Chapter 13

Appendix A: Strategy Guides

Beginner's Guide to Pirates Court

Welcome aboard! This guide gives you everything you need to sit down and play your first game of Pirates Court without feeling lost.

How You Win

You win by being the first to reach 20 influence. Influence comes from completing quest cards — each quest you finish adds to your score. The game ends at the close of the round in which someone hits 20, so every player gets equal turns.

Nothing else scores. Cards from the market help you complete quests faster, but they don't earn influence on their own. Always keep one eye on your quest tasks.

How a Round Works (The Short Version)

Each round has two halves:

Resource half — everyone gets dice:

  1. Flip the water coin (High Water = highest card wins the trick; Low Water = lowest wins).
  2. Roll 3 dice into each crate (one crate per player).
  3. Play a trick card face-down, reveal simultaneously — the winner picks their crate first.
  4. Each player takes a crate and adds the dice to their personal supply (your hold).

Action half — everyone spends dice:

  • The trick winner acts last; the player who picked last acts first.
  • On your turn: trigger passive card effects → activate card favors → spend dice for dice actions → buy market cards → complete quest tasks → remove a sabotage marker.
  • Stop whenever you like. Unused dice, gold, and rum carry over to next round.

Easy Pointers for Your First Game

1. Look at your quests before picking a crate. Each active quest shows exactly which dice faces it needs. Pick a crate that matches those icons — a die you can place on a task is guaranteed progress. A die you plan to use for an action is only speculative.

2. Colored dice are worth more than black dice. Colored dice (any non-black die) can either pay card costs or trigger a dice action. Black dice can only pay costs. When comparing crates, count the colored dice first.

3. Spend your gold and rum, don't save it. Other players can steal your gold (Piracy action) and your rum (Fighting action). Spending resources on your turn removes them from theft. Keep just enough for your planned tasks and one sabotage removal buffer (2 gold).

4. The market isn't reserved. Any card in the market can be bought by anyone. If you act last (as the trick winner), opponents may take the card you wanted before you get there. If a market card is critical, consider losing the trick to act earlier.

5. Complete quest tasks before buying from the market. Buying a card feels productive, but only completed quest tasks move your influence toward 20. If you have the dice and resources to complete a task this round, do it before shopping.

6. Keep three active quests running. As soon as you finish a quest, draw a new one. Empty quest slots mean slower influence gain.

Top 5 Things to Think About When Learning

1. Should I win or lose the trick this round? Winning gets you first crate pick but last market access. Ask: is there a crate that really matches my quest needs? If yes, win the trick. If all crates look similar and a market card is at risk of being taken, lose the trick to act earlier.

2. Which crate matches my quest tasks? Read your quest cards. Which dice faces do your upcoming tasks need? Find the crate with those faces. A premium crate (two or more colored dice matching your tasks) is usually worth winning the trick to secure.

3. Am I close to completing a quest? A quest with one task remaining is nearly free influence. Prioritize clearing it this round. An unfinished quest earns nothing.

4. Is anyone close to 20? Watch the influence totals after each player's turn. If someone is at 15 or above, stop building your engine and focus entirely on completing tasks as fast as possible.

5. Are my quests being sabotaged? A sabotage marker on a quest blocks all progress on it. You remove one for free at the end of your turn. If you have 2 gold, you can remove a second. Don't let markers pile up on a high-value quest — clear them quickly.

Good luck, Captain. The Council awaits.

Trick-Taking Strategy (Rules Summary)

High Water vs Low Water

High Water: Highest card wins the trick. Low Water: Lowest card wins the trick.

In both cases, the trick winner picks crate FIRST and buys from the market LAST.

  • Advantage of winning: You secure the best available crate before anyone else.
  • Downside of winning: You buy from the market after all other players — they may take the cards you wanted.

When to Win the Trick (Play Your Extreme Card)

Win the trick when the crate advantage outweighs buying last.

  1. Premium Crate Available: A crate has 2+ colored dice matching your card costs or action needs.

    • Why: Colored dice let you pay costs OR trigger actions; black dice can only pay costs. A great crate is often worth buying last.

