Magellan: Elcano

September 20, 1519.

The activity on the deck is frantic. Sailors run from side to side, loading the final batch of supplies. On the royal stand, set up in the harbour, the preparation is intense. The King has arrived to watch the fleet set sail: five mighty ships, commanded by five shrewd captains, whose intelligence will be put to the test in the years to come. The cannons’ roar, giving the departure signal. The anchors are pulled up, and the sails unfurled. The voyage that will circle the globe has just begun.

In this game, each player assumes the role of captain on one of the ships circumnavigating the world.

To win the game, the captain must have the skills to manage the crew and to figure out which feuds require the use of more, or less, resources.

During the game, several ocean cards (in 3 different colour sets) will be up for grabbing. Captains play their crew cards on the table, in an attempt to collect each of those ocean cards and their victory points. During their turn, they have the option to stop placing cards or to carry on, increasing their crew value.

When the time to anchor has come, the captain with the strongest crew will take the ocean card of the matching colour.

Pushing a bit further the fight for an ocean card may lead other captains to spend crew cards, that would have proven of better use in upcoming fights!