Intro
Welcome to the Week 4 Player Update! We’ve completed the first 4 weeks of the 2024 Summer of Plunder Campaign and we’re reaching the midway point this week! We’re going to restructure this update a bit, leading with the updates from each Nation’s Commanders, then announcing some winners, and then take a ook at some stats and numbers.
For a full update on the conflict on the campaign map, check the Campaign Map & Objective Update post for Week 4. But to summarize, the Dutch have a small lead with the Natives close on their heels while the Spanish, French, and English are all very close and the Pirates trail by a handful of points. All evidence points to increasingly complex relationships and negotiations between each nation and their leaders.
Commander Updates
In light of that, let’s check in with our Commanders! Maybe there is some info here that might hint at possible plans and viewpoints on outcomes that may be helpful.
Spain – Week 4 Player Update
¡Saludos desde la Habana!
Brave Soldados, we have clawed our way back out of last place! but we must continue our fight to ultimate victory. Be ruthless and spare no Lutheran lives.
This week the challenge will be to use our advisor’s council and take hostages to our advantage. Remember if you use the spiritual leader in the Mission garrison faction you still get the bonus command point.
I am starting to put together the prize packs to send out for last week. They should go out later this week or next due to the holiday weekend here in the States. Sorry for the delay, but you can think of it as historical accuracy with the speed at which you will receive your sueldos.
If you feel that you have won a prize and you have not heard from me, email me, or the campaign team. Contact me and we will get it sorted out. If you missed out on my trivia prize in week 3 don’t fret you will have another opportunity in week 9.
-Gerardo de Guale
England – Week 4 Player Update
Vile Spaniarde Murderers Burne Antigua
Natche’s Colonnie Loste to Savages
Charlestowne Captured by English Force
Ye windwarde isles were burned by ye Spanishe pyrates in those dayes passt moste recent. Innocente Englishemen and women were forced to abandoned ye prosperous plantations and sugarmilles on ye islande and flee to ye capital of Jamaica. Ye West Indies Compagne storehouses on ye islande were brimming withe valuable cargoe for ye Europeann markett, and all suche revenues were loste to ye raiders. Englishe incomes were terrible hurte by ye piracyes and Parliamente hath condemned ye Spaniardes attacke as an Act of WAR.
A reprisale upon ye captured towne of Bostonn was launched by one young officer, Lt. Connors. Despite valiante efforts, he was defeated. A source in Port Royale claime ye inquirie will be made into the cause of ye tragic defeat.
Natche’s coloney was burnte by ye hostile indians. His majesty’s armys took but few casualtyes but ye settlers were terribly handled. Murders and thievereys and insultes of every kinde were perpetrated by ye godless heathen upon ye Englishmen and women. Ye savage knowes no decenscye and cannote be dealte with like other christiean foes. He muste be put to the sworde. No mercy can be showed to an enemy thatt so harries good Englishemen.
News of Settlements Captured
A great blowe was strucke ye savage hordes whenn ye determined forces under commande of one Lt. Ostrowulf made incursiones at Charlestowne. Ye settlemente was captured with muche bloodshed on parte of ye savage. The towne was found in much disrepaire after ye occupatione by ye foule heathen yet success was so greate that ye victours carried offe much plundere as well. Ye Englishe holde of Carolina may soone be complete and ye savage maye be yet subjugated or drivenne out in the regione.
A grande force led by Lt. Gen. Erich Goebel carried supplyes and soldiers to ye northerne coast. There ye forces of his Majesty’s navy and marines seized the towneship from ye colonizinge Swedes. A new Englishe colony was established. The local savages call ye region Norridgewock but the general gave the territory a good christiean name, Norwich Rock.
And finally, we have our first English winner. The first of three raffles has been drawn. Each player was entered up to five times for game submissions, and then once more per rank above Master. At the close of week three, with (a lot) more than five games submitted and sitting at as high a rank as any Englishman had achieved at the time, our first winner is: CONNOR FIX! I will be in touch Commander.
Connor can’t win again so now is your chance to grab the next big prize. Game entries will reset for each raffle but rank will not. Hop on Discord today to get acquainted with how you can climb the ranks in His Majesty’s service and better your chances of being picked in the next raffle!