  2. All Crates Are Similar: When crates are nearly equal, first pick still locks in the best option.

    • Why: Small edges compound — even a minor crate advantage matters over many rounds.

  3. You're Behind and Need Dice: You need specific colored dice for a quest step or loot card pattern.

    • Why: Guaranteed first pick removes the risk of losing the die you need.

  4. Market Is Thin: Few cards appeal to anyone — buying last costs you little.

    • Why: If the market is weak for everyone, the buy-last penalty disappears.

When to Lose the Trick (Play a Safe Card)

Lose the trick when buying earlier in the market is more valuable than first crate pick.

  1. All Crates Are Weak: No crate has meaningful colored dice for your strategy.

    • Why: First pick provides no real advantage; save your extreme cards.

  2. A Key Market Card Is at Risk: An opponent is likely to take a card you need before it reaches you.

    • Why: Buying earlier in the order means you get the card — but you take whatever crate remains.

  3. You're Running Low on Extreme Cards: You're near the end of your trick hand.

    • Why: Preserve flexibility for future rounds where the stakes are higher.

Colored Dice Priority

Key Rule: Colored dice (red, green, blue, brown) are MORE VALUABLE than black dice:

  • Colored dice: Can pay for card costs OR activate dice actions (choose per die, once per turn)
  • Black dice: Can ONLY pay for card costs

Crate Evaluation:

  • 2+ colored dice of useful types = Premium (worth winning the trick)
  • Mixed colored dice = Good (solid baseline)
  • Mostly black dice = Weak (low priority for winning)

Quick Decision Framework

Before playing your trick card, ask:

  1. Is there a premium crate? (2+ useful colored dice)

    • YES → Win the trick (play high in High Water, play low in Low Water)
    • NO → Continue to Q2

  2. Is there a market card you must have before others buy?

    • YES → Lose the trick deliberately (buy earlier in order, take remaining crate)
    • NO → Continue to Q3

  3. Are you running low on extreme cards?

    • YES → Play conservatively; save extremes for a decisive round
    • NO → Win or lose based on the marginal crate/market difference

Key Tactical Points

  • Colored Dice Allocation: Decide upfront whether each colored die will pay a card cost or trigger a dice action — you cannot use the same die for both.
  • Trick Card Economy: Track your remaining extreme cards. Burning through them early leaves you unable to win when it matters.
  • Tide Awareness: In High Water you need a high card to win; in Low Water you need a low card. Plan which cards to hold based on recent tides.
  • Deliberately Lose When Stakes Are Low: If both crates and the market are mediocre, let someone else take first pick. Save your best cards for rounds where winning actually matters.

Strategy Guide

This guide covers the core strategic decisions in Pirate's Court: how to read your quests, pick the right crate, protect your resources, and balance short-term power with the race to 20 influence.

Read Your Quests First

Before anything else each round, look at your three active quests. Each quest card shows exactly what dice faces, gold, and rum are needed to complete its remaining tasks. This information is always visible to you — use it.

Your quest requirements drive everything:

  • What dice faces do your tasks need? That determines which crates are valuable to you.
  • How many tasks remain? A quest with one task left is nearly done — prioritize finishing it.
  • Are any quests blocked by sabotage markers? A blocked quest earns you nothing until cleared.

Get in the habit of checking quest requirements before crate selection, not after.

Crate Selection: Pick for Your Quests

Crates are not equal. A crate full of Treasure and Festivities dice is worthless if your quests need Piracy and Fighting. Evaluate each crate against your current quest tasks before reaching for the richest-looking one.

What to look for in a crate:

  • Match your task icons — dice faces that directly satisfy upcoming quest tasks are highest priority. A die you can place on a task is guaranteed progress; a die you might use for an action is speculative.
  • Colored vs. black — colored dice give you flexibility (action or cost payment). Black dice are only cost payment. A crate with more colored dice is more versatile, but not if the faces don't match your needs.

When to take a crate that doesn't match your quests:

  • The market has a card you want that round and the crate covers its cost.
  • You are blocking an opponent from getting a crate that strongly matches their needs.
  • Your hold already has the quest dice you need carried over from last round.

