Intro
The Summer of Plunder is reaching its midway point! With more than 1000 games logged in the campaign so far, we still have 5 weeks to go! This past week players had the challenge of adding a Hostage/Advisor to their Blood & Plunder forces, or playing scenarios including Stede Bonnet in Port Royal and Oak & Iron. This next week we’re focusing on Amphibious games.
Before we get into this week’s update, I wanted to highlight some new blogs, content creators and shops that have sprung up over the past few months (or we have become aware of).
New Related Content
Blunder & Peril Blog
Brendan K has started a new blog focusing on Blood & Plunder. Check out his first posts, including an event report, a post on generating boards for Plunder, and a battle report.
The Quartermaster’s (B)log
Focusing primarily on a Port Royal campaign Marc H has launched a fine looking blog this past week!
Transneptune Blog
Focusing more on Oak & Iron, Kit has be posting a battle report every week on the Transneptune blog.
The Doubloon Lagoon
Tyler C has reincarnated his blog site into an accessory shop and has some attractive ship movement templates listed right now!
And of course we have other longstanding content creators:
- The Plunder Den (Blood & Plunder/Firelock news and terrain building)
- Timber & Sail (Oak & Iron)
- Dead Man’s Chest (Blood & Plunder+)
- Thieves Harbor (Port Royal)
- The Raise the Black Podcast
Bookmark these pages. Good content to help grow the Blood & Plunder/Oak & Iron/Port Royal/Firelock Games communities.
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.
British Commander Update
Greetings, I have the pleasure of filling in for Lord Commander Faulk for this weekly update. We have toiled these last long weeks to work ourselves into a position of strength from which to make a decisive blow against the papist nations and their Native allies. Last week we executed the strike that now sees us in a dominant position in both the North and the Caribbean. Thank you for the images of your fleets setting sail to seize the Caribbean.
Surely seeing the powerful British Navy leading the way into the new warzone will bolster the resolve of our allies and strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. We also had our first batch of players promoted to Commander this week. My request to you this week is that we run out the guns and hammer the faltering french, spanish and natives. Share a photo of your artillery in action either on land or in your fleets. If you haven’t yet, please join your British comrades on the SoP discord server and be sure to check for this week’s orders there.
“Leftenant” Commander Kyle Hilliker
French Commander Update
The Ballad of the Baguette
By Discord User Team Banzai
(VERSE 1)|
‘Tis 1706 and we’re out on the seas.
The English are chasing us, ha, if they please!
Our cannons are loaded, our powder is dry.
We’ll send Marlborough’s navy to Davy Jones’ lie!
(CHORUS)
Haul away, haul away, pour la gloire de France!
We’ll outfox the English and maybe we’ll dance!
From Versailles to the colonies, proud do we sail!
And if things go badly, we’ll blame a strong gale!
(VERSE 2)
Our wine is superior, our bread is the best.
Our sailors eat better than all of the rest.
While English ships reeked of hard biscuit and shame.
We dined upon baguettes, bien sûr, all the same!
(CHORUS)
(VERSE 3)
We raid on Port Royal and make quite a mess.
The English colonists are thoroughly distressed.
From Quebec we come thundering down through the trees.
While Louis sits warm in Versailles, if you please!
(CHORUS)
(VERSE 4)
The war is still raging, the outcome unclear.
But French hearts are boldest when danger is near.
We hold our Acadia, we hold our fine wine.
And whatever comes next, well, the future looks fine!
(FINAL CHORUS)
Haul away, haul away, pour la gloire de France!
We’ll outfox the English and maybe we’ll dance!
From Versailles to the colonies, proud do we sail!
And if things go badly, c’est la vie, set more sail!
(To be sung mid-battle, with a baguette in one hand and a musket in the other, radiating complete calm.)
Thank you, Team Banzai, for your wonderful sea shanty! We need all the songs we can get as the war rages on the Atlantic’s western border! We knew going into the week that there would be more losses than gains, but we did well dodging some heavy hits and landing a few small punches of our own!
