We’ve completed the second week of the 2024 Summer of Plunder Campaign and we’re breaking records! Blood & Plunder and Oak & Iron are hitting the tables around the world and the campaign has had more entries in the opening weeks this year than ever before! Looks like players around the world are enjoying the first weeks of plunder! Let’s dive into the Week 2 Player Update and pass out some prizes!
Photo by Timothy Stone
Numbers and Stats
Let’s look at some numbers on games played, nations and factions represented and player leaders.
Nation Report
After the first week, the Natives had pulled 1 point ahead of the pack. After resolving the multitude of attacks this past week, the Dutch have claimed the top spot.
It’s a close race so far but things will accelerate as all the neutral territories are claimed and powers turn on each other. For a full report on the Attacks, Raids and Defenses for this campaign turn, check out the Campaign Map and Objective update post.
The English played the most games and generated the most points with 103 games and 334 points. The Dutch The Pirates have the second most points with 266 from 89 games, and the Dutch and French are close with 259/87 and 238/80 points & games respectively. The Spanish and Natives come in very close to each with Spain totaling 166/56 and Natives having 156/55 points and games.
Faction Report
There are a LOT of factions to enjoy in Blood & Plunder. Between the Oak & Iron factions and all the Blood & Plunder factions, there are a few more than 100 factions people can use in this campaign and it’s always a goal to have all of them used by the end of the event! After 2 weeks of play, 80 have already been played! That’s a record for sure. Here are the most played factions so far.
French Buccaneers – 27 games
The Flying Gang – 23 games
Brethren of the Coast – 20 games
Dutch Caribbean Militia (RtB) – 19 games
Dutch Privateers – 17 games
Blackbeard’s Men – 16 games
Spanish Militia – 15 games
Dutch Caribbean Militia (NPBtL) – 14 games
Photo from Xavier Shivak
The Dutch and Pirates have fewer different factions to play, but that means they get higher numbers on those fewer factions. The English don’t have a faction on the Top 8 list, but they have a more consistent spread with 16 factions represented and 4 of them with 10+ plays.
The Native Americans have the most factions played so far with 17 different factions represented.
Photo from Dexter Heide
Individual Player Report
Which player has accrued the most infamy so far? Conner Fix, playing for the English! With 37pts, Conner has a 4pt lead with another 3 players at 30+ points.
So far 181 unique players have participated in the campaign!
Week 2 Player Report for Oak & Iron
We had another 22 games logged for Oak & Iron this week, bringing the total to 39, or a little less than 10% of total games.
Photo by Margarita de Vargas Oro
Josiah Huss leads the Oak & Iron players with 4 games.
Photo by Josiah Huss
Week 2 Blood & Plunder Objective – “There’s a Storm a Brewin’”
The Blood & Plunder weekly game objective this past week was:
“There’s a Storm a Brewin’” – Play a game in any theater starting at a +2 on Weather Table
Weather is a dynamic element of the game and there are multiple weather tables available in each of the expansions to the game. However, Weather effects in most games only occurs when players draw an Event Card that triggers a Wind or Weather event. This means that weather rarely gets above a +1 or +2.
Photo from William Keith Oakley Jr
To help players experience the “fun” and chaos of Weather this week’s objective pushed the game to a +2 on round one. Some players pushed the envelope even further by playing the STORM Scenario in the Raise the Black expansion. This scenario auto-increased the chaos by adding another +1 in Round 3 and Round 5 leading to the maximum setting of Torrential Rain where visibility drops to 12″ and Ranged attacks are impossible. With optional rules in play, the scenario allows players to add random changes to the wind and lightning strikes.
Photo from William J Davis
The objective was intended to help players experience one of the less-used elements of the game and give them an opportunity to try new things and experience some of the depth of the game.
Week 3 Objective – “National Objectives”
Each nation gets its own objectives this week, set by its commanders.
Blood & Plunder National Objectives
Dutch = CANNONS!
Play a sea game with grapeshot equipped.
