Pirates of the Cursed Sea PocketModel Game
Frequently Asked Questions, Clarifications, and Errata
September 2007

Changes, updates, and additions since the July-August 2007 edition are shown in purple.

Examples of specific situations are shown in gray.

NAME CHANGE

Q: Why did the name of the game change from “Pirates CSG” to “Pirates of the Cursed Sea Pocketmodel Game”? Will the rules be changed to work like the Star Wars Pocketmodel game? Is this a whole new Pirates game or will it be compatible with the old one?
A: The change in name is for branding purposes and it does not mean the game itself is changing to a new format. It will still be the same Pirates game we all know and love, and upcoming sets will be 100% compatible with all previous sets.

CARD CORRECTIONS AND MISPRINTS

General Rule: If there is a discrepancy in any game-relevant statistics or abilities between the deckplate, the masts, a published check-off sheet, an online gallery, or any other source, the printed card/deckplate always takes precedence except where noted in this document.

“Cannonball” Gallows (MI-042a): this crewmember has the Ransom keyword in addition to its printed abilities, and a point cost of 0 (zero).

Duque Marcus Vaccaro (BC-072): this crewmember's point cost is 0 (zero).

Ghost Wind (CC-215): this crewmember's point cost is 2.

Grendel (FN-005): This ship’s deckplate should indicate that it has 2 masts, not 3.

Guy LaPlante (R-062): Guy LaPlante is linked to Le Courageux (R-051).

Huginn (FN-005): This ship’s complete ability text should read: “Longship. On the turn this ship rams, eliminate one crew from the enemy ship.”

Nancy Nox (MI-033): this ship’s complete ability text should read: “If this ship wins a boarding party, she may take as much treasure from the other ship as she wants, up to her available cargo space.”

Polaris (FN-300): This ship’s nationality is Viking, not Cursed.

Q: My Coleoptera (MI-029) has the name “Nautilus” on its side. Did I get the wrong card 2 of 2?
A: No. Due to an artwork error the incorrect name appears on Coleoptera’s hull, however, the cannon ranks and collector numbers on the individual pieces are still correct so it should be played “as is”.

Q: My generic crew is an Explorer according to the card and token, but it has a picture of a Musketeer instead. Which type of crew is it?
A: If a crew token has a mismatched image, its type or identity is determined by the printed text not the picture.

Q: The card for my single-mast ship has a red (Common) corner for rarity. Shouldn’t it be yellow (Rare) instead?
A: Some cards have misprinted rarity indicators, but rarity has no effect on game play so they will not receive errata. Refer to the Useful Lists section for a guide.


GENERAL RULES QUESTIONS AND TERMINOLOGY

Assignment
Assignment refers both to the act of placing or loading crew on a ship and to the constant state of a crew being carried by a ship.

Genny Gallows was assigned to Darkhawk II at the start of the game; Genny is currently assigned to DarkhawkII.

Beginning of a turn, End of a turn
The beginning and end of a turn are single points in time where multiple abilities and effects can occur; the current player may choose the order in which they are resolved. Only one "beginning of turn" Event token may be revealed per turn.

Bow
Q: Where, exactly, is the bow of a ship or submarine?
A: The bow of a ship or submarine is everything in front of and including the forward-most points where its hull touches the playing surface or its baseplate.

Cargo
Q: Are crew considered cargo?
A: Yes.
Q: If a crew or treasure takes up no cargo space, is it still considered cargo?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I dump crew or treasure overboard to make room for other cargo or to prevent my opponent from capturing it?
A: No, cargo cannot be voluntarily eliminated or removed from the game unless an ability or action specifically allows it.

“Come About”
Q: What is a “come about”, and how does it work?
A: The “come about” was a game mechanic that allowed a ship to use its entire move action to rotate exactly 180° in place so that its bow ended where its stern began. It was officially eliminated from the rules in the Pirates of the Barbary Coast edition of the rulebook, and is no longer intended for use in standard games.

Derelict, Sunk, and Wrecked
Q: What is the difference between derelict, sunk, and wrecked?
A: A ship becomes derelict when her last mast is removed. A derelict becomes sunk (sinks) when successfully hit by a cannon shot or scuttled. A ship becomes wrecked if it sinks due to damage caused by a Reef.

”Hits”, Mast elimination, and Damage
Q: What is the difference between being "hit", eliminating a mast, and taking damage?
A: A “hit” is the result of a successful cannon shot, during a shoot action. Each hit removes one mast unless an ability states otherwise, and one additional hit will sink a derelict ship. Damage functions similar to hits in that it will eliminate masts and can sink derelicts, however, unless specified damage is not a hit so abilities and effects that refer to hits do not apply. Abilities, actions, and other effects that refer to mast elimination do not cause hits, and will not sink a derelict.

Keywords vs. Ship Types
Q: My ship looks like a galley/schooner/turtle ship/etc., but it doesn’t have the corresponding keyword printed on its deckplate. Can it still use that ability?
A: No, a ship has only the abilities that are printed on its deckplate card. While certain keywords may often be associated with a particular ship type, those ships do not automatically inherit that ability based upon their design or appearance.

The American ship Carolina (Rev-076) is a schooner-type ship based on its hull and sail design, but it cannot use the Schooner keyword ability because it is not printed on the ship’s deckplate card.

Links
Q: Does the nationality of my crew have to match the ship in order to use a link, and can a link be cancelled or copied?
A: Linking is considered a rule rather than an ability, so nationality restrictions do not apply and it cannot be cancelled or copied.
Q: If my crew has links with several other ships or crew, can I use them all at once?
A: No, each crew may link with only one other crew or ship at a time.

Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D’Artagnan are placed together on a large French ship. They all have links to each other, but since a crew can only link with one other ship or crew at a time, they must be paired off. Athos and Porthos could make one link, while Aramis and D’Artagnan can make another, which combined gives the ship +2 to its total cargo space. If only three of those Musketeers were together on a ship, two of them could be linked for +1 cargo, while the third would have to be the odd man out.

Q: If my ship has links with multiple crew or I have a crew that links to all ships of a nationality, can I use them all at once?
A: Yes, the “one link at a time” restriction applies only to crew. There is no limit to the number of different crew that may be linked with a single ship.

Admiral Alarico Castro and Castro’s Loyalists are placed on the ship Granada. The Admiral has a link with the Loyalists, which could give the ship +1 to its cargo space. However, since Granada also has links to both of those crew, each can be linked directly to the ship instead of each other, which will provide +2 extra cargo spaces instead of just +1.

Q: If my crew has an ability that says it may link to another crew during setup and it also has a standard (rule) link, can I use both?
A: Yes! If a link is provided by an ability, it may be used in addition to a standard link.

Ms. Cheng is placed on a ship with Chang Pao and a Jade Rebellion captain. Chang Pao and Ms. Cheng have a standard link that provides +1 cargo space to the ship. In addition to that, Ms. Cheng also has an ability to link with any Jade Rebellion crew, in this case the captain, which provides another +1 cargo to the ship for a grand total of +2 cargo spaces. Although Ms. Cheng is linked to two different crew at once, it is legal because one is a standard link while the other is provided by her ability.

Q: Admiral Alarico Castro has a link to Castro’s Loyalists, but Castro’s Loyalists does not have a link to the Admiral. Can I still use the link?
A: Yes. Only one member of a linked pair is required to have the linking text in order to gain the additional cargo space. No additional benefit is gained if both members of the link have the text.
Q: One of my crew has the exact same ability as the ship to which he is linked, and another crew has a higher point cost than his linked ship. Do they get to ignore the no-stacking rule or the point value restrictions?
A: No, all of the standard rules apply as normal to linked ships and crew. The majority of links in this game are based upon flavor text rather than the ability combinations, so occasionally some links do result in duplicate or mutually exclusive abilities.

Measuring
Q: Can I measure possible move for my ship and/or check my cannon ranges before actually moving or shooting? What about checking my opponents’ ships?
A: You may measure anything at any time, as long as it doesn’t significantly delay the game.

“Missing” or Unlisted Items
Q: Events, forts, a few of the nations, terrain, and/or some other game items are not mentioned in the latest edition of the rulebook. Are they still legal to use?
A: Items not appearing in a given set are sometimes omitted from the rulebook due to space considerations. However, those items remain legal for use in all standard games unless they are specifically listed as retired, restricted, or removed by an official rulebook or FAQ.

Named Crew Abilities
Q: If my named crew has “Captain” in his/her name (i.e. Captain Mission), does he/she automatically get the Captain ability?
A: No, named crew have only the abilities printed on their cards. They do not inherit any other abilities based upon their name, title, or flavor text. However, they may be used to trigger other abilities that refer to a particular name or title.

A player builds his fleet, and includes a Pirate ship with an ability that states, “If this ship has a captain crew, she gets +1 to her cannon rolls.” He has also included Captain Mission in his fleet, and places him on that Pirate ship. Since Captain Mission has the title “Captain” in his name the ship’s ability is triggered, so it will receive a +1 bonus to its cannon rolls when it shoots. However, the “Captain” title in Captain Mission’s name does not grant him any additional abilities, so the ship will not be able to use the captain (“move & shoot”) ability unless it is provided by some other crewmember on the ship.

Meanwhile, one of his opponents has included a Spanish ship with the same ability in her fleet, and she has assigned Duque Alfonso de Castilla to that ship. Duque Alfonso does have the captain ability which will allow him ship to move & shoot, however, he does not have the title “Captain” (or “Capitan”, the Spanish equivalent) in his name so the ship’s ability does not trigger. It must be assigned some other crewmember with “Captain” in its name in order to receive that bonus.

A third player has an English ship with that ability, and has assigned Captain Percival Blake to it. Captain Blake has both the captain ability AND the title of “Captain” in his name, so his ship will be able to move & shoot and it will trigger the ship’s ability to gain the +1 bonus to its cannon rolls.

“Removed from the game” vs. "Eliminated"
Q: What is the difference between being removed from the game and being eliminated?
A: “Removed from the game” refers to a game piece that has been taken out of play without necessarily being killed or destroyed. Items that are removed from the game cannot be returned to play unless a rule or ability specifically allows it. “Eliminated” refers to a game piece that has been killed or destroyed. Certain abilities may allow a game piece to remain in play or return to play even after it is eliminated.

The Missionary UT takes crew out of play (removes from the game) without killing (eliminating) them. A repair action can bring back a mast that has been removed or eliminated (but not one that has been replaced by a firemast).

“Touches” vs. “Touching”
Q: What is the difference between “touches” and “is/are touching”?
A: "Touches" refers to the point in time when contact between a ship and an island or another ship first occurs. If two ships make contact, each touches the other regardless of which moved. “Touching" refers to a continuous state in which two objects are in contact with each other. After a ship touches another ship, they are touching until one moves away or sinks.

Transfer, Load, and Unload
Q: What is the difference between transferring, loading, and unloading?
A: A transfer occurs any time cargo is moved from one location to another, whether it is through the use of an explore action, a boarding action, an ability, or any other means. "Load" and "unload" refer to transfers in a specific direction, either on or off a ship, respectively.
Q: If I win a boarding action and steal a treasure or use an ability to steal/swap treasure, is that considered a transfer?
A: Yes, because the treasure is unloaded from the other ship and is loaded onto yours.
Q: If I win a boarding action or use an ability to steal a treasure but my ship has no free cargo space, where does the stolen treasure go?
A: If there is insufficient space to load the treasure, it remains where it was. Actions and abilities that steal treasure or cargo have no effect if there is insufficient space available.

”Sea Creatures” -- Sea Dragons, Sea Monsters, and Titans
Q: Is a sea dragon, sea monster, or titan considered to be a ship?
A: Yes, any action or ability that can target a ship can also target a sea dragon, sea monster, or titan.
Q: Are sea monster tentacles/segments considered masts?
A: Yes, any actions or abilities that refer to masts also apply to tentacles/segments.
Q: Where is the bow of a sea monster?
A: Sea Monsters do not have a bow (so they cannot be pinned or towed), but for movement purposes the “front” of a serpent is the part of the base nearest the white dot and head segment, and the “front” of a kraken is the area under its tentacles.
Q: If a sea monster has no bow, how can it dock or ram?
A: A sea monster may dock if any part of its base touches an island, and it may ram if any part of it (including tentacles) touches an enemy ship.
Q: From where do I measure movement for a sea monster, and are there any limits to how far it can turn?
A: You may measure movement from the white dot on the base or from the edge directly under the tentacles of a kraken. Sea monsters do not have hull pieces like a normal ship, so there is no limit to the turning angle.
Q: My kraken’s tentacle is touching an enemy ship, but it is out of range of the printed die. Can that tentacle "shoot" the ship?
A: No, the target must be within range of the printed die.
Q: Do other segments of my sea creature block its line of fire when shooting?
A: No, a sea creature’s segments do not block its own line of fire.

Who picks?
Q: When an ability or rule targets crew, treasure, cargo, masts, or any other game item for removal, elimination, theft, or transfer, who gets to decide which item is targeted?
A: Unless stated otherwise, the defender (the player losing the item) chooses.


MULTIPLAYER RULES

Treasure that is on a ship that is sunk or lost in a fog bank does not count toward victory for any player. (Addition)


TOURNAMENT AND APPROVED PLAY RULES

Card Modifications
Q: Can I use modified, repainted, or kit-bashed ships?
A: Modifications are acceptable as long as they are approved for use by the Privateer and do not alter how those items function within the game. Unacceptable modifications include but are not limited to: constructing ships incorrectly to change their overall shape or size, bending or cutting masts to change lines of fire, and changing printed statistics or abilities.

Peripherals
Q: Can I use homemade islands, custom measuring devices, special dice, etc.?
A: Third-party and/or custom gaming objects may be used as long as they are approved by the Privateer and are made equally available for use by your opponents.

Retired and Restricted Items
Q: Are any game pieces retired or restricted from play? What about promos?
A: There are currently no retired or restricted items. However, The Sleigh (HH05a) and Captain Whitebeard (HH05b) are not intended for use in standard games, so they must be pre-approved for use by the Privateer before gameplay begins.