Coordination continues to be a strong suit for us French! These next few weeks will be crucial as 3 areas of war create boundless possibilities. This past week saw Portobello crushed by the enemy, as they have a 6-3 domination lead in the Caribbean. Our daring display of strength in the Gulf has allowed them to keep hold of the north, too, so we must remain vigilant in our orders. Alright, enough recap. Onto the fun gaming stuff!
This week’s Montbars prize drawing is simple: complete this week’s Summer of Plunder objective (make sure you log it in your submission). Here are your weekly objectives:
Blood & Plunder: Play an Amphibious Game OR play The Attack on Charles Town scenario.
Port Royal: A terrible fever has struck Port Royal. At the end of the game, all crew members are treated as if they are suffering the Infection lingering injury (pg. 74). Additionally, at the end of the game, each Plunder Token held also yields 2 Medicines.
Oak & Iron: Play “Lefebvre’s Charles Town Expedition” scenario from TimberAndSail.com
As you play games this week I want you to make sure of one thing: don’t forget the baguettes!
Dutch Commander Update
Landgenoten,
Greetings comrades,
Deeply tragically I have been due to a combination of corruption charges and French trickery unavailable to give commanding presence much this week however let the record show that I am proud of how the orange sailors faced the enemy in the Caribbean. Quebec will be ours, anything we want will be ours, no matter how much bribery I individually have to partake in NOT for my own personal gain.
Yours in Orange,
Hamilton
Lt. Commander Snix:
Geachte Commandanten,
No rest for the weary, lads! I am once again impressed by our coordination and tenacity. I’m happy to be leading the orange!
The rich lands of the Caribbean opened to us this week and of course everyone wanted a slice. It goes without saying that superior Dutch accounting accounted for some of our greatest accomplishments this week. Though I personally wanted to sup upon fine Cuban pork and smoke their rich tobaccos, I must avail myself of the delicious fruits of Portobello, Panama. And, may I say comrades, they are sweet indeed!
Speaking of wanting a slice, Curacao proved too tempting a target to pass up for those devilish Bourbons. Luckily our strategic acumen once again proved their worth. Our capital remains as stately and secure as ever.
Proud Dutch merchants were out in force for this week’s objective. To everyone who had one of our traders aboard, we salute you!
Some images of note:
Hoog achtend,
C. Maassenn.
Native Americans Commander Update
Fine day, my Braves
You fought hard, and made our enemies die a good death.
Our path of vengeance against the invaders secured Antigua. In this victory, you bring hope that one day we will chase the invaders from our lands. We must maintain this momentum and descend upon our foes, like an avalanche, and flatten them where they stand.
However, it seems the foe has reinforced themselves and have struck hard into our territories. They have temporarily taken Portobello and Placentia from us. Along with that they have desecrated and stolen Puerto Rico and Saint Eustatius. We must not stand for this. Sharpen your blades and make them bleed for their transgressions.
Ready yourselves and prepare to advance upon our foes.
The Golden Seal
Spainish Commander Update
¡Saludos desde la Habana!
Another week in this long campaign is finished. Will continue to assault the holdings of the heretics and drive them out. Many of our assaults were successful because of our advisors and the taking of hostages for intelligence on our enemies. My messengers are starting to return bringing me good tidings from the armadas as they await new orders. Overall, this was a fantastic week of coordination, great work everyone.
Armada de Aragon outfitted for a long journey into the heart of the Caribbean to our former colony Jamaica, taken by that scourge of Catholics Cromwell. They have established bases on the island and are preparing for a final assault. Our other armadas sent in reinforcements late last week to keep the supplies flowing. Armada de Biscay also sailed to the Caribbean for an attempt to capture the main Dutch trade port of Curacao, I’m told that they hit the island defenses hard and even though the Dutch still control most of the town, they will soon fall.
Amada de Castille raided the pirate stronghold of Nassau and made off with some hostages. Hopefully they will be of some use in the coming weeks for ransom or intelligence. Armada de Domingo was turned back from St. Eustacius but made a good fight of it. They are now in port at Havana refitting for another assault.
Thank you to all the Spanish players who are sailing with the armadas. We can’t do this without you.
Pirates Commander Update
Ahoy, pirates, what a week upon the high seas!