France – Week 4 Player Update
We were attacked on all sides and have withstood the hurricane. This campaign is a marathon and not a race. We are still strongly positioned as the only power with two capitals.
Despite a barrage of attacks, our well-coordinated defenses held firm. We will continue to fortify our holdings and we may yet see the sun shine on France when the storm clears.
Continue to recruit new captains, play at local shops, and always keep an eye on the objectives. Join us in the discord to strategize!
The Netherlands – Week 4 Player Update
Landgenoten,
Fortune continues to smile upon us!
It is with immense pleasure I stand before you and announce the Dutch Republic is again on the North American mainland!
With the dedication and bravery of our countrymen, we have crushed the feeble pirate enclave in Rhode Island and restored order! The furs, crops, and natural resources of the territory are sure to fatten our coffers!
In the Caribbean theater, we fared equally well!
Our scouts reported France had all but abandoned St. Vincent, seeking to deploy its forces to the frontiers. They also reported the locals were unhappy with French rule!
So we took it upon ourselves to….. address their concerns.
At the request of our shareholders, a contingent of Kapers we dispatched to claim the island.
After a brief skirmish in the harbor, they captured the lone French privateer guarding the settlement, and secured the town!
The coffee, sugar, and tobacco are sure to be extra delicious!
Celebrate tonight ladies and gentlemen, but not too hard! Be ready to stand to in the morning as we continue on toward our destiny!
Matthew “Salty” Doerr
Commander of the Nederlands West Indies
The Native Americans – Week 4 Player Update
Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.
The path we are walking is the only righteous one. We stand tall against aggression. We are not interested in expansion, we are not here for profit. And We defend and take back what was taken away from us.
You fought well in our recent battles, brothers and sisters. An effort that can’t go unnoticed. In the coming days, I ask of you nothing more and nothing less. Stay committed, stay focused. And keep your eye on the hostages we took this week. Don’t let them escape!
Special Report by Chief Vega – Port Royal Overrun by Savages!
A native coalition has taken control of the northernmost French settlement of Port Royal. The port suffered a series of coordinated assaults that began before dawn. By the evening bands of warriors stalked the streets, relentlessly hunting down what few pockets of resistance remained. Remnants of the local militia desperately herded the surviving women and children aboard the few ships that remained in the harbor, though the overwhelming success of the surprise assault meant that many had already been killed or carried off by the attackers.
Spearheaded by Wabanaki warbands, the assault is likely a retaliatory strike in response to the French capture of Appalachee and other aggressive expansion in the region, the large number of summary executions and hostages taken serving as further reprisals.
While news of the atrocities committed by the conquering tribes is widespread, it seems that the graphic nature of their crimes is not enough to impede the flow of commerce. Rumors abound that the Wabanaki have already opened up trade with the less scrupulous frontiersmen in the area and that the robust trade in furs and other goods has resumed in earnest.
From week 3 we started to give away our National prizes to random players that completed the week’s objective!
- Week 3 winner – Kurtis Fraley – will receive the King Phillip resin miniature.
- Week 4 winner – Ethan Taylor – will receive a box of 4 Young Braves resin miniatures.
All prizes will be sent at the end of the campaign.
The Pirates – Week 4 Player Update
A word from the Boyar:
Captains! I would like to highlight a particular captain who has shown initiative this week! Captain Georgia Worthy took on some formidable foes this week, and performed admirably! She will be receiving this weeks prize, as well as a special female captain miniature!
Furthermore, we do have things to discuss. Last week, we attempted to put some coin in our pocket that had been wrongfully stolen by the Dutch. France promised us her aid, and in a deed most foul, never showed. She gave us no notice, and when we needed her most, France decided to go frolicking in the woods instead. Since fair is fair, we swung this week in order to compensate for our losses we suffered due to her absence. I would caution the other leaders about the French, as they obviously don’t see their word as binding. However, the Dutch once again came after us, so any captain who takes Dutch Prizes will be required to take her crews into Algiers or Tunis and offer her crew up to the auction houses. It’s time to give those clog-wearing nations a taste of the trade the hold so dear!
