The following is a guest post by William Keith Oakley. Oakly has done a lot of work to add assets to the Blood & Plunder module in Tabletop Simulator. He has strong passion for the gaming community and seeing other folks enjoy the game. If you’re new online should get you going. If you’ve enjoy this module make sure to tell him “thank you” when you see him online!.
Tabletop Simulator (TTS) is a versatile digital gaming platform allowing you to enjoy the tabletop gaming experience in an online format. From classic board games like Monopoly and Uno to complex strategy titles like Warhammer and Blood & Plunder. TTS allows players to enjoy in-person games virtually, complete with customizable game pieces, physics-based interaction, and multiplayer support. Whether you’re looking to game with distant friends or test out army lists before a big match, TTS offers a flexible and immersive way to bring your favorite tabletop worlds to life.
In this article, I’ll walk you through a simple, step-by-step guide to getting started with Blood & Plunder on Tabletop Simulator. My goal is to help grow the online community and make it easier for players to connect and game together—no matter where they are in the world. Whether you’re a seasoned captain or completely new to digital tools, this guide is designed to make the process as straightforward as possible. So let’s get into it!
What You Need to Get Started
A Free Steam Account & install
To start, you’ll need Steam. Steam is an online game/app hosting platform akin to the Google Play or Apple Store for your phone. It allows you to download games to Windows, iOS, and Linux machines. Creating an account and signing up for Steam is free. Head over to https://store.steampowered.com/ to sign up and download Steam if you don’t have it already.
Download and Install Tabletop Simulator
After installing Steam, open the Store page and search for “Tabletop Simulator.”
Is it Free to Play Blood & Plunder on Tabletop Simulator?
The Blood & Plunder module is free to download and play. But the game itself is a module that runs inside Tabletop Simulator. TTS isn’t just one game—it’s a powerful sandbox that supports thousands of free, community-made games and mods as well as paid games. You have to buy TTS once, but then have access to hundreds of games. TTS usually costs $19.99 USD—a great value considering what it offers.
With just one purchase, you unlock a huge range of tabletop experiences that let you play with friends online on a single platform..
How Do You Get Blood & Plunder on Tabletop Simulator?
Now that you have Tabletop Simulator, it’s time to grab the content you’ll need to play Blood & Plunder.
With TTS selected in your Steam library, look toward the top center or right side of the page and click “Workshop” tab.
In the search bar, type “Blood and Plunder.”
You’ll see two key items you need:
- Blood and Plunder (Work in Progress)
- Blood and Plunder (Assets for Play)
Click the green “+ Subscribe” button on both. This adds the mods to your TTS game, automatically downloading the content the next time you launch it.
Premade Maps and Gameboards (optional)
Want to jump in fast? Grab premade maps from the Workshop—just search “Blood and Plunder map” and hit the green “+Subscribe” button. These boards come preloaded with terrain and objectives to cut down setup time and get you playing quicker.
Exploring the Blood & Plunder Mod
Now that you’ve got Tabletop Simulator and the Blood & Plunder mods, it’s time to fire it up and get everything set.
Click the big green Play button in your Steam library to launch TTS. Once it opens, choose Single Player—don’t worry, we’re just setting things up for now.
Next, click the “Workshop” button and find “Blood and Plunder (Assets for Play)” in your list. Select it to load the mod. After a moment, you’ll be dropped into a virtual table filled with a plethora of labeled bags. Each of these “bags” is packed with the miniatures, terrain, tokens, and tools you’ll need for gameplay.
Once you’re inside the app, right-click each item or bag you want to keep/use and select “Save Object.” This makes them easily accessible for future games without reloading the entire mod.
For a visual walkthrough, check out my setup video here:
Since this Workshop mod is still evolving, I highly recommend checking the update log on Steam regularly. When updates are posted, you will need to re-download the workshop mod for the latest assets.
If you’re curious and load “Blood and Plunder (Work in Progress)” the same way, expect a flood of error messages—that’s normal. You likely won’t need this version often, if at all, but don’t worry if it looks messy.
Tips & Tricks for Play
It’s important to remember that Tabletop Simulator isn’t perfect. It has issues and “quirks”.
Tabletop Simulator can be a little… um… sketchy at times and occasionally things go sideways. Remember, no matter what you’ve done, you can always use the “Rewind” feature or just hit CTRL+Z to undo recent actions—this can take you back seconds or even minutes to fix a mistake or reset the table.
Need to flip a model? Just press F—whether it’s been dropped upside down or you’re showing it as prone, this quick fix usually does the trick. If a model looks off, just pick it up and place it again—most problems sort themselves out that way. This is also handy to flip over an initiative card
When removing casualties, don’t delete the models. Instead, move them to the side for strike point tracking purposes. Keep them grouped by unit type if you are using the same models for multiple unit types.
Dealing with Buildings in Tabletop Simulator
Buildings are a bit trickier. Unlike real life, you can’t just lift the roof to put minis inside. They are typically more like “wooden blocks” you can’t interact with. The best workaround is to place models on top of the building to show they’re “inside,” as shown in the image below. Not perfect, but it gets the point across.
