Buccaneer (1938)

Buccaneer (1938) Rulebook

Table of Contents

1. Home Ports and Ships

Each player chooses a different Home Port and a corresponding ship of the same colour as the small discs under the name of the Port.

Amsterdam and Venice are not available for Home Ports.

A ship is in Port only when it is on that square marked Harbour.

2. Treasure

All treasure consists of six pieces of each of the following:

Diamonds: value 5
Rubies: value 5
Gold: value 4
Pearls: value 3
Rum: value 2

3. Dealer

The Chance Cards are shuffled and players will cut for deal, the player cutting the highest numbered card is the dealer.

4. Chance Cards

The Chance Cards are re-shuffled and placed face down on Treasure Island in the recess provided.

5. Crew Cards

The Crew Cards are shuffled and 2 cards are placed face up in the spaces marked "Crew and Treasure for sale" at the Ports of Amsterdam and Venice, and when less than 6 players are playing, 2 Crew Cards are placed face up at each Port not chosen for a Home Port, beginning with the first of such Ports to the left of the Dealer. The cards are re-shuffled, and 6 cards dealt to each player, placing the remainder of the pack face downwards on Pirate Island.

The loss of Crew Cards as the result of an attack or by any Chance Cards (excepting Nos. 2 and 22) is from a player's hand to the exclusion of any Crew Cards which may be at his Home Port.

6. Treasure and Crew for Sale at Ports

The Crew Cards at the unoccupied Ports are for sale and before play begins Treasure is taken from Treasure Island and is added to the crew for sale to make a combined total value of 8 at each of such ports. The highest value treasure is used.

7. Play

The Dealer moves first, and he and each successive player to his left has the choice of:

(a) Sailing for Treasure Island to take a chance. (See Rule 9.) (b) Sailing into any Port to trade. (See Rule 10.) (c) Sailing to attack an Opponent. (See Rule 12.)

Note: At any turn to play either before sailing or subsequently when his ship is in his Home Port, the player may leave Crew for sale.

8. Sailing

Each player has the option of entering or leaving a port by any one of the three directions indicated by the arrows on the board.

Each move of a ship is made along one straight line only, which is either along a column of squares or diagonally.

The number of squares moved may be any number, but must not exceed at any time the sailing value of a player's hand, which is the total value of all the Crew Cards of both colours in his hand.

In moving his ship a player must, at the END OF THE MOVE, place his ship to point in the direction he may wish to go at his next turn to play.

A player's ship shall be moved at each turn to play, except when in the player's Home Port.

Turning a ship to point in a different direction on the square it is already on constitutes a move except in any Port.

At no time shall more than two ships be on one square, but two or more ships may be together in any Port.

A ship may be sailed through a square on which is an Opponent's ship, but shall stop on that square if the latter declares attack. (See Rule 12.)

9. Visiting Treasure Island

Immediately a player's ship stops on any square directly adjacent the coast of Treasure Island, the player takes a Chance Card (always the topmost of the pile), discloses it to all the players, obeys its instructions, and returns it to the base of the pile unless it is a card which has to be kept for further use.

A ship already visiting Treasure Island may continue to take a further Chance Card at each turn to play by remaining on the squares adjacent the Island, as for example, by turning on the same square, or by moving along the coast of Treasure Island.

A Chance Card shall be obeyed as completely as possible.

A player drawing Chance Card No. 1 by which his ship is blown five leagues from the coast of Treasure Island, shall move his ship, irrespective of any other ship, to the fifth square from the Island in a direction at right angles to the coast and irrespective of the direction in which his ship was originally pointing.

If the player's ship is on a square at any corner of Treasure Island, the five leagues (squares) are counted diagonally from that corner of the Island.

The player may point his ship in the direction in which he may wish to go in his next turn to play, and may also do so when blown to Cliff Creek or to Mud Bay.

A player drawing Chance Card No. 7 cannot obey if his ship is equidistant from two other ships.

Chance Cards No. 2 and No. 22, each apply to all crew cards in a player's possession, i.e., those in his hand and any at his Home Port, the cards, in the case of No. 2 (handed to the Opponent) and in the case of No. 22 (returned to Pirate Island) being selected from his hand and/or his Home Port at the player's discretion.

When a ship attacks another ship on the coast of Treasure Island, the attack is settled under Rule 12, after which the player whose ship moved to the attack takes a Chance Card.

A ship may at no time carry more than two pieces of treasure.

Any treasure however acquired outside a ship's Home Port is placed on board the player's ship and may be landed only at any Port or Ports entered by the player's ship.

10. Trading at Other Ports

A ship sailing into any port may trade by exchanging at the player's turn to play (i.e., either on sailing into, or on sailing out of the port) crew and/or treasure value for value, Chance Cards such as pieces of Eight, Doubloon, etc.

