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Version 3.02 29/11/22

Boarders and
Black Flags.

Contents
Boarders and Black Flags.................................................................................
Short Timers.....................................................................................................
What This Is......................................................................................................
What You’ll Need..............................................................................................
Core Rules........................................................................................................
Tests..............................................................................................................
Harsh Mistress...............................................................................................

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Dice That Lie.................................................................................................

The Game.........................................................................................................
Press Gangers Out.........................................................................................
Tales of the Sea.............................................................................................
Play the Game.................................................................................................
Footing Tests.................................................................................................
Lying Phase...................................................................................................
Reinforcements Phase...................................................................................
Rules of Movement........................................................................................
Impacts......................................................................................................
Other Movement Rules..............................................................................
Move Phase...................................................................................................
Rules of Attack..............................................................................................
Within.........................................................................................................
Attack Phase..................................................................................................
Special Phase................................................................................................
Pitch and Yaw Phase........................................................................................
Quarter Asked, Quarter Given.........................................................................
Ending The Game............................................................................................
Count the Booty..............................................................................................
Ongoing Tales..................................................................................................
Ships Clash!...................................................................................................
Spotting......................................................................................................
Cannon Battle............................................................................................
Service and Supply........................................................................................
Supply........................................................................................................
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Service.......................................................................................................
Sewing Sails...............................................................................................
Scenarios.........................................................................................................
Boarding Action.............................................................................................
Hot Chase......................................................................................................
Precious Cartography....................................................................................
Treasure Raid................................................................................................
Terror on the Sea..........................................................................................
Counter Action...............................................................................................
Crew Manifests................................................................................................
Sea Queens.....................................................................................................
Fleet Ability...................................................................................................
Captain: Red Rose.........................................................................................
Captain: Polly Anna.......................................................................................
Crew Section: Riggers...................................................................................
Crew Section: Duelistas.................................................................................
Crew Section: Companions............................................................................
Dead Seas.......................................................................................................
Fleet Ability...................................................................................................
Captain: Sawtooth.........................................................................................
Captain: Charybdis........................................................................................
Crew Section: Skelliwags...............................................................................
Crew Section: Rapskullions...........................................................................
Crew Section: Rotten Roustabouts................................................................
Trillians............................................................................................................
Fleet Ability...................................................................................................
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Captain: Suit 1...............................................................................................

Captain: Baller...............................................................................................
Crew Section: Specialists...............................................................................
Crew Section: Gorgon....................................................................................
Crew Section: Divers.....................................................................................
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Short Timers.
It had been eight months at sea since Billy had been press
ganged onto the Formidable, the ship of pirate hunter Admiral
Jack McGowan, eight months of terrible food and crushing
boredom interspersed by beatings and finally the chance was
coming to work out some frustration. Billy didn’t know much,
but he knew fighting, he knew it was about the man across
from you. He tracked the faces of those on the deck of the
pirate sloop across the ship’s rail as the boarding hooks bit and
the line drew taut, choosing his target. Finally, the distance
narrowed enough to jump the gap. The deck seemed to slope
more than he’d expected, but it didn’t seem too significant an
issue, he kept his eyes on his target and braced to land.
Calico Jack felt the ship lurch as the lines grew taut. They’d
taken a hole that was just above the water line, with that lean
and the swell that was rising they’d be taking in water. He
leaned over and grabbed the nearby rail, looked up and saw a
young man with a fighter’s eyes sailing over the edge of the
deck towards him.
The ship lurched, Billy’s legs went from under him as he landed
and he displayed all the dignity of a cat on an icy pond as he
scrabbled desperately for purchase, skidding across the sloping
deck. Jack watched the young man plummet into the sea,
never to be seen again. First timers were short timers, it’s not
about the man across from you out here, it's about the footing
under you.
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What This Is.

Boarders and Black Flags is a fast-moving asymmetrical
skirmish game simulating ship-to-ship boarding actions in the
age of sail for two players, written by Glenn Ford. It is filled with
chaotic action and should play out in 1-2 hours. Boarders and
Black Flags is a game of buckled swashes and derring-done,
improbable heroics and incredible actions rather than a strict
re-creation of historic clashes. It models the deadly and shifting
environment of a ship at sea where loss of footing or sudden
incoming debris can be far more deadly than a musket ball or
sabre blade.
Players should note that models do not damage each other
directly, clashes and duels never end in direct bloodshed or
visible corpses. Rather, bodies will be smashed into oblivion by
swinging debris or lost overboard. Pirates prefer to let the sea
do the work.
A Match of Boarders and Black Flags will consist of two games,
as players take the part of both defenders and aggressors in
boarding actions. Only after both games will a winner be
decided.
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Acknowledgments and thanks go out to Mike Hutchinson, Joe

Woods and Phil Hawtins for making sure she actually floats.

What You’ll Need.

