Savage Shores: November 2008

Set symbols can be seen on the expansion search at PSMList.

There is also a wealth of information at the Wikipedia page.

Common Abbreviations and Acronyms

CSG: Constructible Strategy Game (term coined by Jason Mical)
MT: Miniature Trading (The most active and useful site for Pirates CSG from the game’s end in late 2008 until MT’s closure on July 1st 2019)
BGG: BoardGameGeek

Sets (these sometimes have “Pot” in front of them for “Pirates of the…”; also CS: Cursed Seas)
SM: Spanish Main
CC: Crimson Coast
RV: Revolution
BC: Barbary Coast
SCS: South China Seas
DJC: Davy Jones’ Curse
MI: Mysterious Islands
FN: Frozen North
OE: Ocean’s Edge
PotC: Pirates of the Caribbean
RotF: Rise of the Fiends
F&S: Fire and Steel
SS: Savage Shores
RtSS: Return to Savage Shores

Pirates community
FC: Fleet Challenge
MR: Miniature Review
MRC: Miniature Review Contest
CCM: Cadet-Captain Mike

Rules
PC: The Pirate Code (also known as simply the Code)
MKL: Master Keyword List
CGR: Complete Game Rules
SHR: Start Here Rules

Gameplay
HI: Home Island
WI: Wild Island
MI: Mysterious Island
UT: Unique Treasure
CG: Campaign Game/Cumulative Game
BR: Battle Report

Abilities (these are unofficial)
EA: Extra Action (Once per turn, roll a d6. On a 5-6, this ship may be given an extra action.)
SAT: Same Action Twice (same as Born Leader) (Once per turn before you give this ship an action, roll a d6. On a 5 or 6, this ship may be given the same action twice.)
SAC/Sac: Sacrifice Action (Once per turn, you can eliminate one of this ship’s crew to give her an extra action.)
AA: Admiral’s Action (Once at the beginning of each of your turns, roll a d6. On a result of 6, any ship in your fleet may be given two actions that turn.)
Reroll: Once per turn, you can reroll any die roll you make for this ship; you must use the second die roll result.
WH: World Hater (This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls against any [non-faction] ship.)
Canceller: Once per turn, one crew or ship within S of this ship cannot use its ability this turn.
HI raider: home island raider (This ship may dock at an enemy home island and load one treasure. If able, she must leave on your next turn.)
BA: Broadsides Attack

More Ability Abbreviations (these are unofficial)
-Some of these are more commonly used than others.

Reverse Captain: After this ship resolves a shoot action, she may move as a free action.
S-Board: As part of a move action, this ship can initiate a boarding party against a ship up to S away from her, without having to ram. The boarded ship can’t use any boarding bonuses.
Crew Killing: Once per turn when this ship hits an enemy ship, also eliminate one crew from that ship.
Cargo Wrecking: When this ship hits an enemy ship, you may also eliminate one cargo from that ship.
Massacre: If this ship succeeds at a boarding party, she can eliminate all of the other ship’s crew.
Sniping: You may double the range of this ship’s cannons each turn, but you must roll a 6 to hit.
Crew Protect: This ship’s crew cannot be eliminated unless she sinks.
Doctor: When another face up crew on this ship would be eliminated, turn it face down instead.
Island treasure trading: After looking at treasure on a wild island, you may trade any one treasure from that island for a random treasure on any other wild island. This ship must load the traded treasure.
Ship treasure trading: Once per turn, if this ship carries treasure and is within S of an enemy ship, you may randomly trade one treasure with that ship.
Possession: If an enemy ship is within S of this ship, you can use this ship’s action for the turn to try to possess a target crew on that ship. Roll a d6; on a result of 6, the target is immediately assigned to this ship. Its nationality changes to match the nationality of this ship.
S-Explorer: Once per turn, if this ship is within S of an island, you can mark the island as explored without docking at it. The island becomes unexplored in regards to all other players.
Gold Capture: If this ship wins a boarding party, she may capture the crew with the highest point cost instead of eliminating it. A captured crew becomes cargo worth its point cost in gold when unloaded at your home island.
Fog Hopper: If this ship ends her turn in a fog bank, on her next turn she may use her move action to move out of any other fog bank in play.
UT Hoard: Once per turn, if this ship is touching another ship, reveal all face-down treasure aboard the other ship. This ship can take as much unique treasure from the other ship as she can carry.
HI Hoard: This ship may dock at an enemy home island and take as much treasure as she can carry. If able, she must leave on your next turn.

