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{{Short description|Tabletop game}}
{{Short description|Collectible miniatures game}}
{{primary|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox Game
{{Infobox Game
| subject_name=Pirates Constructible Strategy Game
| subject_name = Pirates Constructible Strategy Game
| image = Gen Con Indy 2007 exhibit hall - Pirates! large scale models.JPG
| image_link=
| caption = Oversized Pirates models at [[Gen Con]] Indy 2007
| image_caption=Pirates of the Cursed Seas is a tabletop strategy game depicting naval battles and hunt for treasure in the [[Caribbean Sea|Caribbean]] in the 17th century.
| players=2–9
| players = 2–9
| ages=8 and up
| ages = 8+
| setup_time=Depends on how much time it takes to build ships the first time, otherwise 10 minutes
| setup_time = varies, usually 10 minutes
| playing_time= 30–180 minutes
| playing_time = 30–180 minutes
| random_chance=Considerable
| random_chance = Considerable
| skills=[[Strategy]], [[Dice|Dice rolling]], [[Collecting]]
| skills = [[Strategy]], [[Dice|Dice rolling]], [[Collecting]]
| footnotes=
}}
}}
The '''Pirates Constructible Strategy Game''' is a [[tabletop game]] (or [[constructible strategy game]]) manufactured by [[WizKids]], Inc., released in early July 2004,<ref name="icv2"/> and discontinued in 2008.<ref name="toppscloses">{{cite web|url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/13701.html |title=Topps shuts down Wizkids |website=icv2.com |date=10 November 2008}}</ref>


==History==
[[File:Gen Con Indy 2007 exhibit hall - Pirates! large scale models.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Oversized Pirates models at [[Gen Con]] Indy 2007]]
The '''Pirates Constructible Strategy Game''' is a [[tabletop game]] manufactured by [[WizKids]], Inc., with aspects of both [[miniatures game]] and [[collectible card game]] genres.<ref name="DUMMIES">{{cite book|title=Trading Card Games For Dummies|url=https://archive.org/details/tradingcardgames00kauf|url-access=registration|series=For Dummies|last1=Kaufeld|first1=John|last2=Smith|first2=Jeremy|publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]]|year=2006|isbn=0470044071}}</ref> "Pirates of the Spanish Main" (the initial release of the ''Pirates'' line) is the world's first "[[constructible strategy game]]," referring to the mechanics of creating game pieces from components that punch out of [[styrene]] cards. The game was created by [[Jordan Weisman]]<ref name="icv2">{{cite web |title=WizKids Plans Pirate Game |url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/4457.html |work=icv2.com |publisher=ICV2 |doi= |date=2004-03-18 |access-date=12 August 2009}}</ref> and designed by [[Mike Mulvihill]], [[Ethan Pasternack]], [[James Ernest]], and [[Mike Selinker]]. It was released in early July 2004.<ref name="icv2"/> There was also an online computer game based on Pirates of the Spanish Main by Sony Online Entertainment called [[Pirates CSG Online]], which ended on 1/31/2011.
The game was created by [[Jordan Weisman]],<ref name="icv2"/> and designed by Mike Mulvihill, Ethan Pasternack, [[James Ernest]], and [[Mike Selinker]].{{cn|date=February 2024}} It was released in early July 2004.<ref name="icv2"/> With aspects of both [[miniatures game]] and [[collectible card game]] genres, Pirates is described by the producers WizKids as a [[constructible strategy game]], referring to the mechanics of creating game pieces from components that punch out of [[styrene]] cards.<ref name="icv2">{{cite web|url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/4457.html |title=Wizkids plans Pirate game |date=17 March 2004 |website=icv2.com |access-date=12 February 2024}}</ref>


''Pirates of the Spanish Main'' won a Vanguard Award at the 2005 [[Origins Award]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/2004/list-of-winners |title=Origins Award Winners (2005) |publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design |access-date=2007-10-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603142308/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/2004/list-of-winners |archive-date=June 3, 2008 }}</ref>
The game won the [[Origins Award|Origins]] Vanguard Award 2005.


On September 14, 2009, collectible maker [[National Entertainment Collectibles Association]] announced the purchase of the Wizkids name and properties from Topps, specifically including the ''Pirates'' line, which was canceled.
In November 2008, [[Topps]], the owner of [[Wizkids]], announced that it would be closing the company and all of its product lines.<ref name="toppscloses"/> On September 14, 2009, the [[National Entertainment Collectibles Association]] (NECA) announced the purchase of Wizkids name and its intellectual properties from Topps, including the ''Pirates'' line,<ref>{{cite web|website= NECA Online |url=http://www.necaonline.com/article/detail/278 |title=NECA Acquires WizKids Assets from Topps |date=14 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922214350/http://www.necaonline.com/article/detail/278 |access-date=12 February 2024|archive-date=2009-09-22 }}</ref> which was then cancelled.{{cn|date=February 2024}}


== Description ==
== Gameplay ==
The general goal of Pirates is to collect more gold than your opponents,<ref name="icv2"/> or with variants, to achieve a given objective or destroy all enemy ships (numerous scenarios written by WizKids and others have vastly extended the playability of the game). The game's pieces include ships, forts, sea monsters, crew, islands and other terrain markers, events, gold and other treasure tokens.
The general goal of Pirates is to collect more gold than one's opponents, or with variants, to achieve a given objective or destroy all enemy ships. Additional scenarios also exist, created by WizKids and others. The game's pieces include ships, forts, sea monsters, crew, islands and other terrain markers, events, gold and other treasure tokens.<ref name="icv2"/>


