
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,615
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Edge of Darkness
- 1–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2019

Rules assistance for Dead Reckoning: Letters of Marque
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dead Reckoning: Letters of Marque is an expansion for Dead Reckoning released in 2023 for 1–4 players, 90–150 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by John D. Clair and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Area Majority / Influence, and Layering.
After year of the New Sea being the dominion of cutthroat pirates, and daring merchant adventurers, the empires of the old world have turned their gaze towards its waters. Letters of Marque is the third Saga expansion for Dead Reckoning. It contains 2 distinct but interconnected sets of expansion content. The first is "Flags of the Old World", a non-saga based set of content that introduces 2 empire boards, new resources called "Prime Cargo", new ship upgrades and a new "Explorer" card for each player's deck. The second is a new Saga, which, like to prior Saga expansions, contains encounters, mysteries, cards and content all to be organically while playing the game. —description from the publisher
Dead Reckoning: Letters of Marque supports 1–4 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 Dead Reckoning: Letters of Marque is 90–150 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 Dead Reckoning: Letters of Marque 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.
Dead Reckoning: Letters of Marque has a complexity rating of 4.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
Dead Reckoning: Letters of Marque belongs to these categories: Territory Building, Exploration, and Pirates. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Area Majority / Influence, and Layering. 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 Dead Reckoning: Letters of Marque are: John D. Clair. 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 Dead Reckoning: Letters of Marque as an expansion for Dead Reckoning. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Dead Reckoning to use it. Check that your edition of Dead Reckoning is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.