Minor Active Characters Here we're going to give some extra attention to the Minor active characters. At first these fellows can seem somewhat confusing because a specific two of the three cards bearing their titles are needed for their rules to come into play. What you need to remember The cards necessary to activate a Minor character have matching red card titles, circled number 2 icons, and the character's rules. The unnecessary third card has a blue title and piratical fun facts but no number icon. First, I'll need a volunteer. In the examples that follow we'll use our friend Wiggy Buttons Smugwick III, the Navigator, to illustrate. Sure, he's a bit pompous but he'll get over being used this way. If he doesn't its over the side with him! (Character names are on the right side of each card just for fun. They have no bearing on game play other than to give the occasional giggle break when assembled in amusing combinations.)
Figure 1. This shows the Navigator built as he was drawn. In this case he is both Active and Matched. Certainly there is an advantage to building a minor character with all three of his matched cards, but it is not required. Matching him makes him invulnerable to skallywaggs. This prevents your opponents crippling good characters with bad cards. Generally when active pirates are built with a non-matching third card that card is open to being skallywagged unless the card has an immunity of its own.
Figure 2. Here we have a pirate who looks quite a bit like a Navigator but is not. He may be two-parts pilot but trust me; this guy can't chart his course around a bathtub. The Navigator head is not one of his two active cards. Its got no rules, and no circled number icon. Don't get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with this guy. He's quick to haul a line and can make an accurate count of booty; all in all he's a fine addition to your crew. He's just not a Navigator.
Figure 3. Now this is a pirate who gives your crew all the benefits of having a qualified navigator aboard... At least, he would if your opponent hadn't just skallywagged the Eye Patch onto him! Remember when I mentioned cards with their own immunity to skallywaggs? When it is used in the Look Out or Navigator this is one of those cards. I also said a little something about good men falling victim to bad cards. The Eye Patch is an example of a specialty card that has targeted effects when used in conjunction with certain minor characters in addition to its rules for any pirate of which it is a part. Specialty cards have a red title, a star icon, and rules. But lets get back to the Navigator bits. The Chest and Legs of the Navigator are his active cards. Both have matching red card titles, circled number 2 icons, and the character's rules. If this guy had a different head, ANY different head you'd be enjoying all the advantages of knowing where you're going.
Figure 4. Just one more, its figure 4! Ok, here's that Eye Patch again, along with some of this and some of that. This guy is another plain old jack-tar, Grim Buttons Davits by name. None of his body parts are immune to skallywaggs, not even the Eye Patch, as it is not in an active Navigator. This fellow may be a bit odd in his fashion sense, but he's a perfectly fine sod to round out a boarding party. He will also make excellent cannon fodder to protect more valuable pirates from Arrest Warrants. This is thanks to this head's untargeted specialty rule. If an Arrest Warrant is played against your crew any character with the Eye Patch will be the one to go, regardless of whom your opponent might rather send to Davy Jones. Likewise if a Crack Down comes around he'll be rounded up even if you'd prefer to get rid of someone else. Of course you don't have to worry about either event if your whole crew has an immunity granted by another active character. You haven't already forgotten figures 1- 3 have you? Back to Top