To get started you’ll need:
 A playing area 24” by 48”, ideally made to look like the
deck of a ship, which will be the Deck.
 Models to represent the elements of a ship and a force of
combatants for each player. Models should be of a
roughly 28mm scale.
 Games will always need structures with 4” by 4”
footprints representing the Powder Store, Cargo
Hold and Captain’s Cabin and 2 structures with 2”
by 2” footprints representing Masts. They will need
four 1” by 1” moveable objects and two 2” by 2”
moveable objects representing crates and debris.
 An opaque (non-see through) cup and five normal six-
sided dice (D6) per player (their “Lying Dice”), plus a
handful of shared D6 (1 is actually enough, but you don’t
want them getting ideas above their station).
 As many “Ready” tokens as each player has crew, to note
Readiness.
 Eight “Searched” tokens to note when things have been
Searched.
 The measuring widget, found on the page XX of this
book. You may wish to stick a copy of it to stiff card and
use it during play, though a measuring tape will work if
you prefer.
 A copy of the ship’s compass from page XX of this book.
 A pen and paper for the defender to secretly note a
terrain piece.
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Core Rules.
Models representing player’s crew are designated “Crew”,
individuals being “Crew members”, Crew members include
Captains and Sailors. Models representing all other features are
designated “Furniture”. Crew and Furniture are “Stuff”.
Crew members have:
 Footing: The likelihood of maintaining stability on the
constantly shifting surface of a ship’s deck, the higher the
better.
 Focus: The ability to strike accurately with a ranged
attack, the higher the better.
 Speed: The number of times a model can move when
running.
Crew members and Furniture that is not “Anchored” have:
 Brute: The ability to strike accurately with a close
combat attack, or defend against one, the higher the
better.
 Size: Designates base size, the damage stuff will do
during an impact and how far it will shove and be
shoved.
o 1 – Up to 1” x 1” base size.
o 2-3 – Over 1” x 1”, up to 3” by 3”.
When taking actions, Crew Members gain +1 Size for each
point of friendly Size in base contact.
Furniture has:
 Stability: This will designate if it moves when shoved or if
the ship’s deck pitches or yaws, Anchored, Stable or
Unstable.
Crew are:
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 Stable if standing.
 Unstable if knocked down.
During the pitch and yaw phase or when shoved:
 Anchored stuff never moves.
 Stable stuff sometimes moves.
 Unstable stuff always moves.
Crew may be Knocked Down, represent this by laying its
model on its side. When a model is knocked down its
controlling player chooses the placement and alignment of the
knocked down model, its new position must at least partially
overlap its previous one and it may not change direction or
alignment until it is stood up again. Knocked down crew can
only attempt knocked down actions, the usual being to stand
up. When a model is stood up it is placed back on its base in a
position and facing chosen by its controlling player, its new
position must again at least partially overlap its previous one.
Bases:
 All models have a designated base:
o In the case of standing crew, the base is the
circular, square or otherwise shaped attached base
keeping it upright.
o In the case of knocked down crew, the entire
footprint of the model counts as its base.
o In the case of furniture or other models without a
base the base is considered to be the footprint of
the model.
 Two models are in “base contact”, or contact, if their
bases are touching, or as close as is practicable.
Losing Sailors:
 If Crew or Furniture ever overlap or move over the edge
of the Deck they are lost at sea and removed from play.
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 If a Crew member is Crushed they are removed from

play.
Where rules contradict, the more specific instance overrules
the more general.

Tests.
If asked to make a “Statistic” Test during a crew’s activation,
roll a D6 and add the crew’s named statistic, a 7 or more is a
success, 6 or less is a failure.
If asked to make an Opposed “Statistic” Test during a crew’s
activation a target will be named, players roll a D6 for each
crew they control that is involved and adds its named statistic,
the highest total is a success, any lower are failures. In the
advent of furniture being a target of an opposed test, the
opponent rolls for the furniture.
During any test the following modifiers apply:
-1 to all rolls for each enemy crew within one inch of the active
crew, other than the target.
+1 to all rolls for each friendly crew within one inch of the
active crew.
The steps for a Check or Test are:
 Roll dice.
 Lie (See below).
 Apply modifiers.
 Resolve dice.
 Apply results.

Harsh Mistress.
If there is ever a debate or disagreement about the
interpretation of the rules, ranges or anything else, the
interpretation that results in the most crew being crushed,
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knocked down or moved, in that order is the correct one. When

this rule is invoked, a sad shake of the head at the fallen and
an acknowledgement that the sea is, indeed, a harsh mistress
is suitable.

Dice That Lie.

At the start of each round, during the lying phase, players place
five dice in their cup, shake and drop it upside down onto the
tabletop, those dice are then available for the rest of the round
as Lying Dice. Players may look under their cup at any time. If
a cup is dislodged by a player during a round it should be
retrieved and placed over as many of its dice as possible
without including any extra dice, or moving any dice. If dice are
revealed, or cannot be covered by the cup, so be it. In the
unfortunate case of a player dislodging their opponent’s cup,
the player who dislodged the cup loses their lying dice for the
rest of the game.
Whenever a player rolls during a Test there is a “lie” step after
dice are rolled during which players may lie if they wish to,
consisting of the following steps:
 Indicate, simultaneously.
 Select, simultaneously.
 Active player:
o Claims.
o Is Judged.
o Resolves.
 Non-active player:
o Claims.
o Is Judged.
o Resolves.
Players Indicate together at the start of the lie step by touching
their cup if they intend to lie. If a player does not wish to lie,
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they should raise their hands to indicate, if both players raise