PIRATES ONLINE

Tech Support
Q: Help! My game won’t load, I can’t login, the game runs really slow, it keeps crashing, etc. Where should I go for help?
A: Questions regarding software, hardware, or any other technical issues with the computer game should be directed to Sony Online Entertainment Customer Support, available at: http://support.station.sony.com

Rules Discrepancies
Q: Some of the rules seem to work differently in the computer game. Do these rule changes apply to the tabletop version of the game as well?
A: No. There are some rules, abilities, and other game effects that were altered for the online version of the game. Those changes apply only to the computer game, and have no effect whatsoever on how the tabletop version of Pirates CSG is played.


SPECIFIC RULES
(By rulebook section)

BUILDING YOUR FLEET

No-duplicates Rule:
A player cannot have two or more of the same character, ship, creature, event token, or fort in their fleet at the same time unless it is captured from an opposing player. Generic crew are not limited in this way.

SETUP

Q: Do I build my fleet during setup?
A: No, you build your fleet before setup begins.

Distances and Placement
Q: What are the restrictions for island placement?
A: Each island must be placed at least 3L away from all other islands, but no more than 6L away from at least one other island.

A legal, albeit extreme, island placement:
(Island) <-6L-> (Island) <-6L-> (Island) <-6L-> (Island) <-6L-> (Island) <-6L-> (Island)

Q: What is the required size for a playing area?
A: The overall size of the playing area is limited only by the island placement restrictions and total space available. As a minimum, an area approximately 3ft x 3ft (1m x 1m) is recommended.
Q: Do all players have to agree to use the mysterious islands, like they do with terrain?
A: No, each individual player may decide if the islands they contribute to the game are mysterious or not.

ACTIONS

Q: On my turn, can I give actions to all of my ships or just one?
A: You may give actions to all members of your fleet.
Q: What’s the difference between a ship taking an action and being given an action?
A: Nothing. In either case, the ship performs the action following all normal rules and abilities as applicable. How it received that action is irrelevant.

MOVING

Q: If my ship has multiple segments of movement (i.e. S+L), when can I change heading?
A: You can change heading at the beginning of each segment of movement, including the first.
Q: Is there a limit to the turning angle, such as 90° or 45°?
A: The physical shape of a ship’s hull provides the only limit to its turning angle. Most ship types are capable of turning up to 160° or more to either side.
Q: Do I have to move the full length of the movement bar or use the entire base move?
A: Your ship may move any distance up to the full length of each movement segment, and you do not have to use all available segments.
Q: Can a ship continue movement after coming into contact with an island or another ship?
A: No, if a ship touches another ship or an island during her movement she must stop immediately, even if there are additional movement segments remaining.
Q: When can I use the “stern turn” ability of the Galley or Schooner keywords?
A: The “stern turn” is considered the final segment of movement, so it is applied after the base move and any other movement bonuses, but before using abilities like those of a captain or explorer and before ramming.
Q: Can I give my derelict a move action if it has an Oarsman or the Galley keyword?
A: Yes, abilities that provide a derelict with a base move also allow it to be given a move action.
Q: If my derelict ship has a helmsman, can it be given a move action?
A: No it cannot, unless it also has an oarsman or some other ability that provides it with a base move. Abilities like a helmsman that give a ship +S or +L only add to an existing base move, but they do not provide a move action to the ship.

Refer to this link for a detailed explaination of turning and movement: How far can I turn?

Dock
Q: If my ship has more than one movement segment in its base move, can it move away from an island and re-dock using a single move action? Is that considered “leaving”?
A: Yes, a ship may move away and re-dock at the same island using a single move action. If at least one segment ended with the ship in an undocked position it is considered to have left, even if it returns to the island with another segment.
Q: Is docking an action?
A: Docking (or being docked) is not an action, but a condition or state of being of a ship that can result from an action or the use of certain abilities. If a ship’s bow touches or is touching an island, it is docked.
Q: If my ship docks at a wild island while carrying an explorer can I use the crew transfer rule (a free action while docked) to unload my other crew before exploring the island?
A: No, the remainder of the ship’s move action (including use of the Explorer) must be completed before you may transfer crew to or from the island as a free action.

A ship with an explorer and three other crew onboard docks at an unexplored wild island. The ship’s owner suspects that the island contains the unique treasure Rum, because he placed it in the treasure pool but it has not yet been found by anyone else. Since he has four crew onboard it means Rum will end up with a low value, but if he unloaded them before exploring the island, Rum would be worth much more. So, he has two options:
1) Use the free crew transfer rule to unload all of the crew, and wait until his next turn to explore the island, or
2) Use the explorer’s ability, and then unload the crew later.
What he cannot do, is use the free crew transfer to unload all of his crew (except the explorer), and then use the explorer’s ability on the island. That ability must be used just after docking, before the free crew transfer can be used.

Ram
Q: Can you sink a derelict by ramming it?
A: No, ramming can only remove masts.
Q: If my ship is moved by some ability and its bow touches an enemy ship, can I ram it?
A: No, a ship can only ram when it has been given a move action.
Q: If I give my ship a move action and it ends the movement with its bow touching an enemy ship, can I choose not to ram?
A: No, ramming happens automatically when a ship completes a move action with its bow in contact with an enemy ship. If you do not wish to ram an enemy ship, do not move your ship’s bow in contact with that ship.

Pin
Q: Is pinning an action, and does it require ramming?
A: Pinning (or being pinned) is not an action, but a condition or state of being of a ship that can result from an action or the use of certain abilities. If a ship’s bow touches or is touching an enemy ship, it is pinned. Ramming is not required.
Q: Can I pin an enemy ship with my move action?
A: Yes, you can pin an enemy ship by moving your ship so that it is in contact with the enemy ship’s bow.
Q: If my ship is pinned, can it still shoot?
A: Yes, pinning only restricts movement.
Q: My ship is pinned because its front mast is touching an enemy ship. If that mast is removed, am I still pinned?
A: Yes, your ship remains pinned until the enemy ship moves away or becomes derelict.
Q: Can my ship move to pin two ships at once, or dock with an island and pin a ship at the same time?
A: No, a ship can only move into contact with one other ship or island at a time. However, a ship can be touching (or pinning) multiple ships at once if the additional contact was caused by movement of the other ships.

All of the following situations can result in a pin:
1) A ship moves and stops so that its bow is touching an enemy ship. (The ship that moved is pinned.)
2) A ship moves and stops so that it is touching the bow of an enemy ship. (Enemy ship is pinned)
3) A derelict ship is given a repair action while touching the bow of an enemy ship. (Enemy ship is pinned.)
4) A ship with the Sea Monster or Titan keyword touches an enemy ship. (Enemy ship is pinned.)
5) A ship with an ability that prevents it from being pinned has that ability cancelled or eliminated while its bow is touching an enemy ship. (The ship with the cancelled ability is pinned.)

Board
Q: Can boarding happen ONLY after ramming?
A: Yes, unless an ability specifically allows you to board at some other time.
Q: How many boarding actions can occur after a ram?
A: Only one boarding action can occur immediately following a ram, regardless of which player initiates it.

El Leon (Spanish) rams HMS Bolingbroke (English).
Immediately after the ram has been resolved the Spanish player has the first chance to initiate a boarding.
1) If the Spanish player chooses to initiate it, a boarding action occurs following the standard rules. Since there can be only one boarding action per ram, the English player does not get to initiate a second boarding.
2) If the Spanish player decides not to board, then the English player gets the option to initiate boarding. If the English player chooses to initiate it, a boarding action occurs following the standard rules.
3) If neither player chooses to board, then that opportunity for a boarding action is done. No other boarding can happen until another ram occurs or unless an ability is used that allows boarding without a ram.

Q: During a boarding action, who gets to decide whether a crew is eliminated or a treasure is stolen?
A: The player who lost the boarding action may choose whether a crew is eliminated or if a treasure is stolen, as well as which specific one is eliminated or stolen.
Q: If my ship has no treasure onboard when my opponent wins a boarding action, can I still choose to have a treasure stolen in order to prevent my ship from losing crew?
A: No, you can only choose from the options that are available. If there is no treasure to steal or the winner's ship is unable to load it, a crew must be eliminated instead. Likewise, if a ship has no crew onboard or its crew “cannot be eliminated”, a treasure must be stolen instead.
Q: My opponent’s ship has an ability which allows it to eliminate all of an opposing ship’s crew when it wins a boarding action. If I lose a boarding to that ship, can I choose to have a treasure stolen instead of losing all of my crew?
A: No, abilities that modify what happens after a ship wins a boarding action override the defender’s choice, unless the winner of the boarding action chooses not to use the ability.

A large Spanish ship rams and boards a French ship that carries three crew and one treasure. The Spanish ship wins the boarding action and reveals the Inquisitor, whose ability can eliminate all of an opposing ship’s crew when he wins a boarding action. The French player would much rather choose to give up the treasure, but the Inquisitor’s ability takes priority so the French player loses all of his crew instead.

Tow
Q: When can I initiate a tow?
A: You may initiate a tow at the beginning or end of your ship’s move action.

1) The Pirate ship Greyhound is derelict and adrift at sea, when the French ship Le Superb sails up and touches Greyhound’s bow. The contact forces Le Superb to stop moving, but since it is still part of Le Superb’s move action it can immediately begin towing Greyhound.

2) In a different game, Le Superb sails up to and touches Greyhound’s bow, but since Greyhound is not derelict, it cannot be towed immediately. The French player reveals a captain onboard his ship and fires enough shots to knock off all of Greyhound’s masts, rendering it derelict. He wishes to start towing Greyhound immediately, but since shooting with a captain occurs after a move action has been completed, he must wait until his next turn. On the next turn, he gives Le Superb a move action, and declares that he is also going to tow Greyhound. Greyhound is immediately moved to the “towed” position, Le Superb’s base move is reduced to S, and the ships sail away…

Q: If my ship has no masts but can still move because of an ability, can it be towed?
A: Yes, if a ship has no masts it is derelict and can be towed. The ability to move is irrelevant.
Q: Can you voluntarily release a towed vessel at any time?
A: Yes.
Q: Can you steal a towed derelict from an enemy by moving your ship so that it touches the bow of the towed derelict? What about a derelict that is docked?
A: You cannot steal a derelict that is being towed by an opponent’s ship. You may tow a derelict that is docked, if your ship can be positioned so that it touches the derelict’s bow.
Q: How many ships can you tow at a time?
A: One.
Q: When a ship is towing a derelict but there isn’t enough room behind for the towed ship to be aligned straight out, can it be placed at an angle?
A: Yes, you should fit the towed ship as straight as possible behind the towing ship.

EXPLORING

Q: How many treasure tokens can I load onto my ship with one explore action?
A: You may load as many items as you have available cargo space.
Q: Can I unload treasure or crew from my ship when it explores a wild island?
A: Yes, cargo may be unloaded to a wild island during an explore action, but the effects of any unique treasures on the island must be resolved before any other cargo can be transferred. Cargo that is unloaded to an island is fair game for another player to collect.
Q: Can I unload treasure to a wild island without using an explore action?
A: Transferring cargo to or from an island or another ship always requires an explore action, unless an ability or action specifically allows otherwise.
Q: If my ship docks at a wild island and uses an explorer crew to explore the island, can I unload that explorer to make room for more treasure?
A: Yes, you may unload the explorer to make room for treasure, but when he leaves the ship the free explore action he provided immediately ends. In order to load treasure back into that empty cargo space, another explore action is required.

A ship with three cargo spaces docks at an unexplored wild island. Two of its spaces are taken by crew and one that holds a treasure token worth one gold. One of those crew happens to be an explorer, which is revealed so the ship can explore the island. The island contains four treasures; two are unique treasure and two are standard gold tokens. The unique treasures are revealed to be the Marksman’s Map and Rum. Both must be loaded onto the ship, but fortunately neither takes up a cargo space. Since there are two crew onboard, Rum takes on a value of four gold. Both of the standard gold coins on the island have high values, so the ship’s owner wants to load them as well. In order to make room for them, he unloads the token worth one gold, and one of the crew. If he unloaded the explorer, the explore action would end immediately and he would have to wait until the next turn to load the remaining treasure into that spot, so instead he unloads the other crewmember, a helmsman.

The explore action ends with two unique treasures, two standard treasures, and an explorer onboard the ship, and a helmsman and a standard (1-gold) treasure on the island. The ship’s owner decides that he no longer needs the explorer, so he then uses the free crew transfer rule to unload him, and then uses another free crew transfer to load the helmsman into the vacated spot. Due to Rum’s ability the ship loses its next turn, but the turn after that it sails away leaving the explorer and the 1-gold coin behind…

Q: When my ship docks at my home island, do I have to unload all of my treasure or can I select which to unload?
A: You have to unload all treasure with a gold value when you dock at your home island. This happens immediately and automatically.
Q: If treasure is transferred to my ship while it is docked at my home island, does it unload automatically?
A: No, treasure only unloads automatically when the ship first docks at its home island. To unload again, the ship must move away and re-dock or it must be given an explore action targeting the home island, at which point all treasure with a gold value currently onboard is immediately unloaded.
Q: Can cargo, treasure, or crew be transferred between friendly ships?
A: Yes. The two ships must be touching and one of them must be given an explore action to transfer the cargo. You may also explore an enemy derelict in this way.

Unique Treasure (UT)
Q: When you find a unique treasure and its ability doesn’t seem to work properly due to the interaction with other abilities on your ship, what happens?
A: Unique treasure is always picked up when found. However, if a specific UT ability cannot be used due to an ability on the ship, then that UT ability has no effect until circumstances change to allow it to work properly. Any other additional abilities of the UT still function normally.

Darkhawk II with Captain Blackheart, Jonah, a helmsman, and an oarsman onboard explores an island and finds the Plague. The first part of Plague’s ability is that it eliminates all crew onboard the ship, but Jonah’s ability says that he cannot be eliminated. So, Plague is loaded onto the ship and it kills everyone on the ship except for Jonah. The rest of Plague’s abilities also work, so now the DarkhawkII can’t dock but if it touches another ship Plague will be passed to the next ship.