Our fleets struck with determination, joining our allies in the great assaults on Portobello and Quebec, while also pushing forward our own plan to sweep the Caribbean in one bold move.
In the joint assault on Quebec, our crews came within a coin toss of victory. Though the fortress remains in enemy hands, it is expected to fall next week, opening the way to Fort Saint Anne. The tide surges strongly in our favor in the north, as our alliance now holds Montreal and Placentia with plenty of troops to push forward.
As expected, our campaign brought further success in the Caribbean. The jointly planned attack on Portobello was a resounding victory, and the city now flies the flags of our alliance. Jamaica is now safe from enemy attack, a powerful strategic victory that will allow us to isolate Havana in the weeks to come.
Anticipating an enemy strike on Nassau, we reinforced the capital heavily and soundly repelled the assault, breaking the enemy’s attack against our strong defenses. One of our pirate fleets captured Saint Eustatius, soundly defeating the Spanish, while the pirate commander’s fleet seized Puerto Rico in a glorious engagement that could not be countered.
Not every voyage ended in victory. One of our pirate fleets, the one that should have taken Antigua, charted its own course, and instead attacked Pensacola. Their error in heading west instead of east ended in a sound and ignominious defeat. We shall raise a flagon to their memory and hope their navigator was the campaign’s only casualty.
The seas are ever-changing. This week brought great victories, a near triumph at Quebec, and valuable lessons in the importance of reading a map.
Fair winds, pirates. The black flag continues to rise!
Faction Report
Each team takes it as a challenge to play all the factions available to their nation every year. That’s a bigger challenge for some nations than others! The doughty Native American players have been working hard to get through all their many factions.
This list is slightly outdated and I was having troubles making it update, but you can see most all factions have already been played! The Pirates and Natives are complete, while everyone else 1-2 left. The Unaligned have a ways to go still, we’ll get them all!
Individual Player Report
Players build up campaign points for all the games through the summer. Right now our point leaders are:
- Robert M – 79pts
- Michael H – 76pts
- Dr. D – 61pts
- Peter Johnson – 49pts
- Eric H – 44pts
Other notable achievements so far include:
- Top new player teacher – Michael H with 26 new players taught!
- Top FLGS Supporter – Peter J with 16 games logged at a store/public place
- Most games played – Peter J and Admiral Smeerlap with 18 games logged
- Most B&P Games Logged – Derek T with 17 Games
- Most Oak & Iron Games Logged – Admiral Smeerlap with 8 Games
- Most PR Games Logged – Peter J with 16 Games
Top Player by Nation
- Dutch – Admiral Smeerlap with 37pts
- British – Eric H with 58pts
- French – Robert M with 79pts
- Natives – William O with 38pts
- Pirates – David C with 40pts
- Spanish – Michael H with 55pts
- Unaligned – Peter J with 18pts
Week 4 Objectives – The Gentleman Pirate
This week had a smattering of objectives covering the different game systems. The scenario of the week was “Stedes Last Bargain” for Port Royal. It looks like people really had fun with that scenario! There were some great looking games with the island shrinking! You can find a great battle report on the scenario on Eric’s Thieves Harbor blog.
Stede Bonnet using Tyler Stone’s Last Gentleman scenario.
This week had a smattering of objectives covering the different game systems. The scenario of the week was “Stedes Last Bargain” for Port Royal. It looks like people really had fun with that scenario! There were some great looking games with the island shrinking! You can find a great battle report on the scenario on Eric’s Thieves Harbor blog.
Photos above from John K.
And then we had several groups play a Blood & Plunder scenario focusing on Stede Bonnet’s last battle!
And people playing the Oak & Iron Stede Bonnet scenario from Timber and Sail!
The other main Blood & Plunder objective was to use a Hostage/Advisor Character in your force. We saw a lot of Spiritual Leaders, Surgeons, and Ship’s Pilots out there this week. Even saw a Cuban Shopkeeper.
Week 5 Objective – Play and Amphibious Game
This week’s Blood & Plunder objective is to play an Amphibious game. These can be the trickiest to set up and balanced properly, but they are a ton of fun! Get out your coastal setup, grab some boats, fortifications, and set up that amphibious board. If you haven’t done many amphibious games, I recommend the Capture the Surgeon scenario from Raise the Black as a good intro. The Escape by Sea from last year’s Summer of Plunder scenario book is another good one.
