Escalation League Overview

An Escalation League is a campaign-style activity that encourages participants to collect, build, paint, and play Blood & Plunder over an extended timeframe. All participants start with a single Nation (optionally a single Faction) and must continue to play that Nation throughout the campaign. The points level of the games steadily increases every week or two. The theater and scenario are up to the league organizers or participating players.

Why Do an Escalation League?

Escalation Leagues are a great way to encourage participants, particularly new players, to:

• Start a building or painting a new army
• Finish or add to an existing army
• Have structured hobby goals
• Engage in friendly competition
• Participate in the hobby in more ways than just playing games
• Sticking to the same Nation/Faction helps players learn their army’s mechanics without feeling overwhelmed
• To have fun!

Schedule Suggestions

An escalation league is a great way to ease into the world of large-scale wargames while steadily building and painting your army. The league progresses through scheduled phases, gradually increasing the size of your force and allowing you to learn the game in manageable steps.

When determining the scenarios and theater for the games, it’s typically best to do exclusively Land-based games early on if you have a lot of new players. This gives them time to assemble their minis early and then progress to the assembly and painting of the ships. It’s hard to play Sea games without assembled ships unless someone has sufficient loaners for everyone in the group.

Below, you’ll find two different suggested schedules.  One is bi-weekly, the other weekly. They are both designed for a period of 12 weeks/3 months. Extending the event much longer than this timeframe is difficult to maintain consistent interest and participation.

Bi-Weekly Schedule

This schedule is spaced into 2-week blocks to allow more time to complete the assembly and painting aspects of the games. You are welcome to play multiple games within the schedule. This option is typically better for new players as it can take time to build up the minis.

Weekly Schedule

This style of play focuses a bit more on gameplay with weekly games and a minor increase in points each week. This style is good if there are more players with more complete forces. It offers more opportunities for earning points by playing games to balance against the points available for the hobby elements.

Reaching 350 pts may be difficult if you have a group of mostly new players so you may want to shorten the length or vary the escalation rate slightly.

Suggestions for Preparing for the League

1. Run Demo Events:
   Host one or two demo sessions before the league begins. These events are an excellent way to introduce new players to the game, teach core mechanics, and build excitement. Consider providing pre-built and pre-painted forces to make the learning experience smooth and engaging. This will give you a few new players to pull from.
2. Promote Early:
   Start advertising the league at least 2-weeks to a month in advance. Use social media, local gaming stores, and community forums to spread the word. Highlight the league’s structure, benefits, and rewards to generate interest.
   Foster camaraderie before the league starts. Create a chat group or Discord forum where participants can discuss their plans, ask questions, and share progress on their miniatures.
3. Prepare Materials:
   Have everything ready before the league starts, including score tracking sheets, league rules, and a clear schedule. Share these resources with participants so they know what to expect. Here is an escalation league guidelines template you can edit as needed.
4. Plan the Venue:
   Confirm your venue details, including table space, terrain, and availability. Work with the store owner to schedule a consistent time and day for league events.
5. Prepare Starter Scenarios:
   Prepare easy-to-follow scenarios for the early phases of the league. This helps new players ease into the game while keeping things fresh for veterans. Encounter is always a great starting scenario.

Escalation League Scoring System (optional)

You do not need to use a league scoring system, however, some league organizers may want to incorporate a scoring system in their Escalation Leagues allowing participants to earn points based on building, painting, and playing. This adds an extra layer of competition and incentive to keep people on task and moving forward.

A league scoring sheet should be available to participants, and the points system should be explained to participants so they know how to earn them.  A scoring sheet template is provided below.

Escalation League Gaming

During each phase of the league, players will participate in friendly, competitive games at set point levels. Points are earned by playing games, with additional bonuses awarded for victories and achieving objectives.

To maintain a balanced and friendly competition, players may play as many games as they like within each phase, but only their best game will count toward their points. This approach helps prevent any one player from gaining an unfair advantage by playing more frequently than others.

Gaming Points per Phase

• Earn 3 pt for playing a game in the period.
• Earn 1 pt for winning your match
• (Optional) Earn a 1pt bonus for a fully painted army
• (Optional) Earn X points scenario objectives 

Assembling & Painting Miniatures

Miniatures wargaming is a multi-faceted hobby that extends beyond gameplay to include the assembly and painting of miniatures. This section highlights the importance of hobby progress and aims to enhance the visual appeal of the games played throughout the league.

Players can earn points during each phase by assembling and painting miniatures for their forces. Points are awarded for completing new models and achieving specific painting goals. Each element can only be counted once and must be fully completed to qualify.

Miniatures

Painting miniatures enhances the visual appeal of your games and brings your forces to life on the tabletop. It also provides a rewarding creative outlet and a deeper connection to the hobby.  Players who paint their minis are more likely to be invested in the game long-term.  Optionally you can award half points for completions in smaller increments (e.g. assembling 2 minis being worth 0.5pts)

• 1pt for every 4 plastic models assembled 
• 2-3pts for every 4 fully painted models
• 1pt for a fully painted Commander or Character model 
• 1pt for every 8 cannons assembled
• 1pt for every 8 cannons painted

Ships

Painting ships in Blood & Plunder adds immersive detail, making naval battles visually stunning and historically evocative. It also allows players to personalize their fleets and showcase their creativity.