What Can Be Stolen — and Why It Matters

Two types of resources are vulnerable to opponent actions:

  • Gold and rum in your hold — Piracy dice actions steal 1 gold; Fighting dice actions steal 1 rum; Trade actions force an exchange you may not want. These trigger during opponents' buy segments, so resources you hold going into their turns are at risk.
  • Cards in the market — any opponent can buy the loot or favor card you were planning to take. There is no reservation — first to act, first served. Acting last (as the trick winner) means the best market cards may already be gone.

Practical implications:

  • Don't hoard gold and rum beyond what you need for near-term tasks and card purchases. Spending resources on your turn removes them from theft range.
  • If you spot a card in the market that is critical to your plan, factor in whether opponents acting before you will take it. Sometimes losing the trick intentionally to act earlier is the right call.
  • Keep a small gold/rum buffer for sabotage removal (2 gold) and active card abilities, but don't stockpile beyond that.

Balancing Loot, Favour, and Quest Progress

Every buy segment forces a choice between three competing goals:

  1. Complete quest tasks → directly advances your influence counter toward 20.
  2. Buy loot cards → immediate gold/rum injection, fueling future tasks and favors.
  3. Buy favor cards → persistent abilities that compound over time (passive income, theft protection, dice manipulation).

The general rule: quest completion wins.

Influence only moves when quests are completed. Loot and favor cards are enablers — they don't score on their own. An favor card that gains you 2 gold per round is strong, but only if that gold helps you complete tasks faster than an opponent is completing theirs.

When to prioritize loot:

  • You are short on gold or rum and have quest tasks that require them this round.
  • A loot card lets you complete a task immediately that you otherwise couldn't.
  • You are in early rounds (1–2) and building a resource foundation.

When to prioritize favor cards:

  • The card provides a passive ability that directly accelerates quest completion (e.g., gain a resource whenever you use a specific dice favor).
  • The card protects you from theft (immunity to Fighting or Piracy actions).
  • You have enough resources to complete all your current tasks this round anyway.

When to skip the market entirely:

  • Your dice and hold resources are sufficient to complete multiple quest tasks this round. Do the tasks first — every task completed is influence progress. Unused buying power that advances quests is never wasted.

The Race to 20: Tempo Awareness

Influence is recalculated after every player's buy segment. Watch the leader board every turn, not just your own.

Key tempo signals:

  • Leader at 15+: Stop optimizing for long-term engine building. Focus entirely on completing tasks. An unfinished hard quest worth 6 influence matters more now than an favor card with a useful passive.
  • You are behind: Assess whether you have hard quests (4–6 influence) close to completion. A single hard quest can close a large gap. If not, pivot to completing whatever is nearest to done — partial progress earns nothing.
  • Opponents completing quests fast: Consider sabotage. Placing a sabotage marker on an opponent's nearly-complete quest costs only 1 colored Sabotage die and buys you at least one round of delay.

Trick-Taking: When to Win, When to Lose

Winning the trick gives you first crate pick — the most valuable position when a specific crate strongly matches your quest tasks. But you act last in the buy segment, meaning opponents may take the market card you wanted.

Win the trick when:

  • A crate has the exact dice faces your tasks need and you can't afford to let someone else take it.
  • You have enough dice already in your hold to buy what you want from the market regardless of what others take.

Lose the trick intentionally when:

  • All crates are roughly equivalent for your needs.
  • There is a specific market card you must have and opponents acting before you would take it.
  • You want to act early to complete quest tasks before opponents can sabotage your quests.

The trick winner picks crate first but acts last — this tension is the central strategic trade-off of every round. Neither position is universally better; it depends on what you need that specific round.

Quest Management

Keep 3 active quests at all times. Draw a new quest as soon as you complete one.

Don't neglect your pirate-unique quests. Your character's personal quests are designed around your always-active abilities and one-time powers, making them easier to complete with your specific playstyle. They reward understanding your character's strengths.

Sabotage defense: If you are close to completing a high-influence quest, be aware that opponents may target it. A sabotage marker costs you at minimum one round (free removal at end of turn). If you have 2 gold in reserve, a second marker can be cleared immediately — this makes you a harder target.