Intro
We’re on to the third week of the 2026 Summer of Plunder community campaign. Let’s check in with our teams of Commanders for each nation, give away some prizes, review some objectives, and enjoy some pictures of Blood & Plunder, Oak & Iron and Port Royal games from around the world this last week.
For an update on the campaign map and the balance of our Queen Anne’s War campaign, check the Week 2 Campaign Map Update.
Commander Reports
Now, here are some important messages from your brave commanders. Each week our 12 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.
This is a good week to pay careful attention to Commanders’ messages! During this week, each nation has their own unique objective that they set and they have some prizes to send out to people!
Spain – Week 2 Commander Update
Saludos, Compatriotas,
It has been another hard-fought week in this campaign, and our battles have reached from the azure waters of Pensacola, to the biting colds of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. You, the walls of Spain, have held firm, and denied ground to the English, the Dutch, and their Piratical ilk. Bien hecho! I commend each and every one of you in your battles, great and small. No exchange of shot is meaningless in this war, for we must harry our foes at every opportunity. You have done well to seize the initiative, and to lose no ground.
Your courage and ferocity have proven more than enough for neither the first time, nor the last. Thanks to your efforts, we reinforced our positions at Pensacola to be unassailable, and you held on to our new gains in Placentia and Saint John’s by the barest of margins, and made it impossible for Fort Saint Anne to be reached in our next stretch. Finally, your arrival at Hollatchatroe discouraged any actions made against that outpost, our foes trembling at the mere thought of trying to retake their land that we so handily won. There is no gain without loss, however, as the enemy met our allies in Norridgewock in force, leaving the land as silent as a tomb, and with as many bodies.
Through the blessings of God and the trials we have been put through, our position has changed yet again. The fighting is not yet over, but has merely begun! I entreat you now, more than ever before, to take up arms with our French and Native allies. Whether you assemble a Franco-Spanish Expeditionary Force, or a humble Mission Garrison, keep our brothers-in-arms close at hand, and let us enjoy the harmony of our efforts. Our greatest asset is each other, and our cooperation. I will return in one week’s time with more news of our victories.
Firmado,
Teniente Alejandro de Reyes y Moncada
Spanish Objective for Week 3
- Blood & Plunder – “The Alliance!” – Use at least 1 French and/or 1 Native American unit in your Force
- Oak & Iron – “Corsairs”: Use the Corsairs upgrade card on at least one ship in your Force
- Port Royal – “Poorly Equipped”: Play a game without using gunpowder weapons (You can have them equipped, just don’t use them for anything but melee.)
Featured Spanish Game
Check out these great shots from a Port Royal game of the “Quake” scenario from Omar R.
England – Week 2 Commander Update
English horns blast in Mission San Luis, signaling a successful capture with flags raised high.
This week, we saw a lot of standard bearers, ships’ pennants, and flags over forts. The English resolve will hold us through the crash of the fight!
Be sure to check out the Discord for the weekly targets! They will be under the “Pinned Messages” in the British-Chat!
English Objective for Week 3
This week, we want to see some Veteran Presence out there!
The objective for Week 3 is:
- B&P: “Veteran Crew”: The crew you field must have a minimum cost of 5 points per model.
- O&I: “Closing the Gap”: Make a close combat attack using the boarding party upgrade.
- PR: “Veteran Crew”: You may only kill (Out of Action) enemies using Characters in your company with an experience value of 5 or less (the inexperienced grunts will have to focus on objective tokens, not combat).
Despite our valiant attempts to rally around our flag this week and use that rallying cry to push the French Alliance out of our territories. We came up just short.
This week my request to you is that, along with enlisting our most elite troops, we also make use of our most seasoned commanders. Please play a game with a twenty-five point or higher commander. Share your battle report or photo of your commander with your fellow officers in the Discord channel.
More Picture of English Flags on the Table
France – Week 2 Commander Update
Bonjour mes amis. C’est moi, Henri Le Roux, l’intendant de la Nouvelle-France.