That next ship happens to be the Revenant, with El Fantasma, Ghost Crew, and a Firepot Specialist onboard. The two ships touch and Plague gets passed to the Revenant. The ability of the Ghost Crew, unlike Jonah, protects the ship’s entire crew from elimination so when Plague gets loaded none of the crew are harmed. However, the rest of Plague’s abilities still work,so Revenant cannot dock but it can still pass Plague to the next ship it touches.

Q: If a unique treasure can be loaded face down, must I reveal it to my opponent?
A: No, UTs that can be loaded face down do not have to be revealed or loaded.
Q: Can I transfer a unique treasure off my ship and on to another?
A: Yes, you may transfer unique treasure from one ship to another using an explore action, unless an ability specifically states that a UT cannot be unloaded.
Q: Can unique treasures be stolen during a boarding action or with an ability that allows you to steal/trade treasure from another ship?
A: Yes, unique treasures can be stolen during boarding actions or with abilities that steal/trade treasure, unless an ability specifically states that the UT cannot be unloaded.
Q: If a unique treasure has a gold value that is determined when it is loaded, what happens when I transfer it to another ship?
A: The gold value of a UT is determined when it is first loaded from a wild island, so transferring it to another ship will not reset it. However, any other effects of that UT will still apply normally when loaded onto another ship.
Q: Can unique treasures be eliminated by abilities that target cargo?
A: Yes, UTs are a form of cargo so they can be affected by abilities that eliminate cargo.
Q: Can I unload a unique treasure when I dock at or explore an island?
A: If a UT has a gold value it must be unloaded when you dock at your home island. No other face-up UT can be unloaded to an island unless an ability specifically allows otherwise.

SHOOTING

Q: During a shoot action, how many cannons can I fire?
A: During a single shoot action, you may fire each of your ship’s cannons provided that they have valid targets and a clear line of fire.
Q: Do I have to pick targets and roll for all of my cannons at the same time?
A: No, you may fire each cannon individually and choose the target before each roll.

Grand Path (Jade Rebellion) is surrounded by Banshee’s Cry, Rover, and Longhanks (all Pirate). The Jade player decides to open fire, and starts by targeting Banshee’s Cry. He rolls for one cannon, which hits and eliminates the smaller ship’s mast. It’s now derelict, so the Jade player decides to go after the others before sinking it. Moving on to the next cannon, the Jade player targets Rover and hits with that cannon, which makes Rover derelict. He then repeats the process with the next three cannons targeting Longshanks. Those all hit too, so now all three Pirate ships are derelict. Grand Path has six masts, which means it has one more cannon left to shoot. Banshee’s Cry and Longshanks are both loaded with treasure, so the Jade player decides to use the last shot to sink Rover. Unfortunately it misses, but the shoot action was still very successful – all three Pirate ships are derelict and ready to be explored or towed home in order to get the treasure they carry.

Q: To target an enemy ship, does the opposite end of the bar need to contact the enemy ship or can it be any part of the bar?
A: As long as any part of the bar crosses or touches the target and is not blocked by other ships, islands, or other masts on your ship you may shoot at it.
Q: Do I have to have a target, or can my ship shoot at the water?
A: A ship cannot be given a shoot action if it does not have a valid target, unless it has an ability that allows it to shoot without a target.
Q: Where do I measure my shots from on a submarine or sea monster?
A: Cannon range is measured from the printed die on the mast, segment, or hull piece.
Q: If I sink a ship carrying a single treasure worth 5 gold, do I get the single treasure token or is the value split with the odd amount going to me?
A: When a ship is sunk, the total value of gold onboard is split evenly with the odd amount going to the attacker. In this example, the attacker would receive 3 gold and the owner of the sunken ship would receive 2 gold. If “change” must be made to divide the gold fairly, the owner of the sunken ship has the first opportunity to make change. If he or she passes then the attacker may choose how change is made.

Scuttling
Q: If I have more than one derelict ship, can I attempt to scuttle them all or just one?
A: Each derelict ship in your fleet may make one scuttle attempt per turn.

TERRAIN TYPES

Q: If my ship moves or is moved into terrain by some method other than a move action, do the terrain effects still apply?
A: Yes.
Q: If my ship touches terrain during a move action, must it stop immediately?
A: If any part of a ship touches terrain at the end of a movement segment, the effects of that terrain must be applied immediately. If the ship has not become derelict, wrecked, tangled, or “lost”, it may then continue with any remaining movement segments. The terrain effect is only applied once per move action, regardless of the number of movement segments that may end on the terrain.
Q: If my ship touches a terrain and another ship at the same time, do I get to choose which it is actually touching?
A: No. The restriction that a ship can move to touch only one other thing at a time applies to touching islands and other ships, not terrain. If a ship touches terrain and an island or ship at the same time, the terrain effect must be resolved before any rules, abilities, or effects relating to contact with the other ship or island can be applied.

Iceberg
Q: If an iceberg touches another iceberg or some other type of terrain, what happens?
A: The iceberg stops moving immediately if it touches another object. Unless that object was an island, the iceberg may be moved again at a later time per the standard rules.

Fog Bank
Q: How do I determine if an ability or action can affect a ship within a Fog Bank?
A: If an ability, action, or other effect has a fixed range, requires a line of sight, affects an area, or requires direct contact between ships, it cannot be used against (or by) a ship that is “lost” in a fog bank. If the ability, action, or effect does not have one or more of those requirements, it may be used against (or by) a ship in a fog bank.
Q: If my ship enters a fog bank while towing a derelict, what happens to the derelict?
A: Both ships immediately become “lost” in the fog bank. When the towing ship leaves the fog, you may move the derelict behind it following the normal rules for towing.
Q: If a derelict enters a fog bank by some other means, what happens to it?
A: If the derelict has the ability to move it may be given a move action to exit normally. If it carries a shipwright it may be given a repair action and then exit on a subsequent turn. If the derelict lacks the capability to move or repair, it remains “lost” indefinitely.

Reef
Q: If my ship is wrecked, can it be repaired or use its abilities? Can another ship ram or tow a wreck, or target it with abilities? What about Events?
A: A wrecked ship has effectively sunk, so it cannot move or be moved, it cannot be given any actions, and it cannot use any abilities (including crew abilities). Other ships may explore a wreck to transfer cargo, but they cannot target the wreck with any other actions or abilities. Events have no effect on a wreck.

Whirlpool
Q: If my ship touches a whirlpool and I choose not to move it to another whirlpool, do I still have to roll for the effect?
A: No, you only roll for the effect if your ship jumps to a different whirlpool.
Q: If my ship has a captain onboard and it moves into a whirlpool, can it shoot after it jumps to another whirlpool?
A: No, touching the first whirlpool ends the ship’s entire move action. It cannot shoot until it is given another action.

WINNING THE GAME

Q: Under which conditions is the game officially over?
A: The game is over when any of the following conditions are met:

* The official time has expired and all players have finished their last turn.
* A player has unloaded more than half of the game’s starting gold value onto his or her home island.
* At the start of any turn the current player no longer has the possibility of giving any future move actions to any of his or her ships.
* All available gold is on players’ home islands and/or has become inaccessible.
* A stalemate is reached in which neither player is able or willing to achieve any other endgame conditions.

Q: If some treasure gets eliminated or an ability is used that changes the value of treasure in the game, does that also change the “more than half” amount needed to end the game?
A: No, the “more than half” endgame condition is based only on the total amount of gold at the start of the game, so it remains fixed at that value even if the actual total amount of gold in play increases or decreases during the game.
Q: If I sink all of my opponent’s ships, do I automatically get any uncollected gold remaining in play?
A: No, the game is considered over when any one of the above conditions is met; in this case the player cannot give an action to any of his ships at the beginning of his turn. Gold remaining on wild islands at the end of the game does not count toward victory for any player.
Q: If I sink all of my opponent’s ships but he has more gold on his home island than me, who wins?
A: The player with the most gold on his or her home island and in forts at the end of the game is the winner.
Q: What if both players have an equal amount of gold?
A: In the event of a tie in gold, the player with the most units (ships) remaining is the winner. If the game is still tied, players can use any mutually agreed-upon method they wish to break the tie.

A “unit” is any game piece that can be given at least one of the four primary actions (move, shoot, repair, or explore); these include ships, sea creatures, forts, and crew with the Marine keyword, but not Events or non-Marine crew. Note that this is not the same as the endgame condition that applies when a player has no ships capable of being given future move action; since Marines and forts cannot be given move actions, they are not considered when determining if a game should end or not.

At the end of a game, two players end up tied for gold. The Pirate player has one ship, a fort, five (non-Marine) crew, and a Divers event remaining. The Barbary Corsair player has two ships, one Marine, and two other (non-Marine) crew remaining. Non-Marine crew and events do not count as “units”, so for the purposes of the tie-breaker the Pirate player has two units remaining while the Corsair player has three. The Corsair player is the winner of the game.

Keeping Treasure Won
Q: When someone wins a unique treasure, does he or she also get the card containing its ability text from the original owner?
A: If all players agree to play by the optional rules in which the winner keeps all treasure they collect, then the card should go with the corresponding unique treasure token.


ABILITIES AND KEYWORDS

GENERAL

Ability Disclaimer
These ability rulings, clarifications, and errata apply to all sources of the same abilities, even if they are not listed here by name.

Ability Conflicts
If one ability says to do something and another ability says you cannot do something, the "not" ability takes precedence. However, abilities that use terms such as “always” or “must” are considered mandatory so they take precedence over abilities that do not use those terms. Use the following hierarchy as a guide, in order of priority:

1) Mandatory Not – (“never” or “must not”)
2) Mandatory – (“always” or “must”)
3) Not – (“no”, “cannot”, or “do not”)
4) Other/Optional – (“do”, “may”, “can”, or unspecified)

Exceptions to this list are described in their respective sections below.

1) The Sea Monster keyword states that if a sea monster rams a ship, that ship is pinned. The Galley keyword states that the ship cannot be pinned. If sea monster rams a galley, the galley does not become pinned because its ability to “not” be pinned takes precedence over the sea monster’s ability to pin other ships.

2) One of the abilities of an oarsman is that it takes up no cargo space. Part of Jonah’s ability states that crew placed on the ship cost zero points, but always take up a cargo space. If both of them are on the same ship, the oarsman will take a up a space like any other crew because Jonah’s “always” ability takes precedence over the oarsman’s ability to “not” take up space.

Abilities that move ships
Q: If an ability allows a ship to move or it allows you to move a ship, does the ship’s heading change, and can it be used if the ship is pinned?
A: If the ability refers to the ship making the movement, such as “this ship may move S”, it functions much like a normal movement segment. The ship’s heading changes to point in the direction it moved, but it cannot be used if the ship is pinned. If the ability refers to an outside force moving or pushing the ship, such as “move a ship L”, the ship’s heading does not change, but it may be used if the ship is pinned.
Q: Can I use a captain to shoot after using an ability that moves a ship? Can I ram another ship? Can it result in a pin? Can the ship dock?
A: Unless the ability specifically states that it is a move action, it is not considered a move action so abilities and effects that refer to a move action cannot be used. Pinning and docking only require contact between the bow of a ship and an enemy ship or an island, so they may occur any time a ship moves or is moved.
Q: If an ability allows me to move an opponent’s ship, can I move that ship so it pins another ship in my opponent’s fleet?
A: Unless specified otherwise, the ownership does not change so friendly ships cannot pin each other regardless of how or why they moved.

Miscellaneous
Q: Are keywords considered to be abilities?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I use abilities on my opponent’s turn?
A: Yes, unless the ability applies to, modifies, or requires an action, or if it specifically states otherwise.
Q: How many times per round can I use a “once per turn” or “every turn” ability?
A: You may use it during your own turn and during each opponent’s turn, unless stated otherwise.

Submerged (Sea Monster and Submarine keywords)
Q: When can I decide if my ship is submerged or on the surface?
A: You may decide if your ship is submerged only at the beginning of your own turn.
Q: If my ship is submerged, can it move under other ships? Can other ships move over it? What happens if my ship stops above a submerged ship?
A: A submerged ship may move under other ships, and other ships may move over a submerged ship. However, those ships cannot end movement in the same position, so if a ship cannot move completely over/under another ship, it must go around or stop short.
Q: Is my submerged ship a valid target for a shoot action?
A: No, unless an ability specifically allows otherwise.
Q: Can my submerged ship dock at or explore an island?
A: No, submerged ships cannot dock.
Q: Can my submerged ship ram or be rammed?
A: No, unless an ability specifically allows otherwise.
Q: What happens if my submerged ship moves through terrain?
A: Terrain effects apply normally whether a ship is submerged or on the surface.
Q: Does a submerged ship block the line of fire for other ships?
A: No.

SPECIFIC SHIP AND CREW ABILITIES

“After looking at treasure on a wild island, you may trade any one treasure from that island for a random treasure on any other wild island. This ship must load the traded treasure.”
Christian Jefferson, Esquire - Don “Pedro” Gilbert - East Wind - El Profeta - El San Jose - Hare's Luck - La Mezquita - Neptune’s Hoard – San Theodora – Shamrock – Zheng Li Kwan
Q: If I have an ability that allows me to “look” at treasure on a wild island, can it be used with this ability?
A: No, this ability can only be used at a wild island when this ship is given an explore action.
Q: Can I trade away a unique treasure to avoid its effect?
A: Yes.
Q: If my ship’s cargo hold is full, can I use this ability?
A: No, there must be enough room to load the traded treasure.

“All of this ship’s cannons have (L)-range.”
Master Gunner Rogelio Vazquez - Commander Albert Crenshaw - HMS Sultan – Harlequin - La Felicite
Q: Does this ability change all of the cannons to L-range cannons?
A: No, this ability only allows all cannons to fire at L-range.