11. Home Port

Any crew or treasure or value Chance Card such as Pieces of Eight, Doubloon, Kidds Chart, or Long John Silver, which may have been left at a Home Port, may be freely taken up by the Home Port player at his turn to play, provided that his ship is in his Home Port at any time during his turn to play, and when his ship is in his Home Port, a player may transfer treasure or crew from his ship to his Docks or vice-versa.

12. Attacking an Opponent's Ship

A ship is immune from attack in any Port.

To attack an opponent's ship a player shall sail his own ship onto the square on which is the opponent's ship, and shall place his own ship alongside his opponent's ship, but may point his own ship in either direction.

The player then declares "attack," upon which the two players concerned temporarily exchange their Crew Cards, thus finding out their opponent's fighting value.

The FIGHTING VALUE is determined by totalling the value of one colour of crew and deducting from it the total value of the other colour of crew, if any.

For example: 6 Red and 4 Black, or 4 Red and 6 Black gives a fighting value of 2 in each case; 10 Red and 10 Black gives a fighting value of Nil, the sailing values being 10, 10, and 20, respectively. Either an all Black or an all Red crew of 20 would have a Sailing and also a Fighting Value of 20.

A player may declare attack immediately an opponent's ship attempts to pass through a square on which is his own ship, whereupon the ship attempting to pass shall stop alongside, and the attack be settled. The player with the greater Fighting Value wins the attack.

The winner shall demand and receive from the loser either:

(a) All treasure on board the losing ship; should the winner already have treasure aboard, the surplus treasure, e.g., that of lowest value or otherwise at the winner's discretion, is returned to Treasure Island. (b) Not more than two Crew Cards, colour and value at loser's discretion.

Immediately the attack has been settled, the loser shall make one free move in any direction, irrespective of his next turn to play and shall not attack anyone in such free move, which is not a "turn to play."

The loser's free move may be used, for example, either to visit Treasure Island, in which case a Chance Card is taken under Rule 9, or to sail towards or into a Port or to a position enabling an attack to be made as at a subsequent turn to play.

The winner, when moving at his next turn to play, shall move only in the direction his ship is pointing, as occasioned by his having been alongside his opponent.

In the event of a drawn Fight between two players of the same Fighting Value, the ship attacked has a free move exactly as that provided for a loser.

13. Derelicts

A derelict is a ship without a Crew, and may drift one square per turn to play, in any direction.

14. Pirates Island

Whenever Crew Cards are taken from Pirates Island these are taken from the top of the pile, and whenever Crew Cards are returned to Pirates Island, they are placed face down and beneath the pile.

15. Flat Island

Any Crew or treasure on Flat Island is free to any ship already on, or on arrival on, any square adjacent Flat Island, and any ship on a square adjacent Flat Island, may land or take off any Crew there, in the player's turn to play.

16. Checking an Opponent's Sailing Move

Following a player's move, and before play by the next player, any opponent may check the first player's sailing strength. This shall be ascertained by inspection of the backs of his cards by any opponent other than the challenger, and if his move is thus proved to exceed his sailing value, the challenged player shall lose all his Crew to Pirates Island.

17. Treasure on Board

No more than two treasures may be carried on a ship at the same time.

18. Safety Zone

Treasure deposited in the "Safety Zone" cannot be traded, but Treasure can only be put into the Safety Zone in quantities of three treasure of a kind. If, however, there are three treasure of a kind already in the "Safety Zone," another treasure of the same kind can be added to the other three.

19. Winner

The game is won by the first player who with his ship in his HOME PORT has collected Treasure at his "Docks and Safety Zone" to a total value of 20 points.

Chance Cards

Texts of the 28 Chance Cards, from the scans of the 1938 cards.

Your ship is blown five leagues (five squares) off the coast of Treasure Island, and if your crew total is 3 or less, take 4 crew cards from Pirate Island.
Present this card to any player who shall thereupon give you 3 crew cards. This card must be used at once and replaced.
You are blown to Mud Bay, and if your crew total is 3 or less, take 4 crew cards from Pirate Island.
You are blown to Cliff Creek, and if your crew total is 3 or less, take 4 crew cards from Pirate Island.
You are blown to your Home Port, and if your crew total is 3 or less, take 4 crew cards from Pirate Island.
You are blown to the nearest Port in the direction you are heading, and if your crew total is 3 or less, take 4 crew cards from Pirate Island.
One treasure or two crew cards are washed overboard to the nearest ship.
You have lost one treasure or two crew cards washed overboard to Flat Island.
Your most valuable treasure, or if no treasure, your best crew card has been washed overboard to Flat Island.
Your best crew card has deserted to Pirate Island.
Take treasure up to 5 in total value, or 2 crew cards from Pirate Island.
Take treasure up to 4 in total value, or 2 crew cards from Pirate Island.
Take treasure up to 5 in total value, or 2 crew cards from Pirate Island.
Take treasure up to 7 in total value, or 3 crew cards from Pirate Island.
Take 2 crew cards from Pirate Island.
Take treasure up to 7 in total value, and reduce your ship's crew to 10 by landing crew on Pirate Island.
Take treasure up to 6 in total value, and reduce your ship's crew to 11 by landing crew on Pirate Island.
Take treasure up to 4 in total value, and if your crew total is 7 or less, take 2 crew cards from Pirate Island.

