Merchants & Marauders Game Rules

Ahoy there, mateys! Avast ye as I dive into the intricacies of the Merchants & Marauders game rules. Prepare to embark on a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas!

In this exciting game, you have the opportunity to become a mighty pirate or a skilled merchant. The choice is yours, but beware – the path you choose will determine your fate!

To start off, let’s dive into the gameplay mechanics of Merchants & Marauders. The game revolves around a richly detailed world full of islands, ports, and treacherous waters. Your mission is to navigate this perilous environment and complete various missions and objectives.

As a merchant, your goal is to amass wealth by buying and selling goods at different ports. You’ll need to carefully manage your resources and make smart trading decisions to maximize your profits. Keep an eye out for favorable market trends and take advantage of them to gain an edge over your competitors.

On the other hand, if you choose the life of a pirate, you’ll be in for a thrilling adventure! Your main focus will be on plundering and pillaging ships and ports. Equip your vessel with formidable weaponry, recruit a loyal crew, and set sail in search of riches. But beware, as the law will be hot on your heels, and your actions may lead to a notorious reputation.

In the world of Merchants & Marauders, every decision has consequences. How you interact with other players, the ports you visit, and the treasures you seek – they all play a vital role in shaping your fate. Will you become the wealthiest merchant or the most feared pirate on the high seas?

As you navigate this world, keep in mind that luck also has a role to play. The roll of the dice can be a friend or a foe, determining the outcome of your battles and the success of your endeavors. Embrace the unpredictability and let it add an element of excitement to your gameplay.

Remember, in Merchants & Marauders, it’s not just about accumulating wealth. The game is designed to immerse you in a rich and vibrant world where your choices matter. The intricate details, the captivating storytelling, and the strategic gameplay combine to create an unforgettable experience.

So, gather your crew, ready your ship, and set sail on the high seas. With Merchants & Marauders, adventure awaits!

The Essential Components

When it comes to Fury of Dracula, you’ll find the following components inside the box:

• 100 Coins.
• 26 Plastic ships.
• 24 Demand Tokens.
• 17 Merchant Tokens.
• 16 Ship Modification Tokens.
• 12 Special Weapon Tokens.
• 20 Bounty Tokens.
• 254 Cards.
• 29 wooden cubes.
• 4 Naval Tokens.
• 1 Game Board.
• 4 Player Boards.
• 10 custom dice.
• 4 stash containers.
• 2 Player Aid sheets.
• 1 rule book.

Ultimate Goal

So, what am I aiming for in this epic quest? Quite simple: to earn 10 Glory Points.

Whenever I gain a point, I move a cube in my color up the Glory track found on the Game Board. It’s super exciting!

I earn Glory Points for doing awesome things in the game, like being victorious in battles, selling lots of valuable goods, plundering a ton of gold, completing missions, confirming rumors, and even buying a big ship!

Once I reach 10 Glory Points (which includes secret points for my hidden Gold), I declare my achievement, and the game ends after everyone takes their turn. It’s a thrilling race to the top!

So, here’s the deal: if a bunch of us reach or go beyond 10 points at the same time, the one with the highest score on the Glory track, bonus points not included, is crowned the winner. Simple enough? But wait, if by some chance, there’s still a tie, then it’s all about who has the most chips stash. If that still doesn’t break the deadlock, well, we’ll just call it a draw and declare both of you winners.

So, what does this mean for you? Well, it means you’ve got to keep an eye on that track and stash and strategize accordingly. Who knew a game of points could get this intense, right? Just remember, when things get tight, every chip and every move matters. So don’t hold back, give it your all!

Setting Up

The Game Board

Hey there! It’s time to get things set up for our exciting adventure. You and I will each get our very own Game Board. This board is where we’ll keep track of our Cards, Gold, Cargo, and the condition of our ships.

Before we start playing, let’s go through the following steps together:

1. First, let’s pick a color that we like. Once we’ve chosen a color, we’ll take 6 cubes and miniatures of that color. We’ll also grab a stash container to keep our Gold safe. Exciting, isn’t it?
2. Next, we’ll randomly draw a Captain from the Captain Card deck. But shh, let’s keep it a secret for now!
3. Now, it’s time to choose a ship for our Captain. I have two options for you: the Sloop or the Flute. The Sloop is perfect for a thrilling pirate adventure, while the Flute is a vulnerable but capable merchant vessel. Which one do you want to choose?

Okay, now let’s get ready to begin! On the count of three, we’ll both reveal our Captain and the ship we’ve chosen. Exciting times ahead!