their hands, move on to the apply modifiers step of the test.
To Select, firstly if a player who has indicated an intention to lie
has rolled more than once dice during the test, they indicate
the one they rolled which they wish to replace. They then look
under their cup and choose a dice by pinching it between two
adjacent fingers of a palm down hand.
Starting with the player who is currently active, they then Claim
the score of the pinched dice, by stating a value. Their
opponent then Judges by either accepting or challenging the
claim and the dice is resolved:
 If they accept the claim – The dice is removed from the
cup (it does not need to be revealed) and the rolled or
indicated dice counts as the claimed value.
 If they challenge the claim – The dice is removed from
the cup, revealed and compared to the claimed value:
o If it matches the claimed value the challenger
removes a dice of their choice from under the
challenger’s cup (if there are any), the liar’s rolled
or indicated dice counts as the claimed value.
o If it does not match the claimed value the liar
removes a second dice of their choice from under
the liar’s cup (if there are any), the liar’s rolled or
indicated dice counts as its face value.
Dice removed from under the cup are set aside, ready for the
next round. If a cup has no dice beneath it at any point it is
turned upright and its dice are placed in it.
Jack takes a Footing Test and rolls a one, meaning they would
be getting knocked down which would ruin their plans so they
indicate their intention to lie. They peek under their cup and
spot a three, which should be plenty. They pinch it between
their fingers and announce the three, Rose accepts and Jack
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keeps his feet. Good for Rose, had she challenged Jack would
still have stayed standing and Rose would have lost a dice.
Had Jack seen nothing but ones and twos remaining and Rose
had accepted the claim it, then Jack would still have had his
three and passed the footing test, but if Rose had challenged
then Jack would have been stuck with his original one, fallen
flat on his face, and lost an additional dice.
At certain points players may be asked to Lie Honestly (such as
for determining the sea level during the pitch and yaw phase),
if so, players indicate, select and resolve a lying dice as if
accepted, in this case no claims or judgements are made. If a
player has no lying dice remaining or chooses not to select one,
they will act as though they selected a dice with a value of 0.
It’s time to determine the sea level during the Pitch and Yaw
phase, Jack reaches under his cup and selects a three. Rose
has no dice remaining under her cup and so clearly doesn’t
select one. Jack reveals his three, and the White Caps level of
movement is chosen. Now Jack just has to pick a direction.
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The Game.
1. Choose a fleet.
2. Create a crew.
3. Determine a scenario.
4. Determine first boarder.
5. First Game:
a. Set up the scenario.
b. Play.
c. Determine booty for the first game, swap boarder
and host.
6. Second Game:
a. Set up the scenario.
b. Play.
c. Determine booty for the second game.
7. Determine the final victor.

Press Gangers Out.

1. Choose a fleet:
Each player selects one of the fleet manifests, each fleet
presents a selection of captains and crew sections from a
themed fleet, all of a player’s crew must be from their chosen
fleet manifest.
2. Create a crew:
Players select 1 captain and 3 crew sections from their chosen
manifest. These form a player’s crew for the match ahead. A
captain selection will provide one of the powerful and important
individuals who rule the seas with their iron will, they will often
have special rules that change how your entire crew operates.
A crew section represents the deck hands and minor officers
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that make up a crew, crew sections have the additional

statistic:
 Models: The number of individual models taking this crew
section provides. Each individual model is deployed and
operates entirely separately on the tabletop.

Tales of the Sea.

3. Determine a scenario:
Players should either agree to play the standard Boarding
Action scenario, or roll a dice and use the scenario generated
by the following table:
Dice Scenario
Result
1 Boarding Action
2 Hot Chase
3 Precious Cartography
4 Treasure Raid
5 Terror on the Sea
6 Counter Action

4. Determine first boarder:

Players roll dice (re-roll any draws), the highest scoring player
chooses to begin the first game as the defender, known as the
Host of the boarding action, or the attacker, known as the
Boarder, the roles will swap for the second game.
a. Set up the scenario
Some scenarios have specific rules for setting up objectives,
but all require the ship to be laid out in the same fashion.
Designate a 24” x 48” area to be the playing area, this is the
“Deck”. Pick one of the short edges to be Forward, the opposite
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edge is Aft. Place the ship’s compass next to the playing area
with its Forward and Aft arrows parallel to the playing area’s
long edges and the Forward arrow pointing in the direction of
the Forward edge. The host places the following furniture:
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Nam No. Siz Brut Stabilit Placement

e e e y
Vital 3 - - Anchore Centred on the long
Area d centre line further
s* than 6” from other
Vital Areas.
Mast 2 - - Anchore Centred on the long
** d centre line. Further
than 6” from other
masts and the short
table edges.
Deck 4 1 0 Unstabl At least 4” from a
Debri e board edge.
s
Dead 2 2 3 Stabl At least 4” from a
ly e board edge.
Debri
s

*Vital Areas are structures with a 4” by 4” footprint

representing entrances to the ship’s Powder Store, Cargo Hold
and Captain’s Cabin.
**Masts are structures with a 2” by 2” footprint.

Then follow the Clearing the Decks and Prepare for Boarding
sections of your chosen scenario.

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Play the Game.

Each Round consists of the following phases:
1. Lying Phase
2. Reinforcements Phase
3. Move Phase
4. Attack Phase
5. Special Phase
6. Pitch & Yaw Phase
In each of the Reinforcements, Move, Attack and Special
phases players take it in turns, beginning with the player with
initiative, to activate their crew members. To activate a crew
member, the player selects a crew member who has not
activated during the current phase of this round to perform a
single action of the phase’s type (movement in the move
phase, etc.) and follows the action’s instructions. They then
activate another model that has not yet activated, until all
models in their crew have activated.
When activating a crew in any phase, crew members aren’t
required to take an action: they may pass, doing nothing in
that phase.
Actions may be normal or Readied, if an action is readied the
crew must have a ready token which they will need to remove
before attempting the action. If a weapon has the readied
special rule the crew must have a ready token which they will
need to remove before attacking with it.
Some crew have Readied: Reaction abilities. If the crew has a
ready token and the trigger event occurs, they may then
remove the ready token to perform the reaction ability.

Footing Tests.
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Various effects will ask for a crew member to make a Footing

Test. If a footing test is failed, the model is Knocked Down.

Lying Phase.
In the Lying Phase players roll their Lying Dice. Then each
player will Lie Honestly, highest number chooses which player
has initiative. In the case of a draw, the boarder has initiative.

Reinforcements Phase.
In the Reinforcement Phase, if a player is not “Quartered” (see
“Quarter Asked, Quarter Given”, below) they may activate and
return any number of removed crew to the table, touching the
table edge they set up on if the boarder, or an unsearched
piece of vital area furniture if the host. The crew cannot
activate again this round.