Instruction Sheet

From the separate Waddingtons "Instruction Sheet for the New Game Buccaneer" (U.K. Patent No. 494,037), a game for 2 to 6 players. "Kindly read through very carefully."

Equipment

Playing Board.
Pack of Chance Cards.
Pack of Crew Cards.
Tray, representing Treasure Island.
6 Ships, with sails ready for fixing.
Pieces of Treasure: Diamonds, Rubies, Bars of Gold, Pearls, Barrels of Rum.

The Idea of the Game

The idea of the game is to collect Treasure to a total value of 20 points made up by adding the value of the last cargo brought to the player's HOME PORT to that of any Treasure already there whether in the "Safety Zone" or in the space marked "Docks."

A player collects Treasure by SAILING his ship from his Home Port to VISIT TREASURE ISLAND where the draw of a Chance Card may give him Treasure or Crew, or to another Port for trading, or to attack another ship.

On ATTACKING AN OPPONENT'S SHIP Treasure or Crew are taken by the winner (the one with the greater FIGHTING VALUE). Fighting value is therefore important for defence as well as attack. Kindly read the Instructions and Laws very carefully before playing.

Preparation for Play

Open out the Playing Board, and place the tray representing Treasure Island in the centre of the Board. Place all "Treasure" in the tray of Treasure Island.

Shuffle and place the Chance Cards in the slotted groove on Treasure Island, as indicated.

Players decide at which Port they will play (which for convenience will be the one nearest to where they are sitting) and take the boat of corresponding colour, placing it in the square marked "Harbour" at their Home Port. The Ports of Amsterdam and Venice are left unoccupied, to facilitate trading, as will be seen later.

Shuffle the Crew Cards, and place two cards face up on the Docks of each unoccupied Port. In this manner, cards will always be placed at Venice and Amsterdam, and at any other Ports not occupied by a player.

Shuffle the Crew Cards again, and deal six cards to each player, placing the remainder of the pack face downwards on Pirate Island.

By taking Treasure from Treasure Island, MAKE UP the "point value" to 8 at each of the Ports to which two Crew Cards were previously dealt. The Treasure values are as follows:

Diamonds: Five Points
Rubies: Five Points
Gold: Four Points
Pearls: Three Points
Rum: Two Points

The point value of each Crew Card is the number of sailors on each Crew Card, which for convenience is indicated by a figure in the corner and also on the back of the card.

All players examine the six cards dealt to them (being careful that their opponents do not see the faces of the cards) to ascertain the following:

(a) Sailing Strength, which is the total value of the Crew held in the hand. (b) Fighting Strength, which is the difference between the totals of the Black Cards and the Red Cards held in the hand.

Illustrations on the sheet (three sample hands of six cards):

Hand one: the Sailing Strength of this hand is 12 squares, the Fighting Strength is 4.
Hand two: the Sailing Strength of this hand is 10 squares, the Fighting Strength is 2.
Hand three (all Black cards): the Sailing Strength of this hand is 13 squares, the Fighting Strength is also 13.

The Object of the Game

The winner of the game is the first player to collect Treasure to the value of 20 points, and land it safely in his Home Port.

A player may obtain Treasure by three methods:

i. Sailing to the coast of Treasure Island, and turning up Chance Cards. ii. Sailing to other Ports, and exchanging Crew Cards for Treasure. iii. By attacking other ships at sea.

The Play

The Dealer moves first.

The first player sails his boat in any of the three directions, from his Harbour, and he is entitled to move his boat in a straight line, any number of squares, up to but not exceeding his Sailing Strength.

AT THE END OF HIS TURN THE PLAYER MUST POINT HIS BOAT IN THE DIRECTION IN WHICH HE INTENDS TO PROCEED ON HIS NEXT TURN.

This constitutes the first player's turn, and the second player moves his ship, and so on.

If a player does not wish to move any number of squares, but just desires to change his direction, this constitutes a turn.

Ships can only sail in a forward direction.

For further particulars, see the Laws of the Game.