All-Powerful (keyword)
“Once per turn, roll a d6. On a 1–4, you may give this ship an extra action; on a 5, you may give any ship you control an extra action; on a 6, you may give an enemy ship an action.”
Davy Jones – Emperor Blackheart (NOTE: all questions refer to the effect of a “6” result on the d6 roll)
Q: If I roll a 6 for this ability, how exactly does it work?
A: If you roll a 6, you may give an opposing ship an action as if it were a member of your fleet. It may be used to attack any ships that are that opposing to you, even if they are normally friendly to itself. Note that ownership of the target does not change, so it cannot pin or become pinned by other members of its own fleet.
Q: Can I use the target ship’s abilities? Can I give it free actions (such as ramming or boarding) in addition to the primary action?
A: Face-up Abilities and free actions may be used if and only if they apply as part of or as the direct result of the primary action that is given to the ship.
Q: Can I reveal or look at facedown crew or treasure on the target ship?
A: No.
Q: Can I scuttle the ship?
A: If the ship is derelict, you may have it make a scuttle attempt. This does count as giving an action to the ship with regards to this ability, even though scuttling is normally a free action.
Q: If the affected ship uses (via an explore action) the ability that states, “you own any derelict this ship explores; both ships become docked at your home island”, whose home island do they go to?
A: The actual ownership of the target ship never changes, so both return to the affected ship’s home island and the captured derelict becomes a member of that ship’s fleet, not yours.

Some examples of what you can do if you roll a 6:

Move action
--Helmsmen and Oarsmen (or similar) can be used because they apply directly to the base move of the ship.
--The stern turns of Schooners, etc. can be used because that ability applies as part of a move action.
--S-Boarders can be used because they apply as part of a move action.
--Explorers can be used because they apply as part of a move action.
--Captains can be used because they are directly triggered by a move action.
--Ramming can occur because it is the direct result of a move action. The player controlling this ship rolls the die.
----Boarding (standard) can occur because it is the direct result of ramming. The player controlling the ship that rammed has the first opportunity to initiate the boarding, and rolls for that ship as if it was their own. The owner of the other ship rolls for that ship normally.
--Towing can occur because it happens as part of a move action. Note: Since the affected ship is not actually yours, any derelict it tows becomes a member of its own fleet, not yours.

Shoot action
--The affected ship can be used to shoot at other members of its own fleet, but cannot shoot at ships in the fleet of the player using this ability to control it. Note: The rule that states, “…you can’t shoot at a member of your own fleet…” refers to the player giving the action, not the individual ship.
--Specialists can be used because they apply as part of a shoot action.
--Offensive abilities like Broadsides, Longship, "eliminate two masts with a single hit", "eliminate a crew/cargo with a hit", etc. can be used because they apply as part of a shoot action.
--Musketeers and Cannoneers can be used because they apply as parts of a shoot action.
--The “reverse captain” ability can be used because it is directly triggered by a shoot action.

Explore action
--The affected ship can be given an explore action to transfer cargo to or from another member of its own fleet (if they are in contact). The player currently controlling the affected ship may determine what gets loaded or unloaded.
--The affected ship can explore an island to transfer cargo on or off. If it explores an island with treasure, the ship's owner may look at the treasure to determine if any UT’s are present (their effects are resolved normally, as if the owner had given the action). Once ant UTs have been resolved, the player currently controlling the affected ship may determine what gets loaded or unloaded, without looking at the values of any unrevealed tokens.
--The "teleport" ability of ships like Harbinger and Philadelphia can be used. Note: Since the affected ship is not actually yours, the ship (and the derelict it targets) will return to its own home island, not yours.

Repair action
--If the ship is docked at an island or fort that is friendly to it, or if it carries a shipwright, it can be given a repair action. The player currently controlling the ship may choose which mast is repaired.

Scuttle
--If the ship is derelict, you can make a scuttle attempt. Note: Even though it is normally a free action, it is still an action so you cannot give the ship any other actions, whether or not the attempt is successful.

Free Crew Transfer
--If the ship is docked at an island, you can transfer crew to or from that ship and the island. Note: Even though it is normally a free action, it is still an action so you cannot give the ship any other actions.

----------------------------------------------
What you cannot do:
--You cannot reveal (or even look at!) any face-down crew or treasure on the ship.
--You cannot use any abilities that do not specifically apply as part of an action or as the direct result of an action. This includes but is not limited to:
-- -- --Additional action abilities (d6-extra, sac-extra, same twice, two for any ship, etc.)
-- -- --Abilities that allow you to look at face-down crew or treasure
-- -- --Abilities that allow you to mark an island “explored” without docking
-- -- --Cancellers
-- -- --Copiers (Behemoth or DJC Davy Jones).
--You cannot use any “beginning of turn” abilities or effects, such as changing the status of a ship between Submerged/Surfaced or Ghostly/Non-ghostly.
--You cannot create an illegal situation by loading or unloading cargo. For example, you cannot load additional cargo if there is insufficient space, and you cannot unload a point-reducer if it would cause the remaining crew onboard to exceed the point limit of the ship.
--You cannot give an action to a ship that cannot be given actions, due effects such as Mermaids or Natives.
--You cannot give a ship an action if that action cannot be legally given to it. For example, if a ship is currently incapable of movement it cannot be given a move action.
--You cannot give the action to a Marine or Fort. (Marines and Forts are not ships.)

“As part of a move action, this ship may initiate a boarding party against a ship up to S away from her, without having to ram. The boarded ship may not use any boarding bonuses.”
Q: Is the number of masts remaining on a ship considered a “boarding bonus”?
A: No, the number of masts is an inherent part of a boarding roll so it cannot be negated by any ability. This ability prevents the use of abilities that add +1 to boarding rolls and those that provide an additional effect when you win or lose a boarding action.

Black Mark (keyword)
Q: Can I use my Pirate’s Black Mark ability to convert a non-Pirate ship to the Cursed?
A: No, the printed nationalities of the ship and the crew must match before applying the Black Mark keyword.
Q: Does the extra point for using Black Mark apply to the build limit of the game and/or to the point limit of my ship?
A: The extra point from Black Mark applies during setup when the crew is placed on a ship, like other point reducers or modifiers. Therefore it applies only to the point limit of the individual ship, not the build limit of the game.
Q: Does Black Mark convert the other crew onboard my ship to the Cursed?
A: No, only the ship and the crewmember with the Black Mark ability become Cursed.

Broadsides Attack (keyword)
In order to use Broadsides Attack, the following criteria must be met:

1. All remaining cannons must have clear line of sight to a single target.
2. All remaining cannons must be within S-range of the single target.
3. All remaining cannons must be able to hit or no masts can be eliminated.

Q: Can I use Broadsides Attack as part of a shoot action provided by a Captain?
A: Yes.
Q: Does the ship need to have all of her cannons in order to perform a Broadsides Attack?
A: No, however all of the remaining cannons must be within S-range of the target and have a clear line of fire.
Q: Can Broadsides Attack be canceled by another ability?
A: Yes, the cancellation ability is applied to Broadsides Attack not the shoot action.
Q: How does Broadsides Attack apply to defensive abilities of the target ship?
A: Broadsides Attack ignores all defensive abilities, except those that make the ship an invalid target for a shoot action.
Q: Can I reroll a Broadsides Attack, or use offensive abilities like those that eliminate crew with a hit, those that eliminate two masts with a hit, specialists, or the Longship keyword?
A: No, Broadsides Attack states that no other abilities may apply to the action.
Q: Can ships with overlapping masts, such as Schooners and Junks, use Broadsides Attack?
A: Yes, if the ship can be positioned so that all remaining masts have a clear line of fire and are within range of the target. This may not be possible until after some of the ship’s masts have been removed.

HMS Leicester (English) with Captain Percival Blake onboard shoots at Constitution (American). The English player chooses to use Blake’s Broadsides Attack, checks to make sure all four of her cannons are within S range and have a clear line of fire, and then she rolls one die for the attack (which hits). Part of the text for Broadsides prevents other abilities from applying to the action, so it means that Constitution’s formidable defensive ability (two hits are required to eliminate a mast) is ignored. Of course, it also means that HMS Leicester’s own ability to eliminate two masts with a single hit is ignored as well. Since the die roll was high enough to hit, Constitution takes a total of 5 hits from the attack: one from each of HMS Leicester’s four masts, and one additional hit from the Broadsides Attack. Those five hits are enough to derelict the Constitution, or sink it if it was already missing a mast.

Cancel ability
“Once per turn, cancel the ability of one crew or ship within S of this ship.”
Nemesio Diaz
“Once per turn, one crew or ship within S of this ship cannot use its ability that turn.”
Christian Fiore – El Alma - El Paso – Ghost Walker – Guinee - Hessian – HMS Rye – Lawrence – Mobilis - Monsieur LeNoir - USS Kettering
Q: What is the difference between Nemesio Diaz and Monsieur LeNoir/Lawrence/etc.?
A: Effectively, nothing. Although their ability text is slightly different, the two versions function exactly the same way.
Q: If a ship or crew has more than one ability, can I cancel all of those abilities at once or just one at a time?
A: Only one ability can be cancelled at a time.
Q: How long does an ability remain cancelled?
A: Abilities remain cancelled until the end of the current player’s turn.
Q: When can I cancel a captain, a helmsman, Broadsides Attack, an extra action, etc.?
A: An ability may be cancelled at any time prior to the application or completion of its effect. The captain ability or Broadsides Attack may be cancelled before the ship’s controller rolls the first die for shooting. The helmsman ability may be cancelled before the ship begins the additional S segment of movement. An extra action (or the same action twice) ability may be cancelled before the additional action is given to the ship.
Q: Can I cancel an ability after it has been used?
A: Yes, however that will have no effect on any previous uses of the target ability. It will only prevent the ability from being used again during the current turn.
Q: Can continuously active abilities such as a point reducer be cancelled, and if yes, what happens?
A: Continuously active abilities may be cancelled at any time, and if that cancellation creates an illegal situation it must be resolved immediately by removing any excess crew or treasure (in that order) from the game.
Q: If I have more than one source of an ability (such as a captain) on my ship and one gets cancelled, can I reveal and use the other one?
A: No, canceling an ability applies to all instances of that same ability on a ship, whether they have been revealed or not.
Q: I revealed my captain to shoot at an enemy ship, but then my opponent revealed a canceller that targeted my captain’s ability. Can I use a canceller of my own to cancel his, and if yes, what happens?
A: The ability of a canceller may be cancelled. In this example, your canceller stops your opponent’s from canceling your captain, so your ship may shoot.
Q: Can I cancel the abilities of events, unique treasures, forts, etc.?
A: No, only the abilities of ships and crew can be cancelled.
Q: Can keywords such as Galley, Schooner, or Treasure Ship be cancelled?
A: Yes, keywords are abilities so their effects can be cancelled.
Q: Can I cancel the abilities of a friendly ship?
A: You may cancel an ability on another friendly ship, however, a canceller cannot affect abilities on its own ship because “within S” is measured outward from the ship.

1a) The Pirate ship Harbinger, with a captain onboard, moves alongside the Spanish ship La Joya del Sol, with Nemesio Diaz onboard. The Pirate player reveals the captain and declares he will shoot, but before that player rolls any dice the Spanish player reveals Nemesio and declares that he is canceling the captain’s ability. Since the cancellation happened prior to rolling any dice, no shooting can occur.

1b) In a different game, the Harbinger sails alongside La Joya del Sol and again prepares to shoot. This time, the Spanish player chooses to not use Nemesio Diaz immediately. The Pirate player then rolls for the first cannon and scores a hit. The Spanish player realizes that not preventing the shot was a bad idea, and declares that Nemesio will now cancel the captain ability. However, since the shooting has already begun, canceling the captain will not stop the rest of the cannons from being fired. The Pirate player continues shooting and sinks La Joya. He then reveals and successfully rolls for a crew that allows the ship to be given an extra action. Harbinger uses that extra action to move into range of another nearby Spanish ship, but since the cancellation lasts for the entire turn it cannot use its captain to attack the second ship - even though Nemesio and his ship have been sunk!

2) In a multiplayer game, three opposing ships meet to do battle; one is the English ship HMS Leicester with Lawrence onboard, one is the French ship Le Bonaparte with Monsieur LeNoir onboard, and one is the Mercenary sub Devil Ray with Christian Fiore onboard. HMS Leicester is about to be given a shoot action to attack Le Bonaparte, however, since it is within S of the French ship, the English player first reveals Lawrence and declares that he will cancel Le Bonaparte’s ability to prevent ships within S from shooting at it. The French player responds by revealing Monsieur LeNoir, and declares that he will cancel Lawrence’s ability, which means that Le Bonaparte’s ability would not be cancelled and HMS Leicester could not shoot it. However, the Mercenary player and the English player are secretly working together to defeat the French, so the Mercenary reveals Christian Fiore and declares that he will cancel LeNoir. Since LeNoir’s ability is now cancelled, he is no longer able to cancel Lawrence’s ability, which in turn means that Le Bonaparte’s defensive ability IS cancelled and HMS Leicester may shoot. A few hits later, and the remains of Le Bonaparte are drifting to the bottom of the sea.

3) A Pirate player takes the ship Longshanks (6 points), and puts Captain Jack Hawkins (4 points), Skyme the Monkey (SM, 2 points), Calico Cat (SM, 3 points), and a helmsman (2 points) onboard. Normally that would be an illegal setup because the crew total (11 points) exceeds the point value of the ship, but Jonah also joins them onboard and uses his ability to reduce their point values to zero. Captain Jack and his monkey are linked, so there is just enough cargo space for everyone. During the game, Longshanks sails up alongside the American longship USS Kettering. The American player notices that without Jonah his opponent’s crew would be over the point limit, so he uses his own ship’s ability to cancel Jonah’s point-reducing ability. Since Longshanks is now 5 points over its legal crew limit, the Pirate player must immediately remove crew to make it legal – he chooses to keep Captain Jack and Skyme which total 6 points, and he removes Calico Cat and the helmsman. The game then continues as normal from that point on, and although the cancellation “wears off” at the end of the turn the two removed crew do not get to come back – they stay gone until the next game.

