Pirates of Maracaibo: Commanders Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• New Components
• Setup Changes
• Gameplay
  • Commander Boards
  • Special Action Scrolls
  • Activation Bonuses
  • Rum & Rum Markets
    • Activating a Rum Market
  • Cannons
  • Forts
    • Attacking a Fort
  • The Gulf & Maracaibo
  • New Cards
  • Endgame Scoring
• Glossary
  • General Icons
  • New Figureheads (x4)
• Commander Boards (x12)
• Solo Mode
  • Solo Setup Changes
  • Gameplay
• Variants
  • Auction Setup Variant

New Components

• 2 Double-Sided Exploration Board Pieces
• 6 Tier I Cards (6 Improvement Cards)
• 32 Tier II Cards (2 Locations & 30 Improvement Cards)
• 4 Figurehead Tiles
• 2 Rum Market Tiles
• 16 Fort Tiles
• 15 Rum Tokens
• 25 Cannon Tokens
• 12 Double-Sided Commander Boards
• 1 Neutral Explorer
• 3 Commander Black Markets
• 2 Solo Cards (1x A, 1x B)

Setup Changes

② Replace the base game Exploration Board with the new Exploration Board pieces; randomly select one side of each piece and place the two pieces together so that the Gulf is on the left. There are four possible board combinations.

③ Shuffle all base game and expansion Tier 1 Improvement cards together and draw 15 of them.

⑤ Shuffle all base game and expansion Tier II cards together.

⑦ Randomly place the 2 Rum Market tiles and the 6 base game Treasure Value tiles face up onto the top left corner of all 8 Location cards.

⑫ Shuffle all base game and expansion Figurehead tiles together and draw the indicated number for the market.

After completing the remaining base game setup steps, carry out the following additional steps:

⑯ Randomly place 1 Fort tile face up on the 8 Location cards, below the action scroll of each Location. Add 1 Fort tile face up on all spaces on the Exploration Board marked with the Fort symbol. Add Fort tiles face up to the bottom of the Gulf, based on the number of players:

• 1-2 players: 0 Fort tiles
• 3 players: 2 Fort tiles
• 4 players: 4 Fort tiles

⑰ Randomly give 2 Commander boards to each player. Each player simultaneously chooses 1 Commander from their two options and places that board Commander side up left to their Hideout board. Players then place their remaining Commander board face down to the right of their Hideout board. If their chosen Commander depicts any Commander Black Market tiles, place the corresponding tiles next to the Commander.

⑱ Place the Cannon and Rum tokens within reach of all players. Return any unused Fort tiles, Commander boards, and Commander Black Market tiles to the box.

Gameplay

The base game rules remain unchanged, with the following additions.

Commander Boards

Players now benefit from a Commander who enpowers them with a unique special ability. Those abilities are explained in detail on pages 10/11.

Special Action Scrolls

Each player has six special action scrolls available to them on their Commander boards, two from their chosen Commander and four from their face down Commander board.

Players can activate these special action scrolls by placing defeated Fort tiles or Rum tokens on the designated activation spaces.

• When placing a defeated Fort tile, the color of the die used to defeat the Fort must match the color of the activation space. Attacking a Fort is explained on page 6.
• A Rum token may only be placed when trading with a Rum Market. Rum Markets are explained below.

Players may activate each special action scroll only once. Gray scrolls may provide endgame scoring opportunities. Special action scrolls may be activated even if the player cannot carry out its effect or receive benefits.

If a player has covered all four activation spaces on their face down Commander board, they immediately gain 10 victory points.

Example: Blue trades 1 Rum at a Rum Market and places it on their Commander. Now that both spaces are covered, Blue immediately takes the depicted Bury Treasure action.

Activation bonuses and the effects from special action scrolls may be taken in any order.

Activation Bonuses

There are four possible activation bonuses on each player's Commander boards. If a player has covered both activation spaces ❶+❷ in a given row, they immediately receive the activation bonus shown between the spaces ❸.

Rum & Rum Markets

If a player lands on a Location card with a Rum Market tile, they may activate the Rum Market during the Activate Black Markets step of their turn. If there is a Rum Market and a Black Market on the same Location, the Rum Market is activated first. Rum Markets may also be activated through Improvement cards, the Exploration board etc.