An innovative feature of Pirates is the 'constructible' element of the game; each game piece (except for terrain) is created by popping out the small [[polystyrene]] pieces from placeholder cards and assembling them. As the ship, fort or sea monster is damaged by enemies during the course of game play, pieces of it are removed to record how much damage it has sustained, giving the game piece itself the appearance of slowly being destroyed. The elements removed from the piece - for example, a ship's masts - can no longer be used in the game unless another game element allows it to be replaced later.
A feature of Pirates is the 'constructible' element of the game; each game piece (except for terrain) is created by removing small [[polystyrene]] pieces from placeholder cards and assembling them. As the ship, fort or sea monster is damaged by enemies during the course of game play, pieces of it are removed to record how much damage it has sustained.<ref name="icv2"/>


==Other media==
Each game piece has a point value that is related to its overall power. The more powerful a piece, the higher its point value. Players assemble fleets of ships, monsters, forts, and crew based an agreed-upon point total, similar to the manner in which many miniature war games are played. This helps balance each player's fleet, and means that the construction of a fleet can be as strategically important as the gameplay itself.
An online computer game was also created, by Sony Online Entertainment, called ''Pirates CSG Online'' (based on ''Pirates of the Spanish Main''), which ended on January 31, 2011.{{cn|date=February 2024}} In 2007 [[Pinnacle Entertainment Group]] released ''The Pirates of the Spanish Main'', a source book for their [[Savage Worlds]] [[role playing game]], set in the same world as the CSG.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.peginc.com/games.html |title=The Many Worlds of Pinnacle Entertainment Group |website=Pinnacle Entertainment Group |access-date=2010-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629164510/http://www.peginc.com/games.html |archive-date=2010-06-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


== Releases and expansion sets ==
The action takes place on a tabletop or similar flat surface rather than a game board; before play begins, players take turns populating the play area with various pieces of terrain like islands, fog banks, and sargasso seas. Face-down gold or treasure tokens are then placed on each island. After creating the play area, players then place their fleets and gameplay begins.


*''Pirates of the Spanish Main'' - first release, on July 28, 2004.<ref name="icv2"/>
Players take turns moving their ships around the play area, landing on islands and exploring them, which reveals the value of the gold and treasure tokens on that island. Ships then collect treasure and attempt to return it to their home islands before their opponents. Since the game's [[Game mechanic#Victory condition mechanics|victory condition]]s include both gold collection and the destruction of all enemy fleets, there are several different strategies that can lead to victory: trying to destroy an opponent before he or she can gather gold; building a fast and strong enough fleet to avoid being destroyed; or, most common, a mix of both.
*''Pirates of the Crimson Coast'' - second set and the first expansion to the ''Pirates of the Spanish Main'', released March 2, 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://toynewsi.com/news.php?itemid=6295 |website=Toy News International |title=Wizkids Releases Porates Of The Crimson Coast |date=3 March 2005 |first=Jay |last=Cochran}}</ref>

*''Pirates of the Spanish Main—Unlimited Edition'' - released March 15, 2005, as a second reprint of the cards from the original "Pirates of the Spanish Main".
The game is packaged so that one person may play the game with only one game pack, but several more packs are required to play using the full rules. Additionally, the game is far more enjoyable and balanced when each player has a larger selection of game pieces from which to choose when assembling their fleets.
*''Pirates of the Revolution'' - third installment of Pirates of the Spanish Main, released in June 2005

*''Pirates of the Barbary Coast'' - released October 26, 2005
The recommended "sweet spot" for playability appears to be three to five players on a 90&nbsp;cm by 90&nbsp;cm (3 foot by 3 foot) 'ocean'.
*''Pirates of the South China Seas'' - released February 22, 2006

*''Pirates of Davy Jones' Curse'' - released May 31, 2006
==Configurations==
*''Pirates of the Mysterious Islands'' - released November 15, 2006
The game is primarily sold in "game packs", foil-wrapped packs of randomized styrene cards and other game components roughly the same size as a pack of [[baseball cards]] or other [[trading card game]] packs such as [[Magic: The Gathering]]. Each pack includes a randomized combination of two constructible game pieces: ships (including forts and sea monsters), and various crew, treasure and terrain. These game pieces are numbered and collectible, and come in multiple levels of rarity designated by a color-coded triangle on each card's corner - the most common rarities for standard booster pack items are : Common (white for generic crew, red for ships), Uncommon (silver-grey), Rare (yellow), or Super Rare (black). Other rarity designations for non-pack ships include "Special Edition" (green), a one-off Promo (purple), and "Limited Edition" (copper) for tournament prize ships.
*''Pirates of the Frozen North'' - released February 14, 2007

*''Pirates at Ocean's Edge'' - ninth expansion in the series, released April 18, 2007
Unlike most trading card games, due to the limited number of game pieces in each pack, some packs do not contain any Rare or Super Rare game pieces, or may contain multiple Rares. Any given set's Super-Rares will always come all together in the same pack. Each pack also contains a cardboard island (the reverse side in later sets has printed terrain such as a fog bank, sargasso sea, or reef), a checklist and set of rules, a crew/treasure card (which may include gold pieces for use in the game), and a mini-die. Each pack generally costs $4 US.
*''Pirates of the Caribbean PocketModel Game'' - released November 6, 2007 as a tie-in to the [[Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|Pirates of the Caribbean]] movies