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Rules of Movement.
To Move a model, place the movement widget in contact with
the model with its arrow pointing to the centre of the model’s
base then slide the model along the Line O’ Movement with its
base centred on the line stopping when:
1. Its controller chooses.
2. It comes into contact with another model.
3. No part of the model’s base is overlapping the widget.
A Shove is a special kind of move. To Shove a model, follow
the rules for moving a model except that the model cannot be
stopped by choice. If a shove move would result in a crew
overlapping or passing the edge of the deck, stable crew stop
when they reach the edge, then take a footing test.
If a model would move multiple times, resolve each move
following the rules above, then make a new move as many
times as is required.

Impacts.
Whenever stuff moving due to a shove move contacts other
stuff it immediately stops moving and suffers an Impact, with
the following results:
 If stuff with higher size is moved into a crew member with
lower size, the smaller crew member is crushed.
 Any crew in an impact that was not crushed takes a
footing test.
Then, if the moving stuff is of a higher size than the stuff it
impacted, complete any remaining movement, moving all
contacted stuff as a single model.

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Other Movement Rules.

If a move has to go Directly Towards something, draw a
straight line through the centre of the model and the thing, the
Line O’ Movement must directly overlap that line, and any
move ends closer to the thing than it began. If a model’s move
has to go Directly Away From something, draw a straight line
through the centre of the model and the thing, the Line O’
Movement must directly overlap that line, and any move must
end further from the thing than it began.
If a move is a Jump, do not stop the move if it touches other
bases, crew or furniture, simply lift over them. When the move
ends if the model is overlapping any bases, crew or furniture
move it backwards down the Line O’ Movement until it is not.
If a move is a Jump Over, do not stop the move if it touches
other bases, crew or furniture, simply lift over them. When the
move ends if the model is overlapping any bases, crew or
furniture move it forwards in a straight line until it is not.

Move Phase.
When a crew member is activated during the Move phase it
may be designated to Walk, Run or Ready as standard, there
may be other options available on a model’s profile.
 To Walk, Move the crew’s model once.
 To Run, Move the crew’s model up to once for each point
of Speed on its profile. For each move take a Footing
Test.
 To Make Ready, do not move the crew’s model, place a
Ready token next to it.
A Knocked Down crew may Stand Up.
 To Stand Up, stand the crew’s model up.

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Rules of Attack.
During an attack the active crew is the attacker and must
select a weapon and name a number of targets. Targets must
be:
 Within the range (listed as R) of the weapon.
 Not part of the attacker’s crew.
If a weapon lists a number for its range, then make an opposed
Focus test to attack, if successful the target suffers the Effects
of the weapon.
If a weapon lists its range as – then it is a close combat attack
and may only target models in base contact. When making a
close combat attack make an opposed Brute test to attack, if
successful the target suffers the Effects of the weapon.
Some standard Effects are:
 Back X – Shove the target directly away from the attacker
X times.
o X will sometimes be listed as “Weight Difference”
(or WD), in that case, subtract the target’s size
from the attacker’s size to a minimum of zero, then
add one to get X.
 Stagger – The target takes a footing test.
 Down – The target is Knocked Down.
If multiple effects are listed, resolve them each entirely in turn.
If a weapon has the Pulse special rule all models within range
are targets of the attack, roll separately for each.

Within.
A model is within range of another if the distance between any
part of their two bases is equal to or less than the range in
inches.

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Attack Phase.
When a model is activated during the Attack phase it may
attack with a single weapon. All crew have as weapons Push,
Trip and Barge, though they may have others.
Weapon R Effect Special
Push - Back WD
Trip - Stagger
Barge - Back WD; Down Readied

Remember, when taking actions, crew members gain +1

size for each point of friendly size in base contact.

Remember, anchored stuff never moves when shoved.

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Special Phase.
When a crew is activated during the special phase it may be
designated to Search as standard, there may be other options
available on a crew’s profile.
 Search: If within one inch of a vital area piece of furniture
and further than one inch from any enemy crew, the
closest piece of vital area furniture is Searched, place a
searched token on it.
Once all crew in play have had a chance to activate in each
phase move to the Pitch and Yaw phase.

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Pitch and Yaw Phase.

At the start of the Pitch and Yaw phase, each player will Lie
Honestly. The player with the higher dice decides if movement
during the phase will be towards either Port or Starboard by
choosing one to be the Lower edge. The ship’s compass will
remind you which is which. If the chosen dice is:
 1-2: Doldrums: No models are Shifted.
 3-4: White Caps: Unstable models are Shifted.
 5-6: Heavy Swells: Stable and unstable models are
Shifted.
If the dice have the same number, the direction will be the
opposite of last round and:
 Same Number: Ox-Eye: Stable and unstable models are
Shifted. Perform shifting twice.
Shifting: To shift stuff, draw an imaginary line down the
middle of the play area lengthwise. Moving from the aft edge
towards the forwards edge perform the following steps in order:
 Shove all stuff in the half of the play area furthest from
the Lower edge directly towards the lower edge twice.
 Shove all stuff in the half of the play area closest to the
Lower edge directly towards the lower edge once.
Stuff in the first half of the table that end their shove in
the second half may end up being shoved three times, or
more.

For example, the Starboard (Righthand) edge

is chosen to be lower and the chosen dice
shows a 3 for White Caps. There are three
unstable models to shift, starting from the Aft
edge the movements will be:
1) The model is in the Port side of the
board and so shifts twice towards
Starboard.

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2) The model is in the Port side of the board and so shifts

twice towards Starboard, but crosses the centre line to
the Port side.
3) The model is in the Starboard side of the board and so
shifts once towards Starboard.
4) The model that was first moved at 2 is now on the
Starboard side, and so is checked and shifted a third
time.

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Quarter Asked,
Quarter Given.
During play keep a tally of how many of the boarder’s crew
members are removed (returning crew during reinforcements
does not remove it from this tally and crew may be counted
twice or more if removed after returning). A force is
“Quartered” if either:
 They have a captain removed.
 They are the host and all vital area furniture is searched.
 They are the boarder and the tally of removed models
equals or exceeds the number of models they started
with.
Whenever a crew is removed players may ask for “Quarter”
starting with the player who most recently activated a model,
their opponent may refuse unless they are “Quartered” in
which case they must accept.