Activating a Rum Market

When you activate a Rum Market, you may do exactly one of the following actions:

• Buy 1 Rum: Buy 1 Rum for 3 doubloons and place the Rum token onto your Hideout board.
• Trade 1 Rum: Take 1 Rum token from your Hideout board and place it onto any activation space requiring Rum on your Commander boards. Once placed, immediately activate the associated special action scroll and gain any potential activation bonuses.

There are other ways to acquire Rum during the game. When a player gains a Rum token, they must always place it on their Hideout board.

Example: Blue arrives at Trinidad and first activates the Rum Market to buy 1 Rum, spending 3 doubloons and placing the Rum token on their Hideout board. Next, they perform a Ship Upgrade. Once all of those are complete, they may then choose to either perform Trinidad's Raiding action or attack the Fort.

Cannons

Players can improve their Ship Upgrades with Cannons to help them attack Forts. When a player gains a Cannon, they replace a gray Marker cube on their Ship board with a Cannon token. If the player does not have any Ship Upgrades to improve, they do not gain the Cannon.

Cannons count as Markers for all purposes, including crossing the three Upgrade barrier lines on a player's Ship board.

Forts

When a player lands on a Location card with a Fort tile, they may attack the Fort instead of performing that Location's action during the Location Actions Step. Each Fort tile has a strength value shown on the Fort and a Victory Point value shown above the Fort. Forts are defeated when a player attacks it with Firepower equal to or greater than the strength value.

In a 3- or 4-player game, Fort tiles are also located in the Gulf. When a player enters the Gulf, after they perform a Ship Upgrade, they may choose to attack one of the Forts as their Gulf action. If there are multiple Forts in the Gulf, the player must choose one before beginning the attack.

Attacking a Fort

Perform the following steps each time you attack a Fort:

1. Your Firepower is equal to your total number of Cannons. Raiding Power is not included when attacking Forts.
2. Roll all three Raiding dice, then optionally reroll all dice once. You may use any additional reroll abilities you have.
3. Select 1 die and increase your Firepower by that die's rolled value. The color of the chosen die will determine which special action scroll you can activate if you defeat the Fort.
4. If your Firepower is less than the Fort's strength, you may bribe that Fort's guard by spending 5 doubloons or 3 victory points to reduce the fort's strength by one. You may do this multiple times if necessary.
5. If your Firepower is now equal to or greater than the Fort's strength, it is defeated! If not, your attack fails: the Fort tile remains on the Location and your turn ends.
6. If you defeated the Fort, immediately gain the victory points shown at the top of the Fort tile. Then, flip the Fort tile over to the the defeated side and place it onto an empty activation space according to the color of die selected. You may also choose to place the Fort tile onto your hideout board.

Example: To defeat this fort, you need Firepower of at least 7. You have 3 Cannons and you rolled the shown numbers. You had hoped to roll higher with the green die but you do not want to risk a second roll; so you decide to attack with yellow for a total Firepower of 9. You immediately score 5 victory points and place the defeated Fort on the yellow activation space on your Commander board, gaining the bonus of the special activation scroll underneath it.

The Gulf & Maracaibo

The Exploration board pieces introduce several variations to the Gulf and to Maracaibo:

In addition to a Ship Upgrade, also gain 1 cannon.

You may immediately perform an Explore action at value 2. You may also gain the benefits from the space your Explorer is currently on. You may do this before or after you move your Explorer. This may result in receiving the same benefit twice.

In a 3- and 4-player game, you may perform an "Attacking a Fort" action against one of the Forts on the Gulf. Choose the Fort before you attack.

The player who reaches Maracaibo gains 3 victory points and may perform a Ship Upgrade. They may also attack a Fort anywhere in the Caribbean (including Forts on the Gulf, but excluding the Exploration track). The strength of the Fort they choose to attack is reduced by 2.

The player who reaches Maracaibo gains 5 victory points, may perform a Ship Upgrade, and gains 1 Cannon.

New Cards

Cursed Ship

If you move onto the cursed ship, you must stop your movement there. You can either take the card for free or, as usual, get 5 doubloons for stopping on an Improvement card and not buying it.

