Force Special Rules

The Dutch Privateers are 1 of two “vanilla” (meaning a Faction not attached to a named character) Dutch Naval factions. They weigh in with a +2 Bonus to be the Attacker in a scenario, which is comparable to must buccaneer factions. The real kicker here is that ALL ships (That’s right, ALL ships. Not one ship, not two ships, not some random, arbitrary amount of ships, ALL ships) come with the Shallow Draft Special Rule! I know Joseph will appreciate this since he just LOVES to run his ships aground at any opportunity he gets (just joking bro, you’re the best!).

Next, we have two Force Options: Zeelanders and West India Company. Essentially, you choose who you’re working for. If you’re working for the State or doing some honest buccaneering (an oxymoron, I know), go with Zeelanders. If you have a commission from the esteemed Dutch West India Company (WIC), choose West India Company.

Zeelanders provides some anti-fatigue benefits by allowing you to re-roll one failed Fatigue dice from an attack by an enemy within 6”. This is extremely useful when boarding a ship or charging. The WIC offers a different anti-fatigue measure: at the end of a turn, if your Force has more Strike Points than it did in the previous turn, you can remove one point of fatigue from all non-Shaken units. Both are solid abilities, but they can be easy to forget about.

Core Units

Zeelieden

Zeelieden are the bread and butter sailors of the Dutch Nation. Armed with melee weapons and pistols, they bring the standard sailor kit to the table.

What makes them special are their Special Rules. They come with Expert Sailors, Expert Artillery Crew, and Hard Chargers. This means that they can get you those Advanced Maneuvers on a 4+, they reload Artillery for free on a spade or a heart, and when they charge, they’ll be swinging on 5’s instead of 6’s. You can swap their pistols for muskets, but I never do, because we typically have better units for that. In my opinion, these are the best sailors in the game since they are all rounded and can do just about everything you need them to do. For cheap lists, take away their pistols to make them 3 points a model and trained.

Enter Ploeg

These guys are point for point the best boarding party in the game. 6 points for a veteran model with brace of pistols is awesome! Like the Zeelieden, they come with Expert Sailors and Experience Artillery Crew. If you have Piet Heyn lead a unit of theses guys in a boarding action, you’ll be able to annihilate just about anything in your way.

While they don’t come with Limited Explosives like the Forlorn Hope, they can take Firepots for free on 1 of every 4 models or Grenados for 4 point each on 1 of every 4 models.  I rarely use them anyway since charging a unit is 1 action and safely throwing the Grenado is 2 actions. The best use for these guys is to lay the fatigue on a unit or make them waste their shots so you get to charge in on a unit with empty muskets. They can also take Blunderbusses on 1/4 of their models for free which gives them some extra punch if they want to fire a volley before charging into the melee.

Kapers

Kapers are the Sailor Musketeers of the Dutch Nationality. They are like Freebooters, but are a little less effective at range due to the lack of the Marksman and Fast Reload Special Rules. However, they Shoot and Fight on a 6+, and the Expert Sailors Special Rule make these guys ideal for manning your sheets and braces. Brawlers is better than nothing and it gives them a little something extra should they find themselves in close combat.

For 5 Points a model they aren’t bad, but they aren’t amazing either. I usually take a unit strictly to man the sheets and braces and if I’m on land they make for a decent ranged unit, but will often find themselves outgunned by Freebooters.

European Sailors

These are another sailor unit, with the typical pistol/cutlass and/or axe combo, along with Artillery Crew, Sailors, and Battle Hardened. Battle Hardened gives them better staying power, but that’s about it. These guys are eclipsed by the Zeelieden in every other way. If you have points to spare, a large group of these guys make for a decent boarding party, but only if you the points available.

If you want a larger unit of cheap muskets, adding firelock muskets to these guys can be cheaper than paying for Kapers. Their 6 Shoot skill makes them the best generic sailor unit for ranged fire.

Dutch Privateers: Support Units

Militie

The Dutch Militia Unit is pretty standard with it 6/7 Fight values and 7/7 Shoot. The 6 Resolve hurts, but isn’t a deal-breaker. Drilled is fantastic when you load up a unit and upgrade them to trained, but the least satisfying part of the Militie is the inability to take Plug Bayonets. This regulates them to the rear, using volley fire to hand out fatigue. These guys are okay, but are eclipsed by the other entry in the Dutch privateers Support Units…

Their 7 Shoot Save sets them apart a little from the other militia units in the game. Both the Spanish and English militia have a Shoot Save of 8 which makes them very difficult to keep on the table. 7 isn’t as good as the sneaky French, but it’s not bad for a Militia unit.