1. First, pick a Ship Card that matches your desired ship. Put it and your Captain Card on your Player Board.
2. Next, place the miniature ship of your chosen ship in your Captain’s home-port on the Game Board.
3. Now, draw a Glory Card.
4. You’ll notice that each “Hit Location” on your ship card has a corresponding cube. The “Hull” and “Masts” locations are determined by the “Toughness” value, while the other locations have the same names as the values on the card. For example, if your ship has a toughness of 2, place a cube in the second space of the “Hull” and “Masts” locations. If you’re playing with a Sloop, all locations should have a cube in the second space, except for “Cannons” which has a cube in the first space.
5. Finally, grab 10 Gold. This is the amount of Gold you start with.

Now, let’s look at the Game Board.

Hey there! Let’s dive into the fascinating world of the game board. It’s split into 17 Sea-Zones, each with its distinct vibe. Plus, 16 of these zones have a port associated with them, showcasing the national icon of one of the 4 nations in the game – Dutch, English, French, and Spanish.

Now, what makes these Sea-Zones even more exciting are their individual advantages or disadvantages. Each zone has something unique going on, and you can find all the juicy details either on the Sea-Zone itself or on the Player Aids. Cool, right?

To help the non-player characters (NPCs) navigate the seas, the borders of the Sea-Zones sport directional letters. These letters correspond to compass directions. Like little compass guides, they point where the action is happening.

Let’s not forget the “At War!” space, perched on the upper-left side of the board. It’s there to inform us about the two nations currently engaged in war. Intriguing stuff, isn’t it?

In the middle of the board, we put NPC Captains when we draw them. In the top-right corner, there’s a table where we keep track of NPC damage and a spot for putting defeated “Merchants” tokens. And at the bottom of the map, there’s the Glory Point track, which goes from 0 to 10.

Here’s how to set up the game board:

First, you’ll need to assemble the game pieces. Lay out the game board flat on a table or the floor. Take the deck of cards and shuffle them thoroughly. Then, distribute the cards evenly among the players. Make sure everyone has a clear view of the board and their cards.

Next, decide who will go first. There are a few different ways you can determine this. One option is to have each player roll a dice, and the player with the highest number goes first. Another option is to draw cards, with the player who draws the highest card going first.

Once you’ve determined the starting player, they can take their turn. On their turn, a player will draw a card from the deck and follow the instructions on the card. The instructions will tell the player where to move on the board, what action to take, or what event will occur.

As the game progresses, the players will move their game pieces around the board, following the instructions on the cards they draw. The goal of the game is to reach the end of the board first. However, there may be obstacles or challenges along the way that will make it more difficult.

During the game, players may have the opportunity to take actions that affect other players. For example, they may be able to move another player’s game piece back or steal cards from them. These actions can add an element of strategy and competition to the game.

The game continues until one player reaches the end of the board. At that point, the game is over, and the player who reached the end first is declared the winner. And that’s how you set up and play the game! Have fun and enjoy the excitement of the game board!

1. First, I’ll shuffle all the decks, except for the Ship Cards. It’s really important to thoroughly shuffle the Event and Cargo decks!
2. Next, I’ll randomly place one Demand Token face up in each Sea-Zone. These tokens go in one of the two square areas close to each port. I’ll put the remaining 8 Demand Tokens aside for now, face down or in a cup, next to the Game Board. Oh, and remember, the ‘Caribbean Sea’ Sea-Zone doesn’t get a Demand Token because there’s no port there.
3. Then, I’ll randomly place a Ship Modification token facedown in the second square area of each Sea-Zone. However, there won’t be a Ship Modification token in the “Caribbean Sea” Sea-Zone.
4. Finally, I’ll randomly place one Merchant Token, with the nationality side down, in each Sea-Zone, including ‘The Caribbean Sea’.

I have to make a plan and write it in code or should I continue with it with another question_asked?

When I play the game, some cards have an immediate effect, while others have an effect that happens on my turn or at the end of everyone’s turn. After I carry out the effects of the card, I put it in a discard pile, unless it says something else.

There are 34 Event Cards in the game. If there are no more Event Cards to draw, the game ends.

Actions

Next, I get to do my actions, starting with me and then going clockwise. Each time it’s my turn, I can do three different Actions. I have three choices:

I can do different actions together. For example, I can spend two actions to move twice and then use the third action to scout for a ship.