The scenario of the week is a big one! Attack on Charles Town is designed for up to 6 players on a big amphibious board. The trick in this scenario is to balance your forces between land and sea so you don’t get overwhelmed on either half of the board. You can scale this from 2-4-6 players. We’ve run this at Adepticon before and it’s a good time!
Oak & Iron has a scenario around the same action with the Franco-Spanish alliance attacking the English at Charles Town. Check out this scenario on Timber & Sail.
In the theme of Charles Town, the Port Royal objective involves the fever!
- Week 5 – 6/30-7/6 – “I’ve Got it Too!”
A terrible fever has struck Port Royal. At the end of the game, all crew members are treated as if they are suffering the Infection lingering injury (pg. 74). Additionally, at the end of the game, each Plunder Token held also yields 2 Medicines.
Week 4 Campaign Map Update
In case you missed it, we’ve also put out an update for the campaign map and the battles that occurred at that level. Here is a quick link to the Map Update.
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 for a blister of minis is Nathan K. You can see from his photos that some new minis won’t go amiss!
Weekly Terrain Giveaway
This week’s Terrain Giveaway Prize Winner is John K. who played for the English!
Additionally, Andrew N (who played for the Spanish) won a Wheat Field from BrassTac Terrain!
Weekly Scatter Terrain Giveaway
This week’s Scatter Terrain Giveaway Prize Winner is Mark V, who played for the English!
Weekly Objective Prizes
Accessory Pack Prize
This week’s Accessory Pack Giveaway Prize Winner is William O, who played for the Natives!
Book Prize – The Life and Tryals of the Gentleman Pirate, Major Stede Bonnet
This week’s Terrain Giveaway Prize Winner is Duke1979, who won a copy of The Life and Tryals of the Gentleman Pirate, Major Stede Bonnet by Jeremy R. Moss! Duke1979 played for the English!
New Player Giveaway
This week’s New Player Bundle Giveaway Winner is Victor A, who played for the Spanish!
New Prizes Added!
Most Heartless Mercenary
We have a couple new prizes added here mid campaign! We’re bringing back the “Most Heartless Mercenary” contest. This prize of 3 fortune coins of your choice from the Blood & Pigment shop will go out to a player who has logged games for each nation over the course of this year’s campaign. You’ll need to log games for Pirates, Spanish, English, French, Dutch, Native and Unaligned. The prize will go out to a randomly drawn player who has achieved this objective.
Baron Of Dice Giveaway
We aren’t sure what the conditions will be for this, but Baron of Dice has donated some dice to award to players during the campaign.
1000 Entries Pigment Accessories Prize
In honor of hitting 1000 entries, we gave away a set of some of our custom Blood & Pigment accessories, including a set of d10’s, a d6 Turn Counter, and a set of brand new Activated Tokens. Dan did a live moment on Discord rolling for the winner who came up as Bryan H. Maybe we’ll do another giveaway if we make it to 2000 entries!
Summer of Plunder on Tabletop Simulator
The TTS Escalation League is doing well! There will be a new channel in the Firelock Discord devoted to Tabletop Simulator play soon!
Featured Games
Here’s some of the exceptional games that were submitted this week.
Andrew N submitted pics from an epic sea battle! That’s a lot of ships!
Marc H took some great pics in this Port Royal game. Check out the full report on his new blog!
Wil D had a great looking board with a lot of exture.
Featured Accessory
This picture came in from John K. That is a serious unit tracker! That’s a thing of beauty.
More Pictures! So Many Pictures!
Final Thoughts on Summer of Plunder Week 4
It’s been a pleasure to see the campaign progress this year! Great to see awesome games on the table and people enjoying themselves. There have been a huge number of great battle reports shared on Discord and Facebook this year and that’s great.
We’re into the heart of the campaign! The war on the campaign map is tightening as teams find their stride. We’re really impressed with the Scenario participation this year. Really impressive effort going into setting up these historical scenarios. Great tables and creativity from the community. You guys are awesome!