You have all made France proud in your dedication and tenacity. Our courageux et noble gouverneur is in talks of high strategy with our Spanish and Native allies, so he sends me to express his pleasure in your deeds. In Norridgewock our enemies showed true fighting prowess, but our Companie Franches de la Marine fought side by side with our Native allies, preventing its capture by the Anglo-Dutch alliance. Unfortunately our losses were such that they were no longer combat effective, and also needed to depart the area, leaving it unmanned. Meanwhile our allied tribes were able to negotiate support from the locals in Fort St. Anne.
In the South Mission San Luis has fallen to Anglo-Dutch influence, no doubt turning it into yet another den of pirates. Mais, we were able to reinforce our territories there, and build up defenses to deter their further expansion.
The combined fleet under the command of Amiral Nicodème Belrose managed to secure the New England coast, while flushing the enemy out of the St. Laurance. The brave actions of our Marins have kept supply lines open through so far this war. Our efforts would not logistically be possible without such brave fighters defending Nouvelle-France’s sea access.
C’est vrai we currently hold the advantage, but the dedicated and relentless attacks by our adversaries show we can not rest on our laurels. Rather we must remain vigilant, ready for their next assaults, while we attempt to push them out of Nouvelle-France.
French Objectives for Week 3
More recruits come from France, mais with war on the borders of our homeland, le roi must be mindful of how much support he can afford to send us. We depend heavily on local milice and the support of our noble allies to win the day, and bring the glory of the mighty Sun King to these lands. To do this we must remain Mobile (Blood & Plunder weekly objective: use a unit or force with “Quick” special ability), making swift strikes (Oak & Iron weekly objective: have every ship in your fleet move five in a single turn), and remember to love the fight (have at least half of your crew and half of your officers with the Hard Chargers trait). With this aggressive mindset you will bring honneur et gloire to yourselves and house Bourbon. Le roi Louis puts his faith in all of you, as do le gouverneur et moi. I rest assured this night that our faith is well placed.
Daniel Montbars will be dispatched to assist where he can best see our forces taking advantage of speed and aggression to get the upper hand (submit a photo to the French alliance chat of your forces ambushing or raking their opponent to be entered into a draw to win a physical mini of Montbars the Exterminator. This picture may be posed and does not require to be part of an actual game. This is open to any that play a game for France this week, or who play an unaligned game for the pro Bourbon alliance, if not a member of the French discord post to general chat. Please tag Henri Le Roux in the post so I do not miss it, regardless of where posted).
Vive le roi. Vive la France.
And now for a chant de mer, to help bolster morale.
(Call) Queen Anne sits upon a Heathen throne! (Response) Blood on the water and smoke in the sky!
(Call) But the oceans belong to the French alone!
(Response) And the white flag of Bourbon is flying on high!(Chorus) So heave away, haul away! The French have the wind and the weather today! Our cannons are heavy, gunners are fast, the Fleur-de-lis flies from the top of the mast!
(Call) They sail out of Port Royal, hungry and bold,
(Response) Blood on the water and smoke in the sky! !
(Call) Soon they’ll be sunk, and have an empty hold,
(Response) And the white flag of Bourbon is flying on high!
(Call) We burned down St. John’s and took all the cod,
(Response) Blood on the water and smoke in the sky! !
(Call) French frigates are swift and blessed by God,
(Response) And the white flag of Bourbon is flying on high!(Chorus) So heave away, haul away! The French have the wind and the weather today! Our cannons are heavy, gunners are fast, the Fleur-de-lis flies from the top of the mast!
(Call) We fired a broadside and splintered their hull,
(Response) Blood on the water and smoke in the sky! !
(Call) We reloaded the cannons amongst the smoke in the lull ,
(Response) And the white flag of Bourbon is flying on high!
(Call) So lower the colours, hand over the rum,
(Response) Blood on the water and smoke in the sky!