Alternative Solutions for Buildings with Sloped Roofs
Sometimes putting minis on the top is not feasible, like those with an angular roof. In these situations, we need to get a bit creative. I like to add blue rectangles to the board to represent a “footprint” of the building and set the minis on those. These rectangles can be found in the Objects Tab at the top under the components subsection.
Now that we have a blue rectangle we will cozy it up to the building we want to go inside.
Now repeat this until you have an easily discernible area you can use to define the outer limits of the building’s perimeter. You can speed the process up by copying and pasting the blue rectangles with “CTRL+C” while hovering over it, and “CTRL+V” anywhere else. You will want to lock all the blue squares in place once you have them set, as well as unlocking the building. Remember locking is done via right clicks and going to the “TOGGLES” menu and selecting Lock.
Now, simply lift and remove the building from the playboard and use the inner section of the blue rectangles as the interior of the building, using more blue rectangles to represent sections.
That is the most difficult thing you have to deal with.
Blood & Plunder Ships and Ship Movement in Tabletop Simulator
Ship movement isn’t as exact in TTS as it is in real life. The Turning Gauge is a very unique feature in Blood & Plunder. TTS allows you to use the mouse wheel to scroll to rotate objects by a set small amount. Just do the best you can, and communicate with your fellow player if you have to “fudge” your turning
Included in the Assets Workshop module is a baggie of ships. Many of these are ships scaled from Oak & Iron, and a few others are from 3rd parties that are close approximations of things like the Canoe or Piragua. They require extra work to set up/move. You will want to group models and possibly lock/unlock things to keep them in place. You’ll need to be open with your opponent on what is what and be patient with movement as a whole.
It should be on by default, but as a helpful tip:
Advantages and Limitations of TTS Play
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Convenience – No need to pack models, find a table, or drive anywhere. Launch the game and play anytime. | Technical Learning Curve – It can take some time to get used to TTS controls, interface quirks, and how mods work. | |
| Global Play – Connect with players from around the world, even if there’s no local scene near you. | Mod Dependency – You’re relying on community-made Workshop items. These aren’t always as full-featured as professional games. | |
| No Cleanup – When the game’s over, just hit save or close. No putting terrain or minis back in boxes. | Less Immersive – You don’t get the tactile feel of rolling real dice or moving physical models. | |
| Solo Practice – TTS is great for testing lists, practicing mechanics, or learning scenarios on your own. | Requires a Decent Computer – TTS can be a little demanding on older machines, especially with larger or more detailed maps. | |
| Screenshot & Streaming Friendly – Great for sharing games with friends, recording for YouTube, or streaming online. | Incompatible with Mobile Devices – You can’t play on a phone or tablet. | |
| Unlimited Terrain, Tokens, Dice, and Markers – Never run out of measuring tools, fatigue markers, or status tokens. No need for shelves, boxes, or foam trays. | Time Sink for Setup – While there’s no cleanup, setup (especially importing or organizing assets) can still take time. | |
| Spectator-Friendly – Others can watch or even participate in games from anywhere, making it great for learning or teaching. | Voice Chat Limitations – In-game voice chat is basic—most players prefer using Discord or another platform. |
Tabletop Simulator Is a Tool—Not a Standalone Game
Playing Tabletop Simulator is in no way meant to replace real-life games of Blood & Plunder. There’s just too much fun, energy, and connection that you get from gathering around a real table. TTS can’t match the feeling of rolling real dice, pushing painted minis across custom terrain, or just laughing with friends in person.
Think of Tabletop Simulator as a supplement, not a substitute. It’s a great way to get in extra games or connect with players you wouldn’t normally be able to meet—but it should never be your main way to play. Real tables are where the heart of this game lives.
You will also need to have the rulebook and familiarity with the game outside of the virtual space. I have used it to teach multiple demos, but you will want a copy of the core rules and expansions. You’ll also have to have your forces created in Force Builder ahead of time.
Gameplay Recording Of Blood & Plunder in Tabletop Simulator on YouTube
This is a recording of a 150-point Encounter scenario with Farrington-C&C trading to showcase what a match on TTS looks like.
Finding Players for Tabletop Simulator
You can find players on the Firelock Games Discord in the #find-a-game channel
If you’re looking to squeeze in more games (especially during the Summer of Plunder event), TTS is an awesome way to stay active and log those matches! Jump into the Summer of Plunder 2025 Discord and check out the #tabletop-simulator channel to find opponents, ask questions, or just show off your setup.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, TTS is quickly becoming an amazing asset for people willing to be patient with it and understand how to use it. While there is a learning curve, it’s not incredibly steep, and I think anyone willing to sit down for at least an hour can learn the controls enough to play. If you have issues with playing on TTS please contact Dred the amethyst dragon on Firelock Discord (name will show as “Dred le dragon d’améthyste” during Summer of Plunder 2025)
I greatly encourage you all to give it a try. If you’re not sure if you want to give it a try, ask somebody who currently owns the game to help you along. You are always welcome to contact me on Discord as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article!
William Keith Oakley
(guest post author)
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