Pirates, sailing ships, cannons, and adventure – what more could a gamer ask for?!? The Blackbeard’s Revenge boxed set for Oak & Iron by Firelock Games helps expand the game into the world of the 18th-Century by adding two iconic ships to the game. With this boxed set, you’ll get the legendary flagship of Blackbeard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, and the Revenge, a sloop of war owned by his cohort Stede Bonnet.
Blackbeard’s Revenge Boxed Set Contents
This expansion set is unique from the other expansion sets because its contents are specific to the Pirates Faction and unplayable by the other 4 factions. The set includes 2 detailed ship miniatures: the Revenge and Queen Anne’s Revenge. These are two of the most infamous pirates from the early 18th Century.
Box Content:
- Revenge ship miniature & stat card
- Queen Anne’s Revenge ship miniature & stat card
- 2 clear 80mmx40mm ship bases
- 1 Stede Bonnet captain card
- 2 cardboard punchouts with all necessary tokens and counters
Product Details
| Dimensions | 8″ x 5″ x 2.5″ |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 8 ounces |
| ASIN | B0864WH16Y |
| Item model # | FGDOI0007 |
| Age Rec | 12 years and up |
| Manufacturer | Firelock Games |
Captain Stede Bonnet
Stede Bonnet’s Historical Background
Stede Bonnet was a wealthy English plantation owner born into a family of wealth and privilege in the early 18th century. However, for reasons that remain unclear (some say a failed arranged marriage), he decided to give up his comfortable life and turn to piracy. He used his wealth to commission a custom-built sloop of war, the Revenge, and outfitted it for piracy. Though clueless in the art of seamanship, he acquired a crew of experienced sailors and set out in search of fame, fortune, and adventure.
During one of his more brash and bolder moments in 1717, he engaged a Spanish Man-of-War that was far to large a target for his ship. The failed attack resulted in half his crew being killed or injured before they fled to safety. Suffering a head wound himself, he sought out the refuge of Nassau where he met Benjamin Hornigold and Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. Joining forces, Blackbeard captained Bonnet’s ship and the pair led successful raids on multiple prizes along the coast of the American colonies and the Caribbean islands.
Captain Stede Bonnet’s Stat Card
Stede Bonnet is the first card for Oak & Iron that adds a named Captain to the list of options for your forces. There are lots of Admirals in the core set and a dozen or so in the Expansion Deck Vol 1. But Admirals are forced to be assigned to a flagship, captains however can be assigned to any ship in your fleet. There are a few “generic” captains in the core set, but Stede is unique in that he is one based on an actual historic figure.
Bonnet comes with the Bold & Persistent special abilities. Independently each of the abilities are available as a Bold Captain for 1 pt or a Persisten Captain for 2pts. Stede offers you both options on a single ship.
Special Abilities
Bold – this is one of those blessing and curse abilities. It can allow you to re-roll a critical hit or a Skill test that you really NEED to succeed. But if you fail the re-roll, you suffer a loss of Fatigue. It has been ruled that the re-roll of Bold is part of the original roll, so you can use a Fortune Token to re-roll the original result and then if needed still use Bold re-roll again. This makes Bold an extremely powerful ability for Fire Ship attacks.
Persistent – Any option to remove Fatigue is a solid ability. It isn’t super useful in the beginning of the game as you won’t have fatigue and are unlikely to inflict Strike Points anyway. But as the game progresses, this ability becomes steadily more effective. When Persistent kicks in, you’ll be able to use your normal Crew Action to Repair, Reload or even Rally and remove a second point of Fatigue.
The Revenge
Historical Background of Stede Bonnet’s Ship Revenge
Stede Bonnet was an English pirate who is best known for his ship, the Revenge. The Revenge was a 10-gun sloop that Bonnet purchased and outfitted for piracy in the early 18th century. According to historical accounts, the Revenge was a small and nimble ship that was well-suited for piracy in the shallow waters of the Caribbean.
Bonnet was not a seasoned sailor, and he acquired the Revenge with the help of a crew of experienced sailors and pirates, who were led by a man named Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. The Revenge quickly became known as a formidable pirate ship, and it was responsible for several successful raids along the American colonies and the Caribbean islands.
The Revenge was captained by Stede Bonnet for a short time, but after a few months of piracy, the ship was captured by the Royal Navy and Bonnet was arrested and hanged for piracy.