Jewish Militia

These guys are better than the Militie in almost every way. While they have the same Fight and Shoot Values, they come with a 5 Resolve and Tough, as well as Drilled. A veteran Group of these guys are as expensive as Freebooters, but knocking off 1 fatigue a turn will make these guys endure it all. The Jewish Militia are fantastic at holding objectives, and if you are forced to play on land, you can swap Drilled for Elusive for no cost, meaning they will save on a 5 while in cover rather than a 6.

Dutch Privateers: Command Options

The Dutch Privateers have 3 options for generic unnamed commanders and then 5 named historical commanders ranging from 25-40 points.

Generic Dutch Sea Commanders

The standard Untested, Experienced, and Seasoned Dutch Sea Commanders are the bread and butter of any seafaring list. The Untested has no special rules, a dismal 4” command radius with 1 command point, and is OK in small games, but not very good beyond that (that’s why he’s free). It’s worth pointing out that even with his measly 4″ command radius, he can command anyone on a 3 deck ship no matter which deck he occupies.

The Experienced variant has an 8” command radius and 2 command points. He comes with the Broadside and Strict special rules. We all know what Broadside does, but for the newbies it allows all artillery commanded to fire by the commander to fire at the same time, as opposed to separately. This can increase the likelihood of a Critical Hit.

Strict recently got a buff and is now SUPER useful. In exchange for 1 point of fatigue, that unit may take a -1 bonus on ANY test taken during the commander’s activation. The Seasoned Commander is ONLY useful in games with multiple ships, as he has the Commodore Rule. All in all, the vanilla choices are a good starting point, but we have more flavorful options.

Diego the Mulatto

Diego costs 30 points and comes with Very Inspiring, Lead by Example, and Vendetta: Spanish, in addition to Commodore and Broadside. Vendetta: Spanish lets the entire force re-roll one failed dice in any Rally test when fighting a Spanish force. This helps keep vulnerable units like militia from getting shaken or taking fatigue that other units can ignore with their higher resolve rating.

Very Inspiring allows any unit within Diego’s command radius to re-roll any failed Rally Test results, which is extremely useful. Lead by Example lets all units in the force remove a point of fatigue if the commander’s unit takes out an enemy unit. However, I’ve found this to be rare, as I prefer to keep my commanders behind the front lines, giving orders.

At 30 points, Diego is a solid upgrade from the Seasoned Sea Commander in almost every way. While Strict gives bonuses at the cost of Fatigue, Diego can keep fatigue off your force if positioned correctly. With 3 command points and a 16” radius, he’s effective on any ship up to size 3.

Jan Erasmus Reyning

Jan clocks in at 27 points, and besides the typical Broadside and Commodore rules, he adds a bit of flexibility to your force. He has the Inspiring ability, which allows any units to re-roll failed rally tests when his unit is active—though this means you’ll have to spend a command point on a rally action. This is okay, but not ideal. Elan is a fantastic ability, as it allows Jan to spend a single command point while in melee, which is usually prohibited. This is great if your command unit gets charged, but you should really be keeping him out of melee anyway.

Jan has not one but two Unorthodox Force rules, which allow him to take both Freebooters and Kapers as core units. Since the Dutch don’t have any sharpshooters, a unit of Freebooters can provide a solid ranged unit that isn’t a slouch in melee either. He has 2 command points with a 16” range, so he can effectively fire a broadside from any 2-3 deck ship. At 27 points, he’s a solid upgrade from the Seasoned Commander, and I’d say he’s on par with Diego. While Diego is more focused on keeping morale high, Jan gives you new toys to play with!

Abraham “Admiral Crimson” Crijnesen

This 30-point monster is a go-to choice for me. He comes with Commodore, which is great if you’re running multiple ships. However, he also has Sailing Master, Expert Broadside, and Very Inspiring.

Sailing Master allows the unit to spend a free action and roll a D10. On a 5+, the ship can increase or decrease its speed by 1” for that move only (if you exceed your ship’s top speed, the Lucky Hit on rigging still applies). Expert Broadside is similar to Broadside, but if you roll a 1 for any Critical or Lucky Hit, you can re-roll it. This increases the chances of disrupting your opponent’s game plan (and possibly damaging their ship).