I. Move

You can use the “move” action to travel between adjacent Sea-Zones or to and from ports. Each move you make counts as one action. When you move your ship, place the miniature on a port if you’re moving to a port. The process stays the same, no matter what type of ship you have.

For example, let’s say I’m Frances Wright and I’m in Havana. I want to go to Nassau. On my turn, I first move from Havana to the Havana Sea-Zone (1 action). Then I move from the Havana Sea-Zone to the Nassau Sea-Zone (1 action). Finally, I move to the port of Nassau (1 action). Now I’ve used up all three of my actions. If I need to do any business in the port of Nassau, I’ll have to wait until my next turn.

II. Scout

If you want to find and attack a ship that’s in your Sea-Zone, you can use the “scout” action. Just let everyone know who or what you’re scouting for:

• A Captain from another player who’s in the same Sea-Zone (not in port)
• An NPC that’s in the same Sea-Zone

Imagine sailing the high seas, searching for treasures and adventure. I’m a captain navigating my ship through uncharted waters, with an important task on my hands. I need to find a specific ship, and it won’t be easy. But rest assured, I won’t give up until the mission is complete.

To begin my search, I roll the dice and rely on my scouting skills. If luck is on my side and I succeed, I discover the ship I’ve been looking for. It’s a thrilling moment, as I know a battle is about to ensue. Whether I’m facing off against other players or NPCs, I’m ready for the challenge.

But there’s a catch. I can’t scout for the same target again in the same turn. However, I can set my sights on a different ship in the same area, or venture to a new sea zone and begin my “scouting” all over again. Flexibility is key when navigating these uncertain waters.

It’s not an easy task being a captain, but it’s a life filled with excitement and endless possibilities. With every new adventure, there’s a chance to uncover hidden treasures and make a name for myself as a seasoned explorer. So, join me on this thrilling voyage, and let’s set sail together towards new horizons. Are you ready to embark on this epic journey?

Let’s dive into a little scenario. Imagine I’m playing a game. I start my turn in the same place as another player and a Merchant, who is represented by a Merchant Token. Now, I want to explore and find the player Captain who is also in the same area. So I decide to take a “scout” action. I roll the dice to see if I succeed, but unfortunately, I fail. Don’t worry, though! I can try again by spending another action. However, this time, I can’t search for the same player. Instead, I’ll try to find the Merchant.

III. Port

Now, let’s talk about ports. When you find yourself in a port, you have the opportunity to do various port activities. You can only do these once per turn, so make the most of it! Here are some of the things you can do:

• A. Sell Goods (You must do this as your first port activity)
• B. Buy Goods
• C. Visit Shipyard
• D. Recruit
• E. Acquire a Rumor
• F. Claim a Mission
• G. Stash Gold (home-port only)

If you want to sell goods, that should be your first task. You can do all the other tasks in any order you want. Each task can only be done once, and you have to finish one task before moving on to the next.

A. Sell Goods

Decide which goods (Cargo Cards) you want to sell. You can sell any goods for 3 Gold per card. But if the demand token next to the port shows a specific good, you can sell that good for 6 Gold. The Cargo Cards you sell are put face-up in the Cargo Card discard pile.

If you sell the “Good in Demand,” you replace the demand token with a new one from the reserve pool. After you change the demand token, you can’t sell any more goods that turn.

B. Time to Shop!

Alright, let’s go shopping! I’m going to draw the top 6 Cargo Cards for you. Keep them to yourself for now. If any of the cards have the goods that are in demand, we’ll discard them and draw some new ones to replace them. These cards are going to be the goods that you can choose from this turn. And guess what? There are 8 different types of goods!

Each Cargo Card has a base price of 3 Gold. But here’s where things get interesting. If you happen to draw two cards with the same type of good, the price for that good drops from 3 Gold to 2 Gold per card. And if you’re really lucky and manage to draw 3 or more cards with the same good, you can get that good for just 1 Gold per Cargo Card! How cool is that?

Now that you have your options laid out, it’s time to make a decision. Choose which cards you want to buy, pay their cost, and put them face down on your Player Board. But here’s a twist: if you buy any goods at a reduced price, you need to show a player of your choice the cards you bought and tell them your reduced price. But shhh! They can’t spill the beans and tell everyone what you bought.

When you’re playing the game, here’s what you need to keep in mind about handling the cards:

1. If you decide not to buy any cards, put them in the discard pile facing up. Similarly, if you need to make room for new cards by discarding old ones, discard them face-up as well.
2. When you run out of cards in the Cargo deck, make sure to shuffle it thoroughly and place it face down again.

