The weeks are flying by and we’ve just crossed the 2/3 mark. This was a wild week of offense and combat! Every nation has had a slightly different strategy and as the campaign has progressed, things are heating up. It’s time once again for the Week 6 Campaign Map Update. All of the Unaligned territories have been subdued, we’ll see who has captured these final 2 Locations and who maintains control of the remaining sites.

The participation this week showed solid grow over the previous two year. At this point in 2023 event we started to experience a downtrend in participation as Spain began to runaway with the campaign. That hasn’t been the case this year. While, not perfect, the changes to the rules system this year have helped prevent that a bit. Hopefully, folks continue to enjoy the spirit of the Summer of Plunder regardless of who wins the overall campaign.

As a reminder, all but one of the plunder in the Summer of Plunder prizes are awarded independent of the winning nation. And the fun of the weekly objectives remains unphased by who is in the lead.

The amazing pictures we continue to accumulate week-to-week are a testament to a strong and health community!

Whether you have fully painted minis and top notch terrain or not, we love seeing and hearing about the games you are playing. Cheers to all those players sharing their love of the game with others. Keep it up!

Week 6 Objectives – “The Quick and the Dead”

Week 6 of the Summer of Plunder had separate objectives for Blood & Plunder and Oak & Iron. Both are geared towards adding some bursts of speed to the games and quick movement.

Blood & Plunder Week 6 Objective: “The Quick and the Dead”
Play a Land or Amphibious game with at least one Unit with the Quick or Skirmishers attribute.

Oak & Iron Week 6 Objective: “The Quick and the Dead”
At least 50% of the ships in your Squadron MUST have Swift or Fast.  The “Gusts” event card is in play the entire game (draw additional events as normal).

Week 6 Campaign Level Combat Results

The narrative element of the combat resolution has indefinitely suspended due to, “diplomatic differences of opinion“. So, here are the raw result of combat. Players and commanders are free to spin their own tales of woe or jubilee!

Campaign Map Combat Results

• Dutch beat the Pirates and claim Aruba (Dutch 3 – Pirates 1)
• Dutch beat the French and claim Trinidad (Dutch 2 – French 1)
• Dutch beat the French and claim Petit Goave (Dutch 2 – French 1)
• English beat the Spanish and claim St Thomas (English 2 – Spanish 1)
• English beat the Natives and claim Natchez (English 2 – Natives 1)
• French beat the Pirates and claim Nassau (French 5 – Pirates 4)
• Natives repel the English maintain Boston (English 2 – Natives 3)
• Natives beat the Unaligned and claim Missisquoi (Natives 4 – Unaligned 2)
• Natives beat the Unaligned and claim Vera Cruz (Natives 3 – Unaligned 1)
• Pirates beat the Dutch and claim Guyana (Dutch 1 – Pirates 4)
• Pirates beat the Dutch and claim St Vincent (Dutch 1 – Pirates 4)
• Spanish beat the English and claim Onondaga (English 1 – Spanish 2)
• Spanish beat the English and claim Cayman Isles (English 1 – Spanish 2)
• Spanish beat the English and claim Port Royal (English 1 – Spanish 2)

Campaign Map Update At the End of Week 6

Raid Actions During Week 6

We had ZERO raids this week!

Was the adjustment to the system too big of a “nerf” or were there politics involved that kept them from being employed? Tough call! We’ll see what happens in the final 3 weeks.

This system has a bit of risk and reward, but it also the only method to reduce an enemy nation’s point totals while boosting your own. While a nation may only gain 1-2 points when they succeed, they are pushing their opponent down the same amount.

Trade Actions During Week 6

England and Spain went for the guaranteed success of 1 Victory Point, each using a single command point to Trade.

Current Standings at the End of Week 6

At the end of Week 6:

• The Dutch traded some of their holdings, but managed to gain a single point more than last week. Their momentum has waned a little and they are now ties for second place.
• The English have posted a second straight week of solid points and are now in 1st! Quite the recovery from a disastrous Week 4.
• In an unprecedented move, the French have managed to capture a 3rd capital! They now own the Natives’ Apalachee and Pirates stronghold of Nassau. If they can manage to maintain control of them they will be banking a solid 6 points with just three new territories. History is slowly rewriting itself.
• The Natives managed claw their way into both of the remaining Unaligned territories. Unfortunately, they lost Natchez in the process. They aren’t out of it yet, but they are struggling to regain their early leads.
• The Pirates have lost Nassau. This is a serious blow to an already wounded foe. However, now is a point were vengence and spite may set in and the pirates may be out for blood. If they can’t win, they may set their sights on making sure others may not. The pirates are now a total wild card of chaos..
• Spain has has another stellar week. Only the English have managed to post a 10 point week. With the 3 solid weeks in a row and now owning 6 territories they are only a single pt behind first!

Current Location Ownership by Nation

Based on territories alone, the English are in first with 8 Locations. The French and Spanish are tied for second, though France has the advantage of owning two capitals. The Natives have dropped from a former high of 7 to last with just 4 locations.

The Dutch attempted to claim one of the last two Unaligned locations but were rebuffed. These two remaining locations are likely going to make a major difference in the final outcome of the campaign – either through ownership of combat.

Week 7 Objectives – “The More the Merrier!”

Summer of Plunder Week 7 Weekly Objectives

Looking forward to Week 7 of the Summer of Plunder, it runs from July 14th (Sun) -July 20th (Sat).

This week the objective for this week are identical for both Blood & Plunder vs Oak & Iron.

Blood & Plunder AND Oak & Iron Week 7 Objective: “The More the Merrier!”

Play a game with 3+ players.
Play a Land or Amphibious game with at least one Unit with the Quick or Skirmishers attribute.

Good games are typically better with more people. You goal this week is to try to get your friends, family, fellow gamers, or total strangers together to play a great game! The size of your game and the scenarios you play are completely up to you.

“ALLOW ME TO DEMONSTRATE” is an article with tips and tricks on running a great demo for new players by Tyler Stone of DeadMansChest.org.

Suggested Scenarios

If you have yet to play the Treasure Scramble event as part of the Organized Play Kit, this is a good scenario for larger groups with 4-8 players on a single table. possible! In this scenario, player search an island for buried treasure while fighting anyone who tries to take what they are rightfully stealing!

Alternatively, if you aren’t planning to run it in Week 8, this is also a great week to use the “FLEET BATTLE ON THE HIGH SEAS!” scenario from the Organized Play Kit. This scenario is a conflict between two small fleets have met on the high seas and they must settle their differences the hard way. Roll out the great guns! In this scenario, players must split into two teams and face each off in a fleet battle on the open ocean.

Miscellaneous Objective Markers Photos

Conclusion for the Week 6 Campaign Update

As we move into the final 3 weeks of the campaign, the competition is going to be fiercer than ever. But remember, at the end of the day, it’s just a game. Don’t let your nation’s success or failure affect the spirit o the campaign. Win or lost, the efforts from all nations continue to make this a truly memorable Summer of Plunder.

The camaraderie and sportsmanship displayed by the community is inspiring. Whether you’re Nation is leading the charge or plotting your comeback, every move and vote counts in shaping the ultimate outcome, so make sure you vote wisely!

Until next week, may your summer be full of plunder and your games full of memorable moments and TONS of fun!

Article by Jason Klotz

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