Pokéship: A non-historical ship type that resembles a Pokémon. (Examples)

Rulesets
EE: Economy Edition
CotE: Century of the Empires
WMG: World Map Game

CG#: VASSAL Campaign Game 1, 2, 3, etc.

More Stats

Total number of ships released: 1,022 (according to CCM’s fansite)

Total number of crew released: 767

Game pieces per set, with some discrepancies.

Stats from playing

Summaries and links to the battle reports of all of these huge games can be found on this page.

Results of all the huge games Xerecs and I have played over the years.

Results of the huge games Xerecs and I have played over the years.

Most of the following fleets can be found in my Fleets section or in this Google Drive folder.

The best fleets of all time as of 12/31/2017.

Ben’s Personal Stats

Here are my stats from Miniature Trading, which closed down on July 1st 2019.

My numbers updated through the end of 2018

Posts at Miniature Trading by month as of May 2018.

Merit points at Miniature Trading by month as of May 2018.

Plays by month over my Pirates career. Click to see some Battle Reports!

Feel free to comment below your thoughts on how I could improve the Information and Stats page!

Play virtually with VASSAL

VASSAL

VASSAL is a computer program that allows users to play on and build modules for board games. Using an online server, you can play with anyone in the entire world with the Pirates CSG VASSAL module!

Get the VASSAL program and the latest Pirates CSG module HERE!

The official VASSAL website will have the latest version of the VASSAL program (the zip folder currently has the 3.2.17 version).

Cawley333 also shared some VASSAL assets including sea creature types that can be implemented into existing Pirates CSG modules. (full details in the forum post)

How to extract files from a .zip folder.

Check out my informative VASSAL tutorial:

3 campaign games have already been completed on the VASSAL module, with 2 more currently ongoing (the Caribbean game and CG4). Check out the videos below for the epic fun to be had on VASSAL! (scroll through the playlist to see them all)

Check out these VASSAL files you can use for playing specific scenarios:

Find some information and resources for editing the Pirates CSG module HERE.

Faction numbers for making ships: Americans=1, Barbary Corsairs=2, Cursed=3, English=4, French=5, Jade Rebellion=6, Mercenaries=7, Pirates=8, Spanish=9, Vikings=10, Dutch=11.

And finally, my original post on Miniature Trading from late 2015, since edited:

VASSAL

the Pirates module

(try this one if that module doesn’t work)