Captain ability
(Printed text)“This ship may move and shoot using the same move action.”
(Errata) “This ship may be given a free shoot action immediately after she completes a non-free move action, but before any other free actions.”
Q: If a ship with this ability has multiple segments in her base move, such as S+L, can she fire between segments?
A: No, shooting happens after all movement has ended.
Q: Does this ability allow a derelict to move and shoot?
A: Yes, but only if there is a crew or ability that allows it to move, and another crew or ability that allows it to fire from an eliminated mast.
Q: If this ship moves to touch an enemy ship so it can ram and shoot at the enemy, in which order do they occur?
A: The shooting occurs immediately after the move action ends, but before any other free actions such as ramming.

Capture ability #1
“If this ship wins a boarding party, she may capture the crew with the highest point cost instead of eliminating it. This captured crew becomes cargo worth its point cost in gold when unloaded at your home island”
Aruj Barbarossa - Bonny Peel - Dragon Eyes - Wodin
Q: Can a crew captured by this ability use its abilities, and do cargo space or point limits apply?
A: The crew becomes generic cargo that cannot use any abilities, and it does not count against the point limit of the ship. However, since it is still cargo it does take up a cargo space.
Q: Can the captured crew be eliminated during a boarding action or by an ability that eliminates crew?
A: No. It is considered generic cargo, so abilities and actions that specifically refer to crew or treasure have no effect. However, it can be affected by actions or abilities that apply to cargo in general.
Q: When is the captured crew worth gold?
A: The captured crew gains a gold value when it is unloaded at the capturing player’s home island. Until then, it has a gold value of zero.
Q: What happens if the captured crewmember is transferred to another ship?
A: The captured crewmember remains generic cargo if transferred to another ship. If the new ship also contains a crew with this capture ability, the captive will be worth its point value in gold when unloaded at that ship’s home island. If the new ship does not contain a crew with this capture ability, the captive is worth zero gold.
Q: If my crew cannot be eliminated or I have a doctor onboard, can my crew be captured?
A: Yes. Captured crew are not eliminated, so abilities that prevent elimination have no effect.
Q: If I use this ability to capture a crew with the Ransom keyword, what is it worth?
A: The crew is worth its point cost in gold, which is zero. However, since you captured the crew you will also receive 5 gold from the Ransom keyword.

Capture ability #2
“If this ship wins a boarding party, she may capture the crew with the highest point cost instead of eliminating it. A captive becomes assigned to this ship, takes up no cargo space, and can use its abilities. The captive cannot leave this ship unless the ship sinks.”
Captain Nemo
Q: Do crew captured by this ability count against the ship’s point limit?
A: Yes. They remain crew and can use their abilities, so they do count against the point limit of the ship.
Q: If I use this ability to capture a crew with the Ransom keyword, is it worth 5 gold?
A: No, the crew becomes a member of your fleet and can use its abilities, so you do not receive any gold from the Ransom keyword.

Catamaran (keyword)
Q: Can I roll to ignore every hit during a shoot action or only the first one?
A: You may roll for each and every hit the ship takes.
Q: Can a Catamaran be rammed after it loses its outrigger (secondary hull)?
A: No, a Catamaran cannot be rammed whether it has the outrigger or not.
Q: Can it still ram other ships? What about boarding?
A: Catamarans may ram and board other ships normally. Since they cannot be rammed, they cannot be boarded by other ships unless an ability specifically allows it.

Copy ability
“At the beginning of each of your turns, choose any ability possessed by any ship or crew in play; this character has that ability. You may make a different choice each turn.”
Behemoth - Davy Jones
Q: Can I copy the ability of a face down crew?
A: No, facedown abilities are not “in play”.
Q: If a ship or crew has multiple abilities, can I copy all of them or just one?
A: You can copy only one ability at a time.
Q: Can I re-copy the same ability each turn?
A: Yes, provided that the ability you wish to copy is still in play.
Q: Can I copy a continuously active ability, like a point reducer?
A: Yes, however abilities always “restart” when re-copied, so if you copy that point reducing ability to prevent an illegal situation (such as allowing crew to exceed the point limit of a ship) that illegal situation must be resolved before the ability can be re-copied on your following turn.
Q: Can Davy Jones copy the Sea Dragon or Sea Monster keywords?
A: Yes, but then he and all other crew onboard are immediately removed from the game because a sea dragon/monster cannot carry crew. The ship gains no effects from the keyword because the source (Jones) is no longer onboard.
Q: Can I copy any aspect of a ship, such as its base move, cargo hold, or cannon ranks?
A: No, the inherent stats of a ship cannot be copied because they are not abilities.
Q: Can Davy Jones copy an ability on his own ship to increase the effect?
A: You may target an ability on the copier’s ship, but the no-stacking rule applies normally to the copied ability so no added benefit is gained.

“Crew of any nationality may use their abilities on this ship.”
Black Swan – Brother Virgil – Cavendish – Tabitha McWarren
“[Nationality] crew may use their abilities on this ship.”
Q: Can I put a 0-point Pirate crew on my Cursed ship if I also have Tabitha McWarren onboard?
A: No, Tabitha’s ability only allows crew of other nationalities to use their abilities while onboard. Her ability does not change where crew can be assigned.”

Doctor ability
“When another face-up crew on this ship would be eliminated, turn it facedown instead.”
Doctor Urbano Javier - Dr. Forbes Beattie - Don Rafael y de Teresa – Father Rene Bordeaux – “Hacksaw” Riley - Lars Valgard
Q: Will a doctor protect my crew from unique treasures?
A: Yes, a doctor can protect crew from unique treasures, provided that they do not eliminate all crew at once, remove crew from the game, or eliminate the doctor first.
Q: If I have an ability that allows me to eliminate a crew for an extra action, can I use it with my doctor to keep that crew on my ship after “eliminating” it?”
A: No, that ability only functions if the target crew is eliminated and remains eliminated for the remainder of the game. Crewmembers affected by a doctor are not eliminated.

Ex-Patriot (keyword)
Q: If a crew with this keyword is placed on (for example) a Spanish ship, can Spanish crew still use their abilities while onboard?
A: Yes. The ship gains the Mercenary keyword, but its original nationality does not change.

Explorer ability
“This ship may dock and explore a wild island using the same move action.”
Q: Can I use my Explorer to move and explore a derelict ship?
A: No, this ability applies specifically to wild islands. It has no effect on other ships.

Fear (keyword)
Q: Can Fear be cancelled?
A: Yes, however Fear’s effect is applied at the beginning of a turn so it occurs before any other ability cancellers can be used that turn. If Fear does not prevent the use of the canceller’s ability (on a roll of 5), it may then be cancelled.

Firemasts
Firepot Specialist – Morgawr - Tiamat
Q: Does a firemast count as a regular mast?
A: No, a firemast is not the same as a standard mast. It has no cannon (it cannot shoot), it does not count for ramming, boarding, or terrain rolls, it cannot be removed when the ship is hit or would have a mast removed/replaced, and it does not block lines of fire. The exception to this is that a ship with only firemasts may still be given move actions normally, even though it has no standard masts remaining.
Q: If my ship has only firemasts remaining, when must it be scuttled?
A: It must be scuttled during the ship’s next turn, however, that does not have to occur at the beginning of the turn. If you manage to remove all firemasts and/or repair a standard mast during that turn, it does not have to be scuttled.
Q: Do I have to roll for the scuttling, and can it be prevented by towing?
A: There is no scuttle attempt, so no roll occurs and towing has no effect.
Q: If my ship has the ability “this ship eliminates two masts with one hit”, what happens if I use a firepot specialist?
A: Firepots replace masts rather than eliminating them, so that ability has no effect.
Q: If my ship has the ability “two hits from the same shoot action are required to eliminate one of this ship’s masts”, what happens when it is hit by a firepot?
A: Firepots replace masts rather than eliminating them, so that ability has no effect.

Ghost Ship (keyword)
Q: Can a ship that is “ghostly” shoot or be shot at?
A: Yes, “ghostly” only affects actions and abilities that require direct, physical contact between a ship and other ships, islands, or terrain.
Q: If a ship becomes “ghostly” while pinned, can she move away?
A: Yes, while “ghostly” the ship cannot be pinned.

“Give this ship a move action but do not move her. Instead, roll a d6. On a result of 5 or 6, move an enemy ship L in any direction.”
George Washington LeBeaux – Jean Desailly - “Screaming” Mimi - Tsuro
Q: Can I use this ability if my ship is derelict or pinned?
A: If a ship cannot be given a move action it cannot use this ability.
Q: Can I use this ability against a ship that is derelict or pinned?
A: Yes, the target ship does not have to be capable of moving on its own.

“If a sea monster begins its move within L of this ship, it gets +L to its base move.”
El Pescador – “Jerky” Johnson - Sargasso Nightmare - Serpent’s Fang
Q: Does the ship with this ability get +L to its base move, or does the sea monster?
A: The sea monster gets +L to its base move.
Q: Assuming that a sea monster is carrying Chariot of the Gods, can it carry Sargasso Nightmare and use this ability on itself?
A: No, ships (sea monsters) are not within range of themselves. Measurement starts at the edge of the ship and goes out away from the ship.

“If this ship (sea monster) ends her turn in a fog bank, on her next turn she may use her move action to move out of any other fog bank in play.”
Alligator - Hangman’s Joke - Howl - Mistwalker
Q: Is a die roll required to leave the newly selected fog bank?
A: Yes. After you choose another fog bank, you roll to see where you leave that fog bank.

“If this ship isn’t assigned a Helmsman crew, roll a d6 after she resolves a move action. On a result of 4-6, this ship can move L.”
HMS Snipe – Neptune’s Hoard
Q: If I have a non-generic crew with the helmsman ability, such as Ghost Wind, can I use it with this ability?
A: Yes. This ability refers only to generic Helmsman crew, not the helmsman ability.
Q: If this ship has a captain onboard can it use this ability to move after shooting?
A: Yes. The captain ability is used after a move action is resolved but before any other abilities or actions, including this ability to move L.
Q: If the bow of my ship touches an enemy ship during its move action, can I use this ability to move away after ramming?
A: This ability cannot be used by a ship that is pinned. If the enemy ship was derelict or becomes derelict due to the ram, you may use this ability to move away.

“L-range (red square) cannons cannot hit this ship”
Q: Does this ability mean that L-range cannons cannot hit this ship at long range only?
A: L-range cannons cannot hit this ship at any range.
Q: Is a ship with this ability a valid target for an enemy ship that has only L-range cannons available (or in range)?
A: Yes, it is a valid target. Any shot fired at the ship by an L-range cannon is treated as a miss regardless of the die roll.

Longship (keyword)
Q: When I give my longship a shoot action, how many dice do I roll?
A: You may roll two dice for each mast. If the longship has three masts you could make a combined total of six die rolls.
Q: Do both of a mast’s cannons have to shoot at the same target?
A: No, but if you choose two different targets you must designate which die applies to which target before rolling.
Q: If I have a Specialist crew on my longship, do I get to double its effect or does it negate the Longship keyword?
A: A Specialist applies to a single cannon, so when rolling for the selected mast you can roll one die for the Specialist and one die for the standard cannon.
Q: If I have a Musketeer on my longship, do I get to roll two dice for his cannon?
A: No, a Musketeer only adds a single cannon to the ship, not an additional mast. The Longship keyword gives the ship two cannons per mast, not two rolls per cannon.
Q: If I have a Cannoneer, can both of a mast’s cannons shoot again if they miss? What happens if one hits and one misses?
A: The Cannoneer’s ability allows only one cannon to shoot again if it misses, it does not allow all cannons that are attached to a given mast to shoot again.

Marine (keyword)
Q: Where do you draw lines of fire to or from a Marine when it is on a ship or island?
A: When a Marine is on an island, the line of fire may be drawn to or from any part of that island. When a Marine is on a ship, it may draw a line of fire from anywhere on that ship; all other standard crew rules apply while on a ship.
Q: Can a Marine shoot from a submerged submarine?
A: Yes. The Marine's shoot action is independent of the submarine so the restriction that a submarine cannot shoot while submerged does not apply to it.
Q: If my ship docks at an island containing an enemy Marine, can I load it onto my ship?
A: No, Marines on an island cannot be captured or loaded by an enemy ship.
Q: Is there any way to capture a Marine?
A: If you capture an enemy ship, all crew onboard including any Marines become part of your fleet. You may also use an ability that allows you to capture the highest point crew when you win a boarding action.

Mercenary
Q: Can crew of any nationality use their abilities onboard a ship that belongs to the Mercenary nationality?
A: Non-Mercenary crew cannot use their abilities onboard a Mercenary ship, unless an ability specifically allows otherwise.
Q: Can a ship with the Mercenary keyword use abilities that require docking at a home island?
A: Ships with the Mercenary keyword may use abilities to dock at an enemy home island, but cannot use abilities that allow or require them to dock at their own home island.
Q: If my ship has an ability that gives it +1 to cannon rolls against Mercenary ships, does it refer to the Mercenary nationality or the Mercenary keyword?
A: It refers to both. You may use the bonus if the target ship belongs to the Mercenary nationality and/or if it has the Mercenary keyword.
Q: Can generic Mercenary crew use their abilities on a ship of any nationality?
A: No, unless they have the Ex-Patriot keyword or some other ability allows it.

“One of this ship’s treasures is worth +X gold when she docks at your home island.”
Genny Gallows – Powder Pete
“One of this ship’s treasures is worth +X gold when unloaded at your home island.”
Ahura Mazda - El Almquista – Greed’s Hammer – La Santa Isabel – Maurice Aristide – Ralph David – Sea Crane
Q: If another player steals a treasure that has been modified by this ability, does the value return to the printed value?
A: No, it retains the modified value for the remainder of the game.
Q: Can this ability be applied to unique treasure?
A: No.