*''Rise of the Fiends'' - released January 30, 2008
WizKids released other game configurations as well, mostly into mass market channels such as [[Toys "R" Us]], [[Target Corporation|Target]] and [[Wal-Mart]]. These include but are not limited to:
*''Fire and Steel'' - released April 9, 2008
*'''Promotional pieces and packs''': Various ships since the game's inception have been sent to retailers to be given away, usually in a clear plastic wrappers. Some of these are Limited Edition items, and some are duplicates of items found in common booster packs.
*''Savage Shores'' - final expansion, released November 5, 2008
*'''Tins''': A small tin box decorated with Pirates artwork which contains multiple Pirates booster packs. With ''Ocean's Edge'', some Special Edition tin exclusive card packs were also included in the tins. Also released were "Mega Tins" - slightly larger tins containing ''Ocean's Edge'' booster packs, and a special plastic wrapped pack containing faction-specific junk ships and crew. Two of the factions were only available in Tins exclusive to specific US retailers, Wal-Mart and Target. Finally, ''Rise of the Fiends'' "Treasure Chest Tins" contained one of four Megacards.
*''Return to Savage Shores'' - scheduled for release in early 2009, but never released
*'''Value Boxes''': A small cardboard box with a window in it, typically containing one of four possible Special Edition prebuilt ship, crew, standard gold treasure, islands, and occasionally a full-sized die. The prebuilt ships have a green corner rarity indicator which is referred to as "Special Edition". These have been released for a number of sets since ''Revolution''.
*'''Megapacks''': A booster pack twice the size of normal packs, containing four ships or monsters, a megacard (double-sized card), one mini-die, and several terrain. Released so far only for ''Oceans' Edge''.

On October 25, 2006, WizKids released "[[Pirates: Quest For Davy Jones' Gold]]", a non-collectible [[board game]] version of the Pirates game that uses gameplay elements and game pieces from the constructible strategy game, but is designed to be simplified, self-contained and sold in the board game section of retail stores.

== Factions ==
Ships, forts, sea monsters and crew are members of various [[Political faction|faction]]s. The factions exist largely for fictional purposes, but there are certain game mechanics that use the factions as well.
* The [[Pirates]], representing the popular view of Pirates around the "Golden Age of Piracy". They are absent in '''Pirates of the Barbary Coast'''.
* The [[England|English]], representing England and later the [[British Empire]].
* The [[Spain|Spanish]], representing Spain and its empire in the [[new world]].
* The [[France|French]], introduced in "Pirates of the Crimson Coast", representing first the French empire and then the Napoleonic empire in later expansions.
* The [[United States|Americans]], introduced in "Pirates of the Revolution", who represent the American colonies during and after the [[American Revolution]] and the [[War of 1812]].
* The [[Barbary pirates|Barbary Corsairs]], who represent the pirates that operated in the [[Mediterranean Sea]] during this time period. They only appear in "Pirates of the Barbary Coast".
* The Jade Rebellion, a fictional group representing a confederation of Asian pirate-revolutionaries in the [[South China Sea]]. They only appear in "Pirates of the South China Seas", with the exception of a super-rare "intro" pack from "Barbary Coast".
* The Cursed, consisting of ghosts and other supernatural characters, ships and sea monsters.
* The [[Mercenaries]], introduced in "Pirates of the Mysterious Islands", a collection of [[steampunk]]-like scientists, revolutionaries and ships, including submarines.
* The [[Vikings]], introduced in "Pirates of the Frozen North", which are not historical Vikings but [[Norsemen|Norse]] sailors who use Viking [[mythology]], symbols and names for their ships.

== Releases ==

===Pirates of the Spanish Main===
"Pirates of the Spanish Main" was the first release, and hit stores on July 28, 2004. It quickly sold out in many places, resulting in a second "limited" print run which featured noticeably higher quality printing than the first print run (the first run cards appear extremely 'faded'). This set was printed in a number of languages: English, German, French and Spanish. The only other sets printed in a foreign language (German) were "Crimson Coast", "Revolution", "Davy Jones' Curse", "Mysterious Islands", and "Ocean's Edge".

The set introduced the Pirate, English, and Spanish factions, with ships for each faction ranging in size from one to five masts. Twelve named crew members, along with the generic crew of [[Captain (nautical)|Captain]], [[Helmsman]], [[Musketeer]], [[Shipwright]], [[Oarsman]], [[Cannoneer]], and [[exploration|Explorer]] were also present for each faction. A number of generic treasure, in the form of gold pieces ranging in value from 1 to 7, as well as nine pieces of named unique treasure were included, along with an assortment of cardboard islands with blank backs.

At the 2004 [[Origins Award]]s ''Pirates of the Spanish Main'' was one of the winners of the ''Vanguard Awards''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/2004/list-of-winners |title=Origins Award Winners (2004) |publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design |access-date=2007-10-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603142308/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/2004/list-of-winners |archive-date=June 3, 2008 }}</ref>

===Pirates of the Crimson Coast===
{{main|Pirates of the Crimson Coast}}
The first expansion was released on March 2, 2005, and added the French faction, as well as the unit type of [[Fort]]s, which were placed on islands to defend them. It expanded the rules with the Ghost Ship and Schooner ship types; the Broadsides Attack, Limit, and Ransom keywords; and two new generic crew types, the Stinkpot and [[Chainshot]] Specialists. Fog Banks, Reefs, and [[Sargasso Sea]]s were added to the back of the islands as special terrain. The set also previewed the forthcoming American faction with the ship ''[[Roanoke Colony|Roanoke]]''.

