Pirates of the Spanish Main cover
2004BGG rank #5,556

Pirates of the Spanish Main

by James Ernest, Michael Mulvihill, Mike Selinker · WizKids (I)

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Players2–10
Time30m
ComplexityLight
Age10+

About the game

What is Pirates of the Spanish Main?

Pirates of the Spanish Main is the world’s first constructible strategy game. In Pirates of the Spanish Main, players make fleets of ships to sail to different islands looking for treasure. This booty is obtained in one of two ways: commanding your salty dogs to dig it out of the ground or sending your opponent’s ships to Davy Jones’ locker! Either way, game play is fast and fun, and the built-in damage tracking system makes Pirates of the Spanish Main the game of choice of wannabe-buccaneers everywhere. Pirates of the Spanish Main includes numerous different collectible pieces, including ships, crew, treasure, and famous (and infamous!) personalities. It sells in booster packs that include all materials required for play, which typically consists of two ships, an island, crew, treasure, a small six-sided die, and complete rules for play.

How it plays

Mechanics

Dice RollingMeasurement MovementPick-up and DeliverVariable Player PowersVariable Set-up

On the shelf

Categories

Collectible ComponentsExplorationFightingMiniaturesNauticalPike and ShotPiratesWargame

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

  • How do setup and the first turn work in Pirates of the Spanish Main?
  • When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
  • How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?