(Originally published on August 30, 2009)
Designer:
James M. Day
Player count: 1 to 4
Publisher:
GMT Games
During
the first World War, many German warships and raiders attacked and pillaged
merchantmen crossing the wrong sea at the wrong time. The British navy did what
it could to stop them, but at a price.
The Kaiser’s Pirates invites
players to play both parts at once, and try to make the best of what each side
had going for it. Whoever manages to best defend his own ships—while sinking as
many opposing vessels as possible—will emerge victorious.
The
game doesn’t require a lot to stay afloat: inside the box are four decks of
cards, a handful of small wooden cubes and a bag of polyhedral dice used to
resolve combat. Throw in a rulebook and a reference card, and skippers are
ready to leave port.
Each
player is dealt three German ships and three merchant ships (that can belong to
a variety of nations), plus a hand of six action cards. On his turn, a player commits
as many action cards as he wants by placing them face down in front of him.
Action cards are then resolved in any order desired.
There
are always two uses to an action card: an intercept (which is an abstraction of
the British navy) and an actual action described on the card. Placement of the
card—horizontally or vertically—indicates how the acting player wants to use
it.
When
the actual action is the intended
use, the action card is simply read aloud and its result applied, from limiting
enemy supplies to scuttling one’s own ship before it’s captured.
An
action card played as an intercept presents two alternatives. By itself, the
card becomes an attack by the British navy on an enemy German ship, whereas an
action card played as an Intercept on one of the acting player’s own German
ships represents a German attack against one enemy merchant ship. In both
cases, appropriate dice—showed as attack dice on the action card (for a British
intercept) or on the triggered ship (for a German intercept) are rolled, with
only the highest single number being retained. Defense dice (as indicated on
the target ship, be it German or a merchantmen) are rolled in turn, again with
only the highest single number being retained.
If
the attack is higher than the defense, a red damage cube is placed on the
target ship and will hinder that ship’s future actions. If the attack is at
least double the defense, the target ship is sunk and its value added to the
acting player’s victory total.
Some
action cards—sporting a green background—are “assist” cards played to modify
one’s own action. Boarding Party, for
instance, lets a player attempt to capture an enemy ship instead of sinking it.
Other
action cards—this time with a blue background—are “reaction” cards used in
response to an opponent’s action or intercept. Those allow target ships to
evade their attackers and generate some unexpected havoc for opposing ships.
After
his turn, a player draws one—and only one—action card, meaning it’s not always
a good idea to play multiple cards on the same turn.
The
round is over when the last action card is drawn. Victory points are tallied,
with the player in last place earning one round point, the next one in line two
points, and so on all the way to the top (which would be four points in a
four-handed game).
Players
then start over for a new round, after three of which the points from all
rounds are added up. Highest total wins.
ALONE ON DECK
Included
in the box is a solitaire deck that makes is possible for a lone gamer to play
against a “phantom player.” The game is set up just like a two-player match,
except that each of the phantom’s plays is decided by a card flip and a die
roll. The resulting action (as well as defensive rolls against the live player)
might benefit from assist or reaction cards—all decided by turning over the top
card of the solitaire deck and following the indications there.
TWO IF BY SEA
Four-handed
games can also unfold as a team affair. This essentially boils down to
combining team-members’ scores at the end of the game, although a couple of
action cards were designed to specifically affect the proceedings in a team
game.
WAR PRODUCTION
We’re
talking cards here, so two factors overrule all others: cardstock and clarity.
Cardstock
is not a problem, nor is the finish. My cards handle well, shuffle well, and I
expect them to last a good long time. What’s more, the ship illustrations are
all very nice and historically accurate, making for a nice display on the table
top.
On
the other hand, clarity is, well, a bit opaque. Dice used for attack, defense
and the resolution of many action cards can be a d4, a d6, a d8 or a d10 (dice
combinations are also pretty common). Those are illustrated on the relevant
ships and action cards. Each die has its color which should normally help
players figure out what’s needed at a glance, even when looking at ships on the
far side of the table. But size is a problem: the dice icons are way too small.
At a distance of a few feet and under good lighting conditions, even the red d4
and white d6 become difficult to identify in a snap—so the distinction between
green d8 and blue d10 becomes a blur. Strangely, the available real estate on
each card would have made it possible for the dice icons to be three or four
times their current size, yet GMT didn’t decide to take advantage of this.
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
This
is an easy game with simple rules. The basic concepts are pretty
straightforward, and most of the action cards are self-explanatory (the
included player aid provides detailed explanations for each card). The rules
themselves are rather clear and to the point, except that they are presented
out of logical sequence. For instance, the setup section of the rules explains
in detail (one full page) how to assign points at the end of a round and how to
proceed to the next round. Then the rulebook seems to get back on track and
starts to explain that players must commit action cards before they can be
used… and moves on to exposing combat rules. What of the action cards? Their
use is explained in the very last section of the basic rules, 3.2.8, under
“Using action cards.”
This
unfortunate sequencing results in a rule set that’s a bit difficult to grasp when
it should it be very simple. After reading the rules a few times and actually
playing the game, it appears that an easier rules reading sequence would be as
follows (give it a shot if you feel lost):
1.0
to 2.2
3.0
to 3.1.2
3.2
to 3.2.2
3.2.8
3.2.3
to 3.2.7
3.1.3
to 3.1.10
2.3
to 2.5
The
rulebook does provide a couple of detailed examples of play (including one for
the solitaire game) that are very well done and shed a welcome light on the
game’s mechanics.
FUN FACTOR
The Kaiser’s Pirates is a light,
fun game that will not disappoint unless it’s taken too seriously. This is by
no means a meaty endeavor: it works better as an evening closer between
wargaming friends. And as such, the game delivers what it promises: action,
interesting decisions and a generous helping of take that sure to keep competitive gamers healthy.
However,
since the game doesn’t evolve during a session—the ending plays exactly like
the opening did—it ought not to overstay its welcome. The rules suggest using a
40-card action deck for two players, and that feels about right. But with more
players, I’d recommend shedding some more cards than what the rulebook
proposes. 80 action cards for four players make a game clock in at something
like 90 minutes, which is way too long for what it is. Same thing with the
three-player, 60-card action deck. I found that ditching 20 more cards in each
case resulted in a playing time more tailored to the depth of the game.
The
solitaire game works really well. In fact, I would venture to say that it’s the
most rewarding solitaire experience I’ve had with a boardgame so far, full of
twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. The game is worth it
for the solitaire engine alone, even if you never get to play it against a
human opponent.
The
team rules are fine but don’t add a whole lot to the overall experience. The optional
rules found at the back of the rulebook, however, infuse the gameplay with some
more historical flavor and a few finer points that make some decisions a little
trickier. Do try them out once you’re familiar with the basic game.
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