===Pirates of the Spanish Main - Unlimited Edition===
This edition was released on March 15, 2005, as a second reprint of the cards from the original "Pirates of the Spanish Main". The numbering scheme on the cards was updated to conform with the "Pirates of the Crimson Coast" numbering and rarity colors. A checklist of the cards was also added. In Europe, the expansion removed the island cards and in their place issued new rules for ship movement and a playmat.

===Pirates of the Revolution===
{{main|Pirates of the Revolution}}
Released in June 2005, "Revolution" added the new American faction, and special Event cards (Divers, Raft, Mermaids, Foul Winds and Becalmed). In addition, the [[Marine (armed services)|Marine]] keyword and [[Galley]] ship type debuted, along with the new generic crew Firepot Specialist.

===Pirates of the Barbary Coast===
{{main|Pirates of the Barbary Coast}}
Released on October 26, 2005, this set added the [[Barbary Pirates|Barbary Corsair]] faction, and a new generic crew type, the Smokepot Specialist. Four super-rare cards (two ships and two crew) previewed the forthcoming [[Jade Rebellion]] faction. It is the only set to lack the Pirate faction.

===Pirates of the South China Seas===
{{main|Pirates of the South China Seas}}
This expansion was released on February 22, 2006, and added the Jade Rebellion's [[Junk (ship)|Junk]] and [[Turtle Ship]] types, as well as the Fear keyword and game mechanic. Six new Events (Hidden Cove, Favor of the Gods, Rolling Fog, False Treasure, Duel, Cursed Zone) were included, as well as the first six-masted ships. The super-rares for this set previewed the new Cursed faction (two ships and two unique treasures). WizKids offered a mail-in promotion for the first 10-masted ship, a junk treasure ship called the [[Baochuan]] and her captain Admiral [[Zheng He]].

===Pirates of Davy Jones' Curse===
This expansion was released on May 31, 2006, featuring the new Cursed faction and the [[Sea Monster]] unit type, which acted as ship but could not carry crew. A mail-in promotion offered a 10-masted Cursed ship, the ''Guichuan'', and her captain Headhunter.

====Super Rare pack====
About 1 in 100 packs of ''Davy Jones' Curse'' were "Super Rare" packs. These packs always contained the same 4 super rare cards: two sea monsters, '''Mist Walker''' and '''Behemoth'''; one crew, '''Screaming Mimi'''; and one unique treasure, '''The Red Skull'''. Uniquely, these cards were printed on a semi-translucent plastic stock, giving them a 'ghostly' appearance.

===Pirates of the Mysterious Islands===
Released on November 15, 2006, "Mysterious Islands" added the new [[Mercenary]] faction, along with [[Jules Verne]] inspired [[Nautilus (Verne)|Nautilus]]-style submarines. The titular "Mysterious Islands" were added as special islands with effects decided by dice rolls.

===Pirates of the Frozen North===
{{main|Pirates of the Frozen North}}
"Frozen North", released on February 14, 2007, added the Norse [[Vikings]] faction and the [[Iceberg]] terrain type, as well as the [[Icebreaker]] and [[Longship]] ship types. Islands were numbered for the first time in this set. A mail-in promotion offered the "Nordic Raiders Pack" with the ''Serpent's Fang'' and ''Polaris'' ships and the ''Odin's Revenge'' unique treasure.

===Pirates at Ocean's Edge===
{{main|Pirates at Ocean's Edge}}
Released on April 18, 2007, "Ocean's Edge" added [[Whirlpools]] as a terrain type, Windcatchers and [[Catamaran]]s as new ship types, and [[Sea monster|Sea Dragons]] and Titans (giant crabs) as new monster types. A 10-masted ship called the ''Zeus'' and her captain Emperor Blackheart were available as a mail-in promotion.

===Pirates of the Caribbean PocketModel Game===
{{main|Pirates of the Caribbean PocketModels}}
This expansion was released on November 6, 2007 as a tie-in to the [[Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|Pirates of the Caribbean]] movies. It featured many characters and ships from the first three films in the series, plus some other Disney pirate ships. The new keywords Parley and Eternal were included from the films, along with the new unit type [[Kraken]] (an eight-segmented version of the five-segmented Sea Monster).

===Rise of the Fiends===
Released January 30, 2008, ''Fiends'' added the Flotilla ship type, and an action ship called ''Scorpion''. The Loyal and Hostile keywords were added, and the Kraken keyword changed to Octopus. In addition to the standard checklist and rules sheet, numbered collectible stories were also included in the booster packs; the mail-in offer was for the Specter, which was a glow-in-the-dark ship. The Octopus Ochobrazo was to appear in this release, but was pulled; this unit does not exist.

===Fire and Steel===
"Fire and Steel" was released April 9, 2008, adding new "Action" unit types, Bombardiers and Switchblades, and special Equipment items. More numbered, collectible stories were distributed in packs; a mail-away offer was given for the ''Chum Maker'' Scorpion ship.

===Savage Shores===
"Savage Shores" was the final expansion, released on November 5, 2008. It added the new generic crew types Navigator and Cargo Master, the new action ship type Hoist, and the new terrain type Trade Current. In addition, several new island types with special effects were added, as well as the new keywords Dories, Secret Hold, Born Leader and Chieftain. Two new 10-mast ships, the ''Shui-Xian'' and the ''Celtic Fury'', were also released.

===Return to Savage Shores===
"Return To Savage Shores" was scheduled to be released sometime in early 2009 - the design phase was supposedly complete and the set was ready to send to the printers when WizKids was shut down by [[Topps]]. While some information on the units that were to appear in this set is available, the set has not been released and probably never will be.