Play a land battle with field artillery
Play an amphibious game with either grapeshot OR field artillery
French
Go Big or Go Home: post a battle report of a game using or fighting against a Size 3 or bigger ship OR use a Commander costing 20+ points. Send a link to the posted report to randolphandrewp@gmail.com (please have Summer of Plunder in the email title). I’ll pick my favorite report as the winner.
English = “Blood and Thunder”: Play a game where you kill an enemy model with musket fire and a bayonet charge.
Natives = Use King Phillip or one of the Custom Summer of Plunder commanders (stats & cards in the Native’s Call to Action) as your Force’s Commander
Pirates = “Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho!” We want y’all to send us pictures of your piracy-inspired drinks! They can be non-alcoholic, and must come with an ingredient list! We will choose the winner and they will get a special prize!
Spanish
Trivia Question: Who was the governor of Santo Domingo in 1655 when Cromwell’s western design was repelled from Hispaniola? All correct answers will receive commander cards and new ammo objective tokens.
Dios esté contigo Play a game using the Mission Priest, Spiritual Leader, or Standard Bearer with religious iconography or a ship’s stern/sails with religious iconography (can be O&I ships). The best picture or model wins a blister of Corsarios. The player who plays the most games fulfilling the challenge will receive a set of Spanish Inquisition models (Monty Python style).
Oak & Iron Weekly Objectives
Again, these will vary by Nation as determined by the National Commanders
Dutch
Upgrade at least one ship with extra guns and dismantling shot
French
Go Big or Go Home: post a battle report where you used Additional Guns. Send a link to the posted report to randolphandrewp@gmail.com (please have Summer of Plunder in the email title). I’ll pick my favorite report as the winner.
English = “Blood on the Homefront”: Play a game with half your force (rounding down) with the Merchant Crew Upgrade Card.
Natives = Create a force using the Natives faction available for free on Timber and Sail. A PDF of printable ship tokens or free 3d Printed STLs are available. https://timberandsail.com/factions-natives/
Pirates = “Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho!” We want y’all to send us pictures of your piracy-inspired drinks! They can be non-alcoholic, and must come with an ingredient list! We will choose the winner and they will get a special prize!
Spanish
Trivia Question: Who was the governor of Santo Domingo in 1655 when Cromwell’s western design was repelled from Hispaniola? All correct answers will receive commander cards and new ammo objective tokens.
Dios esté contigo Play a game with religious iconography a ship’s stern/sails or flags. The best picture or model wins a blister of Corsarios. The player who plays the most games fulfilling the challenge will receive a set of Spanish Inquisition models (Monty Python style).
Bonus Prize Event – “SHIPWRECKED!”
In case you missed the announcement last week, we’ve added a special bonus prize event to the campaign.
STORMS have come to the region and the rough seas have led to the beaching of ships, leaving them ripe for plucking by savvy crews…
Galleon Shipwreck by Liam Taylor
For Week 3 only, you can play a special scenario in this “SHIPWRECKED!” event to receive a custom Leather Dice Tray as donated by Tyler Stone at DeadMansChest.org.
In addition to the leather dice tray, the Nation on the entry of the prize winner will also get 1 Victory Point for the campaign level map. So not only do you win, but you help your team win!
There was a LOT of combat and chaos on the Campaign Map in Week 2. If you haven’t seen it yet make sure to take a peek and the Week 2 Campaign Map Update article:
OK, it’s time to start handing out plunder! This is one of the best parts of the community event and what helps make the event so great. Don’t forget to check out the full list of prizes for the Summer of Plunder campaign.
Best Photo of the Week
Our photo prize goes out to Per Jacobi this week! This photo features a custom terrain board with stone, grass and water effects and some great Dutch minis with legendary Piet Heyn at their head! This is a great shot. Especially for this week when the Dutch have taken the lead!
The weekly prize for the best photo is a set of 6 “Activated Tokens” from the Pigment Shop.
