Merchants & Marauders

Now that I have played it, I understand both sides: why it does not land at all for some people, and why others adore it. I also understand why it is so wisely placed in the category of “strictly with 3, and with plenty of time.” We played the super-complete version, with the cut-throat variant and all of Sea of Glory, and the table had precisely the kind of pirate excess you want from a game like this: flavour, fluff, and stories waiting to happen.

At its core, the game puts me into that merchant-and-pirate adventure, with systems that tie together very nicely. The experience is not dry calculation; it leaves room for adventure, for grand expectations, and for those moments when luck decides that your plan deserves to sink to the bottom of the sea.

Interaction, especially with the cut-throat variant, can become harsh and very Ameritrashy in both the good and the infuriating sense. Dice play a decisive role, so you need to be ready to accept that you may roll sixteen dice without getting a single hit and, just like that, barefoot merchants may impale your pirate. This is not a game for anyone who wants to control everything; it is a game for someone who can laugh when everything goes spectacularly wrong.

The board gamer I was ten years ago would have played this to death. Now, even though I liked it a great deal, I would only bring it out with a particular group: next to a fireplace, with a cask-strength malt in the Tamdhu or Octomore range, a box of Upmann Magnum 46s, and a completely relaxed mood. It needs banter, time, and a little zen in the face of dice-induced injustice. Under those conditions, it is hugely enjoyable and, yes, definitely worth the hype.