(Call) For French victories time has come!
(Response) And the white flag of Bourbon is flying on high!(Chorus) So heave away, haul away! The French have the wind and the weather today! Our cannons are heavy, gunners are fast, the Fleur-de-lis flies from the top of the mast!
-Sea Shanty by Discord user Csherrange
The Netherlands – Week 2 Commander Update
Hamilton:
Greetings, my fellow Dutch Fighters,
We had a good first week, but week two is truly where I have had the honor to see the Dutch flag rise. It’s amazing to see so many of you posting pictures of games and minis that I am very (very) jealous of. Looking forward, very excited to see more hard work, awesome minis, and stunning games!
Strategically…(waiting for the results)
Looking ahead, we have our first national objective for week three!
THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY THE DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY
The VOC has generously offered an 18th-century sloop to a lucky and enterprising Dutch captain who generously spreads the VOC’s name to their opponent by offering them a persuasive argument of the edible variety. Alternatively, if playing online, simply toast your opponent’s health! Bonus points if you take a picture of your persuasive edible argument or toast of choice! Always remember, empires come and go, but trade stays!
Your favorite Tulip profitier,
Hamilton
Landgenoten,
Lt. Commander Snix:
Sails were on the horizon last week; this week we are well and truly in action my noble Dutch compatriots! I’ve been honored to see your hard work and efforts this week. Looking forward we must remain steadfast and keep pushing!
The efforts we took in the north were thwarted almost assuredly by the pure low cunning of our enemies. Even a broken clock happens to block your advances every once in a while. Of course one can’t help but notice some of our greatest gains were due solely to the efforts of our wise and well calculated plans. It warms my orange heart to see it so!
Stay the course, my friends. Though they bloodied our nose, falling into despair or disorganization will only lead to absolute destruction. But, you can’t keep a good dutchmen down, no, we are called Flying for a reason!
Now to honor some of your efforts:
Thanks as always, guys. You all make the job worth it.
Faithfully yours,
C. Maassen.
Dutch Objective for Week 3
- “Masters of Trade”: Bring your opponent a snack or even swap snacks with them! (Make a Toast to them if on TTS)
The Native Americans – Week 2 Commander Update
Good day my fellow chiefs.
The winds tell stories of your victories. The blood you shed in praise to Huitzilopochtli has pleased him. He grants us good favour and blesses our warriors. We have recaptured Placentia from the invaders. Our friend’s navy has also managed to capture the New England coast and our warbands captured Fort St. Anne. I congratulate your bravery and the success over our foes.
However, I must inform you the enemy has undermined our defenses in Norridgewock. We must not let the enemies take anymore of our ancestral lands. I call upon you to harden our defenses and become an immovable rock. One strong enough to withstand the attacks of our foes.
During a spirit walk along the ocean Tlaloc appeared and spoke to me. He calls for us to follow the old ways; We shall use our bows, as our ancestors did, and rain down a hail of arrows upon our foes; Like the storm that pelts the treetops with waterdrops. Tlaloc added that if we follow through with this ritual he will assist our cause and bring great storms upon our enemies.
My braves you honour the gods, and for this reason I bestow upon you reinforcements to embolden your warbands. For week one Peter J. has won a unit of four Braves. For week two Scott R. has won a unit of four Young Braves.
I call on you to rally, my braves, and prepare your bows to honour our ancestors.
The Golden Seal
Native American Objective for Week 3
- Blood & Plunder – “The Old Ways are Best”: Create a force without using firearms – only bows and melee weapons, consider the power of Poison Arrows.
- Oak & Iron – “Boat Assault”: Use the homebrew Native Faction shared on Timber & Sail
- Port Royal – “The Old Ways are Best”: Kill (Out of Action) 1 Officer or 2 Crew WITHOUT using firearms – only bows and melee weapons, consider the power of poisonous arrows.
The Pirates – Week 2 Commander Update
Ahoy, pirates, what a bloody week it has been!
