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Blue Coats: Black Flags

Blue Coats: Black Flags

(Self-Published)
2–445–90 min10+ yrs3.0/5 complexity8.7 BGG1Strategy
short answer

How do you play Blue Coats: Black Flags?

Not just another pirate game, "Blue Coats - Black Flags" is a historical deck-building board game that has 4 unique factions (2 more added in the upcoming "Yankees and Frogs" expansion).

To find the best price for Blue Coats: Black Flags, howtoplay.ro compares deals from Romanian shops every day.

Blue Coats: Black Flags box art
official art · (Self-Published)

Not just another pirate game, "Blue Coats - Black Flags" is a historical deck-building board game that has 4 unique factions (2 more added in the upcoming "Yankees and Frogs" expansion).

The British faction is based on the historically proud navy of the British empire. Its crews and fighting prowess is unmatched in the game. When the British tasked its navy to get something done in the late 1700s and early 1800s, there was none better than the blue coats of Britain.

The Spanish faction is past its prime, but still has plenty of teeth to compete with the British. However, its main focus is to get treasure ships back to Spain while avoiding pirates and other navies who also have a hunger for gold.

The pirate faction is a disjointed conglomeration of characters like Blackbeard, Jack Rackham, Mary Read, Black Bart Roberts, and others, each trying to capture victory points by looting, pillaging, or capturing prize ships. If they can pull together and establish a Pirate Republic and add a little whimsy, the black flags of the pirate faction may even have enough swagger to take on the navy factions in the game.

The merchant faction produces exports and seeks to get them back to Europe. They establish plantations, produce crops and get them to port, then ship them off for export. Of course, with pirates lurking everywhere and navy captains stopping your ships for inspection, it'll take everything the faction has to produce enough VP for a win.

So, pick your side and customize your deck (or play with the suggested decks) to give yourself the best chance to win.

The game is packed with historically accurate people and ships of the Age of Sail and Age of Piracy. They made history. Can you rewrite it?

Note: 2 more factions have been added in preparation for our Kickstarter event in late summer of 2023.  The "Yankees and Frogs" expansion adds the American and French factions to the game for even more historical shenanigans and cooperation.  

—description from the designer

🔬 game anatomy
Complexity3.0 / 5
BGG rating8.7 / 10
Vibe
Strategy
Language dependence
Extensive text — heavy translation needed
Play time
45–90 min
Players
2–4
Recommended age
10+ yrs

from Trișache · verified

Frequently asked questions

Q1How much does Blue Coats: Black Flags cost?
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Q2Where can I buy Blue Coats: Black Flags cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q3How do you play Blue Coats: Black Flags?
Blue Coats: Black Flags is a age of reason game, for 2–4 players, taking ~45–90 minutes. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Blue Coats: Black Flags — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q4How many players does Blue Coats: Black Flags support?
Blue Coats: Black Flags is played by 2–4 players.
Q5How long does a game of Blue Coats: Black Flags take?
A game of Blue Coats: Black Flags takes about 45–90 minutes. (The first game doesn't count. It never counts.)
Q6What age is Blue Coats: Black Flags for?
Blue Coats: Black Flags is recommended from age 10.
Q7How complex is Blue Coats: Black Flags?
Blue Coats: Black Flags has a BoardGameGeek complexity of 3.0 out of 5.
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