Update from Captain Greg Padilla
The Pirate pressure is on! Captains, your gameplay has kept us in second place (in terms of number of games played) since the beginning of the campaign…well done! But…’dem English scum is still ahead…not by much…but still ahead. Our top point leader, Captain Jakub Karaś, has led us to within grasp of overtaking the English.
Of Photos, Minis, and Game Tables
Captains, I love looking through the many pictures you have taken of your games and wished I could have played in them all. As a picture kind of a guy, I called in an expert from the Americas, Captain Olan Mills…Aaaaarh! These are simple tips and nothing too crazy. Have great lighting; don’t need anything professional, but good illumination and even natural light is best…avoid using any flash.
Get your camera/cell phone down to figure level and focus in to the figure/group you want to capture….frontals are best. Oh and I love to see the “Skull-n-Crossbones” in the pics too.
Tips for Crafting Shoals
Alright, let’s chat about them shoals! This week’s objective was to play with two shoals in your game. I’ve seen a lot of variety of making shoals as opposed to buying a set. I guess for me I was lucky Firelock Games resold out on their sets, so I resorted to making my own. It was fairly easy as I found a picture of my two different types of gaming mats for the water, clipped a part, and pasted it into MSPaint. Use the “spray” feature and add some land texture. Once satisfied with the results. I then clipped that image and pasted it to a MS PowerPoint slide. Adjusted the size and printed them out into color on card stock paper. Then I ran it through the laminator machine and we have ourselves a cool and inexpensive-looking shoal.
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.
As we head into week five of the campaign, try to get a picture of you and your crew gaming your favorite Pirate Faction. Speaking of factions, it would appear the “Brethren of the Coast” was the most played followed by the “Golden Age of Pirates”. I challenge you to try a Pirate Faction you have played before, and give us some feedback on the gameplay with them in Discord. So keep your spirits high and roll ‘dem bones!
Finally, get your games in, raise the Black and most of all…have fun
Weekly Campaign Prizes!
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
Part of the fun of the Summer of Plunder campaign is sharing pictures of everyone’s games. Blood & Plunder players do an amazing job of creating immersive gaming experiences through beautiful gaming tables and painted miniatures. We hope the photos we are able to share from around the community and enjoyable and inspiring (or Very Inspiring). Each week we’re giving away a set of our Blood & Plunder Activated Tokens from our Pigment Shop to the player who submitted the best photo during the week (judged by the Pigment team).
It’s always really difficult to select one picture from the many, many great pictures! This week’s prize for best photo goes out to William J Davis. This shot of a Dutch and French ship facing off at close range in shallow water pulls you right into the action and highlights the weekly objective!
William will receive a set of 6 Spanish Activated Tokens as a prize this week.
Random Player who Accomplished the Weekly Objective
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 Natanael Carrillo!
Natanael indicated he just jumped in on Blood & Plunder this year, the red sails in his picture indicated that Captain Dan Carlson is helping him out there!
Natanael will be receiving a deluxe Fortune Coin in the form of an 8 reale coin. These historically accurate reproductions are made by the St. Augustine Mint in Eugene, OR.
Random Entry for Week 4
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 Georgia W. It’s been a delight to see parents play some games with their kids and Georgia’s entry made me smile when I read, “As loyal Quartermaster and dice roller, little brother tried to roll us to victory, like our last one. But today mean daddy was able to keep us away from his treasure.” Those mean daddies!
We’ll send over some reinforcements for that pirate crew and she’s sure to get that treasure next time!
Random Prize of the Week #4 – Gun Emplacement
In addition to our recurring prizes each week, we have a unique prize for each week. This week we’re giving away a resin Gun Emplacement from Firelock Games. This little fortification can offer a whole new experience in a land or amphibious game, allowing one player to plant a Light, Medium, or Heavy Cannon in a defensible position and change the entire dynamics of a board.
This prize goes out to Mark Vernon. Mark is playing for the Pirates this year and it looks like he had a nasty tangle with some shoals this week!
Those are the prizes for the week! Let’s look at some numbers and stats before finishing up for this week’s update.