Admiral Crimson has 3 command points and a 12” command radius, so keep him on any size 3 ship to maximize that broadside attack! This guy will keep your ship moving quickly during a lull and ensure your guns keep firing.

Piet Heyn

As the Dutch Nationality’s only Legendary Commander, he comes in at 40 points, with a 20” command range and 3 command points. That range makes him ideal for a size 4 ship, and his special rules make him a MONSTER in melee. He’s got Broadside, Commodore, and Very Inspiring. All of these are common by now at this level of commander. His other rules are what make him that stout 40 points. God’s Blessing or Devil’s Luck means the player fielding Heyn will start the game with 4 Fortune Points! This is a huge boon that can only help you in your quest for victory! Bold reads as follows: 

“This commander may always use Commands Points normally, even if it’s attached unit is Shaken or engaged in a Melee combat. In addition, if this commander’s unit is within 6” of an enemy unit, all friendly units within 8” of the commanders unit gain all of this commander’s Special Rules.” 

Before continuing, let’s take a look at Indomitable: 

“If this unit begins an activation Shaken, it immediately removes a point of Fatigue. If this would leave it with 2 points of Fatigue or less, it is no longer Shaken and may take actions normally. Additionally, this unit may give itself a point of Fatigue to re-roll failed Fight and Shoot saves.”

What this means is that if you attach Heyn to a stout unit of Enter Ploeg, with a few more units of them around him, he will make them almost UNSTOPPABLE. They will all be able to knock off a point of fatigue, re-roll Saves (at the cost of Fatigue), and keep it that way. For those who are a fan of the movie “Admiral”, and love Michiel de Ruyter, you *could* paint up a mini like him and use Heyn’s point cost and profile as it seems to fit (at least I think so!). 

Dutch Privateer Tactics

The Dutch Privateers have several options for tactics and force building but their unit options and special rules really push them towards an aggressive boarding party force, a Strict super-accurate cannon force, or a combination of the two.

Barding Party Tactics

If you’re interested in running a boarding-party list, consider loading up on the deadly Enter Ploeg, equipped with Blunderbusses and explosives, along with some hard-charging Zeelieden led by a Reformado. A Grizzled Veteran can help mitigate any Fatigue that your Tough Enter Ploeg might accumulate in combat. While Piet Heyn is the best melee commander for this type of list, if you’re playing a smaller game where his 40 points aren’t justified, Diego the Mulatto is a strong alternative with his Elan ability. Additionally, the two lower-level generic commanders can work just fine.

The Zeelanders faction ability is an excellent choice for this list, as it prevents your units from taking Fatigue when they’re close to each other. To enhance your strategy, you might want to include a Sailing Master character, which can help you catch your prey more effectively. Even if you push your ship beyond its normal top speed, taking a Lucky Hit on your rigging becomes less of a concern if you’re able to close in on your opponent and board their ship.

Cannon Focused Tactics

If you’re aiming for a cannon-focused list, most of your points will go toward Zeelieden, cannons, and a solid ship. The Light Frigate is a dependable choice, capable of carrying numerous cannons, though your ship choice will depend on the game size. The Experienced Dutch Naval Commander is a great and cost-effective option for this setup. Even on a three-deck ship, his two command points allow him to fire all three decks simultaneously when attached to a cannon crew unit. His Strict rule enhances your cannons’ accuracy and damage, but the resulting Fatigue requires you to include a Standard Bearer, Musician, Grizzled Veteran, and Son of Neptune to manage it effectively.

While the Master Gunner is useful, his value is somewhat diminished for the Dutch, as most units already have the Expert Artillery Crew ability. The Sailing Master remains a strong choice, helping maintain distance from the enemy and keeping you safe from boarding while focusing your fire.

For this type of force, I recommend using the West India Company faction rule, which provides valuable ship-wide Fatigue relief. This way, you might not need to rely on the Zeelanders ability. Instead of taking just enough units to man all the cannons, include an extra unit to handle sailing actions, repairs, or damage. Another unit of Zeelieden, available for three points each without pistols, is a good choice. Alternatively, Kapers can offer small arms support and some protection against charges, with their Expert Sailors rule enhancing your ship’s performance.