==Fiction==
The Pirates Constructible Strategy Game and its expansions feature flavor text on the styrene cards that hold each ship, fort, and unique crew game pieces. The flavor text forms a roughly connected story that centers on several recurring characters: Jack Hawkins, the cursed pirate El Fantasma, the femme fatale known as the Calico Cat, and others. Although the Pirates expansions span several hundred years (Admiral [[Zheng He]] sailed in the 14th century, and "Pirates of the Mysterious Islands" is set roughly in the [[Victorian era|Victorian]] age), the recurring characters never seem to age, but they do develop. As such, [[continuity (fiction)|continuity]] in the Pirates universe is difficult to establish. Many pieces of flavor text in later expansions reference events, ships, or characters in previous expansions, so there is a coherent - if factually and historically unlikely - plot that continues to develop with each new release.

Jack Hawkins is a typical roguish pirate type, similar to [[Jack Sparrow]] in the [[Pirates of the Caribbean]] films. He can often be found stealing ships and gambling them away. El Fantasma's ghostly status was left ambiguous in "Pirates of the Spanish Main"; in later expansions, he received his own ghost ship and became a member of the Cursed faction, cementing his role as an actual [[undead]] pirate. The Calico Cat is a strong female character who provides a dramatic balance to Jack Hawkins; she is often depicted as a plucky adventurer who uses both brains and brawn to further some unknown quest for revenge. The Cat also mentors a girl by the name of Bonny Peel. It has been hinted that "the Cat" has a personal grudge against Hawkins, and is rumored to be the missing Gunn in the Pirate stories.

Several additional recurring characters appear in Pirates fiction, including Blackheart, a pirate similar to the historical [[Blackbeard]]; the Crimson Angel, another mysterious female pirate; and even non-pirates such as Charles Southwyn, a weaponmaster who helped create several ships in the "Pirates of the Spanish Main" release. Other notable characters include: Capitan Alarico Castro, a Moor who, despite a grudge against Spain, becomes an Admiral ; Davy Jones, captain of the cursed ship the Flying Dutchman; Genny Gallows whose father was killed by the English; and many others.

In addition to the flavor text on styrene cards, several pieces of fiction collectively called ''Tales of the Spanish Main'' by [[Noah Dudley]] and [[Nancy Berman]] appeared on WizKids' website before and after the launch of Pirates of the Spanish Main in 2004.

While some ships are historical and contain accurate historical descriptions of real events, others are either original fiction, fiction in the public domain (the Pequod from ''[[Moby Dick]]''), mythological creatures, or are homages to fictional ships or characters. For example, some of the Sea Monsters in the Pirates of Davy Jones' Curse expansion are obvious homages to creatures from H.P. Lovecraft's [[Cthulhu mythos]].

===References and homages in Pirates fiction===
A good deal of Pirates flavor text contains references to historical events or people, other fictional characters or events, or are simply references to the game's writers and designers. Pirates fiction also contains [[Homage (arts)|homage]]s to other pirate fiction. Some ship names are references to other games created by Jordan Weisman. The ''Pandora'' (from "Pirates of the Spanish Main") is a reference to the [[zeppelin]] of the same name owned by Nathan Zachary, the main character in Weisman's [[Crimson Skies (board game)|Crimson Skies]] game. The ''Black Swan'' is a reference to a character from Crimson Skies or possibly to the Pirate movie of the same name.

A very incomplete list of other references for the "Pirates of the Spanish Main (the 1st Set)" alone includes:
* ''Revenge'' (PP376/PS007) - Homage to the [[Dread Pirate Roberts]]' ship ''Revenge'' in [[The Princess Bride (novel)|The Princess Bride]] or the real pirate [[Black Bart Roberts]]' ship Revenge.
* ''Wesley'' - Another homage to ''[[The Princess Bride (novel)|The Princess Bride]]'', the name of the main hero. Also appears in [[The Princess Bride (film)|film version]]
* Scrye the Explorer (PP375) - Reference to ''[[Scrye]]'' magazine, in which the promotional piece appeared as an insert.
* ''Pandora'' (PS006) - Reference to the zeppelin of the same name from the Crimson Skies universe, also created by Weisman, along with the legend of "[[Pandora's Box]]".
* ''Tsuro'' (PP009) - Reference to WizKid's board game [[Tsuro]]
* "Jack Hawkins" - Reference to PotC's [[Jack Sparrow]] (in name and looks) and [[Jim Hawkins (character)|Jim Hawkins]] (Jim and Jack are interchangeable names) who was once in the British navy and turned to piracy.
* "Sea monkey"- reference to the [[Lucasarts]] adventure game [[Secret of Monkey Island]] the flavor text tells the story of it from the game.

==RPG==
In 2007 [[Pinnacle Entertainment Group]] released ''The Pirates of the Spanish Main'', a source book for their [[Savage Worlds]] [[role playing game]], set in the same world as the CSG.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.peginc.com/games.html |title=The Many Worlds of Pinnacle Entertainment Group |access-date=2010-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629164510/http://www.peginc.com/games.html |archive-date=2010-06-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Pirates of the Spanish Main: Shuffling the Deck card game==
Announced March 7, 2012, "Pirates of the Spanish Main™ Shuffling the Deck" is a non-collectable, stand alone card game set in the Pirates of the Spanish Main universe. Aside from the theme, it has no relationship to the collectable miniatures game.