Here are some additional rules you should know about:

• If you buy goods in the same port for two consecutive turns, you’ll only get to draw 3 Cargo Cards.
• While you’re in port, there’s no limit to how many Cargo Cards you can have. However, once you leave port, you must discard any cards that exceed your ship’s current Cargo value.

Now let’s talk about visiting the shipyard:

When you’re at the shipyard, you have several options. You can buy repairs, ship modifications, and special weapons for your ship. If you’re looking for an upgrade, you can also buy a new ship and sell your old one.

BuySell

Sloop	10	5
Flute	10	5
Frigate	35	10
Galleon	35	10
Repairs (per point of damage)	2	–
Ship Modification	3	*1
Special Weapons (per Token)	3	1
*Cannot be sold separately, but add a value of +1 Gold when selling your ship.

Buy/Sell Ships:

Hey! Are you looking to buy or sell ships? You’ve come to the right place! Let’s take a look at the options:

• The Sloop: It costs 10 Gold to buy and will fetch you 5 Gold when you sell it.
• The Flute: Another great choice! It’s also priced at 10 Gold and has a resale value of 5 Gold.
• The Frigate: This one is a bit pricier at 35 Gold to buy, but you can sell it for 10 Gold.
• The Galleon: The most expensive option on the list, but it’s worth it! It’s priced at 35 Gold and can be sold for 10 Gold.
• Repairs: If your ship gets damaged, it’ll cost you 2 Gold per point of damage to fix it up.
• Ship Modification: Want to customize your ship? It’ll cost you 3 Gold per modification*. Keep in mind that ship modifications add +1 Gold to the resale value of your ship.
• Special Weapons: These can come in handy during your adventures! Each token of special weapons costs 3 Gold and adds 1 Gold to the resale value of your ship. Pick them up if you can!

*Ship Modifications cannot be sold separately but will add +1 Gold to the total resale value of your ship.

Here’s a tip when buying a new ship: you’ll need to sell your old one. You can adjust the above sales price in the following ways:

• Add +1 Gold to the price for each Ship Modification you made.
• Subtract 1 Gold for each point of damage your ship has, excluding damage to the “Crew.”

Now that you have all the information, happy buying and selling!

If you sell a ship with Ship Modifications, they come back into play when you buy a new ship. You always need to have a ship, so if you sell your old one but can’t buy a new one, you can’t sell your ship at all.

It’s worth noting that you can’t buy or sell the Man-o-War. It can only be acquired through a hostile takeover and must be abandoned when you get a new ship.

Get Special Weapons:

You can buy Special Weapons in any port for 3 Gold per token. You can have one token of each Special Weapon, or all three if you want.

If your ship gets damaged, you can repair it for 2 Gold per point of damage. This covers all areas except for the Crew, which needs to be recruited.

Get Ship Modification:

When you’re at a port, the only Ship Modification you can purchase is the one represented by its “Ship Modification” token. After you take the “port” action, any face-down tokens in the port are revealed.

When you buy a Ship Modification, you place the token on your Player Board in the corresponding modification area. The port will no longer sell any Ship Modifications once you’ve made a purchase. Keep in mind that you’re not allowed to buy more than one of the same type of Ship Modification. The exception to this is in St. John, as explained in the St. John info text on the board, where you can transfer Ship Modifications from ship to ship.

It’s worth noting that most combat-related ship modifications don’t have an effect during Merchant Raids. They are primarily used for intense Player vs. Player or NPC battles.

	Extra Hammocks: This adds +1 to the ship’s “Crew” value (you’ll need to ‘recruit’ extra crew). Remember that your ship’s “Crew” can never exceed 5.
	Advanced Rigs & Sails: This adds +1 to the ship’s Maneuverability value.
	Reinforced Hull: Flip this token to absorb 1 point of damage after hit-locations have been determined. You can “repair” the token for 3 Gold in any port to refresh its ability.
	Extended Cargo Hold: This adds +1 to the ship’s Cargo value. Move your “Cargo” hit-location cube up one step. Just remember that a ship’s “Cargo” can never exceed 5.
	Chasers: Flip this token to inflict a hit after you or an opponent declares the “Flee” action. Flip it face up after combat has ended.
	Extra Cannon Port: This adds +1 to the ship’s “Cannons” value. Move the “Cannons” hit-location cube up one step. Just remember that “Cannons” can never exceed 5.
	Swivel Guns: Right before Crew Combat at sea, roll 2 dice. Inflict one hit on enemy “Crew” for each success. It doesn’t matter who initiated the boarding.
	Long Guns: Before the first round of Naval combat, roll a die for each of your “Cannons”. Inflict a hit for each success. Chain and Grape shots cannot be used.

