Hunt for Blackbeard, the historical duel of pursuit and hidden movement
Hunt for Blackbeard is an asymmetric historical game for 2 players, designed by Volko Ruhnke (author of the COIN series) and published by Fort Circle Games. It recreates the final months of Edward Thatch, alias Blackbeard, in 1718 North Carolina. One player takes on Blackbeard (seeking to carry out his acts of piracy or retire with his loot), while the other plays the hunters (Royal Navy and Virginia militia) on his trail. The game's originality lies in its hidden movement and deduction system in "double-blind."
How to play Hunt for Blackbeard
Blackbeard secretly records his movements on his personal board, while on the main map, wooden blocks represent his possible positions — including many decoys (seagulls) meant to throw the hunter off. The hunter relies on Informant tiles and scouting actions to deduce where the pirate is really hiding. Each player commits action pawns behind their screen to prepare their moves. If the hunter locates Blackbeard, a confrontation is resolved with dice, modified by equipment acquired during play. The game is short and tense (usually four rounds).
End of game and victory conditions of Hunt for Blackbeard
Blackbeard wins if he manages to complete his objectives (piracy or retirement) while remaining elusive. The hunter wins by locating and defeating him in the final confrontation with the Royal Navy. The outcome therefore depends as much on the pirate's stealth as on the hunter's insight.