Activation tokens are a great visual reminder to know which units you have already used in a game. After you assign an activation card to a unit, place a token by them or on your record sheet to keep things sorted. We have a wide selection in the Blood & Pigment store for every faction in the game if you would like to get some for your own games.
Random Player who Accomplished the Weekly Objective – Fortune Coin
Each week a random player who accomplishes the weekly objective will be selected at random among qualifying entries. The winner will receive a fancy metal Fortune Coin. And the random winner here is Greg Padilla!
Greg did an amazing job serving as Pirate Commander last year and is serving again as Pirate 2nd-in-Command this year! A master painter, crafter, and game master, Greg is an awesome member of the Blood & Plunder community and this week he was playing some Oak & Iron on those rough seas!
We love “fancy coins” as Fortune Tokens and have several options in our shop. We recently added a new English coin, so be sure to check them out.
Random Entry for Week 1 – Minis
Our random draw from the entire week’s worth of entries will receive some free minis! Either a pack of 4 Blood & Plunder minis of the nationality they are playing, or an Oak & Iron Ship.
This week’s random winner goes to Jimmy Arlekrans, playing for the English this year.
Jimmy Arlekrans submitted a couple games this week. I kind of need to know the story behind this LEGO figure in his shots!
Random Prize of the Week #2 – Alternate Rig Ship Cards
In addition to our recurring prizes each week, we have a unique prize for each week. This week we’re giving a set of the alternate rig ship cards that came out with the No Peace Beyond the Line expansion. These stat cards let you play existing ship hulls as slightly different ships which helps extend the value of the game’s ship models. The card pack has been unavailable for a while, and this is a rare find right now!
This random drawing goes out to Maciej Machowicz, playing for the Spanish this year.
Commander Reports
Now, here are some important messages from your beloved commanders. Each week our 6 volunteers will donate a bit of time to add some narrative flavor to the game and pass on some information regarding their nation’s goals. If you haven’t yet joined, the best way to interact with the commanders and players in your nation is to join our Summer of Plunder Discord server. This is different than the main Firelock Games Discord server. It’s a fun community to hang out with and there is a lot of plotting and planning going on in secret channels that only players of a nation can see.
Spain – Week 2 Player Update
¡Nunca es tarde si la dicha es buena!
The tide has brought with it mixed news. Our brave Corsarios managed to claim the settlement of Boston, while the Soldados sent abroad to St. Thomas have pacified the area from the control of the debaucherous Pirates. By capturing St. Thomas a black wave has settled upon the Caribbean that has engulfed Cartegena and St. Augustine.
Photo by Kristin Low
We must look to faith in our Lord to see us through these troubled times. When black hearted men who shun the words and deeds of God Almighty descend on our territories, we need those who shepherd us to be a light to push back the darkness. Let them come with their ships and their fire, for they will find not a trembling prey, but a fortified people, a people armored with faith.
So let us raise our voices, not in fear, but in a chorus of defiance. Let the bells of our churches ring out, not as a death knell, but as a clarion call to all who would defend the sanctity of life and the holiness of our home.
We are the sentinels of peace, the guardians of grace. And if we must lay down our lives, let it be known that we did so in the name of love, in the name of God, and for the eternal glory of Spain.
Viva España! Viva la fe!
– Josué Shivak
Week 3, Dios esté contigo
Weekly Objectives: Play a game using the mission priest, spiritual leader, standard bearer with religious iconography or a ship’s stern/sails with religious Iconography (can be O&I ships). Best picture or model wins a blister of Corsarios. The player who plays the most games fulfilling the challenge will receive a set of Spanish inquisition models (Monty Python style).
Week 3 Trivia Question: Who was the governor of Santo Domingo in 1655 when Cromwell’s western design was repelled from Hispaniola? All correct answers will receive commander cards and new ammo objective tokens. Leave your answer to the trivia question in the comments section in the game entry form.
