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Francis Drake, Eagle Games/Kayal Games, 2013 – back cover close-up

Bird's Eye view of the full board at set up

The supply board--fully loaded at set up. Extra cards to the right are for making the set up variable and to accommodate various numbers of players

Francis Drake personal custom paint job.

Francis Drake, Eagle Games/Kayal Games, 2013 – back cover (image provided by the publisher)

The exciting voyages to the Spanish Main in search of fame and fortune! @ Spiel 2013 in Essen

Francis Drake (2013)

Players

3–5

Best: 5

Playing time

90–120 min

Age

14+

7.37

Average rating

5,493

Ratings

2.91/5

Weight

#771

BGG rank

Top 1,000

Designer:Peter Hawes

Artist:Franz Vohwinkel

Publisher:Eagle-Gryphon Games +3 more

Average rating, ratings count, weight and rank are sourced from BoardGameGeek (BGG).

Game DNA

Strategy7.0

Luck6.0

Interaction7.0

Complexity5.8

Theme6.0

This game's strategy, luck, interaction, complexity and theme.

NauticalExplorationBluffingRenaissancePiratesSet CollectionSecret Unit DeploymentWorker PlacementPush Your LuckTurn Order: Time TrackOrder Counters

Overview

Game description from the publisher:

Return to a bustling Plymouth Harbor in 1572 as an aspiring Elizabethan captain making preparations for three exciting voyages to the Spanish Main in search of fame and fortune! As captains, players will have to plan their missions and provision their ships accordingly.

Francis Drake is a race to see who can set sail and reach the Spanish Main first. The riches of the Aztec and Inca Empires await these swashbuckling captains. Many tough decisions must be made before each voyage:

How many crew members, guns, and trade goods will be needed? What supplies will be needed to reach deep into the Caribbean? Will a stronger galleon be needed to attack the treasure fleets? Can special charts from the Spanish Admiral and Governor help? Will the Queen or rich investors back the voyage? What information can the informer give? Will Drake himself be available to guide the voyage? Who will get the use of the Golden Hind?

Each new voyage has its own challenges to overcome, but the captured gold, silver, and jewels should greatly please the Queen. Get ready for the voyage of a lifetime!