Merchants & Marauders: Broadsides

About this board game

Merchants & Marauders: Broadsides is a standalone two-player game of pirate ship combat, with battles lasting about 45 minutes. Set in the Merchants & Marauders universe, it pits two opposing captains against each other over a profitable sea lane.

Victory comes in only two ways: sink the enemy ship or take out its Captain and First Mate. The card-driven system gives players a wide range of actions, with different combinations creating opportunities to aim, fire, repair, and disrupt an opponent’s plans.

• Aim: Zero in your cannons with an innovative targeting system.
• Hold: Draw more cards to increase your versatility.
• Reload: Prepare chain shot for rigging, canister for crew, or solid shot for the hull.
• Broadside: Fire every cannon at once in a powerful but costly salvo.
• Sheer Off: Adjust your course just enough to interfere with your foe.
• Repair: Move sailors to man guns, patch the hull, or replace ruined sails.

Different cannon types support different approaches. Reliable 18-Pounders, thunderous Carronades, and deadly Long Nines each give your ammunition choices a distinct role during the engagement.

Every matchup can play differently thanks to each Captain’s unique Reputation and a selection of drafted Dirty Tricks. Multiple tactical routes to either victory condition let you adapt your play to your own strengths and your opponent’s weaknesses.

In Merchants & Marauders: Broadsides, careful card play, precise targeting, and timely repairs can decide the battle. Outthink, outplay, outgun, and sail away the winner.