Endgame Scoring

Score as described in the base game rules, with the following addition to Step 4: add the conditional endgame victory points from the gray scroll on the Commander board, if it has been activated.

Glossary

General Icons

Immediately gain 1 Cannon. If you do not have Ship Upgrades to replace with the Cannon, you do not gain one.

Increase your doubloon income by 1 for each Cannon on your ship.

Immediately gain the benefit of the Exploration board space in front of and behind your Explorer, even if other Explorers occupy those spaces. In case of a fork, you may choose.

From now on, you may reroll all of your dice one additional time. +1 Raiding Power.

Play a Quest card from your hand face up in front of you. Immediately receive victory points and doubloons equal to the top or bottom condition you are currently able to meet. Score this Quest card again during final scoring.

Example: Your Explorer stops on this space and you play a Quest card from your hand that provides 3 victory points for 2 buried pearls on the top and 6 victory points for 3 buried pearls on the bottom. You are currently able to meet the top condition. You immediately gain 3 victory points and 3 doubloons. During final scoring, you meet the bottom condition and score another 6 victory points.

Place a Fort tile on this space during setup. If your Explorer stops on this space, you may attack the Fort. If the Fort has been defeated, any future Explorers stopping on this space receive 1 Doubloon.

Gain a new Raiding action that lets you spend 1 Raiding Power to gain 1 Cannon.

Whenever you activate a Black Market that provides victory points, additionally take the equivalent number of doubloons.

Increase your victory point income by 1 for each Fort you have defeated.

Place 1 Treasure from your Hideout board onto your Explorer's current space to gain 2 Treasures of your choice from their Islands. Any future Explorer that stops here may take the treasure from this space in addition to the benefit of this space.

Gain a new Raiding action that lets you spend 3 Raiding Power to gain your victory point income.

Gain a new Raiding action that lets you spend 7 Raiding Power to activate one of your Black Market tiles in the Caribbean and gain 5 victory points.

Gain a new Raiding action that lets you spend 4 Raiding Power to gain 1 Treasure of the color of the chosen die. Bury 1 Treasure of any type.

Place 1 Treasure from your Hideout board onto your Explorer's current space to gain 7 victory points and then perform an Explore action at value 2. Any future Explorer that stops here may take the treasure from this space in addition to this benefit of the space.

When attacking a fort, reduce its strength by 2.

Move your Explorer back 3 or more spaces on the Exploration board to gain the reward of the space your Explorer stops on and 10 victory points. You must move at least 3 spaces. You may not use any Exploration abilities to gain benefits for forfeiting movement.

Roll 2 dice: gain victory points equal to the value of one die and doubloons equal to the value of the other die. As usual, you have a free reroll.

Attack a Fort anywhere in the Caribbean (including Forts on the Gulf, but excluding the Exploration track).

Each set of different Treasures.

Each set of different buried Treasures.

Take a Rum token for free and place it onto your Hideout board.

Immediately activate a Rum Market (see page 4/5). This may be found in a variety of places including Improvement cards, Exploration board, etc.

New Figureheads (x4)

Ram: When attacking a Fort, discard exactly 1 Rum token from your Hideout board to reduce the Fort's strength by 4.

Swordfish: Whenever you gain a Quest card, gain 3 doubloons and 1 Rum for free. Place the Rum token on your Hideout board.

Queen: When attacking a Fort, reduce the Fort's strength by 1 for each permanent Raiding Power you have.

Cannon: Gain 2 Cannons. Increase your doubloon income by 1 for each of your Cannons.

Commander Boards (x12)

Kraken Khan: Take the depicted Commander Black Market tile. Place it onto any Location card at the beginning of your first turn. Mark it with one of your Player markers. Treat this Black Market as though it were a Black Market of your color. Each time you activate this Black Market, you may choose to gain either 7 doubloons or 5 victory points.

Ravaging Rajesh: Before the start of the game, place the neutral Explorer with the Explorer of your color. You control both Explorers and you may split your movement between them to gain the benefits from both of the spaces on which they stop. The neutral Explorer may never be in front of the Explorer of your color. Rivers crossed by the neutral Explorer also count for all purposes (e.g. victory points, Quests, etc.). So this player can cross up to 8 rivers in total.