England – Week 2 Player Update
Colonys Expannd Undere Fleet
Bostonn Loste to Perfydious Spanish
Pryvateers Plunder Spanish Towne
His Majesty’s red fleete has afforded ye settler much needed protectione for expansion of ye noble English influennse. English colonys have been established in ye Carolinas and in ye traditionnal Spanish regione, Campeyche. Regionnal garrisones have been bolstered by contingents of marine regulars and ye skilled officers of his Majesty’s fleet have greatly improved ye disciplinne and affectione of ye provincial soldiery.
Ye puritan strongehold of Masschussetts has beene captured by ye vile papists. The despotic Spaniards targeted ye city on a hillock, despyte its remoteness to ye Spanish holdings because they could not afforde ye God-fearing protestannts to live in peace. As long as ye vile Spaniard draws breathe, he will seeke to persecute and murdere any man that dain nott bow lowe to his religiouse patriarch. The liberty of practice of faith soughte by ye murddered puritannicals muste be avennged against ye Spanish dogg.
In seekyng vengeannce againste ye Spanish herettic, ye Englishmenn have plunderred Spanish settlementes in ye northe of Florida. On ye bordere of English Carolina, Privateeres set upon papiste natives and Spaniardes alike. Enormeous plunnders were returned and no Spanishe savages were permitted to flee. All such heathens and murderrers were put to ye sworde and ye heretic churches and townes were burned. Such wanton slaughtter occured it is doubtfull civilyzed peoples may ever inhabitt ye territores between Florida and Carolina.Many foreign vessells were loste in ye recente storms. Ye europeans lack ye English seamannship and ye wrecks can be had easily bye any captaine with a vessel and the menn to gathered ye rich entrails of ye gutted vessels. Any party neede only find and salvage ye beached vessels to amass ye loste fortunes.
Photo from Gareth Ian Loosmore Worthy
France – Week 2 Player Update
Salutations aux compatriotes!
We are continuing to hold our own upon the world stage. We are within striking distance of first place and our keeping pace with foes. And we will continue spreading the glory of France and being a shining example for all of the world to learn from.
Keep your eyes on the objectives each week and try to play games at local shops and to shanghai new players to the game. If you have not joined the discord yet we would love to have you in there.
Keep up the great work captains!
-Chevalier Tanwyn
The Netherlands – Week 2 Player Update
Landgenoten,
Great news arrives to us from the new world!
At the behest of our merchants we have acted against those rum soaked vagabond pirates that plague the Caribbean!
Our troops stormed ashore at Tortuga, that festering hell hole of villainy, and crushed the feeble defenses. In the process, we even…. recovered…. Our expenses and then some in the liberated commodities stored there.
Determined to end that most evil or scourge, we even sent forth a scouting party to Nassau. The party returned with troubling news. The brigades have fortified the settlement heavily. But fear not! They will be crushed in due time!
To bolster our position…. Our scouts and merchants have succeeded in convincing the inhabitants of San Juan to join our cause. With the securing of Puerto Rico, we finally have a significant land base to expand from and to increase our productions of sugar, salt, and other commodities!
While fortune has smiled on us, we must remain vigilant! Our actions against the followers of the black flag are sure to invite their ire and retribution!
– Matthew “Salty” Doerr Commander of the Nederlands West Indies
The Native Americans – Week 2 Player Update
The struggle to keep our enemies at bay continues. Thank you for your effort. We’ve managed to defend the land that is ours to protect, and we continue to trade. If we maintain what we do, we will survive the struggle and see our children and grandchildren living off the land our forefathers lived off.
Photo: Brent Devos
We must remain defiant with our eyes wide open and our hearts clean. The above is the only goal we seek.
A great Sachem is to join our cause this week. His name is Metacomet. If you haven’t heard of him yet, go and seek the stories of his deeds, and follow his war cry if you may!
Photo: Nathan Hathcock
Photo: Kurtis Fraley
Incoming Natives!!! Photo: Dexter Heide
Photo by William Oakley Jr
The Pirates – Week 2 Player Update
Captains, we are rockin’ the Caribbean by solidifying our place as second in the campaign. Not first yet…but now we’re separating ourselves from the other factions. So far into week two, we have played a total of 89 games, with a solid score of 266 points! Now that’s pretty impressive. With the Dutch faction out front, continue the pressure as we chip away at that lead. Fear not lads, we’re moving up and not backwards. Our top three point leaders (963yug_taht, Jakub Karaś and Battlebrotherguy) for this week have done a great job representing the “Black”!
