Components

• 120 Cards:

  • 60 Persons

  • 6 Expeditions

  • 4 Tax Increases

  • 50 Ships (10 per color)

• Setup:

  1. For fewer than 5 players, remove the special 5-player Expedition card and return it to the box.

  2. Shuffle the remaining cards and place them face down as the draw pile.

  3. Each player starts with 3 coins, drawn from the deck face down with the coin side showing.
     

Objective

Players aim to accumulate victory points by hiring persons, fulfilling expeditions, and earning coins. The first player to reach 12 victory points triggers the end of the game, with the player holding the most points declared the winner.

Gameplay Phases

Each turn is divided into two phases:

1. Discover Phase

• The active player draws cards from the draw pile into the harbor display one at a time.

• The player may stop drawing voluntarily or continue, but if two ships of the same color are drawn without being repelled, the turn ends immediately.

• Card types:

  • Persons: Provide abilities and victory points when hired.

  • Ships: Offer coins but can be repelled using Sailors or Pirates with matching sword values.

  • Expeditions: Remain available for fulfillment by any player meeting the requirements.

  • Tax Increases: Players with 12+ coins lose half, while others may gain coins based on the card’s instructions.

2. Trade & Hire Phase

• The active player may take 1–3 cards from the harbor display based on the number of differently colored ships present:

  • 0–3 colors: 1 card

  • 4 colors: 2 cards

  • 5 colors: 3 cards

• Other players may take 1 card by paying the active player 1 coin.

• Trade: Collect coins by taking a ship card and discarding it.

• Hire: Pay coins to hire a person and gain their abilities and victory points.
  

Special Rules

• Repelling Ships: Use Sailors or Pirates with enough swords to discard a ship instead of placing it in the harbor display.

• Expeditions: Discard the required persons to fulfill an expedition, gaining its victory points and coin reward.

• Ending the Turn: Discard all unclaimed cards in the harbor display and proceed to the next player.
  

End of the Game

• The game ends when one player reaches 12 victory points.

• Complete the round, allowing each player an equal number of turns.

• The player with the most victory points wins. In the event of a tie, the player with the most remaining coins wins. If still tied, the players share the victory.

Variant:The game ends when a player has 12 victory points and at least one expedition. The winner must have both to claim victory.