Ending The Game.

The game continues in rounds until either:
 One side asks for quarter, and has it accepted.
 One side is wiped out.
 A scenario’s Ignoble End conditions are fulfilled.
At which point the game ends, and scores are calculated.

Count the Booty.

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After the game ends each player scores 1 point for each of the
following:
 Each opposing Captain removed.
 If the opposing side was wiped out.
 If “Quarter” was offered and you chose to accept.
 If “Quarter” was offered and your opponent was forced to
accept.
In addition, each Scenario will have its own “Booty” section
outlining additional ways to score. If this was the first game of
the match swap boarder and host and reset the game, the
player with the most points after both games, wins.

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Ongoing Tales.
Additional thrilling excitement can be garnered by playing your
games of Boarders and Black Flags as a series of linked
encounters. In this case each player will have their own ship
and crew, which will change to reflect its different experiences
and encounters. These achievements and advancements are
balanced in their effects such that any player may use their
own ship, no matter how mighty or advanced it might be,
without fear of unfairness. However, it will bring some new
rules which could overwhelm less experienced captains and so
they should only be used with the permission of your opponent.
In order to play a series of linked games, obtain a copy of your
own Ship’s log, consisting of a Ship page, found on page XX
and as many Log pages, found on page XX as are needed to
relate your terrifying, daring or heroic adventures. Also, create
a “Spotting Ring” by sticking the spotting ring image on page
XX to some card and cutting it out. These may be photocopied
as needed or printed out from
www.manokentgames.com/boardersandblackflags/files/
Then, create your Ship:
 Choose a suitably legendary name for your (ig)noble
vessel write it in the ship’s nameplate.
 Decide if your ship is to be a Pinnace, Brigantine or
Frigate.
o The Pinnace is the smallest ship and the Frigate the
largest. Larger ships can hold more cannons, but
require more food to keep their larger crew
working, meaning that they can be slower to reach
full capability. Remember, all choices are balanced,
more cannons are not necessarily an advantage, as
you will see later.

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When playing linked games, set-up and scoring a game will

have a few additional steps:
1. Choose a fleet.
2. Create a crew.
3. Determine a scenario.
4. Determine first boarder.
a. Ships Clash!
5. First Game.
a. Set up the scenario.
b. Play.
c. Determine booty for the first game, swap boarder
and host.
d. Ships Clash!
6. Second Game.
a. Set up the scenario.
b. Play.
c. Determine booty for the second game.
7. Determine the final victor.
a. Service and Supply.

Ships Clash!
Spotting.
The Host takes the Spotting Ring and holds it one hand span
above the sail image on the boarder’s Ship’s Log, they then
drop it, any images at least partially circled by the ring apply
their special rules to the following game.

Cannon Battle.
Before a boarding action the two rival ships will exchange
cannon fire. The Boarder reduces their amount of gunpowder
by one and rolls one dice for each cannon their ship has,
adding up the results, if a ship has no gunpowder remaining,

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they cannot roll any more dice. Then each player rolls a dice
and adds +1 if their ship is a Brigantine or +2 if it’s a Pinnace,
the winner decides if there will be another round of firing. Once
firing ends check the total damage from all cannon fire:
Total Result
0-40 No Effect.
41-60 Smoke and Chaos – Reduce all ranges by D6,
rolled at the start of the game.
61-80 Holed - +1 to the dice chosen in the Pitch and
Yaw phase.
81-100 Listing - +2 to the dice chosen in the Pitch and
Yaw phase, if the Lower edge is the edge the
Boarder deployed on at the start of the game.
101-120 Sinking - +2 to the dice chosen in the Pitch and
Yaw phase.
121-140 Sinking, Fast - +3 to the dice chosen in the Pitch
and Yaw phase.
141-160 Fires – All Vital Area Furniture makes a R 3, Pulse,
Back 1 attack with Focus 6 at the end of each
turn.
161+ Fire and Explosion – All Vital Area Furniture makes
a R 3, Pulse, Back 2, Stagger attack with Focus 6
at the end of each turn.

Service and Supply.

Supply.
Each player may choose to gain up to 10 food, 1 gold or 10
gunpowder for each VP they gained during the preceding
match. Before gaining gold or shot each player must spend one
point of food for each ship’s crew either from the ship’s supply
or from those just bought if they are able, there is no negative

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effect from having insufficient food, but VP cannot be spent on

gold or shot until all the ship’s crew are fed. A Pinnace has 10
ship’s crew, a Brigantine has 20 ship’s crew and a Frigate has
30 ship’s crew.
Record remaining gained resources on the Ship’s Log.

Service.
Each player may spend gold for the following items and
improvements as many times as they wish. A ship can have up
to as many Cannons as it has crew, but all other items and
improvements can only be fitted to each ship once:
Name Cost Effect
*
Cannon 1 Gain 1 Cannon.
Mast 5 Deploy an additional Mast during set-up.
Crow’s 5 During spotting, you may re-drop the
Nest circle once.
Gunnery 7 Gain 10D6 when boarder during cannon
Drills battle step.
Letter of 5 You may choose to re-roll the dice during
Marque scenario selection once.
Commissio 5 You may alter the dice during scenario
n selection by +/– 1.
Swivel 5 At the start of each round during the
Guns game, roll an additional cannon dice and
increase the total damage accordingly.
*In gold.