Whenever an effect refers to your Explorer, it applies to the Explorer of your color.

Iron Ingrid: When you gain Treasure, you may choose to place it on one of the six spaces on Iron Ingrid instead of on your Hideout board. Immediately gain the covered victory points or doubloons. Treasure may be placed in either row but must be placed in the left-most empty space of each row. You may bury Treasure from any of these spaces.

Gemma Grimm: You can perform your Ship Upgrades in any order, ignoring the Upgrade barrier lines on your Ship board.

Dabora Des: Each time you move your Ship exactly 1 or 2 spaces, gain 1 Rum for free. Place the Rum token on your Hideout board.

You may discard a Rum token from your Hideout board to receive a 3 doubloon discount when acquiring Improvement cards (only one Rum token per action).

Looting Lanister: Take the depicted Commander Black Market tile. Place it onto any Location card at the beginning of your first turn. Mark it with one of your Player markers. Treat this Black Market as though it were a Black Market of your color. Each time you activate this Black Market, gain 1 Quest card.

Looting Lanister also has a special action scroll that gives you another Commander Black Market tile when activated. Place the Black Market onto any Location card that does not already have a Black Market tile. Mark it with one of your Player markers. Treat this Black Market as though it were a Black Market of your color. As Black Markets are activated after Rum Markets, placing this Black Market onto the Location card you are currently on will allow you to use it on that turn. Each time you activate this Black Market, immediately gain your doubloon income.

Vicious Viviana: During Endgame Scoring, when you score your Quest cards, you only need to have completed the top condition to receive the victory points for the bottom condition.

Escarlata Ebuto: Whenever you perform a Raiding action, if you select one of the lowest dice after the roll, you may add +5 Raiding Power to that die.

Fearsome Feng: Before the start of the game, draw 3 Figurehead tiles from the box and play one immediately. You may still perform the Figurehead Ship Upgrade during the game to add a second Figurehead to your Ship board.

Flintlock Frank: Each time you take the Explore action, you may forfeit one movement to gain 1 Cannon.

Gain a new Raiding action that lets you spend 1 Raiding Power to gain 1 Cannon.

Sour Seraphina: You have a 4 doubloon discount when acquiring Ship Improvement cards.

Victor Vile: You don't have to roll the dice when performing a Raiding action. All of your dice always give you 7 Raiding Power.

Solo Mode

Solo Setup Changes

Add the 2 solo cards to their respective decks. Jordan now has a 7-card solo deck. All other rules remain unchanged.

Gameplay

If a Location with a Fort is within a 3 movement range, Jordan sails to this Location. If more than one Location within his movement range has a Fort, Jordan sails to the Location with the Fort that has the lowest strength value. If there is a tie for the lowest strength value, Jordan sails to the lowest value Fort furthest from him (within his movement range). Jordan then carries out the following actions:

1. If there is a Treasure Value tile on this Location, place 1 Marker cube from the supply onto the depicted Treasure Island.
2. Place a Marker cube on the leftmost uncovered Upgrade on Jordan's Ship board.
3. Jordan defeats the Fort and immediately gains the Fort's victory points. Remove the Fort from the game.
4. Jordan gains 7 victory points.

Jordan does not interact with Rum Markets or gain Rum.

Variants

Auction Setup Variant

During Step ⑰, after each player has chosen their Commander boards, players may swap their Commander boards with their opponents using a Dutch auction. In reverse turn order, each player must choose one of the following:

1. Pay 9 doubloons to the bank to lock their current Commander boards and leave the auction.
2. Pay 9 doubloons to the bank to swap Commander boards with another player whose Commander boards are not locked. If a player chooses this, their new Commander boards are locked and they leave the auction.
3. Pass.

Once each player has chosen, if more than one player remains in the auction, reduce the cost by 3 doubloons. Each player still in the auction must again make a choice in turn order. Continue reducing the cost by 3 doubloons until the cost is reduced to 3, or less than two players remain in the auction.

Players may not flip over the Commander boards they take or receive.