If for some reason you want the “middle” module that has the World game territories, you can find that here.

~~~~~

Well, I PM’d lord_denton about unlocking the old Pirates CSG VASSAL module thread, but to speed things up:

The VASSAL module has been reborn!

This is a megapost. I’m hoping that people check this thread a lot, because I’ll definitely continue to post here even if it directly follows my previous post.

I thought I’d start with this. After corresponding with B.J. over the past day or so, I got his permission to share part of his email:

bj_o wrote:

As for modifying the module, I have no problem with that if anyone can figure it out. Vassal isn’t the most user friendly program. The module isn’t compiled or anything like that, so anyone should be able to edit it as-is. Vassal has gone through a couple of versions since this was created, but I don’t think that will cause any issues.

I doubt I’ll return, since there’s really not much I can contribute, but thanks!

This is great news that apparently anyone can make edits to the module! Now it will be up to us to do so and improve it.

Alright, here is the best sort of “Easy Startup Guide” I can do:

1. Download VASSAL and the Pirates module.
2.

el_cazador wrote:

From Vassal, you must use File>Open Module> (wherever you have bj_0’s .zip file)>the .zip folder. Vassal should recognize and load it.

3. VASSAL is now open. The Welcome screen doesn’t appear to have its own window that you can minimize. You can create a username and password.
4.

VASSAL User Guide wrote:

Select Play Mode: Under Select play mode, select one of the following:
a. Start a new game offline: choose this option for beginning an email game, playing
solitaire or hotseat, or to edit a module.
b. Look for a game online: to play on the Server or peer-to-peer.
c. Load a saved game: to play a previously saved game, or to review an email game log.

We’re generally going to go with the middle option. Solitaire games would be the first option, while I would assume that the third option could work for campaign games that are saved.

5. Now you should be in the Main Room.

VASSAL User Guide wrote:

To join a game on the Server,
1. In Module Manager, in the
Module Library window,
double-click the module you
want to play. The Welcome
Wizard opens.
2. In the Welcome Wizard,
under Select play mode,
choose Look for a game
online, and then follow the
other Wizard steps as the module requires.
3. On the Toolbar, click Connect.
4. On the right side of the screen, the Active Games window opens. The Active Games window
displays the Main Room for the module, which is the default location for all players who are not currently in a game, and any active game rooms under that. Only rooms running the current module
are displayed. The number of players is displayed in parentheses.
5. Double-click the name of the game room you wish to join.
6. If prompted, enter the password for the room. (This password is generally different from your Vassal
password.)

I hope that helps! You can also private message other users on the same module, which was helpful to el_cazador and I when trying to get the game set up. However, once the game starts, it’s easier to just use the chat at the top of the window, which is where the game transcript thread came from.

In terms of Pirates, the setup gets easier. Go to File at the top left, and then choose an Ocean Layout. It’s helpful to adjust the top panel and drag it up so you can see more of the water. At the top of the window, there are numerous command buttons, and the telescopes are very useful. They can be used for a basic zoom in and out, but the middle one allows you to fit the game to different percentages. Also very useful, the button to the right of the telescopes (looks like a map) allows you to see an “overworld” view of the entire game in a smaller box, regardless of how much zoom there is on the overall game.

To the left of the zoom buttons, there is a camera button where you can save snapshots of the game. You could also use a Snipping Tool to grab screenshots of the zoomed in details.

The question mark to the left of the camera button brings you to B.J.’s help guide, which is very useful when you’re starting out.

The treasure chest button allows you to have a “locker” where you can flip coins over without other players seeing them. Other than that, there is some transparency in the game – you can keep your crew “hidden”, but other players can still flip them over. Also, when crew are hidden, their names still appear below the crew chip, as long as you’ve defined their properties.

bj_o wrote:

Setup
-Placing Islands
The islands are available within the game piece palette (“ship” button) on the “Terrain” tab. Just drag and place them where you want them, rotating if necessary. After placement, islands cannot be selected unless you SHIFT+CLICK on them.
-Placing Treasure
Each player can drag the coins they want from the game piece palette. Unique treasure must have its properties (CTRL-P) defined before placing them on the islands. Once all players have selected their coins, make sure they are all showing the backs and not the values (flip if necessary with CTRL-F). Then one player can select all the coins and stack them (CTRL-S), which send them all to a stack in the upper left corner. A player can then pull coins off one at a time and place them on different islands.

Also, you can edit a ship’s properties in the pieces window before it’s introduced to the game. In this way, you can eliminate masts and start fires before it even shows up in the ocean, making my fireship idea even more intriguing. Also, forts can be on fire too!

I think I’m going to slowly start investigating how to edit the module (Designer’s Guide), and any help would be greatly appreciated! I’d love to add some more ship types.