• 3pts per plastic Sloop assembled
• 3pts per deck for painted boats/ships (e.g. canoe = 3; Bermuda sloop = 6; light Frigate = 9)
• 2pts per deck fully rigged (bermuda sloop = 2; light frigate  = 6)

Terrain

Painting wargaming terrain enhances the realism of the battlefield, creating an immersive environment for gameplay. It allows players to customize their tables, adding unique features that enhance the strategic and visual appeal of each game.  

If players already have their miniature collections fully complete, the terrain elements offer them an opportunity to still participate in the hobby elements of the league. 

• 2pts = small scatter terrain (<= 4″ diameter)
• 3 + 2pts = buildings per additional 4″ section
• 4pts = medium scatter terrain/island (4-8″)
• ?pts = Large complex terrain; It may be up to the organizer or a community vote to determine the appropriate value of these projects. 

Setting Points Limits

Depending on the size or nature of your local group, you may want to set point limits for each phase to prevent a runaway leader or “pay-to-win” scenario. These caps ensure fair play by rewarding consistent participation over purchasing minis or spamming content to win.

Sample Scoring

The following is an example of the scoring if you purchased the 2 player starter set.

• Phase 1: Mike assembles 16 Pirates minis earning 4 pts and plays a game but loses
• Phase 2: Mike assembles the remaining 8 minis and the 2 commanders.  Mike plays 2 games this week and wins 1.
• Phase 3:  Mike paints 12 minis (2pts per 4), plays a game, but lost.  The group had a bonus objective in the scenario worth 1 pt which he achieved.
• Phase 4: Assembles 1 Bermuda Sloop for 3 pts and gets it fully painted 6pts (2 decks for 3pts each), but wasn’t able to make the game nights.
• Phase 5:  Assembles 1 Balandra Sloop for 3pts and finishes painting his other 12 minis (6pts) and both commanders (2pts). plays 3 games, winning 1.  He also completed a bonus scenario objective for 1 pt.
• Phase 6:  Paints his 1 Balandra Sloop for 6pts and fully rigs both ships for 4pts (2pts each).  Playing 2 games and winning 1 earns 4 more pts.

Catchup Mechanics

In an Escalation League, it’s important to keep the experience fun and engaging for all participants, including those who join late or fall behind in the standings. Catch-up mechanics are a great way to level the playing field, ensuring that everyone has a chance to stay competitive and feel included throughout the league. 

New Players Joining in the Middle

When new players join the league mid-way through the campaign, it’s important to give them a fair opportunity to catch up without disrupting the progress of existing players. One option is to start them at the point value of the lowest-ranked player in the campaign or the average score across all players. This helps ensure that they aren’t overwhelmed by higher-point games while still allowing them to participate meaningfully. 

Catchup Events

Hosting paint nights, bonus game nights, or introducing special objectives can help players catch up. These events provide additional opportunities for players to earn points outside the regular phases, helping to level the playing field and keep everyone engaged.

Prize Support

Offering enticing prizes can enhance participation and excitement in your Escalation League. If your store carries Blood & Plunder products, the obvious choice is to start by reaching out to your local game store to potentially secure prize support. They may also be willing to offer a discount as part of a kickoff event to get new players involved in the league.

Additionally, consider joining the Firelock Games Quartermaster Program, which is a team of demo representatives who receive direct support, including promotional materials and prizes in exchange for hosting events. Firelock Games is typically quite generous and willing to support tournaments and special events in exchange for promoting the game both locally and on social media.

Escalation League Scoring Sheets

Below is a free scoring spreadsheet you can use in your league. Each page is good for 2 players.

PDF Scoring Sheets

Google Sheets Version

Feel free to “Make a Copy” of this document and edit it as needed for your local group.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18hZOUuIKhgGCdOHzkEghBpPyMezEY74uAuuyBl459wg/edit?usp=sharing

Organizer Score Tracking Spreadsheet

I’ve developed a spreadsheet tool for organizers to manage and monitor participant progress throughout the league. It streamlines the process of recording game results, hobby achievements, and overall league points, ensuring accurate and transparent tracking. This spreadsheet helps organizers maintain a balanced competition and gives players a clear overview of their standings.

Point Leader Ranking Data

The “Rankings” tab organizes player rankings by phase and overall standings, automatically sorting them by points. This tab ensures transparency, highlights competitive progression, and tracks shifts in rankings throughout the league’s progression.

Download your copy of the Escalation League Score Tracking Spreadsheet

Conclusion

Running events and supporting your local gaming scene is a rewarding way to foster community engagement, promote hobby growth, and encourage friendly competition among players. Escalation leagues provide structured phases, clear guidelines, and opportunities to earn points through gaming, painting, and assembly. An Escalation League also ensures that participants of all experience levels have opportunities to feel included and motivated.

Whether you’re introducing new players to Blood & Plunder or offering veterans a fresh challenge, this format can become a memorable event that strengthens your local gaming community and deepens the shared passion for the hobby. If you organize such an event, we’d love to hear how it goes and if you have any additional suggestions or feedback.

Additional Content Suggestions

• 2025 Great Pirate Paint Off – Blood & Plunder Painting Contest
• Gallery of images for inspiration in painting your own minis, ships, and terrain
• Joining the Firelock Games Quartermaster Program Overview demo team