Date:   Thu, 28 Jul 1994 15:38:04 -0800
From:   Jeff Kouba 
Subj:   Blackbeard Hints


   Blackbeard has become one of the favorite games amongst my gaming group.  
The artwork (chrome, bells and whistles, etc...) is wonderful, and just adds 
to the pleasure of sailing the deep blue sea sacking ports and sending 
hapless merchants to Davey Jones' locker.

   You asked for some playing tips. Avalon Hill's 'The General' magazine had 
an issue devoted to Blackbeard awhile back.  It is the Vol. 27 No. 6 issue.  
If you are new to the game, I would recommend getting this issue if it is 
still available.  There is a replay of solitaire game, which was invaluable 
in helping me see how the rules worked.  There is an article giving some of 
the historical background of the pirating era, and there is an article on 
"Helpful Suggestions for Beginners" by Cliff Odell.  This article was also a 
great help for me in figuring out how to play the game. I thought I would 
pass along some of the playing tips in that article.
   
   The first thing is deciding if your pirate should start with a Sloop or a 
Schooner. The Sloop has one more Combat Point, but the Schooner has a special
Evasion die roll that helps you avoid warships in coastal waters.  The 
trouble is, in Blackbeard, that one Combat Point (as well as the difference
between an ability of 3 or 4 in a pirate) can make a HUGE difference in the 
game.  Also, the Schooner is used with the premise that you will be searching
in Coastal waters.  In my opinion, this is suicide! If your search turns up
a storm, you roll 2 dice for damage, and that often is enough to sink you.  
Therefore, the risk of sinking in a storm is too great to warrant the slim 
benefits of a Schooner. In fact, no one I have ever played with has started
with a Schooner!
  
   A related issue is of course Searching. I would recommend never searching
in Coastal waters unless you have a 3 Masted SquareRigger, which can take the
damage. I always search in deep waters only, because Storms in Coastal waters
can be deadly.
  
   OK, where do you start your pirate? The North Atlantic/Caribbean area will 
see the most Merchants appear, and the North Atlantic has a +1 bonus in 
searching for hostages, so your pirate might see a steady income from sailing
in these waters.  However, the Indian Ocean on average produces the most 
booty.  Also, there a quite a few weak ports in the Indian Ocean, which can
lead to quick wealth and notoriety. The downside is that the Indian Ocean 
(and the Gold Coast) are smaller, and it's easier for Kings Commisioners 
(KCs) to trap a pirate.

   Now, remember when you sink a Merchant, or attack a port, you become 
enemies with that country.  Therefore, you need to decide what countries you 
will befriend and which ones you will anatagonize. Remember, you cannot land 
in a port belonging to a country you are enemies with.  So, if you start in 
the North Atlantic/Caribbean, you will probably want to remain friend with
either Britain or Spain.  If you make enemies with both of them, that leaves
you only 3 ports you can land in (plus 2 Pirate Havens), and those are 3 
ports that you might want to sack.  Also, Britain and Spain both have some 
very strong ports that would be desirable for Safe Havens, so it would be a 
good idea to pick one as an ally and stick with it. The same principle goes 
for the other two oceans. Keep enough friends so you have ports to land in, 
while keeping an eye towards ports that would be easy sacking.

   Regarding sacking, it is a quick way to acquire fame and wealth, but it 
can be dangerous.  Unless you have a pirate with an ability of at least 4, 
you might be better off leaving the stronger ports alone till you get a 
stronger ship (Brigantine or 3 Masted).  Some people like to begin the game 
by raiding the port of Campeche right off the bat.  It has a port value of 3, 
and a defense of 7.  It is the only port in the game that has that high a 
value for that low a defense.  It is risky to start that way, but you can get
a maximum of 1800 gold pieces and a notoriety of 21 right out of the gate, so
that is the lure.  Personally, I would not even consider it unless I have a 
pirate of ability 4 AND I can still use Cunning. Don't underestimate the 
importance of Cunning.  It can save your hide when it comes to raiding ports 
(or fighting KCs or Warships) so don't spend it on just anything.
  
   The rest of the game should be simple enough to understand. Always  watch
your Crew Unrest.  If you need to take a D&R, do so. If you have a KC, and 
you are not doing much with him at the moment, I like to put my KCs in a port
so they will not get scurvy if I happen to draw that event.  Get Letters of
Marque if you can.  The British ones especially can be invaluable.  If you 
get a hostage, look at what ports you would most likely get information
on before you torture the poor soul.  For instance, if you are friends with
the British, and you are in the North Atlantic, there is only one non-British
port in that ocean, so torturing a hostage would most likely give information
on a port that you would probably not attack anyway, and you would probably 
lose the ransom money for that hostage while gaining nothing.  Only torture 
if you have a good chance of getting information on a port of an enemy 
country.
  
   Only use Pirate Havens to recuperate from wounds/disease or to repair your
ship. Never sell money, as the 20% off the top can be a lot.

  I hope these tips have been a help. Enjoy the game!

 -- Jeff