Example of a small game being played on the Pirates CSG VASSAL module

Factions

Factions in Pirates CSG

In Pirates CSG there are 10 different factions, which are also referred to as nations or sometimes countries. The “major factions” are the Big 6 – English, French, Spanish, Pirates, Americans, and Cursed. The other four factions are generally known as the “minor factions” because they were (mostly) only around for one set and therefore don’t have nearly as many ships and crew as the Big 6.

Within the Big 6 there is a Big 4 (English, French, Spanish, Pirates) and a Big 5 (Big 4 plus the Americans). This isn’t too important, but the Cursed are not nearly on par with the Big 5 and the Americans aren’t as strong as the Big 4.

This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. Feel free to buy from eBay to help support the site! Thank you!

Major Factions

English

The English are the best fighting faction in the game, reminiscent of the real-life Royal Navy. They were introduced in the first set and therefore have more ships than most other factions, giving them a ton of options. The English do have some good gold runners, but it’s much easier to find English gunships. They also have a lot of named crew options, making them a powerful force to be reckoned with.

My English fleet at the 2014 Fleet Review.

French

The French are one of the most balanced factions in Pirates, excelling at both grabbing gold and sinking enemy ships. They are similar to the Spanish in this regard, although the French prefer boarding more than most other nations.

The colorful and beautiful French fleet.

Spanish

The Spanish, like the English, have been around since the first set and are one of the best factions to play as. I find them to be better at getting gold than fighting, although they do both very well. The Spanish also have a lot of cool crew and a large number of ships that give +1 or +2 gold bonuses, which is very valuable in both small and large games.

My Spanish fleet: lots of red, orange, and crosses.

Pirates

Pirates is the name of the game, so it should come as no surprise that the designers made the Pirates the best faction. They have more ships and great named crew than any other faction. The Pirates often have ships that are similar to those of other nations, yet they have them at a lower cost. They are the best faction for running gold and one of the best fighting factions.

The Pirates are both the best faction and the most numerous.

Americans

The Americans got off to a strong start in RV and received more great ships in BC and SCS. Although America is one of the best fighting factions, they lack fast ships with large cargo holds that can grab gold. SS partly made up for this deficit, but America could still use some better gold runners. American ships are often more expensive than similar ships of other nations, making them the hardest faction to play as out of the Big 5 (the 5 factions discussed so far).

The Americans are here!

Cursed

The Cursed are one of the hardest factions to play. Their ships are typically slow and expensive with large cargo holds. Speed is huge in Pirates CSG, and the Cursed have a need for speed. There are some exceptions, but most of their ships struggle to keep up with the gold ships from other factions. The Cursed are one of the most interesting factions when you consider all of their sea monsters, some of which are quite playable and a lot of which are not. They also possess a high number of expensive and devastating named crew, although most of them are better used in higher point games (80+) than the standard 40 point format.

The Cursed have the most sea creatures of any faction.

Minor Factions

Barbary Corsairs

The Barbary Corsairs were only featured in one set (BC – affiliate link), but it was a grand opening as they received no less than 38 ships in that set alone, partly because BC was the only set that didn’t feature the Pirate faction. The Corsairs are the best of the “minor factions”, with a lot of great gold ships and a fair number of solid support ships that can fight adequately.

The Corsairs’ only ship type is the galley.

Jade Rebellion

The Jade Rebellion was the feature faction in the South China Seas set (affiliate link), much like the Corsairs in Barbary Coast. They’re better at fighting than running gold, but they’re solid at both. They don’t have a high quantity of ships, but fortunately they make up for it with high quality ships and without doubt the best set of named crew of any minor faction.

The Jades are colorful and beautiful!

Vikings

The Vikings were only present in the Frozen North set (affiliate link), and they’re almost exclusively a brawler, with many slow ships and the powerful Longship keyword, which gives you two shots per mast instead of one. The Vikings suffer from slow speeds, small ships (nothing bigger than 3 masts), and a lack of good named crew. They are still a dangerous foe, but not the biggest threat to win the game.

The Vikings with their longships.

Mercenaries

The Mercenaries (or Mercs, mostly present in the Mysterious Islands set (affiliate link)) are the least playable faction in Pirates. The Mercenary keyword prevents a ship from docking at its own home island (HI), which severely cripples their gold game. At least one canceller is needed to make a pure-Mercenary fleet viable, unless you use one of the two ten masters that came out in Savage Shores. These huge ships have the Dories keyword, letting them unload cargo if they’re within S of their home island. Beyond their flaws, the Mercenaries are an average faction with a fair share of solid gunships and interesting named crew.

The Mercenaries are arguably the most unique faction.

Sets

Wizkids released a whopping 13 sets in just 5 years of production. Here you can find some general information and my opinions on them, as well as links to purchase if they suit your fancy.