We struck Norridgewock with all the fury of a storm-tossed sea and fought the enemy to a hard-fought standstill. As a result, our overland push toward Fort Saint Anne must wait for another tide. Both Saint John and Placentia are in enemy hands despite fierce resistance from our crews. The loss of Saint John is particularly bitter, as it denies us the sea route to Fort Saint Anne and slows our plans in the north.
Yet all is not doom and disappointment. While fortune frowned upon us in the north, our efforts in the south enjoyed success. Mission San Luis now flies the Pirate Flag. A glorious victory was earned through courage and steel. The victory strengthens our position and gives us new opportunities for the campaigns ahead.
Pirate Flags
Each Pirate player was encouraged to make their own pirate flag during the weeks before the campaign started. You can see all the pirate flags players came up with in this gallery.
Pirate Objective for Week 3
As a reminder, we have special objects for Week 3. Pirates like to capture ships and loot buildings so you have a few options depending on the game you’re playing:
- “Charge!” Board a ship or assault the interior of a structure for Blood and Plunder.
- “We Must Board Her!” Assault a ship by boarding for Oak and Iron.
- And “Charge!” Assault an enemy model in a building or ruins by charging for Port Royal.
Let’s get out there and accomplish our weekly objectives. Father Ted will be drawing a Pirate Participation Prize – a lovely set of Fatigue Dice from Firelock Games – chosen from all those pirates who accomplish those objectives!
The seas of war are ever-changing. A setback today can become an opportunity tomorrow, and no pirate worth their salt is discouraged by a few bloody battles. We enter Week 3 with our resolve unbroken, our powder dry, and our eyes fixed firmly on victory.
Fair winds, pirates. The next prize awaits.
Week 2 Objectives Accomplished
Of the 247 entries this week, 163 indicated they had fulfilled the weekly objective.
- Blood & Plunder – “In Consort” Play a game with 3+ players, or include 2+ ships in your Force or play the Hornigold and Teach attack Le Concorde scenario.
- Oak & Iron – Week 2 (6/9-15) – “Dueling Convoys” Play the “Dueling Convoys” Scenario from TimberAndSail.com
- Port Royal – Week 2 – 6/9-15 – “Bloodlust“ Kill an enemy with a Plunder Token. This week: Plunder Tokens are also considered melee weapons with Concussive, Heavy Strike, and a -2 Damage Bonus.
In Consort – Hornigold & Teach Attack La Concorde
The Blood & Plunder objective could be fulfilled in several ways. But the easiest games to spot from pictures were games of the Hornigold scenario where two Pirate Sloops attack a larger French frigate. It looked like the Pirates succeeded in taking the Frigate about half the time. The comments in the entries indicated the French Defending Ship won a lot of games, but the unscientific Discord poll indicated more Pirates Attackers won.
It sounds like many a pirate ship discovered the dangers of sailing straight at a ship loaded with Medium Cannons!
Featured Game of Hornigold & Teach Attack La Concorde
Check out these great shots from Kurtis F. That’s a beautiful 6th Rate Frigate!
And another great looking session from Greg P.
You can peruse all the La Concorde scenario pictures in this dedicated photo gallery.
Here are some of the comments from the scenario:
- Hornigold and Teach attack La Concorde. Our exploration team suddenly found a Large ship. It was La Concorde, we decided to attack, board and loot the ship, not an easy Task: Heavily armoured with medium cannons and Large crew. Any way we decided to to attack. Hornigold agreed to block the pass to the French ship, while Teach attacked the vessel from the ship’s starboard. Hornigold’s ship successfully immobilized the big ship, while Teach attacked from distance. Hornigold’s crew tried to board the Large ship, but were pushed back to the Pirate ship. Teach team kept attacking and causing severe casualties to the french, however none of the ships were able to disable the French cannons. After 6 long hours (turns), the French were able to defeat Both ships, sailing away!
