As a Halloween treat Firelock Games has released a special new module adding Davy Jones in Oak & Iron – “The Sailor’s Devil”. Originally released on Oct 31, 2022, this module adds a bit of piratical flair to the historical miniatures game.
What does “The Sailor’s Devil” include?
The Sailor’s Devil is a reference to the infamous Captain Davy Jones a scourge of the sea. This new module offers the ability to spawn the captain and his ship through a random event card.
This PDF contains:
- New Event Card
- Captain Davy Jones stats and card
- “The Flying Dutchman” pirate ships stats and card
- New rules for “The Heart” cursed item
The Dutchman Appears Event Card
Adding this card to the standard Event Deck creates a new unique event that brings a bit of fantasy to the normally historically focused game of Oak & Iron. When players tie for the initiative they must draw a new Event. This card allows the Flying Dutchman to spawn on the board.
Davy Jones in Oak & Iron
The origin of the tales of the infamous captain Davy Jones is unclear. Historically, one of the first references to Davy Jones occurs in the Four Years Voyages of Capt. George Roberts, by author Daniel Defoe, which was published in 1726 in London. Though the context of this reference clearly implies that it was a more well-known name at the time. Its typical use is in the form of “Davy Jones’ Locker” referring to the bottom of the ocean. Some claim “Jones” is a corruption of the word “Jonah”, referring to the prophet of the Bible. Jonah was thrown overboard into the ocean for the safety of the men on his ship – his soul locked away in the deep.
Whatever the true origin, the name of Davy Jones is one that stirs fear and superstition among sailors and seamen across the globe. Jones’ unholy presence spawns fear of the dead and eternal curses.
Stats for Davy Jones in Oak & Iron
Captain Davy Jones is CURSED and bound to the Flying Dutchman ship. This prevents him from being selected as an upgrade option for a standard squadron or fleet.
His ability “DO YOU FEAR DEATH” is lost to time and clearly a typo on the card…. 🙂
“BRILLIANT” is an existing ability within Oak & Iron and gives the Flying Dutchman ship a Skill 1. This allows it to re-roll any failed Skill Test or Attack.
The Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman is a ghost ship legend originating from tales of a Dutch vessel belonging to De Vliegende Hollander. The legends surrounding the ship grew and spread over the years. Its legend has gone from a boat lost in a storm to one said to glow with a ghostly light and ferry the dead to the underworld.
For Oak & Iron, this ship is a Fluyt with some extreme upgrades. Let’s look at the stats:
- With a Fortitude of 4, this ship is all but indomitable to smaller ships of the game. Only a 2nd Rate and 1st Rate Frigate have a Fortitude of that magnitude. This means, against most ships, it can only take Damage by Critical Hits.
- Based on its expanded Fatigue track it has the “Additional Crew” upgrade for free. But that would only give a Fluyt a Crew score of 3. Clearly, there be evil forces afoot, as its Crew score is 4. A 4 is double that of a standard Fluyt and makes it on par with a 3rd Rate Frigate.
- The Broadside remains the same as regular Fluyt.
- With a ghastly supernatural force in its sails, the ship has improved its Windward score and gained the “Fast” attribute making it a prime option for a boarding vessel.
In our typical nerdy fashion, we’ve done a full breakdown and analysis of “The Flying Dutchman”‘s stats and abilities.
The Heart – Cursed Item
Initial control of “The Flying Dutchman” ship falls to the player who won Initiative for the round. But the continued ability to control the cursed captain lies with the one who controls his “Heart”.
When this event card is drawn an Objective Token should be placed on one of the ships of the player that won the initiative. This token represents “The Heart” item. If that ship sinks strikes or the token is captured by an attacker, then control of the ship changes. This can make for a fun change of pace in the course of the game and lead to a shift in the initial objective of the scenario based on a newly found “prize”.
Download the “Sailor’s Devil” for Oak & Iron
Download the PDF of Davy Jones & The Flying Dutchman for Oak & Iron
Additional Content Suggestions
- Check out our Flying Dutchman ship analysis and review.
- Since this is a boarding focused ship, you may want to review our Boarding Tips: Ultimate Guide & Top Strategies for Oak & Iron
- The “Dark Pearl” Ship Review for Oak & Iron and Captain John Finch
- This YouTube video has an Airbrush tutorial for painting Ghost Ships