You can see my detailed set rankings here, which is where my ratings below come from.

This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. Feel free to buy from the eBay picture links to help support the site! Thank you!

Click to buy Spanish Main!

In 2004, Wizkids launched the Pirates of the Spanish Main product line. The first set introduced three factions – Pirates, English, and Spanish. Spanish Main (SM) was the first set I bought and it is still my favorite set. If you like the basics of the game, a limited number of factions, and a more historical set than most of the others, this is the set for you.

My rating: 18/20

Click to buy Crimson Coast!

The second set came out in 2005 – Pirates of the Crimson Coast (CC). This set introduced the French, the Schooner ship type and forts. This is another classic set with a TON of great ships and crew. It can also lay claim to the title of “most perfect set”, as it got the highest rating from me when ranking all the sets. It also has the lowest number of votes for “least favorite set” in the Pirates CSG Survey.

My rating: 19/20

Click to buy Pirates of the Revolution!

Pirates of the Revolution (RV) came out in 2005 as well, featuring the introduction of the American faction. Revolution is sometimes considered the “best” set, with fast ships and some of the most usable ships in the game. RV also marked the first time Events were used, as well as new tins with varying artwork. One of the most historical sets, it’s also a favorite of American fans.

My rating: 17/20

Click to buy Pirates of the Barbary Coast!

Pirates of the Barbary Coast (BC) was the last set from 2005. The Barbary Corsairs and their Galleys gave players the best “minor faction” to use. This is another set with some historical tie-ins, and the only set without the Pirate faction. Overall the set is very balanced and playable, but not quite as exciting as the sets released just before and after it.

My rating: 16/20

Click to buy South China Seas!

Pirates of the South China Seas (SCS) is the hardest set to acquire due to its rarity, 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.

My rating: 18/20

Click to buy Davy Jones’ Curse!

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.

My rating: 14/20

Find the Mysterious Islands on eBay!

Pirates of the Mysterious Islands (MI, 2006) featured the new Mercenary faction and introduced Submarines. 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’s20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

My rating: 10/20

Click to buy Frozen North!

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.

My rating: 11/20

Click to buy Ocean’s Edge!

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.

My rating: 12/20

Click to buy PotC on eBay!

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) plagues the set. Great idea, imperfect execution.

My rating: 12/20

Click to buy Rise of the Fiends!

Rise of the Fiends (ROTF, 2008) signaled 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.

My rating: 11/20

Pirates CSG Fire and Steel pack Sets artwork

Click to buy Fire and Steel!

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.

My rating: 10/20

Pirates of the Cursed Seas Savage Shores Scavenger Pack Box

Follow this link to find the Savage Shores!

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. 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.

My rating: 16/20

Why was Savage Shores so small? Wizkids intended to release Return to Savage Shores soon afterwards, but they were shut down by Topps only a few days after Savage Shores was released in the heat of the financial crisis.

Gameplay

Playing the game

Tips for playing:

Generic crew on a deckplate card.

Generic crew are the backbone of any fleet. You’ll find out early on that captains, helmsmen, and explorers rule this game. It can be better to field a simple fleet using at least one of these crew on all of your ships than using complicated or expensive named crew. Here is a downloadable spreadsheet that has generic crew chips you can print and cut out to use if you don’t have enough of the actual crew for gameplay. You can also grab my generic crew abilities reference sheets and print them out so players have a handy reference on the most basic crew abilities.
Don’t always go for the nearest islands. Your opponent isn’t likely to grab gold from the islands near your home island (HI), since it’s in your territory. Take advantage of your fastest ships and take treasure from islands that are further away, but be careful that they’re not sunk because you were too aggressive.
It may be tempting to capture an enemy ship and use it against them, but carefully consider the possibilities. Smaller games don’t take very long, making capturing a difficult strategy to pull off. If you can grab a derelict treasure runner that’s near your HI, go ahead and do so, but towing an opponent’s monster gunship from far away can impede on more important tasks.
The first shot of any engagement is very important, since it can often leave the other ship at a considerable disadvantage if the action lasts more than one turn. This is why you’ll want not just captains but also helmsmen on pretty much all of your gunships, to make them faster and more maneuverable. In addition, the faster your gunships are the faster they’ll be able to take down enemy gold runners.
Don’t overrate the effects of terrain. Terrain, with the occasional exception of icebergs (which can move around), is very easily avoided in most games. If you want to make terrain more relevant, consider stringing it together in chains and rings around islands instead of following the standard rules, which say that there must be S distance between all terrain.