- Hornigold and Teach were sailing under direction from some unofficial British officers to give chase to a suspected slave ship. Having found the ship unprepared, the two captains valiantly boarded and seized the ship from the French crew.
- I played Hornigold and Teach attacking the French La Concorde. With wind from the west, both our Sloops attacked from the north with Hornigold’s lead sloop reaching the enemy frigate first while Blackbeard’s sloop was blasted with a lucky broadside from La Concorde that resulted in a Catastrophic Hit, leaking, and a fire as well as nearly the total destruction of the Sea Dogs manning the swivel guns. Meanwhile, Hornigold’s swivel guns had some lucky hits, effectively clearing the bow of the Concorde, allowing Hornigold and his Pirates to board at the bow, supported by Sea Dogs on swivels and Jamaican Privateers with musket fire. In the end, we carried the day and captured the slave ship.
- Hornigold & Teach vs La Concorde. Whilst attempting to repair the damage to her sails and spars from the recent storm, La Concorde was ambushed by two Sloops. Teach was particularly aggressive pushing forward to pour musket fire (unsuccessfully) into the frigate’s deck. Retribution was swift and the Sloop was bow raked by 3 Medium Cannon causing extensive damage, killing half a dozen pirates and starting a fire. Hornigold entered the fray although his shooting was little better than that of Teach. He did manage to grapple and board the Frigate however, but after a brief melee was repulsed by the Marins and the lines cut. The spare unit of Marins completed their repairs to the rigging and La Concorde was back up to full speed. Taking full advantage, the French crew turned to starboard and headed for safety. A murderous parting volley from the Flibustiers swept the rear deck of Hornigold’s deck killing five of his unit. The two Sloops collided in their efforts to pursue and Hornigold’s ship ran aground on a rocky shoal and was dismasted. Teach gave chase and managed to snipe a single Marin. The French gun crews had now reloaded and Teach received another broadside from the main deck causing another fire and further reducing his crew. Somehow the Pirates managed to extinguish both fires but it merely delayed the inevitable. A final broadside from the frigate’s stern deck caused two catastrophic critical hits and the sloop began to sink. La Concorde had escaped.
- Spanish vs The Flying Gang – Week 2 Scenario – Spanish defending La Concorde (a Fluyt) from the depraved pirates yet again. The pirates had come upon the storm damaged Fluyt and rather than offer assistance approached under false colors. The brave Spanish recognized immediately that it was Blackbeard which sent a rush of terror through half the force. The pirates had caught the Fluyt in a narrow pincher and rushed to cut off the Spanish escape. First shot and first blood to Hornigold as 1 Spanish sailor suffers his demise by swivel gun. Blackbeards sloop also fires off and 2 sailors fall to long range musketry. The Spanish, suffering sickness compounded by terror begin to gain increasing fatigue. Under the Spanish captains direction the fore deck sailors manage to repair the damaged sails and the Fluyt leaps forward. Despite the fear, the Spanish sailors fire the mid deck cannons felling 3 pirates on Hornigolds sloop. The Spanish captain heeled sharply (for a Fluyt) and attempted to catch the pirates racing for the cutoff by cutting close to the eye of the wind to pass behind Blackbeard and distance the Fluyt from Hornigold. The lynchpin of the battle approaches as Blackbeards crew throws grapples and gains purchase despite the antigrappling measures of the Fluyt. The Fluyt is now trapped and begins to drift towards the onrushing Hornigold as Blackbeard and his men swarm aboard the foredeck. The clock is running out as the foredeck melee flows back and forth. Blackbeard annihilates the weakened enter ploeg unit and the remaining sailors become shaken and fall back to the mid deck. The mid deck sailors charge Blackbeard’s lodgement and pin the unit in melee. The shaken sailers, having rallied under the Spanish commanders stern direction, charge into the melee and break the encroaching pirates, forcing the sole survivor Blackbeard to leap back to his sloop. The foredeck melee allows Hornigold to approach and fire into the Spanish commanders unit at the rear. Three more Spanish fall and the sudden onslaught of death shakes the command unit to its core. The mid deck sailors cut the grapples from the fore deck and push off in an attempt to escape but the fight with Blackbeard proves to have held Le Concorde just long enough for Hornigold to grapple on to the stern before she can escape. Hornigold and his men swarm up the side and catch the Spanish captain and his unit cowering prone on the rear deck. The unit is eliminated to the man and the Spanish captain is captured and surrenders the ship. Pirate victory and seizure of La Concorde by Blackbeard! If the Spanish could have slipped the grapples, the maneuver would have allowed the swift Fluyt to escape but she could not avoid Blackbeards assault.