“Once per turn before you give this ship an action, roll a d6. On a 5 or 6, this ship may be given the same action twice.”
Q: Can I roll for this ability at the start of my turn and decide later which action to repeat?
A: No, you roll for this ability immediately before giving the action you wish to repeat.
Q: Do I have to use the repeated action immediately after the first action?
A: No, the repeat action may be given to the ship at any point later on the same turn.
Q: If I have this ability and a captain on the same ship, and I successfully roll for this ability, could I perform two move actions using the captain ability with both?
A: Yes.
Q: If I used my captain to move and shoot with the first action, do I have to move and shoot with the repeated action as well?
A: No, you only repeat the primary action (move, shoot, repair, or explore). Any additional abilities that can be applied to one of those actions may then be used.
Q: If I roll for this ability but it is unsuccessful, can I use another source of this ability to make another attempt?
A: No, you cannot make another attempt because the ability has already been used this turn. The no-stacking rule applies regardless of the die roll result.

“Once per turn if this ship is touching another ship, reveal all face-down treasure aboard the other ship. This ship can take as much unique treasure from the other ship as she can carry.”
Maman Brigitte - Rollando – Sir Jeremy Rothschild
Q: If a unique treasure is revealed by this ability, does it have to be used immediately?
A: No, it remains face-up until used.
Q: Do I have to take all unique treasures from the other ship, or can I choose only the ones I want? Can I take one that says it cannot be unloaded?
A: You may choose which unique treasure(s) to take. If a unique treasure’s ability states that it cannot be unloaded, it cannot be taken by this ability.

“Once per turn, if this ship is within S of an island, you may mark the island as explored without docking at it. The island becomes unexplored in regards to all other players.”
Alejandro Malaspina – Dr. Clark Lewis – El Cervantes – Ethan the Farseeker – Gale Force Nine – HMS Kirkwall – James Cook – Nicholas-Thomas Baudin – Sunrise Fire – USS Cheyenne – Vlad the Iceblood
Q: Can this ability be used along with Hidden Cove to explore a wild island on the first turn?
A: No. The island must be marked as explored before the ship docks at the island. If the island is marked after the ship has docked, it does not get a free explore action.
Q: When I use this ability, can I look at treasure on the island or load it onto my ship?
A: No, this ability does not explore the island. It only marks the island “explored”, which allows your ships to explore it as a free action when they dock.

“Once per turn, reroll any die roll made for this ship; you must use the second die roll result.”
Q: Is the reroll mandatory?
A: No.
Q: Can the reroll be used for abilities provided by other crew on this ship?
A: Any roll made for the ship may be rerolled, including those provided by crew abilities.
Q: Can I reroll terrain effects, mysterious islands, and firemasts?
A: The rating of a Reef or Sargasso Sea cannot be rerolled, but the roll to become untangled from a Sargasso Sea and the roll to exit a Fog Bank may be rerolled. Mysterious island effects cannot be rerolled. You may reroll a firemast.

“Once per turn, this ship may move S after unloading cargo.”
Lady Newport - Pescados del Plata
“Once per turn, this ship may move S after loading treasure.”
La Monarca – USS Oregon - Wasp
Q: Can my ship use this ability to move even if it is derelict?
A: Yes.
Q: If I unload (or load) the required item to trigger this ability, can I then load (or unload) that same item before moving my ship?
A: No, the location of the cargo or treasure must be different before and after using the ability or the ship cannot move S.
Q: If I steal treasure (or have treasure stolen) due to an ability or a boarding action, can I use this ability?
A: Yes, but only if the transfer occurs during your own turn. A ship cannot move or be given any actions on an opposing player’s turn unless an ability specifically allows it.

“Once per turn, you may eliminate one of this ship’s crew to give her an extra action.”
Capitaine Arathiel – Captain Blackheart – Derrik the Red - Diamond Strike – “Don” Pedro Gilbert – El Fantasma - Havana Black – Loki’s Revenge – The Headhunter
Q: Can this ability be used with doctors, crew that “cannot be eliminated”, or abilities that allow crew to return to play after they are eliminated?
A: No, the crew must be eliminated and must remain eliminated for the remainder of the game in order to gain the extra action.
Q: Can the crew with this ability eliminate itself to gain an extra action?
A: No.

“Place this crew face up during setup. You may build your fleet using 5 more points than the game’s build total.”
Administrator Scott Bratley – "Cannonball” Gallows - Commodore Matthew Perry – Countess Anita Amore – Hag of Tortuga – Li Quin – Vicomte Jules de Cissey
Q: If I include a crew with this ability in my fleet, when do I add the extra 5 points?
A: The ability comes into play when the crew is placed on a ship, during setup. This occurs after building your fleet.
Q: If the total point value of my fleet is less than the build limit of the game, for example 37 points in a 40-point game, can I combine the 3 leftover points with the 5 from this ability to add an 8-point ship?
A: No, you may only add up to 5 points. Any leftover points must be accounted for prior to setup or they are lost.
Q: Can I use those 5 points to add ships and events, or only crew?
A: You may add any combination of game pieces to your fleet, provided that their combined cost does not exceed 5 points.
Q: If this crew is eliminated or its ability is cancelled, do I have to remove crew or ships from my fleet to make it fit within the build limit of the game?
A: No, the build limit only applies when creating your fleet and during setup. Once the game has begun, the loss of this crew or its ability has no effect on the rest of your fleet.

A player is getting ready for a 40-point game, so she builds a fleet of English and Pirate ships that add up to 39 points. She wants another captain in her fleet, but since there are not enough points left she waits until it is time to place ships and crew, and then she adds Administrator Scott Bratley because he allows an additional 5 points. Her fleet has already been built so she can no longer use the one point that was left over to add a 6-point named captain, but the 5 points from Bratley are still more than enough to add a generic captain. That leaves her with two additional points, which she uses to add the Favor of the Gods event.

Point Reducers and Modifiers
“Reduce the cost of all other crew placed on this ship by 1.”
Countess Diana Doone – Gaspar Zuan – Inquisitor Sebastian Blanco – Phillipe du Brissac – Pierce Hollow – Ruth Lee – The Stump
“Crew placed on this ship cost no points, but they always take up one cargo space.”
Jonah – Princess Arii Auraa – Robinson
Q: When do these abilities apply?
A: Abilities that reduce or modify the point values of other crew apply when placed on a ship. This first occurs during setup, after building your fleet, so they only apply toward the point limit of a ship. They do not allow you to exceed the build limit of the game.
Q: If this ability is cancelled, what happens?
A: If canceling this ability causes the combined cost of crew onboard to exceed the point limit of a ship, any and all excess crew must be immediately removed from the game until the setup is legal again. Removed crewmembers do not return to the ship when the point reducer becomes active again on a subsequent turn.

A player builds a 40-point Pirate fleet that includes Gaspar Zuan (2 points). During setup he places Gaspar face-up on the DarkhawkII (10 points), along with Captain Blackheart (5 points), Calico Cat (3 points), a helmsman (2 points), a firepot specialist (2 points), Lucky the Parrot (1 point), an oarsman (1 point), and an explorer (1 point). Normally those crew would not all fit onboard the 10-point ship because they cost a total of 17, but Gaspar’s ability reduces the cost of each of the other crew onboard by 1 point, so they just barely fit. However, that point reduction only counts against the point limit of the ship, so the player can’t build this into 47 point fleet and use Gaspar to reduce it to 40; it has to already be 40 points (or less) before the ability is activated.

Ransom (keyword)
Q: Can a crew with the Ransom keyword be sacrificed to Captain Blackheart to gain an extra action? Can I transfer the crew to my home island so it can‘t be captured?
A: Crew with this keyword can be eliminated only by an enemy, and cannot be unloaded to any island unless captured. Friendly abilities cannot be used to modify this ability.
Q: When is a captured Ransom crew worth gold?
A: A captured Ransom crew is worth gold when the capturer unloads it at his or her home island.

Reverse-captain ability
“After this ship resolves a shoot action, she may move as a free action.”
Q: Can this ability be combined with the captain ability to move-shoot-move or shoot-move-shoot?
A: No, they cannot be combined. This ability requires a non-free shoot action, and the captain ability requires a non-free move action.
Q: Can I ram an enemy ship after using this ability?
A: Yes, the normal rules for a move action apply to the free move action this ability provides.

Schooner (keyword)
Q: Can a ship with the Schooner keyword touch an enemy ship or dock at an island and then use the Schooner ability to move away?
A: No, the “stern turn” is part of the move action. When a ship comes into contact with another ship or an island, all movement ends. Any unused movement segments (including the “stern turn”) are lost.

Sea Dragon (keyword)
Q: Can I cancel the Sea Dragon keyword during a swoop attack in order to prevent it from damaging my ship?
A: When a swoop attack is made, the die is rolled and damage is done before placing the sea dragon next to the target. If it began the swoop attack more than S away from the target ship, that ship cannot cancel the Sea Dragon keyword until after the attack has been resolved. Ships or crew may cancel the attack if they are within S of the sea dragon when the swoop attack is declared.
Q: If the Sea Dragon keyword is cancelled, can the dragon still move?
A: No, it cannot move without the keyword because a printed base move of “D” has no specific length.
Q: If a sea dragon lands on an island, is it docked? If it can dock, can it explore?
A: A sea dragon is docked if it touches any part of an island. It may be given an explore action while docked, but it cannot load any treasure (including unique treasure) from the island.

Sea Monster (keyword)
Q: Can a sea monster eliminate crew when it wins a boarding action?
A: Yes. “Cannot take crew” refers to capturing crew, not elimination.
Q: Can a sea monster submerge while carrying treasure?
A: Yes.
Q: If the sea monster keyword is cancelled, what happens?
A: The sea monster immediately returns to the surface if it was submerged, and functions exactly like a standard ship. It may be given move, shoot, repair, and explore actions following the standard rules. If it was touching (pinning) a non-bow part of an enemy ship, that ship is no longer pinned.

Smokepot Specialist
Q: Does the “smoke” placed by a Smokepot Specialist work like a normal fog bank?
A: Yes, the “smoke” follows all of the standard rules for a fog bank. Any abilities or effects that refer to a fog bank may be applied to it normally.
Q: Can the smoke (fog) be placed in contact with a ship, island or other terrain?
A: No.
Q: When the smoke (fog) is removed, what happens to the ships that are “lost” inside?
A: The current player should roll for the exit locations of each ship, place them accordingly, and then remove the fog bank.

Submarine (keyword)
Q: If a submerged submarine rams a ship, does it board before or after moving S away?
A: The submerged submarine must move S away from the rammed ship instead of boarding. No boarding action can occur unless an ability specifically allows otherwise.
Q: How, exactly, does the submerged submarine move away after ramming, and does the entire sub have to be S away from the rammed ship after moving?
A: The submarine moves as if it was “pushed” away from the rammed ship, so its heading does not change. The bow of the submarine must be S away from the point in which it rammed the other ship, but depending on the angle in which it was moved and the physical design of the rammed ship, it is possible that part of the sub may still be within S of some part of the other ship (such as an oar, a bowsprit, or a nationality flag).
Q: Can the sub move under the other ship after ramming?
A: No, the submarine must move away from the rammed ship, not toward or under it.
Q: If my submarine (or one of her crew) has the ability to take treasure when it touches another ship, can I use the ability if I ram another ship while submerged?
A: No, submerged ships cannot touch other ships. The Submarine keyword allows a submarine to ram while submerged, but then it must immediately move away before any other abilities can be used.
Q: If the Submarine keyword is cancelled, what happens?
A: The submarine immediately returns to the surface if it was submerged, and functions exactly like a standard ship. It can pin and be pinned, tow and be towed, and it will take damage if successfully rammed.

“This crew takes up no cargo when revealed. When revealed, put a crew with point cost 2 or less from outside of the game onto this ship.”
Amos – Cameron the Cabin Boy – Claude Perier – Padre Francisco – Sensei Xu
Q: Does the added crew count against the point limit of the ship?
A: Yes. If adding a crew would exceed the point limit of the ship, this ability cannot be used.
Q: If this crew is turned face down by a doctor crew, can its ability be used again?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I use this ability to duplicate a named crewmember already in my fleet?
A: No, the no-duplicates rule for crew applies throughout the entire game.

“This sea monster can attack submerged submarines.”
Cadara – Shaihulud
Q: If this sea monster is submerged, can it attack a submerged submarine?
A: No, submerged ships (sea monsters) cannot shoot.
Q: Can this sea monster ram a submerged submarine?
A: No, submerged ships cannot be touched by other ships, so they cannot be rammed.

“This ship cannot be shot at by ships within S of her.”
Q: Is a ship with this ability a valid target for an enemy ship within S?
A: No, it is not a valid target unless the ability is cancelled.

“This ship can shoot at submerged ships within S.”
Corcoran – Deepwater – El Relampago – Güímar - HMS Challenger – Le Renard qui Vole - Le Rocher Noir – Pierre Aronnax – Professor Clive Defoe – Prussian Crown – Shinji Smith – USS Eagan
Q: Can this ability be used to shoot at sea monsters and submarines even though their abilities state they cannot be shot while submerged?
A: Yes, this ability is an exception to the ability conflict hierarchy.

“This ship (titan) eliminates two masts with one hit.”
Delaware – HMS Leicester – HMS Oxley – La Furia – Le Mont Blanc – Raninoidea - Santos Romanos - USS Superior
Q: If a ship with this ability hits a ship with one mast, does it sink?
A: No, this ability only applies to masts. It does not increase the number of hits.

Titan (keyword)
Q: What exactly is meant by: “[A titan] can’t change its facing during the move”?
A: A titan may change its facing (heading) during the very first segment of a move action, but cannot change facing before or after any other segments regardless of the direction it moves.
Q: If the Titan keyword is cancelled while it is sitting on an island, what happens?
A: The Titan becomes “stuck” in place on the island and cannot move until it regains use of the keyword. Standard line of fire rules will also apply so will be unable to shoot or be shot at except where parts of it extend outside of the island.

Brachyura the giant crab is facing North when it is given a move action. It carries a helmsman crew so it has a total base move of S+S+S available. It begins the movement by moving East, so at the beginning of that segment Brachyura’s controller turns the crab to face the direction it is moving, which is East. It then moves South with the second segment, but this time it does not change facing so at the end of the segment it will still be facing East. With the third segment it moves West, and again it maintains the current facing so for this segment it actually appears to move in reverse. The end result of this move action is that Brachyura is now South of its original starting position, but is facing East.

