- BGG rank
- BGG #3,163
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Divinare
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #19,532
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Brethren of the Coast
2016
Rules assistance for Brethren of the Coast
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 30–60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Brethren of the Coast
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Brethren of the Coast is a board game released in 2016 for 3–6 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Brett J. Gilbert and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Worker Placement.
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About the game
We were schooner-rigged and rakish With a long and lissom hull, And we flew the pretty colours Of the crossbones and the skull; We’d a big black jolly roger Flapping grimly at the fore, And we sailed the Spanish waters In the happy days of yore. – John Masefield, ‘Long John Silver’ The players in Brethren of the Coast set out from Port Royal and on each turn must make two straightforward decisions: to sail one of their ships to confront one of the Spanish galleons or settlements, then to enlarge the treasure hoard on a different Spanish galleon or a settlement by playing a card. Each ship adds to the size of their fleet, and each card adds to the Spanish loot — or possibly to the Spanish defenses! In this way, players compete for the opportunity to get the best of the Spanish treasure — doubloons and treasure chests — but cannot know at the beginning of the game exactly what treasure waits for them, nor how the Spanish will fight back when each galleon or settlement is "reckoned" and the treasure finally shared. Each player begins the game with four doubloons and may spend one to play a card face down, hiding information from their compatriots. Will you hide the best loot, or are you secretly aiding the Spanish against your peers in the hope of gaining a bigger payout? At the end of the game, the players count up their hoard of doubloons. In addition, the two players who have collected the most and secondmost treasure chests share all the doubloons spent to hide cards during the game — all other treasure chests are revealed to be worthless! Can the other brethren of the coast be trusted? Will the Spanish attack the largest fleet or the smallest? The brethren may have a code, but you are pirates, after all! Together you will defeat the Spanish, but only one pirate captain will win the day!
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- uplay.it edizioni
Questions and answers
Brethren of the Coast supports 3–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Brethren of the Coast is 30–60 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 Brethren of the Coast for ages 10 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.
Brethren of the Coast has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Brethren of the Coast belongs to these categories: Card Game, Bluffing, and Pirates. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Worker Placement. 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 Brethren of the Coast are: Brett J. Gilbert. 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 Brethren of the Coast as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.