The pirate’s Ketch Morass

[Darkest Star Games]

I’ve posted before about our ridiculously large tongue-in-cheek pirate game called “A Fistful of Seamen” that we take to conventions for 30-45 players, and here is an update with the latest additions to our fleets and ports.

What started as a regular Old Glory 25mm cutter…

…was converted into a real reaver of a ship!  This is the pirate ketch “Morass” (yes, all of our ship names are bad puns):

This will most likely become the flasgship of the ragtag pirates, should those who play them do the smart thing and team up rather than trying to go a-raiding by themselves.

After word got back to French ports that the pirates had enlarged their fleet, a certain ship notoriously violent…er.. i mean “vigorously vociferous” ship owner took this as the signal to seriously up arm his latest tradeship just in case he should see the black flag on the horizon.  Always willing to trade a broadside with anyone (even friends) here we introduce the “Phoque A’ Capuchon”:

Surely she will bring much glory as well as safety to the trade lanes.

There has also been a major change in the balance of power in the deep Caribbean with the conversion of the old shipwreck castaway settlement of Galleon Beach to a real port for the Portuguese, Laguna Matada!

This sleepy little village hidden deep in the mangroves will surely become the trade stop of preference for savvy small traders and smugglers out to circumvent the Spanish monopoly on the cocoa trade.  And if those dastardly cannibals come a-callin’, well, there are some grapeshopt surprises in store for them!

Much much more on the blog: fistfull of seamen blog

Our next port of call is Twisted Lords Con in Oklahoma City in mid July, if you can make it you really should pop in and play.  I guarantee you’ll have a hoot and a huzzah!

 

 

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Andrew Beasley]

Think I would like to retire to that beach!

As for the ‘tub’ – very nice but how do you move the figures around with the rigging? Ship look so much better with sails and rigging but more practical without 🙁

 

[Mike]

That all looks very nice.
The settlement is cool, but that ship is outstanding!

[Deleted User]

I’m going through the blog from Jan 2010. That put a smile on my face.
I’m at the pinance Envy right now.

[Tony S]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>I think you’d make the TooFatLardies pause – or blush!  Like Thomaston I spent an enjoyable time browsing through things.  Wonderful piratical universe you all have created.</p>

[MustPlayThat]

i love the dark wood colours on the ship.

[Darkest Star Games]

Many thanks y’all!  We have been able to run this game at some small conventions like Recruits (unfortunately now defunct) and a pirate convention, as well as some of the big cons like Historicon (we won an award from Dicky S himself!) and Adepticon.  It’s a really good time, and every session creates varied and incredible stories.  We even have had anomalies pop up that there are no rules and precedents for and just roll with them if they make a good story, like the time we had one pair of players who were manning the Chinese Junk (who’s purpose is to sell opium to ships which improves their crew morale) decide that they wanted to open a Chinese take-away restaurant in each port via buying land grants.  That resulted in a hilarious competition between them and a dutch trader who was inspired to open apple-turnover bakeries in an attempt to become the entrepreneur king.  Neither ship had any firepower so they had to go around and hire various people to scuffle for them, resulting in a weird side war that the Flying Dutchman eventually got involved in.  Good times had by all!

Andrew Beasley wrote:

As for the ‘tub’ – very nice but how do you move the figures around with the rigging? Ship look so much better with sails and rigging but more practical without

We do crew the ships, though once aboard only the captain really leaves the ship as he is usually the player’s avatar and may have to go into port to do business or have a duel.  We even have figures that can be placed on the ratlines to give more flair (the ratlines are metal and the figures have tiny magnets in their hands to click into place).

Deleted User wrote:

I’m at the pinance Envy right now.

  Happens to some ;D  The names only get worse.  Or is it they only get better…?

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Patrice]

Superb!

…and I didn’t realise that the “Fistful of Seamen“ pirate games mentioned some years ago on other forums was you?!

http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/en.html
https://www.anargader.net/

[Darkest Star Games]

Patrice wrote:

Superb! …and I didn’t realise that the “Fistful of Seamen“ pirate games mentioned some years ago on other forums was you?!

Many thanks!  It’s not just myself though, there are 3 of us that are the main creators and toilers, though Scott (goes by Wingnut in most places) is that Captain (and everything is stored at his place too!).  Sadly we lost Steve, our terrain enthusiast, videographer and friendly force of nature to covid.  We also bring aboard 3-6 friends to help run the game, act as governors or to just ring the turn bell and call out the turn’s random event.  (One of the fun things about this game is that though the players are all competing against each other, the GMs are competing against each other as well!)  It takes a good crew to run a tight ship!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

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