Topps subsidiary WizKids announced plans for Pirates of the Spanish Main, a new game to be released in early July, at the GAMA Trade Show on Wednesday.  WizKids founder Jordan Weisman, who invented Mage Knight, the game that launched the collectable miniature game (CMG) category, designed Pirates as a new type of game, the constructible strategy game (CSG).  

 

The game will be sold in $3.49 boosters, much like card packs.  Each pack will contain six styrene cards (game pieces), a pair of mini-dice, and a rule sheet.  The six cards will be of four types, in the following configuration:  one gold card, one-two ship cards (which will be punched out and assembled into models of pirate ships), one-two crew card(s), and one island card.  The full card set will be approximately 230 cards.  Ships will be made from either one or two cards; the larger ships (five-masters) will be made from two cards, and will be more rare. 

 

The object of the game is the assemble a ship, get islands, race for the gold, and bring it back to your island.  There are three factions:  the Spanish, the British, and the pirates.  There is also a battling component; ships can battle each other, and disabling the opposing ship increases the player's odds of winning. 

 

Cost of entry for players will be very low.  Two booster packs contain enough pieces for a simple two-player game. 

 

The game will be supported by a full organized play program.  One interesting twist to the program is that monthly auctions in stores are planned, in which players that have won or otherwise accumulated the most gold can use it to bid on ships. 

 

Pirates of the Spanish Main will be distributed only in the core hobby channel.  There will be expansions, 'if things go well.'