/pic164665.jpg)
Introduction (from the rule book):
BLACKBEARD recreates "The Golden Age of Piracy" at the turn of the 18th century. Each player becomes one or more pirates and attempts to amass a fortune and retire before a King's Commissioner tracks him down, a Warship stumbles across him, or his own crew cuts his throat! Merchant ships plying the trade routes are the targets. Prizes range from near-worthless supplies to the fabulous Spanish and Mogul treasure ships. Luck, skill and cunning all play a part as you comb the Seven Seas (well ... at least three of them) for fame and fortune. Players should be aware that the game simulates 18th century piracy and therefore features random happenstance. Little can be planned. Players who are ready to strike when opportunity presents itself and are wily and aggressive without being rash will fare best in the long run.
Players take up the roles of famous pirates navigating the major sea lanes during the golden age of piracy. Plunder and pirateering await as each player moves about on the map in a variable system through a deck of cards. Rather than the normal turn order in games, players move when their designation is drawn in a deck. When not in the role of their pirate they can take on the role of one of the English military ships hunting the sea for pirates. By making shrewd choices and having some luck the player can end the game a wealthy and retired pirate with a large fleet of ships that have been accumulated over the years.
- Distinct ranged option with dynamic economy
- Strong combo potential when played with foresight
- Fits the pirate/sea-battle theme nicely
- Steep learning curve for new players
- Requires careful resource management and planning
- Ranged combat with a back-and-forth resource economy
- Pirate-themed duel within the Unmatched universe
- Character-focused duel with micro-mechanics
- Massive Darkness
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Back-and-forth economy — Actions cost balloons/resources that swing depending on damage taken and opponent decisions.
- combo potential — Powerful combos when budgeted properly and timing is right.
- Ranged Attack — Blackbeard is the only ranged character in the set, enabling unique range-based play.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Blackbeard is absolutely terrific, and I can see climbing the ranks of my unmatched tiers very quickly.
- The back-and-forth economy can give you major swings if you plan ahead properly.
- Pandora delivers a really interesting push your luck mechanism into the gameplay.
- Loki is a very technical character to play with and can be absolutely deadly.
- Chupacabra is the most basic character in the set. It's basically a way to farm cards.
- Unmatched is not afraid to give a character as their special ability essentially a little mini-game.