The farther the islands are apart, the more important speed is. However, the game is often more exciting and hard-fought when the islands are placed closer together, so experiment and try placing islands closer than 3L apart.
There are a few exceptional abilities that you should be aware of. A canceller is a crew that lets you cancel an enemy ability on a ship within S of the cancelling ship, which is probably the best ability in the game excluding generic crew. Crew that give extra actions on die rolls or through sacrificing crew (usually referred to as “sac captains”) are hugely important, since they give gunships the ability to move and shoot twice, doubling their range and overall firepower. Combining the EA and SAT abilities (which rely on die rolls) with rerollers is particularly effective. Abilities that give +1, or better yet +2, value to one of your gold coins can win you the game, especially if you manage to get the bonus on multiple coins. As for combat, the “world-hater” ability gives you +1 to your cannon rolls, essentially lowering them by one rank. This can make gunships even more deadly, since using a world-hater on a ship that already has rank 2 cannons means that your cannons hit on everything except for a 1, which automatically misses anyway.
The fantasy elements of Pirates CSG are generally overpriced. Sea monsters, scorpions, switchblades, and bombardiers are all fun to use, but they are also very expensive for what you get.
If you go into a game with a specific strategy in mind, be very prepared for it to fail. Remember that in Pirates, “everything that can go wrong will go wrong.” When using complex strategies or combos, it’s best to try them out in large games so you still have points left over for gold runners and aren’t relying on just one combo to win. You’ll have games where you win despite not succeeding at your original plan. Then there will be games where you play the way you want, and still lose. Such is life on the high seas!
Remember that gold wins this game, so be wary of going too heavy on the gunships unless you’re prepared to lose the gold race. It’s very possible to sink the entire enemy fleet but still lose the game.
Have fun! Once you’ve tasted victory through more “standard” gameplay tactics, you’ll develop a desire to win in more unorthodox and unpredictable ways.

For reference, the rules:

Start Here Rules

Complete Game Rules

Master Keyword List

The Pirate Code (FAQ)

Reference Diagrams

A game of Pirates CSG in action!

Building a Fleet

In Pirates CSG, there are a multitude of different strategies that you can use to win games. There are a few basic strategies that are integral to winning often, but once a player is used to them it becomes more interesting to win in unorthodox ways.

Gold runner: A fast ship (preferably S+L base move or faster) with enough cargo space (preferably at least 4) for an explorer and a good amount of treasure. Gold runners are often small and inexpensive, although there are plenty of notable exceptions as well. There are many abilities that help out gold runners, but more abilities that help out gunships. Also referred to as treasure runners. Example: Le Bon Marin (you can find her and all other game pieces in the Master Spreadsheet)

Gunship: Usually a larger ship (at least 3 masts) that has accurate cannons (rank 2 is best). The range of the cannons isn’t as important as the rank, but L is better than S. However, some ships can’t be hit by L range guns or are immune within S, so it’s nice to have a mix of both. Like gold runners, gunships also love speed, since it allows them to get the first shot against enemy ships, which is extremely important. It’s also good for gunships to have large cargo holds, since this allows you to pack on a lot of deadly crew. When you factor in their point costs and necessary crew, gunships get expensive in a hurry. Example: HMS Titan (5 masts, all rank-2 cannons, with a built-in Extra Action ability)

Hybrid: A ship that can either run gold or fight, possibly doing both in the same game. There aren’t a ton of great hybrid ships out there, but hybrid ships often have amazing stats – they need enough good cannons to function as a gunship, but still have enough speed and cargo space to grab gold. True hybrid ships often have at least 5 cargo spaces, which would leave 2 spaces available for gold if you add a captain, helmsman, and explorer. Example: Darkhawk II (4 masts, very high cargo, good cannons)

I’ve ranked the top 5 or 10 gunships and gold runners for every faction in the Rankings threads.

Basic fleet design

Balanced fleet: This is the bread and butter of Pirates CSG: at least one ship for getting gold and at least one ship for fighting. The number of ships isn’t important here because it depends so much on the build total used; for example, a 40 point game isn’t likely to feature more than 2 gunships and 2 gold runners, and very well might include just one of each. Since gold is the path to victory, I generally would suggest you use 2 gold runners and 1 gunship in a 40 point game if you have 3 ships, although there are also ships that have large cargo holds that are big enough to run gold and fight. If you have 2 gunships and just 1 gold runner, your gold game will be crippled or nonexistent if an opponent takes out your only runner. Example: Balanced French fleet

Gold fleet: This is a fleet that concentrates exclusively on getting as much gold as possible, disregarding combat. Since gold is so important, these fleets generally fare better than guns-only fleets, but there are some exceptions. Ships in these types of fleets need to be very fast in order to escape the firepower of enemy gunships. In addition to the standard helmsmen and explorer crew that these fleets rely on, there are a lot of “positive UT’s” (unique treasures) that help out your gold runners in their quest for treasure. Either way, a balanced fleet is the way to go in most games, especially as the build total rises. Example: Hai Peng Fort Frenzy (this one is complicated)

