- BGG rank
- BGG #12,420
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Black Seas: Master & Commander Starter Set
- 2 players
- 30–500 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2019
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Rules assistance for Black Seas: French 1st Rate
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 30–500 min
- 14+
Rules assistant for Black Seas: French 1st Rate
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Black Seas: French 1st Rate is an expansion for Black Seas: Rulebook released in 2019 for 2 players, 30–500 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Gabrio Tolentino and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Simulation.
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About the game
1st Rate ships of the line were extremely large and powerful and were a true display of a Navy's power. They were, however, expensive to operate, so their service use was limited in times of peace. In the carronade era, a 1st Rate ship-of-the-line was defined as mounting no less than 100 guns. A French Navy 1st Rate can, when using the national special rules, be an extremely resilient foe to dislodge from battle. French ships have access to the 'sturdy' upgrade for a discount, and thus have a significant number of ship point to chew through. Of course, 1st rates are generally very powerful, but point for point, a French 1st rate should be sticking around longer to wreak havoc among your enemy's formations. —description from the publisher
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Warlord Games
Questions and answers
Black Seas: French 1st Rate supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Black Seas: French 1st Rate is 30–500 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Black Seas: French 1st Rate for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Black Seas: French 1st Rate belongs to these categories: Wargame, Napoleonic, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Simulation. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Black Seas: French 1st Rate are: Gabrio Tolentino. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Black Seas: French 1st Rate as an expansion for Black Seas: Rulebook. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Black Seas: Rulebook to use it. Check that your edition of Black Seas: Rulebook is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.