- 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
- 9.0
Rules assistance for Black Seas: HMS Royal Sovereign
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: HMS Royal Sovereign
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Black Seas: HMS Royal Sovereign 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
HMS Royal Sovereign was a 1st Rate Ship-of-the-Line of the Royal Navy, bearing 100 guns. She was launched from Plymouth Dockyard in 1786 and developed somewhat of a poor reputation from her crew, supposedly dubbed "West Country Wagon" owing to poor manoeuvrability and speed. Prior to her famous role at the Battle of Trafalgar, she participated in the battles of "The Glorious First of June" as the flagship of Vice-Admiral Thomas Graves, and was Cornwallis' flagship in his famous retreat of 16 June 1795. In the latter battle, after a day's pursuit, a far larger French fleet came within firing range of the entire Brtish fleet. Realising the danger to his rearguard, Cornwallis brought Royal Sovereign southwards imposing his vessel between the two fleets, using the power of the 1st rate's broadside to dissuade the pursuing French. In doing so, he managed to delay the French long enough until the appearance of an unknown fleet spooked the French into their own retreat. In Game: HMS Royal Sovereign is an exceptionally powerful 1st Rate in the game. Beware the brunt of her broadside, particularly if you choose to include Admiral Collingwood as a character in your fleet. His presence will allow his ship and friendly vessels near, to re-roll its initial broadside. This gives you a distinct advantage for this crucial portion of any battle. —description from the publisher
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Warlord Games
Questions and answers
Black Seas: HMS Royal Sovereign 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: HMS Royal Sovereign 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: HMS Royal Sovereign 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: HMS Royal Sovereign 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: HMS Royal Sovereign 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: HMS Royal Sovereign 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.