Treasure Ship (keyword)
Baochuan – Guichuan
Q: If the Baochuan and Guichuan are both in play, which version of the Treasure Ship keyword do I use?
A: Both. Each version of the keyword applies only to its associated ship.

Turtle Ship (keyword)
Q: If a ship with this keyword has panels remaining and is hit by a Firepot Specialist, do you remove a panel or do you immediately replace the mast with a fire mast?
A: Remove one panel because the ship was hit AND replace its mast with a fire mast. The Turtle Ship ability affects only mast removal, not replacement.
Q: A turtle ship can’t be boarded if she has panels. Does this mean a turtle ship can’t take part in any boarding actions while panels are present, or does it only mean that other ships can’t initiate a boarding action against the turtle ship?
A: A turtle ship can initiate a boarding against any enemy ship other than another turtle ship. Other ships cannot initiate a boarding action against a turtle ship.
Q: Can turtle shell panels be repaired?
A: No, repair actions apply only to masts.

“Two hits from the same shoot action are required to eliminate one of this ship’s masts.”
Constitution – El Acorazado – HMS Lord Cauldwell – La Corse – Nautilus - Santa Lucia – USS Emerald
Q: How does this ability interact with the ability that eliminates two masts with one hit?
A: The first hit does nothing, the second hit eliminates two masts, the third hit does nothing, the fourth hit eliminates two masts, and so on.

“When this ship (sea dragon) hits an enemy ship, you may also eliminate one cargo from that ship.”
Angelica - Asesino de la Nave – Kian Ng – La Belle Etoile – Panda – Queen of Cups - Santiago
Q: Can this ability be used more than once per turn?
A: Yes, it may be applied every time one of this ship’s cannons hit an enemy ship.
Q: Can I use this ability to remove crew as well as treasure?
A: Yes, crew and treasure are both cargo, so either may be eliminated.

“When this ship is docked at your home island, you may eliminate one treasure. It becomes a (3S) cannon that can be eliminated only when the ship sinks.”
Carbon Charlie – Sea Lion - USS Sea Tiger
Q: Can I eliminate treasure already on my home island, or does it have to be onboard my ship when it docks?
A: This ability may be used at any time while your ship is docked. You may eliminate treasure that was on your ship when it docked, or you may eliminate treasure that was already present on your home island.
Q: Can I “convert” a unique treasure using this ability, even if it can’t be unloaded?
A: Yes. Since the treasure is eliminated rather than unloaded, any abilities that would prevent a UT from being transferred have no effect.
Q: How many cannons can I create at a time?
A: You may create one cannon per ship per turn.
Q: Is there a limit to the total number of cannons I can create for a single ship?
A: The only limit to the number of cannons that can be created is the number of treasure tokens available.
Q: Can I fire the cannon from any point on my ship, or only from a mast?
A: The cannon may be fired from any mast, even if that mast has been eliminated.
Q: Do I lose my cannon(s) if Charlie is eliminated or cancelled?
A: The cannon becomes a permanent part of the ship and is not considered an ability, so it remains onboard and functional even if the ability that created it is cancelled or leaves the ship for any reason.
Q: Can the cannon be copied?
A: No, the cannon is not an ability so it cannot be copied. However, the ability that created the cannon may be copied and used to create other cannons.
Q: Can other abilities modify the range or die roll of this cannon? What about Broadsides Attack?
A: Any abilities that apply to a ship’s standard cannons, including Broadsides Attack, may be used with a cannon created by this ability.

Windcatcher (keyword)
Q: How, exactly, does the Windcatcher keyword work?
A: If you choose to measure from the stern, the keyword allows the ship to be picked p and rotated 180° so that its bow is located where its stern began. You then move the ship normally from the bow’s new location.

Ghost Walker is docked at its home island. There is a wild island with treasure on it some distance behind the ship, so its controller decides to give it a move action using the Windcatcher keyword. She begins by measuring Ghost Walker’s base move from its stern. Before moving the ship, she picks it up and rotates it 180° so that its bow is located where its stern had been, and she moves the ship along the path she measured earlier. Ghost Walker doesn’t go quite far enough to reach the island, but it is much closer than if it had moved from its bow like a normal ship.

“You may double the range of this ship’s cannons each turn, but you must roll a (6) or higher to hit.” (Addition)
Coeur de Lion – Destiny – El Neptuno – El Tejon - Fancy – HMS Meresman – La Habana – La Serpiente – Le Pique – Sea Duck – Selkie
Q: If I have an ability that gives +1 to cannon rolls, can I use it after doubling my range?
A: Yes, if you add +1 to your rolls each cannon will hit on a 5 or a 6.

UNIQUE TREASURE ABILITIES

Abandoned Crew
Q: When my ship finds an Abandoned Crew, must it be loaded and how is it used?
A: Abandoned Crew are treated exactly like standard (non-unique) treasure while face down, and do not have to be loaded. If loaded, they remain facedown until you use their abilities. While face up, they are treated exactly like their corresponding generic crew, except they have a point cost of 0 (zero).

Bad Maps
Q: Do you have to obey the island placement rules when moving the island?
A: No, those restrictions apply only during setup.
Q: Must the island and ship be moved together, or can they be moved in different directions?
A: The island and all ships docked at the island are moved together as a single unit.
Q: Can the island or the ship be moved into contact with other ships, islands, or terrain?
A: No.

Castaway
Q: Do I have to use Castaway immediately when found?
A: Yes, if a crew can be legally placed on the ship.
Q: Does the crewmember added by Castaway take up cargo space and does it count against my ship’s point limit?
A: Yes and yes.

Chariot of the Gods
Q: If I use this UT to put an Explorer or a Shipwright on a sea monster, can it explore or repair?
A: No, sea monsters cannot explore or repair, even as free actions.
Q: Can I use this UT to assign a crew to a sea monster that has no cargo space?
A: Yes. A crewmember assigned using this UT ignores all cargo space requirements.

Cursed Conch
Q: Can Cursed Conch be used on a friendly sea monster if it has already been given an action this turn?
A: Yes.
Q: If I give an action to an opposing sea monster, can it shoot, ram, or pin members of its own fleet?
A: During the action you give to an opposing sea monster it is treated as if it was a member of your own fleet and may shoot or ram ships that are opposing to you. When the action ends, it once again becomes friendly to members of its previous owner’s fleet so it does not pin those ships.

Enemy of the State
Q: Does Enemy of the State change the ship’s nationality to Mercenary?
A: The ship only gains the Mercenary keyword. Its original nationality does not change.

Explosives
Q: If I ram a ship and reveal Explosives but the roll is unsuccessful, what happens?
A: Explosives is removed from the game when revealed, regardless of the die roll result.

Fruit
Q: What happens if my ship doesn't have two cargo spaces available?
A: Fruit takes up the cargo space as it becomes available.

Holy Water
Q: How does Holy Water interact with Broadsides Attack?
A: Broadsides Attack cannot be used when targeting a ship that carries Holy Water.

Homemade Flag
Q: Does this ability change my L-range cannons into S-range cannons?
A: No, it only changes the range at which they may fire.
Q: How does Homemade Flag interact with abilities that give a ship L-range or double-range cannons?
A: The range reduction from Homemade Flag is applied after any abilities that increase range.

Jade
Q: If I do not unload Jade, can it be used again?
A: Yes.
Q: How does it interact with abilities that modify (add or subtract) gold value?
A: Jade applies before any modifiers that add or subtract to the gold value of a treasure.

Kharmic Idol
Q: Does Kharmic Idol remove UTs that have been loaded face-down on a ship, or UTs that are turned face up later in the game?
A: Kharmic Idol only affects UTs that are face-up when it is revealed.

Luddite’s Revenge
Q: Does Luddite’s Revenge modify the die roll or the cannon rank?
A: Luddite’s Revenge modifies the printed rank of a cannon, not the result of the die roll.

Maps of Hades
Q: Can a ship affected by Maps of Hades shoot (via a captain), ram, or board a friendly ship?
A: Yes, the opposing player controls the ship as if it was a member of his or her fleet. Face-up abilities and free actions may be used only if they apply as part of or as the direct result of the move action that is given to the ship.

Message in a Bottle
Q: When this unique treasure is found, does the ship get to load treasure from this island before being moved?
A: All other unique treasures on the island are resolved normally, then the ship is immediately placed at the new location. Any other cargo on the island (including crew and any unique treasures that may be loaded face down) must be left behind.

Missionary
Q: Does Missionary affect crew that cannot be eliminated?
A: Yes, Missionary removes crew from the game whether or not they can be eliminated.

Natives
Q: Do the turns lost to Natives include my opponent’s turn, or only my own?
A: It applies only to your own turns.

Nemo’s Plans
Q: Does Nemo’s Plans make all other unique treasures permanent?
A: No, it only affects UTs that are removed from the game when used.
Q: How many times can I reuse a UT in a single turn?
A: If the UT applies to, modifies, or is triggered by a particular action or situation it may be used once, each time that action or situation occurs. If the UT (such as Dry Powder) provides an action directly to the ship it may be used only once per turn.
Q: How does Nemo’s Plans interact with Kharmic Idol?
A: Kharmic Idol removes all face-up UTs, including Nemo’s Plans, from the game.

Neptune’s Figurehead (or Resurrection Codex)
Q: If my ship sinks and returns to my home island, do I get to keep any crew or treasure that was onboard?
A: No, only the ship returns. The normal sinking rules apply to all other cargo onboard.
Q: If my ship becomes “wrecked” on a Reef, can I use Neptune’s Figurehead?
A: No, the ship has not sunk.

Neptune’s Trident
Q: Can I use Neptune’s Trident if there are no ships or forts within the target area?
A: Yes.
Q: Do I measure the “wave” from a mast?
A: You may measure from any point on the outside of your ship.
Q: My ship has only two masts, but there are four ships within in the target area. Can I damage them all?
A: Yes, Neptune’s Trident affects all ships within the target area regardless of the number of masts on the firing ship.
Q: Can Neptune’s Trident sink ships?
A: No, it only eliminates masts.
Q: If my ship still has masts remaining after using Neptune’s Trident, can it shoot?
A: Yes.

Pandora’s Box
Q: If I reveal Pandora’s Box and an opponent gives me a unique treasure that must remain on the island, what happens?
A: Treat any unique treasures received from Pandora’s Box as if they were already on the island when it was first explored.
Q: Does the no-duplicates rule apply to treasure received by Pandora’s Box?
A: No, the no-duplicates rule for unique treasure applies only to those that are placed in the treasure pool during setup.

Pension
Q: If a crew remains in play after being eliminated, do I still get gold for them?
A: No, the crew must remain eliminated to gain the gold.

Plague
Q: If a ship with crew that cannot be eliminated loads Plague, what happens?
A: Plague has no effect on the crew that cannot be eliminated, but otherwise still functions normally.
Q: My ship has an ability that states “You own any derelict this ship explores; both ships become docked at your home island.” Can I use that ability if my ship or the derelict I explore is carrying Plague?
A: No, that ability cannot be used because it requires that both ships become docked, which Plague prevents.

Power Cannons
Q: Can Power Cannons be used with an ability that allows a ship to double its cannon range?
A: Yes. Power Cannons changes the ship’s cannon ranges to 2L, then the ability may be used to double that range to 4L.

Rats
Q: If Rats reduces the value of a treasure, does it retain that reduced value if it is transferred (unloaded) to another ship?
A: Yes.
Q: If the ship sinks and the treasure onboard is split between players, does Rats reduce the value of each by 1?
A: No, the treasure was not unloaded.

Rum
Q: When is the value of Rum determined?
A: Rum’s value is determined when it is loaded onto the ship, after it has been revealed.

Runes of Death
Q: If Runes of Death cannot be unloaded, how can I transfer it to another ship?
A: The ability of Runes of Death specifically allows it to be transferred when this ship touches another ship. It cannot be unloaded or transferred by any other means.
Q: If one or more of my crew cannot be eliminated, does Runes of Death eliminate a mast instead?
A: Runes of Death will eliminate as many crew as possible, and then remain dormant until additional crew can be eliminated or it is transferred to another ship. It will eliminate masts only when there are no crew remaining on the ship.
Q: If one or more of my crew cannot be eliminated but my ship is derelict, is Runes of Death eliminated?
A: No, Runes of Death is eliminated only when there are no masts AND no crew remaining on the ship.

Runes of Defense
Q: If I move my ship S but it is still within range of the attacking enemy ship, can it keep shooting?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I use Runes of Defense when terrain or a mysterious island eliminates a mast? Can I use it to replace a firemast?
A: Runes of Defense may be used any time a mast is eliminated. Firemasts replace masts instead of eliminating them, so Runes of Defense has no effect.
Q: If my ship takes so much damage at one time that its last mast is eliminated and it sinks (or becomes wrecked), can I still use Runes of Defense to repair it and move?
A: No, Runes of Defense has no effect if the ship sinks or becomes wrecked.

Runes of Loki
Runes of Thor
Q: Can I apply this to rolls made by my opponent, to terrain rolls, to mysterious islands, or to other unique treasures?
A: The abilities of these two Runes may be applied to ANY die roll that is made during the game regardless of which player rolled it or why it was rolled, with the exception of a shoot action using the Broadsides Attack keyword.
Q: My opponent just used Runes of Thor to change a die roll to a 6. Can I use Runes of Loki to change that to a 1 instead? Which one takes precedence?
A: Yes, you may apply Runes of Loki after Runes of Thor is used, and vice-versa. Priority is given to whichever Rune is revealed last.
Q: If two or more dice are rolled at the same time, do these Runes change the entire result or just one die?
A: Only one die can be changed, regardless of the total number that had been rolled.