Many players played excellent variations on the scenario with smaller ship as needed.
Video of an La Concorde Scenario
Oak & Iron Convey Scenario
Many Oak & Iron Players played the Dueling Convoys scenario from Timber & Sail.
You can read a fun Oak & Iron battle report on the Transneptune blog here.
Port Royal – Bloodlust
Week 3 Objective – National Objectives
This week each nation has its own objective. The the Commander’s Messages above or the Objective and Scenario page for a full rundown of the various fun objectives each national command team has come up with for you to enjoy,
If you’re playing Blood & Plunder, you earn the objective point for playing the Prisoner Rescue at Rio de Janeiro scenario featuring Rene Dugauy Trouine.
Week 3 Historical Force List Links
If you plan to play the Prisoner Rescue scenario and would like to use the historical forces, you can grab the Force Lists from these links right here.
- Attacker – French Royal Navy led by Renee Duguay-Trouin
- Defender – Brazilian Portuguese Garrison led by Francisco de Castro Morais
This is a great scenario to bring out your Hostage models from last year’s Summer of Plunder OP Kit!
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.
Weekly Mini Giveaway
This week’s winner of the Miniatures Weekly prize is Eric Scherck, who played for the Pirates!
Weekly Terrain Giveaway
This week’s winner of the Weekly terrain prizes are Peter Q (who played for the Dutch) and Brian B (who played for the English). Peter won the Dutch Salthouse from Timber & Sail.
And Brian won a farmed field from BrassTac Terrain.
Weekly Scatter Terrain Giveaway
The winner of this week’s Scatter terrain Weekly Prize Joe M, who played for the Pirates!
Weekly Objective Prizes
Accessory Pack Prize
This week’s Accessory Pack Prize Winner is Brent D, who played for the Dutch!
Commander Model Painted by Dr. D
Jay H won a Benjamin Hornigold Miniature painted by Doctor D! Jay played for Spain, so he now has a worthy adversary!
Book Prize
This week’s weekly Book prize winner is Wyatt , who played for the Dutch!
New Player Giveaway
This week’s New Player Bundle Winner is David Williams, who played for the French! This prize is either a One Player Starter Bundle for Blood & Plunder (Or $100 in product from Firelock Store)
Summer of Plunder on Tabletop Simulator
The Tabletop Simulator Escalation League had a fun special scenario with two Piraguas on shore this week.
Mirlmage from Discord did the community a service by writing up simple instructions for setting up a TTS board for Blood & Plunder and we published it on Blood & Pigment this week.
More Pictures! So Many Pictures!
More pictures from the English
And an especially cool looking English game from Sean C.
More pictures from the Pirates
More pictures from the Dutch
And an especially cool Dutch game from Brent D.
More pictures from the French
More pictures from the Natives
More pictures from the Spanish
Final Thoughts on Summer of Plunder Week 2
Plunder on! Tons of great looking games out there last week! Enjoy your special National Objectives this week. That Dutch objective is my favorite! The snack merchant kings.
Congratulations to all those who won prizes this week. We’ll be working to get those shipping out this week. Emails have been sent to winners so make sure to check your inbox/spam folder if you saw your name in the prize section.
Enjoy your pirate gaming this week!