Ostia: Pirates

About this expansion

Ostia: Pirates is a board game for 1–4 players set in 103 AD, when Ostia Portus served as an important gateway for supplies reaching Rome.

As the owner of a large fleet, you lend ships to merchants and aristocrats as you work to expand your business. Ostia’s port plays a vital role in transporting food and other supplies from across the Roman Empire to the inland city of Rome.

Leaving the safety of the Mediterranean Sea brings danger. Powerful pirates await beyond its protection, creating obstacles for players who want to establish profitable connections. To face these threats, you must collect weapons and soldiers and use them to eliminate whatever stands in the way of your enterprise.

• Command a large fleet in the world of ancient Rome.
• Lend ships to merchants and aristocrats to expand your business.
• Collect weapons and soldiers to deal with obstacles and pirates.
• Develop trade routes in the hope of earning worthwhile income.

The central challenge in Ostia: Pirates is balancing opportunity against danger. A successfully developed trade route can generate enough income to justify the risks involved, but reaching that point means preparing for the pirates and hazards beyond the port’s safe waters.

With its setting rooted in the supply network of Ostia Portus, the game places commercial ambition and maritime danger side by side. Build your business, support Rome’s flow of supplies, and decide how far your fleet can venture in pursuit of profit.