==Cross-promotional (i.e., advertising related) game pieces==
*2004 - '''Scrye the Explorer''' (SM card # PP735) - Exclusive Explorer crew packed in the Sept. 2004 ''[[Scrye]]'' magazine (issue 75) along with the ship ''Bloody Throne''.
*2004 - ''The Bloody Throne'' (SM card # PP375) - Exclusive three-masted ship packed in the Sept. 2004 ''Scrye'' magazine (issue 75) with the crew card "Scrye the Explorer".
*2006 - ''Gale Force Nine'' (SCS card # 301) - A four-masted Pirate ship LE, free by mail with proof-of-purchase when you buy either one of two island terrain sets from the [http://www.gf9.com Gale Force Nine] game company.
*2006 - ''Two Home islands'' released with the "Donald Duck & Co. #26" (Kalle Anka) comic magazine only in Scandinavia on 7/20/06 - these packs contained two ships (''El Cazadora'' & ''Glorious Treasure'', both identical to their English releases), a paper slip of treasure coins to cut out, rules, and two cardboard islands which are labelled "Home" on one side. Due to their limited distribution, these two islands are highly prized by completist collectors and quite hard to come by.
*2007 - ''USS Denver'' (Ocean's Edge card # SOE 07) - four-masted American ship available with a $25.00 purchase from the cross-promoted Sony Online Entertainment online version of this game.
*2007 - ''Flying Dutchman'' (DPOTC card # 300) - Special Edition Promo ship with advertising text, tied into the Disney related Pirates of the Caribbean set. Widely available as a hand out with purchase from retailers.

==Convention-exclusive game pieces==
*2004 - Shrink wrapped four-masted Pirate ship ''Revenge'' handed out free to attendees of the [[Origins Game Fair|Origins]] 2004 game convention. The ship's card contains promotional text advertising the game rather than flavor text. Collector's Number PP376.
*2005 - Convention Megapack - Added two new American ships ''Providence'' and ''Destiny'' and an American Helmsman crew.
*2006 - Shrink wrapped 10-Masted Jade Rebellion [[Chinese treasure ship|Treasure Ship]] ''Baochuan'' and Admiral [[Zheng He]] crew.
*2007 - Shrink wrapped package with two Cursed nautilus-style submarines, the ''Locker'' & the ''Pyre'', the crew Edward Low, and a U.T. called ''Gem of Hades''.
*2008 - Convention package with four Pirate ships ''Royal Rover, Queen Anne's Revenge, Amity, Minerva'' and four Pirate crew Bartholomew Roberts, Blackbeard, Thomas Tew, Christopher Moody.

==Value box, hand-out & mail-in redemption pack game pieces==
*2005 - Value Boxes (Revolutions) - Special Edition (green cornered) assembled ships in a box which includes a stack of cards from the set. This release included four new Pirates of the Revolution ships, (''Franklin, Concord, Red Curse'', and ''Hangman's Noose''). These four ships only exist in the "UL" (Unlimited) version.
*2005 - Pirates of the North Pole Ship & Crew (''The Sleigh'' & Captain Whitebeard - Distributed to WizKids employees, envoys, registered retail venues and business associates as a Holiday present. Also given away in a drawing for members of WizKids online Pirates community. The Sleigh and Captain Whitebeard can be used any day of the year, however, on Christmas Eve they gain special bonuses.
*2006 - Value Boxes (Davy Jones Curse) - Wave 1 had new ships (''Boneyard, Fool's Gold, Electric Eel, and Drowned Man'') and Wave 2 included new ships (''Broken Key, Black Diamond, Nightmare and HMS Richard''). Wave 2 was released in October 2006 - this was the only set to feature eight total Value Boxes.
*2006 - 10-masted Cursed Treasure Ship (''Guichuan'') - A customer loyalty promotional piece for customers who sent twelve proofs of purchase from "Pirates of Davy Jones' Curse" to WizKids along with a redemption certificate.
*2006 - Value Boxes (Mysterious Islands) - new ships (''Tasmanian Devil, Revolution, Empty Sky, Independence'').
*2006 - "Message In A Bottle" promo pack - two submarines (''USS Mercury, Slipstream''), crew (Thane Hartless) and the Unique Treasure Abandoned Crew. This was a customer loyalty promotional piece for the Pirates of the Mysterious Islands set in return for proof-of-purchase for four boosters, four booster wrappers and one each of the four special messages (paper slips) from the boosters.
*2007 - Promo ship (''Obago'') - a giveaway sent to retailers to hand out as they saw fit.
*2007 - "Nordic Raiders" promo pack with two longships (''Polaris'' and ''Serpent's Fang'') & a Unique Treasure Odin's Revenge. Available after sending in 'four lost pieces' of armory found on crew/treasure cards, four wrappers, receipt of purchase, and postage.
*2007 - Value Boxes (Ocean's Edge) - new ships (''Last Hope, Jape, HMS Burma, USS Seattle'').
*2007 - 10-masted Pirate Treasure Ship (''Zeus'') - Same requirements as the Guichuan (12 "regular" wrappers or 12 "mega-pack" wrappers or a combination of both, alongside a coupon from the site and proof-of-purchase).
*2007 - Value Boxes (Pirates of the Caribbean) - new ships (''HMS Diamond, HMS Phoenix, Neptune, Sea Nymph'').
*2008 - Rise of the Fiends Cursed Ship (''Specter'') - originally customers had to mail in the Specter story (a paper insert) from a pack, but after a packaging problem in which few of these actually packed, WizKids changed this to any story from this set, plus a receipt & postage.
*2008 - Value Boxes (Rise of the Fiends) - new ships (''HMS Forge, Rusty Harpoon, Hades' Realm, Isabela'').
*2008 - Value Boxes (Fire & Steel) - new ships (''HMS Resolution, Nox, Lucky Seven, Crocodile'').
*2008 - Fire & Steel Cursed Scorpion Ship (''Chum Maker'') - customers had to mail in the Chum Maker story (a paper insert) from a pack plus a receipt, wrapper and postage.
*2008 - Promo Ship ''Obago Deuce'' - This extremely rare ship was scheduled to be a late-year promo for an in-store handout, but was only distributed in very limited quantities to employees and convention-helper Privateers. Some have made their way out on the resellers market as well. About 30 are known to exist, but more are assumed to have been printed. As such, this is the rarest 'produced ship' in the series, and highly sought after by collectors, though thoroughly unspectacular in game-play.