Sewing Sails.
Each log has a list of daring acts. When you achieve one of
them during a game, tick them off in pencil. At the end of the
match, you may select one to keep, then erase them, draw its

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associated image onto the sail of your ship’s log as large or

small as you like. The achievements, images and effects are:
Achievement Image Effect
Enemy Captain Devil Each Captain can re-
removed. roll 1 dice per game
on a test during their
activation.
Enemy Crew wiped Skull Each Crew can re-roll
out. 1 dice per game on a
test during their
activation.
Enemy ship suffers Ship May re-roll 1 round of
101+ damage. cannon attack dice.
Have 100+ gold Crown VP may be exchanged
for 2 gold rather than
1.
Win a match. Crossed The Host names 2
Bones pieces of Vital Area
Furniture rather than
1.

Note, the effects apply to both players.

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Scenarios.
Boarding Action.
Through the smoke of cannon’s thunder, they draw close, until
you can see each wide-eyed stare, each set of gritted teeth.
This isn’t just typical high seas robbery, they’re after
something particular, something precious, something you can’t
let them take.
Clearing the Decks.
The Host selects one piece of Vital Area Furniture and secretly
notes it. It will become relevant when scoring the game, and
should be kept secret until the end of the game.
Prepare for Boarding.
The Host places all of their crew models anywhere on the ship’s
deck.
Once the Host is finished, the Boarder places all their crew
models touching a single long table edge of their choice.
Ignoble End.
This scenario has no additional ending conditions.
Booty.
When counting the Booty, players also score 1 point for:
 If they are the Host each unsearched piece of Vital Area
Furniture, +1 for the noted piece.
 If they are the Boarder each Searched piece of Vital Area
Furniture, +1 for the noted piece.

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Hot Chase.
They have the wind, but not by much. They’ll need to board us
from the stern and fight the length of the ship. When they do,
they’ll need to slow, and that’s our chance. Just make them pay
for every step they take along our decks.
Clearing the Decks.
The Host selects one piece of Vital Area Furniture and secretly
notes it. It will become relevant when scoring the game, and
should be kept secret until the end of the game.
Prepare for Boarding.
The Host places all of their crew models anywhere on the ship’s
deck.
Once the Host is finished, the Boarder places all their crew
models touching the aft edge.
Ignoble End.
Keep a tally of how many rounds have passed, this Scenario
ends after eight rounds have passed.
Booty.
When counting the Booty, players also score 1 point for:
 If they are the Host each unsearched piece of Vital Area
Furniture, +1 for the noted piece.
 If they are the Boarder each Searched piece of Vital Area
Furniture, +1 for the noted piece.

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Precious Cartography.
They want our charts, but they can’t copy them in the midst of
battle. If they capture them, as long as they’re reclaimed
before they return to their ship, the day will still be ours.
Clearing the Decks.
The Host selects one piece of Vital Area Furniture and secretly
notes it.
Prepare for Boarding.
The Host places all of their crew models anywhere on the ship’s
deck.
Once the Host is finished, the Boarder places all their crew
models touching a single long table edge of their choice.
If a crew member of the Boarders searches the noted piece of
Vital Area Furniture it should be immediately revealed and the
searching crew member given a searched token. Crew holding
the searched token may take a special action to pass it to a
friendly crew member within 1”. Crew in base contact with a
knocked down crew member may use a special action to take
the searched token from them. If the crew holding the searched
token is removed, place the searched token in the last spot on
the playing area they occupied, any crew touching the token
may take a special action to pick it up.
Ignoble End.
Keep a tally of how many rounds have passed, this Scenario
ends after eight rounds have passed.
Booty.
When counting the Booty, players also score 1 point for:
 If they are the Host each unsearched piece of Vital Area
Furniture, +1 for the noted piece.
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 If they are the Boarder each Searched piece of Vital Area

Furniture, +1 for the noted piece.
 If they control the searched token.

Treasure Raid.
They’re after the treasure, our treasure. Kill them all, get it
back.
Clearing the Decks.
This scenario has no additional set-up rules.
Prepare for Boarding.
The Host places all of their crew models anywhere on the ship’s
deck.
Once the Host is finished, the Boarder places all their crew
models touching a single long table edge of their choice.
If a crew member of the Boarders searches a piece of Vital Area
Furniture the searching crew member gains a searched token.
Boarding Crew holding a searched token within 1” of the table
edge they set up touching may take a special action to unload
it, removing it from the game. Host Crew holding a searched
token within 1” of a piece of Vital Area Furniture may take a
special action to remove the searched token from the game.
Crew in base contact with a knocked down crew member may
use a special action to take a searched token from them.
Ignoble End.
Keep a tally of how many rounds have passed, this Scenario
ends after eight rounds have passed, or if five searched tokens
are unloaded.
Booty.
When counting the Booty, players also score 1 point for:

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 If they are the Host each unsearched piece of Vital Area

Furniture.
 If they are the Boarder each Searched piece of Vital Area
Furniture.
 If they are the Boarder, each unloaded searched token.

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Terror on the Sea.

Blood and fire, cannon and shot. Kill every last one of them.
Clearing the Decks.
This scenario has no additional set-up rules.
Prepare for Boarding.
The Host places all of their crew models anywhere on the ship’s
deck.
Once the Host is finished, the Boarder places all their crew
models touching a single long table edge of their choice.
Keep a tally of the Host’s removed models as well as the
Boarder’s.
Ignoble End.
Keep a tally of how many rounds have passed, this Scenario
ends after eight rounds have passed.
Booty.
When counting the Booty, players also score 1 point for:
 Each of their opponent’s crew that were removed.

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Counter Action.
They hope to use us as little more than a bridge to crew the
other ship. Make them pay for their hubris.
Clearing the Decks.
This scenario has no additional set-up rules.
Prepare for Boarding.
The Host places all of their crew models anywhere on the ship’s
deck.
Once the Host is finished, the Boarder places all their crew
models touching a single long table edge of their choice.
Boarders within 1” of the table edge opposite the one they set
up touching may take a special action to escape, crew that
escape may not be deployed as reinforcements.
Ignoble End.
This scenario has no additional ending conditions.
Booty.
When counting the Booty, players also score 1 point for:
 If they are the Host each point of their tally of removed
Boarders.
 If they are the Boarder each crew that escaped.

