As we close the chapter on 2023 and begin anew with 2024, we wanted to take a look back at the last year of BloodAndPigment.com. We’ve compiled a list of the Top 10 Most Popular Blood & Pigment Articles of 2023. This compilation offers a glimpse into the most popular topics based on number of unique page views by visitors to the site.
We released a shocking 124 posts in 2023, an average of a post every 3 days. That is a staggering amount of content and it has been a testament to our staff’s continued love for and support of the game. 2024 is just beginning and already we have big plans in store to continue improve and push Blood & Pigment to a new level. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves… Let’s take a look at a few of the high points of what we’ve released this past year.
Runner-Up: Getting Started with Blood and Plunder
This first article didn’t quite make the cut, but it was darn close. It was only 63 page views from reaching the Top 10 Most Popular Blood & Pigment Articles of 2023, so it gets the “Runner-Up Award”. This past year started off with a bang with the release of the new Raise the Black Kickstarter shipping in late December 2002 and early 2023. This sparked a number of articles over the course of the year.
We released a, “Getting Started with Blood & Plunder” guide in 2019, but we brushed up the article with a massive amount of new info to support the Raise the Black content. If you have new players or friends interested in the game, this a great starting place to learn more about Blood & Plunder.
10. Sailor Models Showcase – Painted Blood & Plunder Miniatures
The plastic Sailors sprue is central to the Blood & Plunder 2 Player Starter Set which means most Blood & Plunder players have a few sets of the minis to build and paint. This article released early in the year, just a few days after the Blood & Plunder 2 Player Starter Set released. It features images from the first sailor minis painted by Joseph, Dan, Guy & Jason after the set released.
9. Golden Age Pirates – Blood & Plunder Faction Review
The new Raise the Black expansion released almost 50 new Factions for the game. Dan Carlson’s review of the Golden Age of Pirates made it’s way into the top 10 articles for 2023. They are versatile faction that features some of the most legendary pirates of the age. If you’ve not read the review, it’s definitely worth checking out, if only for the rich images collection.
8. Hunt or Be Hunted: New Predator Rules for Blood & Plunder
As a Halloween special, Blood & Pigment offered another holiday treat to the Blood & Plunder Community with new rules featuring the fearsome Predator. This year we prepared some skull-jarring, spine-tingling fun that merges piracy with the sci-fi thriller franchise of the Predator. The rules added a fully playable Yautja faction, with complete rules for new units, weapons and equipment, strategies, and two special scenarios for your crew to try.
7. Building 24 Unique Blood & Plunder Sailors
The new Blood & Plunder multi part miniatures are great for creating varied poses and styles of minis. Joseph Forster put together an interesting article as a companion to the new the Blood & Plunder 2 Player Starter Box. He provides a list of specific parts he used to build 24 unique models. The collection of photos can give you some inspiration for building your own plastic miniature Sailor force.
6. Galleon – Blood & Plunder Ship Overview
A Spanish Galleon ship model is one of the quintessential images of the Age of Piracy. Large hulking vessels hauling valuable cargo were prime targets for pirates. So naturally the Galleon is an excellent ship for use in the Blood & Plunder historical miniatures game. This is a rewrite and new version of the Galleon Overview article that breaks down everything you need to know about the galleon in Blood & Plunder: stats, strategies & tactics, list building, gallery, and more.
5. The 2023 Great Pirate Paint Off Contest Gallery
A massive gallery of images from the 2023 Great Pirate Paint Off Contest. And if you didn’t know it, the 2024 contest is open and ready for entries. Check out the 2024 Painting Contest Rules. Check out the gallery for inspiration for this year’s entries.
4. What Should I Buy After the Blood & Plunder Starter Box?
It’s easy to get into the game of Blood & Plunder with a single player starter kit or 2 player starter set.
But then what??? What do you buy next? Well, we put together an article with suggestions for what to buy next. The article breaks down things by Nation and offers suggestions for minis and ships alike.
3. Using Blood & Plunder Pirate Ships in Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons, and roleplaying in general, offers adventures fun for players that assume different roles and embark on epic quests. Many of the draws of the freedom of D&D overlap with the freedom of choice offered by a life of piracy. Combining the two into a pirate-themed D&D game is awesome combo of two epic games. Navigating treacherous waters and facing formidable foes, guided by a skilled dungeon master and a compatible group, makes for a swashbuckling journey.
The Blood & Plunder pirates miniature game complements this experience seamlessly. This article is written by guest writer Guy Bayes, a seasoned D&D Dungeon Master with extensive experience. Guy discusses incorporating Blood & Plunder’s pirate ship models into campaigns. He offers suggestions for ships, mini and gaming suppliments to help players and DMs alike.
2. Tips and Tricks for Assembling Raise the Black Plastic Miniatures
Jason Klotz put together a collection of tips and tricks for the new Raise the Black plastic miniature kits. This article offers some great content for new players:
- Recommended tools
- Assembly tips and suggestions
- Suggestions for how to build out the 2-Player stater pack & weapon selections
- Gallery of ideas for building some customized minis
1. 18th Century Bermuda Sloop – Blood & Plunder Ship Overview
The most popular article of 2023 is the overview of the new Bermuda Sloop released with the new “Raise the Black” expansion. This makes sense with the release of the new 2-player starter set and this quickly becoming the most popular ship in the game. Check out the 18th Century Bermuda Sloop article for a full breakdown of the ship stats, strategies, list building, how to info and photo gallery!
Conclusion
There you have it, the Top 10 Most Popular Blood & Pigment Articles of 2023! What was your favorite? What would you like us to focus on more in 2024? Add your comments below. We love to hear your feedback and see you participate in our community.
Thank you for a great 2023 and for continuing to support Blood & Pigment. And I’d like to extend a special thanks to Joseph, Dan & Guy, our Patreons, all our guest bloggers, and our contest supporters. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you and we wouldn’t keep doing what we do without your feedback and support.
Written by Jason Klotz
Additional Content Suggestions
- Check out our very first ever Blog Post on Nov 8, 2018 – “Welcome to This Blood & Plunder Blog“. We’ve come a long way!
- Our most popular page of all time: ”Ultimate Guide to Blood & Plunder Ships“
- End of Year Summary on Patreon (free)