When my ship with Ship Modifications is sunk, sold, or discarded, I have to distribute the Ship Modification tokens. I can choose any port and place the tokens randomly, face down. I make sure the port doesn’t already have any Ship Modification tokens.

Recruiting Crew

If I roll a successful Leadership roll, I can fill up my “Crew” with new members. But if the roll fails, I can still recruit “Crew” by paying 2 Gold for each member. However, my “Crew” can never exceed the “Crew” value of my ship.

Acquiring Rumors

To catch a rumor, I need to pay 2 Gold and roll my Influence skill. If I succeed, I draw a single Rumor Card. I read it to myself and place it face-down on my Player Board. I can only have one Rumor Card at a time. If I want to acquire a new Rumor, I have to choose which one to keep and shuffle the rejected rumors back into the deck.

So, here’s the deal. You know those rumors people talk about? Well, they might actually be onto something. Sometimes, to find out if a rumor is true, you gotta go explore specific ports or Sea-Zones. It’s like a little treasure hunt, you know? Anyway, when you’re at one of these places, you’ll need to do something called a “port” or “scout” action. Basically, you’ll have to roll the dice and use your skills in either Influence or Scouting. The rumor will have a special skill icon to let you know which one to use.

Alright, so once you’ve chosen the right action, you show the rumor to everyone, and then roll the required skill. If you’re not lucky enough and fail the roll, well, tough luck. The rumor turns out to be false, and you’ll have to ditch the card. But, if luck is on your side and you succeed, congratulations! The rumor was legit, and you get all the goodies that were promised.

Now, here’s the thing: most rumors just kind of fade away after that. You know, like a puff of smoke. But there are some exceptions, like the Forged Documents rumor. If a rumor card specifically says to do something else after it’s resolved, well, you gotta follow those instructions, my friend.

Oh, and guess what? When you solve a rumor and find out it’s true, you get a little something extra. Yup, you earn a Glory Point. And you know what that means? A Glory Card! So, keep your ears open for those whispers and get ready to uncover some juicy secrets.

F. Claim A Mission

The mission deck is full of different missions offered by various people in the game, like Governors, nobles, merchants, and pirates.

Every Mission Card has some important information at the top:

Earn: This tells you how much Gold or other benefits you can get.

Req: These are the things you need to do to claim the mission.

Location: This tells you where you can find the mission at a port.

If you try to take a mission and fail (like if you don’t roll high enough), the mission doesn’t go away. You can try again next turn or try another mission at the same port.

Once you’ve chosen a mission, flip it over and place it on your Player Board. Next, draw a fresh mission from the Missions Deck and put it in the specified spot on the card. This ensures that there are always two missions available for you to choose from. Remember, you can only have one mission at a time, but if you claim a new one, you can discard the old one.

Great news! Completing a mission not only gives you a sense of accomplishment, but it also earns you a Glory Point and a shiny new Glory Card.

G. Stash Gold

When I’m at my home port, I can hide some or all of the Gold I have on my ship by putting it in my stash container. Stashing means I’m keeping my Gold in a safe place where other players can’t get to it. Every 10 Gold that I stash secretly counts as 1 Glory Point. But I need to remember that only half of my points can come from stash!

I have to let the other players know when I stash Gold, but I don’t have to tell them how much I’m stashing. And no one knows the total amount of Gold I have stashed throughout the game – that’s my secret.

The only time I have to show the other players how much Gold I’ve stashed is when I declare that I have 10 Glory Points. When I’m at my home port, I can freely spend Gold from my stash or move it onto my ship.

Hey there! I’ve got a great tip for you: try to stash or spend your Gold as soon as you can. It’s not a good idea to sail around with too much Gold onboard because if you get sunk, you’ll lose all of it. And even worse, another player can come aboard and defeat you, taking all your hard-earned Gold. In just one move, they’ll gain a Glory Point and maybe even more if they stash your Gold. So, if you’re feeling the pressure and you’re far from your home-port, it might be worth considering upgrading to a larger ship.

Retirement

If you ever get tired of being a Captain or find yourself broke with a heavily damaged ship, retiring might be a sensible option for you.

To retire, you need to start your turn in a port and retire before doing anything else. Then, on your next turn, you go through the same steps as when you die, and your new Captain starts his adventures. It’s a fresh start!