Legends of the High Seas: X marks the spot!

My gallant crew!

Well, I actually managed to get along to Guildford and play two games of Legends of the High Seas with Mike. We played the X marks the spot scenario where you lay 6 numbered cards face down in the middle of the board, which is supposed to be an island. You have to throw a dice to see which number will be the treasure chest and then, during the game, move your figures into contact with the six possible sites to see which one is the chest.

Into the jungle

Once you have had a figure next to the card for a move you can turn it up and see whether it is the chest or not. It then turns into a sprint to the edge of the board where, in theory, your ships lie.

One of my musketmen opens fire..

..and actually hits!

In the first game I split my crew into two lots of four but Mike found the chest very early on and towards his edge of the table. He got his crew up forward quickly and I couldn't chase him down before he escaped off the board with his chest (or in our case, a small boy, as we didn't have a chest model -something I need to rectify before the next game!).

Mike's crew make off with the boy through a stand of banana trees as I try to outflank the hill

In the second game I split my force into four teams of two and got some to check the chest sites whilst trying to get some others far across the island to try to cut off Mike's escape route. Having thrown dreadful dice in the first game I did a little better this time and soon had Mike down to half numbers (he had ten figures to my eight but I paid for higher grade crew). This meant that he had to pass a courage test every time he wanted to move a figure. This slowed his men esacaping with the small boy enough for me to just get to him as all his crew ran away having failed their courage tests!

Only three of my crew left and my gallant mate, Nicole, who led the flanking move was killed off at the last moment. Never mind women are ten a penny in old Tortuga so I'll just get another one! Actually, I need to find someone who makes pretty female pirates. The Foundry ones (no doubt accurately) look like old dogs!

I had to leave early, otherwise we could have played a decider but as its actually the first game I have won for over 18 months I was quite happy to get away whilst I was winning!

My little boy thought it sounded good so we will try and do a game over Christmas. I must make some treasure site markers and find a chest from somewhere (I could probably make one).