==Other collectible elements, tins and other unusual releases==
*2004 - Set of eight mini-busts (statuettes) of Pirates of the Spanish Main characters, including: Calico Cat PP388, Captain Blackheart PP389, Jack Hawkins PP390, Christopher Myngs PP391, El Fantasma PP392, Diana Doone PP393, Luys de Alva PP394 and Skyme the Monkey PP395.
*2004 - A series of Pirate-themed temporary tattoos were given out at conventions. At least 8 are known, all images of crew from the PotSM set.
*2004 - Gold coins were purchasable with the styrene "coins" from the treasure cards in this set, which could be used in the Pirates Gold auction at GenCon 2004.
*2004 - Several one-off prizes were created for the Pirates Gold auction event at GenCon 2004, including a wooden replica period ship with a Pirates of the Spanish Main plaque, several constructed game pieces signed by Jordan Weisman and [[Mike Mulvilhill]] and mounted in shadowboxes, pirate items such as a replica cutlass, and more. Most of these pieces had a small gold sticker "seal of authenticity" from WizKids.
*2005 - Jack Hawkins Advantage Trophy (PP471) - a full color "trophy" / bust featuring pirate Jack Hawkins, which was larger and much more detailed than the earlier mini-busts.
*2005 - Six different tan Pirates of the Spanish Main tins containing three Spanish Main and one Revolution booster pack.
*2005 - Six different blue Pirates of the Revolution tins, sold in mass market retail outlets such [[Wal-Mart]] (contained no unique new pieces).
*2006 - Gale Force Nine licensed items for use in the game, including a ship (Gale Force Nine), a special vinyl map, a booty finder pack (containing island exploration tokens and a range finder tool), and two different 3-D island sets.
*2006 - Special "UK only" tins containing one pack of each of the first five releases available at [[Toys "R" Us]] (which contained no unique new pieces, despite WizKids' announcement that they would).
*2007 - Ocean's Edge "Megapacks" containing 1 of 6 random "megacards" (Skipping Stone, ''HMS Hermes'', Shal-Bala, Angelica, Ghost Walker, Mystic).
*2007 - Six different "Ocean's Edge" tins featuring OE packs and multiple faction specific, tin-exclusive cards (card numbers 143-162) released to various retailers (two designs of which were exclusive to Target and WalMart stores respectively, and contained factions not found in the other tins).
*2007 - Four different "Pirates of the Caribbean PocketModels " tins featuring one of four Special Edition "Megacard" Krakens eight "masted" monsters), 10 ships, three terrain cards, five or more crew or treasure cards, two dice, complete game rules. Each of the four distinct tins features cover artwork of one of the main characters from the movie and randomly contained one kraken (A Fearsome Creature, Beastie, Kray-Kin, The Kraken).
*2007 - "Pirates Plunder Pack" box containing various packs, a new vinyl map, and an exclusive glow-in-the-dark 10 masted Cursed junk ship (''Delusion'').
*2008 - Rise of the Fiend "Stories", one of ten possible paper inserts in booster packs telling different crew/ship stories. A packing error made these stories very hard to collect as they do not appear in every pack as advertised - more like one in ten packs.
*2008 - Fire & Steel "stories", one of ten possible paper inserts which appear randomly in every booster pack.
*2008 - A "treasure chest" shaped tin containing various packs and one of four exclusive Rise of the Fiends megacards (''USS Mercury'', ''Polaris'', ''Terrox'' and ''Grinder'').
*2008 - a "Scavenger Pack" box containing three packs worth of Savage Shores items, one pack each of Rise of the Fiends and Fire & Steel, and one of six exclusive pre-assembled Megasized ships (visible in a window on the box). Purchasing all six variations of the box will net the buyer two new exclusive 10-masted ships (''Celtic Fury'' and ''Shui Xian''). To build Celtic Fury, you need one card each from the boxes containing ship #s 45, 46 & 47. To build Shui Xian, you need 1 card each from the boxes containing ship #s 48, 49 & 50. MSRP $14.99.
* ''2009 - proposed but not released'' - "Admiral's Armada" box set containing 13 Pirates booster packs (one for each previous set), Dice, Rules of play.
* ''2009 - proposed but not released'' - a "Pirates Adventure Book" box including new ships, crew and treasure: one Pirate fleet with ships ''Charming Mary'' and ''Mercy'', and crew Sean 'Cannonball' Gallows; and one Cursed fleet including ships ''Demon's Heart'' and ''Wraith'', and crew El Fantasma; also four Unique treasures (a Red, Blue, Yellow and Green 'Gem Shards from the Eye of the Leviathan'); a new plastic Map with 6 preprinted islands on it, and four "fiction pieces" with scenarios.
*''2009 - proposed but not released'' - "Ship In A Bottle" boxes containing one of four new exclusive prebuilt ships (visible through a clear, bottle shaped window), three Fire & Steel packs, two Rise of the Fiends packs, one Ocean's Edge pack, and dice. Two pre-production examples of these Ship in a Bottle ships are known to exist (Spanish ship #135 ''Castigue'', and Pirate ship #136 ''Blue Heron''), though both are missing deckplates and as such are incomplete for actual game play purposes.


== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
<references />


== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{Bgg|10653|Pirates of the Spanish Main}} - General Pirates info, with user uploaded files & resources to assist with the game.
* {{Bgg|10653|Pirates of the Spanish Main}} General Pirates info, with user uploaded files and resources.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010190336/http://www.wizkidsgames.com/pirates/pirates_article.asp?cid=39303 ''Pirates of the Crimson Coast'' Press Kit Announcement], WizKid Games official website
*[http://www.miniaturetrading.com/im/forum/viewforum/f=9///] The popular and authoritative Pirates game forums at Miniature Trading.
*Wizkids plans Pirate game - 2004 - http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/4457.html
*Topps closes Wizkids - 2008 - http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/13701.html
*NECA Acquires Wizkids - 2009 - https://web.archive.org/web/20090922214350/http://www.necaonline.com/article/detail/278
*Wizkids/Neca announces new card game in PotSM universe: http://wizkidsgames.com/blog/2012/03/09/necawizkids-announces-the-re-launch-of-the-pirates-of-the-spanish-main-property/

{{PiratesSets}}


[[Category:Pirates Constructible Strategy Game| ]]
[[Category:Collectible card games]]
[[Category:Collectible card games]]
[[Category:Collectible miniatures games]]
[[Category:Collectible miniatures games]]

Latest revision as of 06:33, 9 May 2024

Pirates Constructible Strategy Game
Oversized Pirates models at Gen Con Indy 2007
Players2–9
Setup timevaries, usually 10 minutes
Playing time30–180 minutes
ChanceConsiderable
Age range8+
SkillsStrategy, Dice rolling, Collecting

The Pirates Constructible Strategy Game is a tabletop game (or constructible strategy game) manufactured by WizKids, Inc., released in early July 2004,[1] and discontinued in 2008.[2]

History

[edit]

The game was created by Jordan Weisman,[1] and designed by Mike Mulvihill, Ethan Pasternack, James Ernest, and Mike Selinker.[citation needed] It was released in early July 2004.[1] With aspects of both miniatures game and collectible card game genres, Pirates is described by the producers WizKids as a constructible strategy game, referring to the mechanics of creating game pieces from components that punch out of styrene cards.[1]

Pirates of the Spanish Main won a Vanguard Award at the 2005 Origins Awards.[3]

In November 2008, Topps, the owner of Wizkids, announced that it would be closing the company and all of its product lines.[2] On September 14, 2009, the National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA) announced the purchase of Wizkids name and its intellectual properties from Topps, including the Pirates line,[4] which was then cancelled.[citation needed]

Gameplay

[edit]

The general goal of Pirates is to collect more gold than one's opponents, or with variants, to achieve a given objective or destroy all enemy ships. Additional scenarios also exist, created by WizKids and others. The game's pieces include ships, forts, sea monsters, crew, islands and other terrain markers, events, gold and other treasure tokens.[1]

A feature of Pirates is the 'constructible' element of the game; each game piece (except for terrain) is created by removing small polystyrene pieces from placeholder cards and assembling them. As the ship, fort or sea monster is damaged by enemies during the course of game play, pieces of it are removed to record how much damage it has sustained.[1]

Other media

[edit]

An online computer game was also created, by Sony Online Entertainment, called Pirates CSG Online (based on Pirates of the Spanish Main), which ended on January 31, 2011.[citation needed] In 2007 Pinnacle Entertainment Group released The Pirates of the Spanish Main, a source book for their Savage Worlds role playing game, set in the same world as the CSG.[5]

Releases and expansion sets

[edit]
  • Pirates of the Spanish Main - first release, on July 28, 2004.[1]
  • Pirates of the Crimson Coast - second set and the first expansion to the Pirates of the Spanish Main, released March 2, 2005.[6]
  • Pirates of the Spanish Main—Unlimited Edition - released March 15, 2005, as a second reprint of the cards from the original "Pirates of the Spanish Main".
  • Pirates of the Revolution - third installment of Pirates of the Spanish Main, released in June 2005
  • Pirates of the Barbary Coast - released October 26, 2005
  • Pirates of the South China Seas - released February 22, 2006
  • Pirates of Davy Jones' Curse - released May 31, 2006
  • Pirates of the Mysterious Islands - released November 15, 2006
  • Pirates of the Frozen North - released February 14, 2007
  • Pirates at Ocean's Edge - ninth expansion in the series, released April 18, 2007
  • Pirates of the Caribbean PocketModel Game - released November 6, 2007 as a tie-in to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies
  • Rise of the Fiends - released January 30, 2008
  • Fire and Steel - released April 9, 2008
  • Savage Shores - final expansion, released November 5, 2008
  • Return to Savage Shores - scheduled for release in early 2009, but never released

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Wizkids plans Pirate game". icv2.com. 17 March 2004. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Topps shuts down Wizkids". icv2.com. 10 November 2008.
  3. ^ "Origins Award Winners (2005)". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on June 3, 2008. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  4. ^ "NECA Acquires WizKids Assets from Topps". NECA Online. 14 September 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-09-22. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  5. ^ "The Many Worlds of Pinnacle Entertainment Group". Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Archived from the original on 2010-06-29. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
  6. ^ Cochran, Jay (3 March 2005). "Wizkids Releases Porates Of The Crimson Coast". Toy News International.
[edit]
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