War fleet: Comprised of only gunships, these fleets are extremely dangerous but essentially need to sink or cripple every single ship in the enemy fleet before any of their ships get back with gold, because if even one ship gets through, this fleet probably won’t be able to make up the difference. War fleets are often fun to play but hard to win with, although there are some ships that, when paired with certain crew, can make a guns-only fleet competitive. There are a good amount of nasty, what I call “negative UT’s” (unique treasures) that greatly aid in the winning ways of combat-oriented fleets. These UT’s wreak havoc on enemy gold runners when discovered at wild islands, killing crew, stopping ships from moving, and causing major problems. Example: HMS Grand Temple

Other strategies

Swarm: These fleets use a ton of smaller ships to overwhelm the enemy fleets with numbers. Usually light on crew and gold-oriented, these fleets are easy pickings for a huge superfast gunship, but when split up in different directions can be quite effective. Example: Dakmor’s swarm fleet

Boarding: These fleets focus on ramming and boarding to win. There are a lot of different boarding abilities, and some of them are quite useful. However, this strategy gets expensive in a hurry as most of your boarders will need captains and helmsmen to be reliably effective, essentially upping the cost of every ship by 5 points. Boarding can be useful for killing enemy crew, but even more devastating if you manage to take an enemy gold runner’s entire cargo hold of treasure and bring it back to your home island. Example: Small Fry Boarders

Mixed nationality fleet: This is very common, where a player uses ships and crew from more than one faction. This is especially helpful and almost necessary when playing as the Vikings or Mercenaries, who have a lot of trouble gathering gold. There are also a number of “alliance” ideas that make sense, such as the Cursed Pirates or the Franco-Spanish. Either way, remember that you can use ships or crew from any and all nationalities in your fleets, so don’t let a small collection limit your options! Example: American Pirates

Blockade/Home Island Raiding: This is a strategy that is very difficult to pull off. When running a blockade, you’ll have multiple gunships surrounding an enemy HI (home island) in hopes of sinking or capturing their ships when they arrive home with gold. The problem is, if your entire fleet is on blockade duty, your opponent can sail around unfettered as your ships wait all game for them to get back. In addition, it’s tough to cover all entrances to an enemy home island, unless you set up your ships perfectly. Even if you manage to surround it completely, your opponent may have access to mysterious islands, unique treasures, or crew that let them move YOUR ships! If not, your enemy can concentrate their firepower and offensive assault on one side of their island, and as soon as the blockade is broken, gold runners will start docking. This strategy is sometimes combined with home island raiders (HI raiders), which are ships or crew that have an ability that lets them dock at enemy HI’s and steal gold. These abilities are difficult to use because your opponent will often have ships coming and going from their HI, making it hard to get in and out without being attacked. In addition, if you steal an opponent’s gold, they will usually make stealing it back or sinking your raider a high priority. Example: The Best Raiders of Spain (normally you don’t base your whole fleet around this)

Fort and flotilla zone control: This is a strategy that centers around speed at the beginning of the game and defence thereafter. If your ships are fast enough, you can build forts on wild islands, protecting the gold until your gold runners can safely sail it back to your home island. The forts are a great deterrent to enemy ships, and flotillas stationed in strategic positions can further increase the reach of your cannons’ firing arcs, giving your wide swaths of “zone control” until your opponent potentially knocks them out. Note: flotillas don’t affect the base move of a ship as regular towing does, but when towing a flotilla you aren’t allowed to gain the +S bonus from the helmsman ability and other such movement bonuses. Therefore it’s advisable to use flotillas with ships that have high base moves, preferably as high as S+S+S or L+L, with S+L as a minimum. Example: Ultimate Zone Control

Mind Control: This is my favourite “gimmick” strategy. It’s not very viable as a competitive fleet design since it’s so dependent on the luck of the dice, but when executed correctly it’s one of the most fun ways to win. This is more complex than most other strategies, but the basic idea is to use ship, crew, UT, and mysterious island (MI) abilities to move enemy ships to your advantage, giving you “mind control” and move your opponent’s fleet as well as your own. Example: Mind Control

Crew capturing and possession: This is another gimmick fleet that relies on very specific abilities. Captain Davy Jones (from the POTC set) and Wraith (SS version) allow you to “recycle” crew after they’ve been eliminated, giving you access to their abilities. Captain Nemo (MI) allows you to capture crew when you win a boarding party, whereupon they can use their abilities on Nemo’s ship. In addition, there are a handful of crew and ships with the “possession” ability, which allows you to capture an enemy crew on a ship within S if you roll a 6. Finally, there are some crew and ships with the “gold capture” ability, which allows you to capture enemy crew when you board, and then turn them into gold worth their point cost when you unload them at your home island. Any combination of these strategies is difficult to pull off, but as with the Mind Control strategy it’s very fun to attempt. Examples: Crew Recycling 2.0