Numbers and Stats
Who’s winning, who’s logging the most games, who’s generating the most points, and which factions are coming to the surface as the most popular this year?
Nation Report
Who’s winning? We already went over the frontrunners at the top of this article, but let’s look at each player base. Of the 227 players who have logged games this year, the English have the most at 56 contributors, followed by the Pirates, French, Dutch, Spanish, this Natives. This has been the least lopsided player spread so far. Big shout out to several players who self-consciously chose to play Native Americans this year to even the scales a bit. It is appreciated!
The graph for Points Generated looks similar, with the Pirates showing some extra strength.
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 4 weeks of play, we’re already getting close to having them all played. As usual, the final factions to be played are most of the Legendary Factions.
The Factions that have not been played yet include:
- Spanish: Juan Corso’s Corsairs & Pargo’s Marineros
- English: Church’s Raiders & New England Village Garrison
- French: French Raiders (FotF), Iberville’s Expeditionary Force, & New France Garrison
- Dutch: ALL FACTIONS PLAYED
- Native Americans: Iroquois (NPBtL) & Fan Made Oak & Iron Natives
- Pirates: ALL FACTIONS PLAYED
- Unaligned & Minor Powers: Black Caribs, Danish Militia, Miskito Zambo, & Swedish Militia
We’ll check in on the TOP factions again next week.
Individual Player Report
Which player has accrued the most infamy so far?
We’ve had a different player in the top spot every week so far! This week, Conner Fix has swapped places with Jakub K to take the top spot.
The current spread for the top 30 players ranges from 73 to 22 points. Each game can score between 1 and 5 points.
Week 5 Player Report for Oak & Iron
Oak & Iron maintains a steady ratio of about 10% of the entries so far. Dutch lead the way at 18 games played, but all nations have been represented well so far!
Week 4 Objective – Dangerous Waters!
Shoals! Most players participated in the weekly objective by using Shoal terrain on the sea/amphibious boards.
169 games featured shoal terrain this week. I can only imagine how many ships hit those shoals this week!
Photos featuring Shoals from this past week’s objective
Week 5 Objective – Local Help
This week’s objective is to use one of the Hostage/Advisor Characters in your Force. You can find a great overview of rules for Characters and some suggestions for which Hostage/Advisor you might want to employ in the Map & Objective update for the week!
I think you should use the Surgeon from the Raise the Black book. Use that new model from the Summer of Plunder Organized Play Kit!
More Photos! Because there’s so Many Photos
Additional Photos from Spanish Player this Week
Additional Photos from English Players this Week
Additional Photos from French Players this Week
Additional Photos from Dutch Players this Week
Additional Photos from Native Players this Week
Additional Photos from Pirate Player this Week
Final Thoughts on Summer of Plunder Week 4
Thanks for participating in the campaign this year! We’ve seen lots of players come back from previous years, but also lots of new players that have not participated before. The number of new players taught the basic rules for Blood & Plunder or Oak & Iron throughout the first few weeks of the campaign is really amazing! From the ~800+ games entered so far, a full 237 have included people trying out these games for the first time! Great job to you all for sharing your passion for some awesome games this Summer!
The objective last week kind of forced you to play land games, but this week busts it wide open. Play any style of game you want! Just make sure to use a fun, unique model for that Character in your Force and take a good picture of it during your game!
This week will mark the midway point through the campaign. The new updates to the campaign rules seem to be working really well so far! Nations all have an equal opportunity to do well on the campaign, even if they have fewer players or log a few fewer games. Communication between Commanders and Players is much more pronounced this year than last year and there’s some real community building happening on the Summer of Plunder Discord server!
It’s a true pleasure to see everyone having a good time, all around the world!
Additional Recommended Reading
- Summer of Plunder Updates Hub – all of the updates from previous weeks.
- All the Info and Rules for the 2024 Summer of Plunder Event
- 2024 Summer of Plunder Entry Form
- 2024 Summer of Plunder Map
- Call to Arms! posts from Summer of Plunder Commanders
- Objective List for 2024 Summer of Plunder
- Prize List for 2024 Summer of Plunder