
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Rum & Bones: Blutrausch Legion
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- 2017

2017
Rules assistance for Rum & Bones: Second Tide
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Rum & Bones: Second Tide is a board game released in 2017 for 2–6 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Michael Shinall and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement.
Avast ye pirates! Gather your crews and set sail for adventure on the high seas in Rum & Bones: Second Tide! Based on online MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) style games, Rum & Bones has 2-6 players taking control of legendary pirate heroes, each with unique powers and abilities, as their crews fight over Davy Jones' legendary treasure! Players each control up to five heroes at any time, moving them across the game board in an attempt to destroy various key features on their opponents' ship. Victory is obtained by destroying enough of these features. Your heroes are not alone, however, as your crew also consists of deckhands and bosuns who, while not controlled by the player, will work on a simple AI to wreak havoc on the enemy! Of course, what would pirates be without plunder? And in Rum & Bones the most sought after treasure are Davy Jones' mythical pieces of eight! Players amass these powerful coins during gameplay to unleash devastating abilities and attacks from their Heroes, crushing all enemies before them until only they remain! This game is both a stand-alone and compatible as an expansion to Rum & Bones. In Rum & Bones: Second Tide, 2 to 6 players will take control of one of two deadly pirate crews: The mysterious and monstrous Deep Lords, who seek to claim Davy Jones’ treasure in an effort to flood the world and reshape it to their liking, or the Marea de la Muerte¸ a crew of ruthless gold-seeking Spanish cutthroats who will stop at nothing to claim the treasure for their own greed! Players control teams of three to five heroes, depending on the number of players, each with various and unique powers and abilities. These Heroes are drawn from five different classes, each with their own strengths and weaknesses: Captains: Jack-of-all-Trade Heroes who specialize in buffing other Heroes. Brutes: The toughest of the tough, Brutes can take a ton of punishment and only get stronger for doing so! Gunner: Ranged damage dealers, Gunners have the lowest HP of all classes, but can also dish out the most hurt. Swashbucklers: Like Gunners, Swashbucklers specialize in dealing damage, but prefer the up-close-and-personal approach. Quartermaster: While they don't deal the most damage, Quartermasters make up for it in raw utility: specializing in healing and buffing Heroes, and also enhancing your Deckhands and Bosuns! The most notable change to gameplay is their new "dynamic Leveling System". Now each Hero begins the game with their Basic Attack skill card. As they gain Coins, which are obtained from KO'ing enemies and Objectives, they can use those Coins to buy new skills, as well as level up existing skills! Also, they've introduced a new "Alternating Activation" method of play where players will take turns activating 1 Hero (or their Crew), and then their opponent will do the same, continuing back and forth until everyone has gone.
Rum & Bones: Second Tide supports 2–6 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 Rum & Bones: Second Tide is 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 Rum & Bones: Second Tide 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.
Rum & Bones: Second Tide has a complexity rating of 2.8 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.
Rum & Bones: Second Tide belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Fighting, and Humor. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement. 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 Rum & Bones: Second Tide are: Michael Shinall. 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 Rum & Bones: Second Tide 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.