Oak & Iron Stats for the Revenge Ship
The Revenge is essentially the same as a standard sloop upgraded with Additional Guns and Additional Crew for 3 points instead of 4. This makes it more capable in a fight. Equipped with an additional jib and op sail the vessel also gains the Fast upgrade essentially for free. It is hard not to add this ship to any Pirate faction squadron, particularly in lower-point games.
If you are a particularly bold captain, you could consider converting the Revenge into a Fire Ship. With its Fast ability, you can close with your opponent’s largest ship and inflict a massive 10-dice Critical Hit strike — almost guaranteeing you will cripple the target.
You can get a more in-depth review and some strategy & tactics suggestions in our Revenge: Ultimate Oak & Iron Pirate Ship Guide.
Oak & Iron Revenge Ship Miniature
Revenge Ship Painting Suggestions
Need more inspiration for painting your ship?
Additional Revenge images in our Oak & Iron gallery.
Queen Anne’s Revenge
Historical Background of the Queen Anne’s Revenge
The Queen Anne’s Revenge was the infamous flagship of the pirate Captain Blackbeard, active in the Caribbean in the early 18th century. The ship was originally a French slave ship named La Concorde that was captured by Blackbeard in 1717. Blackbeard outfitted the ship with additional guns and transformed it into a formidable pirate vessel. It’s large size was capable of striking fear into the hearts of merchant ships and naval vessels alike. Few ships outside of royal military units would be able to withstand a ship of that size.
The Queen Anne’s Revenge became Blackbeard’s base of operations and was used in numerous raids on shipping lanes in the Caribbean and along the East Coast of the American colonies. Blackbeard’s flamboyant style and reputation as a ruthless pirate made him one of the most notorious figures in pirate history. His time with the Queen Anne’s Revenge was short, but it still remains one of the most recognizable pirate ships of all time.
Oak & Iron Stats for the Queen Anne’s Revenge Ship
The Queen Anne is essentially an upgraded 6th Rate Frigate. It’s core stats are the equivalent of taking a 6th Rate Frigate (16 pts) and upgrade it with Additional Guns + 2pts, Additional Crew +1 (adjusted from +4pts since you don’t get the 3 bonus Fatigue slots), and Weatherly +2. Which means this should cost you 21 pts. Instead you get it at the bargain basement price of 34% off retail price, coming in at 16pts!
Additionally, this ship truly shines when Edward “Blackbeard” Teach is selected as the squadron’s admiral. With Blackbeard at its helm, all other ships within Pistol Range remove 2 Fatigue when taking a Rally action. Additionally, Blackbeard’s Brutal ability gives this ship a Close Combat of 4 making it equal to a 3rd or 2nd Rate ship. In boarding actions, it can roll a fearsome 7 Dice and force crews to surrender quite quickly.
As the ship is built for boarding, taking Boarding Party, Buccaneers, Corsairs, Marines or Swashbucklers gives it an even greater bonus to Close Combat, A ship of this size with 8-9 Close Combat dice is fearsome indeed! Taking Kapers is another good option to keep Fatigue low.
You can get a more in-depth review and some strategy & tactics suggestions in our Queen Anne’s Revenge: Ultimate Oak & Iron Ship Guide.
Oak & Iron Queen Anne’s Revenge Ship Miniature
Queen Anne’s Revenge Ship Painting Suggestions
Need more inspiration for painting your ship?
Additional Queen Anne’s Revenge images in our Oak & Iron gallery.
Summary
Overall, the Blackbeard’s Revenge boxed set is a fantastic addition to the Oak & Iron line. The miniatures and game components are top-notch. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran of the Oak & Iron series or new to the game, Blackbeard’s Revenge is a must-have addition for any pirate-loving gamer. If you haven’t already added it to your collection or you’re on the fence, it’s definitely worth getting. Having Blackbeard on the Queen Anne’s Revenge and Stede aboard the Revenge will make for a historically interesting force, it is a deadly combo for the Pirate Faction.
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Additional Content Suggestions
- Get more info about the Pirates Faction in Oak & Iron here: Pirates: Ultimate Faction Guide for Oak & Iron
- Learn more about the QAR with our ship analysis: Queen Anne’s Revenge: Ultimate Oak & Iron Ship Guide
- See how Stede Bonnet’s ship fairs in the game: Revenge: Ultimate Oak & Iron Pirate Ship Guide
- Find info on how to use your favorite ships from Pirates of the Caribbean in Oak & Iron Rules