Underwater fleet: Sea monsters and submarines can submerge, making them virtually invincible to anything other than cancellers and “sub hunters” – an ability that lets the ship shoot at submerged ships within S of the ship. This strategy is tough not because it’s a bad idea, but because sea monsters and submarines are both rather slow and overpriced. There are some sea monsters that are playable, but they can’t carry crew. Most submarines don’t make good gold runners, and no subs have more than three masts, so their offensive output is limited as well. Example: Mercenary Fleet that won a game

Extra Action speed fleets: These fleets use the sac ability (eliminate a crew to gain an extra action), EA (extra action on a 5-6), and SAT (same action twice on a 5-6) abilities to move very fast. This is one of the best strategies out there, as these abilities don’t cost much and give you a lot of bang for your buck. Speed is huge in Pirates, and with multiple ships capable of moving twice in one turn, your chances of winning go up in a hurry. The sac ability is seen as particularly cheap because it doesn’t depend on a die roll and only costs 2 points, but there is no denying its effectiveness. Example: EA Gold Runners

UT-dependent fleets: More for fun games, these fleets are dependent on finding specific unique treasures to win the game through their effects. There are plenty of powerful UT’s, such as Nemo’s Plans, which lets you keep UT’s on your ship that are usually removed from the game after just one use. There is even a UT that lets you bring a Kraken into the game if you roll a 6! Example: Unleash The Kraken!

Fog hopping: Another very gimmicky idea, this strategy uses the handful of ships with the fog-hopping ability. This lets ships go into a fog bank on one turn, and then “hop” and come out of a different fog bank on their next turn! This fleet is particularly interesting when combined with the smokebank/reverse captain strategy, which is often intertwined with HI raiders. This is one of the more complex fleets out there, and it’s tough to use such an expensive and fragile strategy unless the build total is higher than the standard 40 points. Examples: TOoDJ 2nd entry: Cat and Mouse, Fog hopping and smoke dropping

There are other types of fleets too, but this should give you plenty of ideas! Once you’ve got your fleet ready, you’re ready to start playing! In case you want to be better prepared to set sail, here are some tips.

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: Jade Rebellion fleet used for the 10th anniversary of South China Seas game

: My extremely competitive Hai Peng Fort Frenzy fleet

: A mixed faction fleet using various nationalities.

: A Viking fleet in the Frozen North

: Single faction fleet – Spanish (you could even base a fleet on sail or hull colors!)

: A faction and set specific fleet based on sea creatures (Ocean’s Edge Pirates)

Pirates with Ben – About Pirates CSG

What is Pirates CSG?

Pirates Constructible Strategy Game (CSG) is a collectible and constructible board game that was produced by Wizkids from 2004 to 2008, releasing 13 sets (or “expansions”) in a five year period. Topps (who owned Wizkids) shut the game down on November 10th 2008. Since then NECA (National Entertainment Collectibles Association) has bought Wizkids and the Pirates CSG product line from Topps, proceeding to make a cards-only version of the game. Pirates with Ben is the online home of Admiral A7XfanBen, one of the game’s most passionate fans.

One game pack contains everything you need to play (hence the “Game in Every Pack!” slogan): two ships, an island, a card with treasure, and both the simple “Start Here” rules and the “Complete Game” rules. The packs originally sold for $3.99. Wizkids also began making Special Edition boxes and other releases such as Mega Packs and Scavenger Packs in later sets.

The ships come “unpunched” in their cards. Punch them out and build them! Some ships are harder to build than others, but the Start Here rules have assembly pictures for each particular ship or hull type for that particular set. You can also punch out the islands, crew, and treasure, although some players keep their crew (especially named crew, the crew that have unique faces and flavor text) in the cards.

Pirates is similar to a board game but without a board. This is one of the biggest appeals of the game – with no set path to go on like almost all other games have, you can sail wherever you want and do whatever you want! The game is extremely customizable, since you can play games as big or as small as you like. There are so many ships and crew that you’ll never run out of options when building fleets.

Feel free to create a free account to participate in the Forum here at Pirates with Ben! If you’re new to the game, check out my Beginner’s Guide to get started where you can find tutorial videos on how to play.

Below you can find the full rules for the game, in addition to supplemental material that will help when playing. Full credit goes to those who created and uploaded the documents at BoardGameGeek. (On desktop the PDFs will open in a new tab; on a smartphone you may have to hold the link and hit “download link” or open in new tab)

Start Here Rules

Complete Game Rules

Master Keyword List

The Pirate Code (FAQ)

Reference Diagrams

Pirates CSG Master Spreadsheet (shared Google Sheet)

Pirates CSG Master Spreadsheet (.xlsx file download)

Master Spreadsheet with all game pieces on one sheet: shared Google Sheet, .xlsx file download

Other database resources: PSMList, Tilorfire27’s online database