Runes of Odin
Q: Can I place the iceberg in contact with a ship to instantly remove it from the game?
A: No, this iceberg cannot be placed on or in contact with any ship. It must move (following the standard rules for icebergs) into contact with a ship in order to remove it from the game.
Q: Once I have placed the iceberg, do I keep the Runes of Odin token on my ship until that iceberg removes a ship?
A: The token should be placed on the iceberg to indicate which is affected.
Q: If a ship moves (or is moved) and it touches this iceberg, what happens?
A: The ship is removed from the game, per the text of Runes of Odin. However, if the ship has the Icebreaker keyword and it rams the iceberg, the iceberg is removed from the game instead.
Q: After this iceberg removes a ship, do I also remove the iceberg?
A: No, only Runes of Odin is removed from the game. The iceberg remains in play and follows all of the standard rules for icebergs for the remainder of the game.

Runes of the Serpent
Q: After I dock this ship with the second iceberg, can I give it a shoot or repair action?
A: No, the ship can only be given a move action on the turn that it docks with the second iceberg.
Q: If my ship has the Icebreaker keyword, do I remove either of the icebergs from the game after docking? Can I even use Runes of the Serpent?
A: If your ship has the Icebreaker keyword, you must choose whether you will ram or dock with the first iceberg. After docking with the second iceberg, the Icebreaker must move away and come back in order to ram it.

Screw Engine
Q: Does this UT double the length of my ship’s base move or does it give my ship an extra move action?
A: Screw Engine allows a ship to be given another move action immediately after completing the first. If the ship becomes incapable of performing the second move action (because it is pinned, derelict, etc.), that action is lost and Screw Engine is removed.

Sunken Treasure
Q: If the gold value of Sunken Treasure is reduced to zero, is it removed from the game?
A: No, it remains on the ship and continues to take up two cargo spaces until unloaded.

Trade Route
Q: Are unique treasures eligible for trade?
A: No, Trade Route applies only to non-unique treasure.

Triton’s Defense
Q: What happens if I use this treasure when a sea dragon targets my ship with a swoop attack?
A: The sea dragon takes damage and is moved S before rolling for the attack. If it is still within range (L+L) of the original target, the attack is resolved normally. If it is moved out of range, it may choose a different target that is in range or the action is lost.

Volcano
Q: Are other unique treasures on the island included in the random elimination?
A: Yes.

Witch’s Brew
Q: Does the fog placed by Witch’s Brew follow the normal rules for fog banks?
A: It follows all standard rules, except the minimum distance placement requirement.
Q: Can the fog bank be placed in contact with a ship, island or other terrain?
A: No.

Wolves
Q: Is the Wolves UT a valid target for a shoot action?
A: Wolves is a valid target for a shoot action by a Marine or by a ship that carries a Musketeer (only the cannon provided by the Musketeer may shoot at Wolves).
Q: Where do I draw the line of fire when attacking Wolves?
A: You may target any part of the island containing Wolves.

EVENTS

Becalmed
Q: Can Becalmed be played on the first turn against ships docked at their home islands?
A: Yes.
Q: How does Becalmed affect a ship with the oarsman ability or a keyword such as Galley or Turtle Ship?
A: While affected by Becalmed, a ship with one of those abilities moves as if it was derelict.

Duel
“Reveal this event at the beginning of one of your turns. Choose one of your crew and one enemy crew. For each chosen crew, roll a d6 and add the result to the crew’s point cost. The crew with the lowest result is removed from the game. In case of a tie, remove both crew from the game. Then remove Duel from the game.” (Errata)
Q: Can Duel be used with crew that cannot be eliminated?
A: Yes, Duel removes crew from the game whether or not they can be eliminated.
Q: Can Duel target facedown crew?
A: Yes.

Favor of the Gods
Q: Does Favor of the Gods remove all events (even those that have not yet been revealed) or only those that are currently in play?
A: Favor of the Gods removes only events that are currently in play. It has no effect on unrevealed events.

Hidden Cove
Q: Can I choose whether to go to the nearest unexplored island or the nearest with no treasure, or does my ship automatically go to the closest island that fits either condition?
A: You may choose between the two options.
Q: Can my ship be given an action after using Hidden Cove?
A: Yes, Hidden Cove applies as a free action.
Q: If my ship is pinned or derelict, can I use Hidden Cove?
A: Yes, because it is neither movement nor a move action.
Q: If my ship carries an explorer crew, can I use it to explore the island immediately?
A: No, an explorer requires a move action. Hidden Cove only docks the ship.
Q: After my ship uses Hidden Cove, can it be given a standard explore action?
A: No, the rules for exploring an island state that the ship must begin the turn docked at the island in order to explore it. The ship may explore the island on its next turn.

Mermaids
Q: Do the turns lost to Mermaids include my opponent’s turn, or only my own?
A: It applies only to your own turns.
Q: If Mermaids targets my ship, can I unload crew to reduce the number of turns my ship loses?
A: The number of turns lost to Mermaids is determined when it is first applied. Loading or unloading crew will not change the duration of the effect.

Rolling Fog
Q: What happens if the fog bank touches a ship, an island, or another terrain?
A: The fog bank stops moving immediately if it touches an island or terrain. If the fog touches a ship, that ship immediately becomes “lost” following the normal rules for a fog bank.
Q: If my ship is already “lost” inside when the fog bank moves, does it move with the fog or get left behind?
A: Ships that are “lost” remain inside the fog bank when it moves. A ship must be given a move action to exit a fog bank.

FORTS
The complete rules for forts can be found in the Pirates of the Revolution edition of the rulebook. The following clarifications and errata apply in addition to or in place of those printed rules, as applicable:
* The nationality of a fort must match the nationality of at least one ship in your fleet.
* Gold in forts counts toward victory, but not towards any end of game conditions.
* The following requirements must be met before building a fort:

1) One of your ships must be docked at the island.
2) One of your ships must have explored the island.
3) You must have non-unique treasure with a value equal to or greater than the gold cost of the fort on your home island.

In a standard game, a Spanish player has 14 gold on her home island. She decides to build Fortaleza Dorada, so she moves a coin worth 5 gold from her home island to build the fort, leaving 9 at her home island. On the next turn, she unloads coins worth 7 more gold at her fort, which gives her a grand total of 21 gold. That’s more than half of the starting gold value, which would be enough to end the game if it was all at her home island, but since she has only 9 there the game continues.

Meanwhile her opponent, a Pirate player, unloads a ship that was overloaded with treasure to give himself a total of 17 gold on his home island. Since that is more than half of the starting gold total of 30 and it is at his home island, the game immediately ends. Both players then add up their total amounts of gold, including everything on their home islands and in forts, but not any gold currently onboard their ships or any gold that is still sitting on wild islands.

The Pirate player has a total of 17 gold but the Spanish player has a total of 21, so she wins!

Q: I’ve heard that forts are no longer supported by the official rules. What does this mean? Can they still be used in official games?
A: Forts are considered “unsupported” because they are not included in the current edition of the rules and are unlikely to be included in any future sets. However, the existing forts are still legal for use in all standard games.
Q: How many flags do I place on my fort?
A: You place one flag for each cannon printed on the fort’s baseplate.
Q: Can a fleet made up of only Barbary Corsair, Jade Rebellion, The Cursed, Mercenary, or Viking ships build a fort?
A: Yes, but since those nationalities have no forts of their own available they may use forts of any nationality.
Q: If I have an ability that allows me to mark an island within S “explored”, can I build a fort without looking at or loading any treasure on the island?
A: Exploring an island and marking it “explored” are not the same. You may build a fort on a “marked” island, but one of your ships must explore it first.
Q: Can I “make change” when building a fort or intentionally overpay for it?
A: No, you cannot make change and you must use the smallest denomination of non-unique coins that satisfy the required gold cost of the fort.
Q: Can my fort shoot as soon as I build it?
A: No, a fort is built at the end of your turn. It cannot be given any actions until your next turn.
Q: Do the walls or flags of a fort block its line of fire when shooting?
A: No, a fort’s own walls or flags do not block its line of fire.
Q: When do I assign a fort’s cannons to its flags? When I build the fort or when it shoots? Can I assign them all to one flag?
A: You may assign and re-assign a fort’s cannons each and every time it is given a shoot action. Each printed cannon must shoot from a different flag, so if there are insufficient flags remaining the excess cannons cannot shoot.
Q: If I build a fort on a mysterious island, can I use the island's abilities?
A: No, a mysterious island’s ability has no effect while a fort is present.
Q: Can I build a fort if the island contains the unique treasure Wolves?
A: Yes, Wolves only prevent you from loading treasure from the island.

Devil’s Maw
“Place your eliminated crew on this fort. They gain the Ghost Ship keyword.”
Q: Can I place my crew on this fort if they are eliminated by a unique treasure?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I place my crew on this fort if they are removed from the game?
A: No, Devil’s Maw applies only when crew are eliminated, not removed from the game.
If I have an ability that allows me to eliminate a crew for an extra action, can I use the ability of Devil’s Maw to keep that “eliminated” crew in play?
A: No, that ability only functions if the target crew is eliminated and remains eliminated for the remainder of the game. It has no effect if crewmembers are returned to play after elimination.

Ramsgate
“This fort has one 2(L)-range cannon. When placing this fort, indicate this cannon by placing two flags side by side.”
Q: Does the double-flag cannon have a range of 2L, or is it a rank-2 cannon with a range of L?
A: The cannon has a range of 2L, and uses the normal printed cannon rank. The shot cannot change direction between measurement segments.
Q: If that cannon is hit, do I remove both flags or just one?
A: Both flags for the 2L-range cannon are removed at the same time.


USEFUL LISTS: (Reference)

MOVE ACTION – Order of operations (as applicable):
Notes: Not all steps listed can occur with a single move action. Various situations, abilities, and other effects will determine which can occur and which cannot, but the order never changes. Other abilities that apply as part of a move action but do not affect movement may be used immediately before or after any movement segment, including the "stern turn".

--Move action is given to a ship—
1) Towing may be initiated (if the ship is touching the bow of a derelict)
2) Pick up and rotate the ship 180° (via Windcatcher keyword, if movement is measured from the stern)
3) Movement occurs, up to the ship's printed base move (reduced to S if towing)
4) Apply any bonus movement segments (from a Helmsman, or other abilities that add to the ship's base move)
5) "Stern turn" (via the Schooner, Galley, or Longship keywords; considered the final segment of movement)
6) Explore (via Explorer ability or an "explored" marker, if the ship has docked at a wild island)
7) Towing may be initiated (if the ship is touching the bow of a derelict, and towing was not initiated in Step 1)
--Move action is completed (resolved)—
8) Shoot (via the Captain ability)
9) Ram (If the ship's bow has touched an enemy ship)
10) Boarding action (If the ship has rammed an enemy ship)


EXPLORE ACTION - Order of operations (as applicable):

1) Dock with island (current turn for free explore, or on a previous turn for a standard explore)
2) Roll for the mysterious island and apply the effects.
3) Give Explore Action (standard action, or free via Explorer ability or an “explored” marker)
4) Look at treasure (without showing your opponents)
5) Trade one treasure with another wild island (if allowed by an ability)
6) Reveal UTs (unless an ability allows otherwise)
7) Load all revealed (face-up) UTs onto the ship and resolve their effects
8) Place the ship at its new location if required by a UT (if the ship is moved away from this island, skip step 9)
9) Load or unload any additional cargo as desired and as cargo space allows


UNIQUE TREASURE TRANSFERS
Note: This list is intended only as a reference guide, and is not errata.

Transfers because of an ability:
Albatross (result of d6 roll) - Chariot of the Gods (placed on nearest Sea Monster upon reveal) - Jade (optional unload to home island) - Plague (transfers upon contact with another ship) - Relics (transfers instead of mast/crew elimination) - Runes of Death (optional transfer upon contact) - Wine (traded for gold at enemy HI)

Transfers (unloads) automatically when you dock at your home island, because it has a gold value:
Barbary Corsair Banner - Buried Treasure - Ghostly Encounter - Knights of Malta Banner - Rum - Sunken Treasure

Removed from the game upon reveal/activation (activates immediately when found):
Bad Maps - Castaway - Kharmic Idol - Maps of Alexandria - Missionary - Odin’s Revenge - Pandora's Box – Volcano

Remains on island when found:
Trees (face down, if not used) - Natives (face down) - Wolves (face up)

Non-transferable (specified by ability):
Curse of Davy Jones - Fruit - Nemo's Plans - Rats - Rotting Hull (removed by repair action) - Wet Gunpowder (removed by repair action)


CARD RARITIES for Ship Types and Forts
Note: This list is intended only as a reference guide, and is not errata.
(Excludes Super-Rare and most Special/Limited Edition items)

1-Mast: Rare
1-Mast-G: Rare
1-Mast-L: Common
1-Mast-T: Rare
2-Mast: Common
2-Mast-BR: Uncommon
2-Mast-C: Special
2-Mast-G: Common
2-Mast-J: Common
2-Mast-L: Rare
2-Mast-S: Common
2-Mast-SB: Rare
2-Mast-SK: Uncommon
3-Mast-A: Common
3-Mast-B: Uncommon
3-Mast-G: Common
3-Mast-I: Rare
3-Mast-J: Common
3-Mast-L: Common
3-Mast-S: Common
3-Mast-SB: Rare
3-Mast-W: Special
4-Mast: Uncommon
4-Mast-G: Rare
4-Mast-GC: Uncommon
4-Mast-S: Uncommon
4-Mast-SD: Special
4-Mast-SS: Rare (DJC, MI, FN), Uncommon (OE)
5-Mast: Rare
5-Mast-K: Rare
6-Mast-J: Rare
10-Mast-J: Limited Edition
Fort: Common

A = Jib (triangular) forward sail, two-level deck (example: Longshanks)
B = Square rigged, single level deck (example: Asesino de la Nave)
BR = Blockade Runner (example: HMS Prince of Chichester)
C = Catamaran
G = Galley
GC = Giant Crab (Titan)
I = Icebreaker
J = Junk
K = Kraken (Sea Monster)
L = Longship
S = Schooner
SB = Submarine
SD = Sea Dragon
SK = Shark (Sea Monster)
SS = Sea Serpent (Sea Monster)
T = Turtle Ship
W = Windcatcher

__________________
-Woelf
Pirates Rules Arbitrator
privateer@envoys.wizkidsgames.com

"If there are two ways to interpret a rule or ability and one of them breaks the game, use the other one."