Ship pic from 963yug_taht
Pic from battlebrotherguy
A Double Event draw! pic from Dan Carlson
Week 2 Pirate Review
This week I went through all the pictures submitted and saw a nice mix of games being played both on land and at sea, as well as some Oak & Iron stuff! As promised I managed in three games with my sons and friends to meet our Captains direction for this past week on attack and defend positions. How well did you do? Speaking of objectives how was your game using the crazy weather adjustments? I didn’t see much chatter in Discord on the issues with +2 on the Weather Table. I know when I played our O&I games with the Rough Seas, it was a tough haul to close on the enemy.
A few notes from our sponsors (Blood & Pigment); please ensure you load the same personal data (name & email address) each time you log in to your games. This helps with easy point count and credit for your games!
Pic from Greg Padilla
Pic from Jakub Karaś
Keep those lines of communication open and flowing as our Captain Dan aka Boyar of the Brethren, post updates and additional information in the Discord Pirate chat channel.
An island, a shoal, and an event – oh my! Pic from Konrad Łabędzki
A deck for of trouble brewin’ Pic from Victor Hübenette
Pic from Jason Lester
Finally, get your games in, raise the Black and most of all…have fun!
Summer of Plunder in Game Stores
Photo from David Manley
We’ve seen a GREAT uptick in games happening at local gaming stores! If you have a game store close by that is able to host your game meetups, it’s great for publicity! It helps get the game in front of more eyes, and it lets your game store owner know that people are playing Blood & Plunder and Oak & Iron so they can stock the games and make them available to more people!
Photo from Colin Lightfoot
You can still order an Organized Play Kit for use in your store or club over the summer! Your store can order direct from Firelock Games or you can contact Jonathan at jonathan@firelockgames.com to go about ordering kits.
Blood & Plunder on Tabletop Simulator
A few players have been very resourceful and managed to play Blood & Plunder on Tabletop Simulator.
The +2 on the Weather Table is easy to remember here!
If you’re interested in exploring this, jump into the Summer of Plunder Discord channel and ask “Dred the Native Dragon” about it!
Oak & Iron on Tabletop Simulator
An official version of Oak & Iron is also available on Tabletop Simulator. We had a fair number of virtual games played last year and it’s a great way to play with folks that live further away than you.
A game of Oak & Iron on Tabletop Simulator (photo provided by Timber & Sail)
More Pictures! So Many Pictures!
It’s awesome to see everyone’s tables, minis, game stores, and community members enjoying some fine wargaming together! We get a lot of great pictures and it’s hard to share them all! Here’s an additional sampling of the photo entries this week:
Final Thoughts on Summer of Plunder Week 2
Week 2 was a (soggy) blast! Week 3 will be more diverse with different objectives for each nation to pursue, but there’s the Shipwrecked scenario as an objective that everyone can play!
Housekeeping
Remember to use the same email address email AND name consistently between entries! Nicknames are fun, but pick one and stick to it. Every time there is a mismatch we manually have to fix your entries or send messages to confirm that it’s the same person. It will save your busy campaign organizers some work and keep their efforts focused on more important things than silly paperwork. Thanks in advance for your assistance!
Shameless Patreon Plug
No one likes asking or being asked for money and we rarely do it… so we’ll keep it short and sweet. Even with prize sponsors, we send a VERY LARGE portion of our Blood & Pigment annual budget on prize support and promoting this event. Shipping the $3000+ in goodies around the world is…not cheap. Smuggler fees are high and piracy still plagues our shipping lanes! So if you are in a position to help, we’d be extremely thankful for a one-time or monthly gift on our Patreon. Thanks for helping us grow this great community we love. Enjoy your summer of plundering!
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