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Crew Manifests.
Sea
Queens.
It’s hard to say why or when the
sea dogs of the Cerulean Sea were
conclusively run out of business
by their far more ruthless and
savvy female counterparts.
Whatever the reason, it has very
much happened and now any
pirate flag flown will flutter over a
crew that has nary a Y
chromosome among them.
Position as leader on these crews
is hotly contested leading to acts
of extravagant swash buckling
bravado becoming commonplace.
Moving fast, hitting hard and not
being there when they hit back is
very much the ethos of these
ladies.

Fleet Ability.
Move: Swash Buckling – If within
6” of a mast take a Footing test, if
successful place this Crew Member

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within 6” of any mast, if failed an opponent places this model

within 6” of any mast.
Readied Reaction: This Shouldn’t Work – Trigger: Piece of
furniture within 12” is shoved. Treat this Crew Member as
though it has been shoved by the same attack except this Crew
Member moves in the direction of its controller’s choice.

Captain: Red
Rose.
Though the Queens are
known for flinging
themselves through the
rigging with reckless
abandon. When Red is
leading a boarding action,
this recklessness often tips
over into something akin to
non-survivability. Of course,
Rose always lands on her feet, and some suspect that a tactic
which often leaves her one of the few survivors but just as
much loot to be divided up may not be accidental.
Footing Focus Brute Speed Size
6 2 3 3 1

Universal Rule: This Really shouldn’t work – If a Crew is placed

due to a Swash Buckling double the distance within which it
can be placed.
Move: Impress me – A friendly model within 6” performs an
immediate Swashbuckling action.
Readied: Special: Opportune Moment – Take a movement
action.

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Captain: Polly Anna.

It’s not 100% clear whether Polly Anna is the cunning pirate
captain feared across the Cerulean seas or she is Anna and her
avian companion is Polly, since any question addressed to the
woman is inevitably answered by the parrot. Direct
communication is kept to rare whispers to only extremely close
and trusted lieutenants. It’s an odd system certainly, but
there’s no denying it works.
Footing Focus Brute Speed Size
4 2 3 3 1

Universal Rules: Stay Flexible – If a Crew is moved by the action

of a friendly model it make take a footing test to repeat the
move.
Special: Polly Wanna Cracker – Three friendly crew may take an
immediate move action.

Crew Section: Riggers.

It’s hard to emphasise quite how important it is as a Queen to
be seen to be at the front of any given boarding action, only
slightly more important is to also be above any given boarding
action. Riggers know the ropes that scale a ship better than the
ground, in fact many of them sustain their worst injuries ashore
as when drunk they will often jump from walls and balconies
for ropes that are not there.
Models Footing Focus Brute Speed Size
2 5 2 3 3 1

Crew Section: Duelistas.

Position within the hierarchy of the Queens is generally due to
being seen to engage in the most outlandish and semi-suicidal
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acts, a process the Duelistas stand both apart from and aloof
of, something accepted because of their sheer, undeniable,
skill.
Models Footing Focus Brute Speed Size
2 4 2 5 3 1

Weapon R Effect Special

Flashing Blades - Back WD or Down If successful,
this Crew
Moves once.

Crew Section: Companions.

Landlubbers sometimes wonder why so many sailors keep
animal companions, parrots, monkeys, cats, small dogs and
even rats. At first glance they take up precious supplies and
gnawing is a habit best avoided when living in a wooden world
held together with ropes but in truth they provide precious
companionship, quick signalling and at a push, emergency
supplies.
Models Footing Focus Brute Speed Size
2 3 2 3 3 1

Special: Go There, Do That – One friendly crew may take an

immediate move action.

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Dead Seas.
There’s always another desperate body to fill in as an unskilled
deck hand on any ship with ready coin and a lack of questions.
As such, life on the seas is often cheap. When you’re dead
already life isn’t just cheap, it owes you. The skeletal sailors of
the dead seas don’t really fear a great deal, but it should be
remembered that bones don’t float and you don’t know
patience until you’ve walked ashore from the middle of the
ocean.

Fleet Ability.
Set-up: Rigging Catapult –
Place 2 pieces of Deck Debris
during set up after all other
Furniture when Boarder.
Universal Rule: Unlife is Cheap –
This crew may target friendly
crew with attacks.

Captain:
Sawtooth.
Sawtooth was mean in life, got
meaner in death and with each
passing year gets meaner still.
He’s been a long time dead
and at this point is pretty
much a nailed on, copper
bottomed, gold plated, grade A
bastard. It’s not so much that he doesn’t rate the safety of his

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crew highly as much that the concept of their safety has

literally never occurred to him.
Footing Focus Brute Speed Siz
e
3 3 4 3 1

Passive: The hook of Doom – If Sawtooth targets a friendly

model, double his Brute and Size.
Weapon R Effect Special
Rollin’ Bones - Stagger If target is Knocked
Down, it suffers Back
WD.

Captain: Charybdis.
How exactly the animated skeletons of the dead seas achieve
their ambulatory status is unknown. A curse, a spell, or sheer
bloody mindedness, whatever keeps them moving around
when they should by all rights fall to pieces is a mystery, but
what does seem clear is that the longer they manage to persist
without being totally dismantled and smashed to shards the
stronger their animating force becomes. The creature known as
Charybdis then must be primordially ancient since the dark
power keeping them together is so great as to be a distinct and
tangible thing in its own right, lashing out with a darkness that
raises and destroys in equal measure.
Footing Focus Brute Speed Siz
e
4 2 4 2 1

Passive: Dark Anchor – During the reinforcements phase crew

can be deployed within 3” of this crew.
Weapon R Effect Special

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Shadow Pool 3 Back 2 Pulse, Remove any

number of friendly
models within 6”, raise
this model’s Focus by 1
during this attack for
each removed.