Hybrid Lists

If you’re interested in building a hybrid list that can fire its guns and then board, that’s easy enough to do with the Dutch. However, you’ll have a smaller force when you pay for both cannons and Enter Ploeg or pistols for all your Zeelieden.

Small Arms Style Lists

The Dutch Privateers aren’t particularly strong when it comes to a small-arms sniping style of list, but if you’re determined to pursue this strategy, consider taking Jan Erasmus Reyning and bringing along some English Freebooters. You can also attach a Marksman to some Veteran or Trained Kapers, making them more effective. With Reyning’s Commodore ability, you could run a fleet of Canoas full of marksmen or a couple of smaller ships like Barks and still make good use of his command points.

Dutch Privateers on Land

If you find yourself forced to fight on land with the Dutch Privateers, David Nassy is likely your best command option. His leadership grants the Skirmishers ability to every unit, and the sturdy Jewish Militia become a core unit in your force. Kapers are also decent on land, and I’ve even seen a unit of Enter Ploeg become quite formidable in ground combat. If you make Enter Ploeg your command unit and attach a Local Guide, you can maneuver around the table quickly, blasting and smashing anything in your path!

Dutch Privateer Army Lists

The first list here can be made straight from the starter box along with a Bark. You can put the Enter Ploeg and Zeelieden on your Swivel guns while the Kapers sail the ship and provide small arms fire.

100 Point Dutch Privateer Starter Force with a Bark

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The following 150 point force takes advantage of the Strict rule and how it relates to Swivels. Using Strict, Swivels can have a base shoot of 5 which is amazing, especially since you get plenty of dice and the Expert Artillery Crew on your crew means you’ll be loading and firing extremely quickly, even twice in activation if you want to push your unit or use a command point. The Musician grants the commander Inspiring to help rally the crew after he verbally abuses them with Strict.

150 Point Dutch Privateer Sloop using 16 Zeelieden and 5 Militie with a focus on Swivel guns and boarding.

This next list needs an additional pack of Zeelieden (or some sailor unit to use as proxies) and another pack of Enter Ploeg to fill out a full crew for a Sloop. The Commander is upgraded to the 15-point Experienced Commander that has the Strict rule (which has been entirely rewritten in the current errata) which makes these cannons and swivels the most accurate artillery in the game.

Special Ability: Strict

200 Point Dutch Privateer Sloop Force using the Starter Box, a Zeelieden and Enter Ploeg pack and a Sloop

This next list features Admiral Crimson in a Corvette. Its crew number is fairly low, but you can move quickly, shoot cannons, and board with elite fighting crew.

200 Point Dutch Privateer Corvette commanded by Admiral Crimson

At 250 points, this next list focuses on rapid cannon fire and massive broadsides using the famous Piet Heyn as commander on a 6th Rate Frigate. You could certainly spend more outfitting this fine ship, but even at 250, this is a nasty ship to come up against.

250 Point Dutch Privateer 6th Rate commanded by Piet Heyn

And with 300 points here is Piet Heyn again with a well-rounded “hybrid” cannon/boarding party force in a Light Frigate. With 26 Enter Ploeg on board in addition to a nice set of 6 pairs of cannons and some muskets, there will be fireworks when this ship gets close to its prey.

300 Point Dutch Privateer Light Frigate commanded by Piet Heyn

The Fluyt is such an iconic Dutch vessel that I have to include a list featuring it, even if it does sail like a bathtub. This balanced list makes full use of the six pairs of guns on the Fluyt, along with some Swivel Guns and Kapers wielding small arms.

200 Point Dutch Privateers Fluyt

Final Thoughts

The Dutch Privateers faction is one of the best sea-going factions in the game. With the very best cannon crew, the most demanding generic commanders of all the factions, and excellent seamanship and melee abilities, the Dutch Privateers are an outstanding faction that is incredibly fun to play. While their selection of units is more limited compared to some of the Unaligned pirate factions and larger factions like the Spanish Militia, every unit they offer is solid. Each unit is unique, and with the variation you can introduce through the faction’s special rules and commanders, there’s plenty of variety to keep you tinkering with them for a long time!

By Dan Carlson & Joseph Forster

Additional Recommended Reading

• Watch a quick review of the Dutch Privateers faction on the Victorum Gaming YouTube channel.