Pirate Versus Pirate
Pirate Versus Pirate Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Object of Pirate Versus Pirate
Each player controls a band of Pirates attempting to retrieve the precious treasure while fighting off rival Pirates. There are three ways to win: retrieve two of the three silver coins, retrieve the single gold coin, or eliminate all rival Pirates.
Setting Up
Each player selects a color and controls the Pirates and rowboat with oars of that color throughout the game. The game board is placed on the table and the Pirates and Coins are arranged as indicated in the graphic below.
The printed rules show a 2 Player Setup and a 3 Player Setup diagram on the game board, with a key for Pirate (hexagon), Silver Coin and Gold Coin. The diagrams are not reproduced here; the starting positions are the ones shown in the graphic.
Playing the Game
- Each player rolls both dice. The player with the highest total takes the first turn.
- A turn consists of rolling both dice, totaling the numbers rolled, and moving one Pirate exactly that many spaces. See "Moving," "Collecting Coins," and "Attacking."
- Players take turns in clockwise order until a player has fulfilled one of the three winning conditions. See "Delivering Coins to the Rowboat."
Winning the Game
The first player to retrieve two of the three silver coins, retrieve the single gold coin, or eliminate all rival Pirates wins Pirate Versus Pirate.
Moving
Each turn, a player rolls both dice, totals the numbers rolled, and moves one Pirate exactly that many spaces.
- A player may only move his or her own Pirates.
- Pirates may only move to adjacent triangles, that is, those connected by one side of the triangle.
- A Pirate may only move along a clear path. He may not jump over or pass through other Pirates, regardless of color.
- A Pirate may not move onto an individual triangle more than one time per turn.
- If a player cannot make a legal move with the total of the numbers rolled, he or she misses that turn.
Collecting Coins
- When a Pirate passes through or lands on a triangle containing a coin, he must collect that coin. The coin is placed beneath the Pirate and travels with him until he delivers it to his rowboat, he abandons it, or he is eliminated from the game.
- A Pirate who is carrying a coin follows the same movement rules as other Pirates except he may not: attack other Pirates, collect other coins, or move onto a space containing another coin.
- To abandon a coin, a Pirate simply moves away from that space, leaving the coin where it was at the beginning of the turn. Coins may not be abandoned mid-move. After abandoning a coin, a Pirate may not attack another Pirate or collect another coin during that turn.
Attacking
- To attack, a Pirate must end his move on the triangle occupied by an opponent's Pirate. The opponent's Pirate is thereby eliminated from the game and removed from the board.
- When a Pirate carrying a coin is attacked, he is eliminated from the game and the attacking Pirate takes control of the coin.
- A Pirate who is carrying a coin may not attack another Pirate.
- A Pirate who is abandoning a coin may not attack another Pirate during that turn.
Delivering Coins to the Rowboat
To deliver a coin, a Pirate must collect that coin and carry it back to his rowboat.
A Pirate must end his move on the space in the rowboat designated for that coin. The pirate must move exactly as many spaces as were rolled and may not deliver the coin mid-move.
- Silver Coins: A silver coin may be delivered to either of the two spaces showing a silver coin in a player's rowboat. When a silver coin is delivered, it is removed from the board and placed near the player to indicate that the player needs to collect only one more silver coin to win. The Pirate who delivered the coin remains on the board and can be moved in a later turn.
- The Gold Coin: The gold coin may only be delivered to the single space showing a gold coin in a player's rowboat. The player whose Pirate delivered the gold coin wins the game.
No Backstabbing Variation
The No Backstabbing variation is for players who prefer a more strategic game. In this variation Pirates may not be attacked from behind. In other words, the attacking pirate must come from one of the other two adjacent spaces.
When a Pirate is moved, the player controlling that Pirate must decide which direction that Pirate will face and place that Pirate with the back of his base squarely against one of the sides of the triangle. The Pirate's nose indicates the front of the base and the opposite side is the back. The Pirate may be placed in any of the three possible orientations, but that decision must be made before the end of that player's turn.
To set up the game, all players place their six Pirates in their starting locations with the backs of their bases against one of the sides of the triangle in which they are placed. All other rules remain the same as in the standard game.