Crew Section: Skelliwags.

The most important thing
to know about the
Skelliwags is that brains
rot fast, but bones tend to
last, especially since even
after the most brutal of
battles you can pretty
much mix and match the
leftovers and end up with
a few working bodies. As
such they tend to rely on
numbers more so than
skill, strategy, strength or
the intelligence that God gave a peanut.

Models Footing Focus Brute Speed Siz

e
3 2 3 2 3 1

Weapon R Effect Special

Diving 3 Back 1, Readied, Jump Over Shove
Barge Stagger this crew Directly Towards

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target

Crew Section: Rapskullions.

You know how it is when you take something apart and put it
back together again, you always end up with a few bits left
over. It’s much the same when assembling living bones into
ambulatory skeletons. So long as the left-over bits make up at
least a torso, give or take, they make useful battlefield
combatants. Well, not useful as such, but present certainly.
Models Footing Focus Brute Speed Siz
e
4 1 1 2 3 1
Passive: Down Among the Dead Men – This crew may perform
non-knocked down actions while knocked down.
Readied Reaction: Dragged down – Trigger: Contact crew
during Shove move. Complete the Shove move as Jump Over,
then place the contacted crew into contact with this crew.

Crew Section: Rotten

Roustabouts.
Whatever animates the skeletons of the Cerulean Sea, it does
so irrespective of the amount of flesh still attached to them.
Meatier members of the sailors of the dead seas are relatively
rare, mostly due to the predations of gulls and highly
motivated crabs, but those that exist are ticking (or
squelching) timebombs as the sea air can cause sufficient
gaseous build up that remaining flesh is spread violently across
the decks at the slightest impact.
Models Footing Focus Brute Speed Siz
e

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3 2 5 2 3 1

Weapon R Effect Special

Noxious 3 Back 1, Pulse, Self: Remove this
Cloud Stagger crew.

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Trillians.
The Trillians are a mysterious folk, each is equipped with a self-
crafted suit that allows them to walk the land below the seas,
in fact, crafting such a suit is the first entry condition to their
crew. The weighted boots that allow them to traverse the
ocean floor serve them well enough on uneven decks and even
should they be sent
overboard they then
accept waiting in the
depths for later pick up in
the sanguine manner of
the true loner.

Fleet Ability.
Mag Boots – If a Trillian is
standing, they are
Anchored.
Diiiive! – If this Player
selects a 1 during the
Pitch and Yaw phase, it
counts as an Ox-Eye
result.

Captain: Suit
1.
So long has it been since
the Trillian within suit number one sealed themselves beneath
its glass and brass fittings that none of the crew now
remember their name, if they ever knew it at all. They lead

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with silent gestures and brutal precision, targeting shipping

without warning from below.
Footing Focus Brute Speed Size
3 3 3 2 3

Weapon R Effect Special

Thumper 3 Stagger. Pulse.

Captain: Baller.
Uniquely for a Trillian, Baller is gregarious, almost egregiously
gregarious, Baller is always ebullient, blithesome, gladsome
and gay. Given that most Trillians are sufficiently awkward for
it to qualify as a pathology this often means that Baller has to
play his own cheerleader, bellowing merrily as he bowls across
decks in his hand-crafted rolling suit. Really, he’s only looking
to make friends who might be a bit chattier.
Footing Focus Brute Speed Size
3 3 3 2 3

Universal Rule: Power from weapons – Crew may treat Make

Ready as an attack action.

Special: Rollin’ Thunder – Knock this crew down.

Readied Reaction – At the start of this crew’s activation, stand
it up.

Crew Section: Specialists.

Crew on Trillian ships rarely remove their breathing masks,
even when it should be safe to do so (like when they’re on dry
land), as such they are mostly identified by their chosen
weaponry.

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Models Footing Focus Brute Speed Siz

e
1 3 3 3 2 1

Choose 1 per crew

Weapon R Effect Special
Stunner 3 Stagger or
Back 2.
Bumper 1 Stagger. Pulse
Shocker 1 Stagger, Back
2.
Sprayer 3 Stagger. Target up to 2 enemies

Crew Section: Gorgon.

Trillians rarely, if ever, speak or remove any part of their suits,
so it’s unusual to be certain of their gender. The exception to
this are Gorgons. Continued long term isolation and silence can
result in strange powers in females, as such as soon as a crew
displays their ability to levitate a man with a thought, they’ve
rather shown their hand. While powerful, their abilities are
poorly understood and can result in something of a backlash.
Models Footing Focus Brute Speed Siz
e
1 3 3 3 2 1

Weapon R Effect Special

Headthump 3 Down. Pulse, also targets friends.
er

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Backblast 3 Back 4. Self: Back 2, taking target as

attacker.

Crew Section: Divers.

The Trillianic mag boot is standard issue for all crew and while
unspectacular is almost certainly their most important
invention. The highly charged electro magnets within have
enough power to suspend a full-grown man from a single ship’s
nail. Even still, the Trillian divers who need to retain their
footing in the pelagic depths are equipped with a version that
makes the standard boot look like the magnet on a compass
that can’t find north.
Models Footing Focus Brute Speed Siz
e
1 5 3 3 2 1

Readied Reaction – At the start of this crew’s activation, stand

it up.

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Permission is given to photocopy this page for personal use.

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Permission is given to photocopy this page for personal use.

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Achievement Pinnace Gol

d
Enemy Captain Brigantine Foo
removed. d
Enemy Crew wiped Frigate Sho
out. t
Enemy ship suffers
101+ damage.
Have 100+ gold Cannon(s)
Win a match. Mast
Crow’s Nest
Gunnery
Drills
Letter of
Marque
Commission
Swivel Guns

Permission is given to photocopy this page for personal use.