Pirates Of The North Sea (PLUS × 2024)
The traditional starting point for the Viking Age is a single, shocking event. In June 793 AD, a band of Viking raiders sailed across the North Sea from Norway to attack the wealthy, undefended monastery of Lindisfarne on the coast of Northumbria. This brutal assault sent shockwaves through Christian Europe, but for the Vikings, it was simply the beginning. The superior shipbuilding technology of the time, with longships that were both fast for raiding and seaworthy for long voyages, allowed them to dominate the sea roads of the North Atlantic.
Before you can raid, you must prepare. "Working" is how you build your crew and gather supplies in the village at the bottom of the board. There are eight different buildings, each offering a unique benefit that forms the engine of your strategy, such as:
: The City of Hamburg commissioned a specialized fleet led by the warship Bunte Kuh (Colored Cow). They cornered Störtebeker’s fleet near Heligoland. According to legend, a traitor poured molten lead into the rudder of Störtebeker's ship, disabling it. pirates of the north sea
In the 16th century, North Sea piracy shifted from a battle for commerce to a war for religious and political independence. During the Eighty Years' War against Catholic Spanish rule, the leader of the Dutch revolt, William of Orange, issued letters of marque to a ragtag group of Protestant nobles, sailors, and adventurers known as the (Sea Beggars). The Likedeelers (14th-15th Century) The Sea Beggars (16th Century) Primary Motivation Wealth accumulation & anti-monopoly Religious freedom & political independence Target Hanseatic League merchant vessels Spanish treasure fleets & Catholic strongholds Legal Status Outlaws / Rogue privateers Sovereign-backed privateers Key Legacy Folk folklore and maritime mythology The foundational independence of the Netherlands The Capture of Brielle (1572)
They struck a supply lugger bound for an offshore rig. The Brae Captain watched the men on deck— exhausted, young— and hissed the order. Mormin’s Child timed the currents. Oars swallowed sound. They boarded with the calm of men accounting for loss. There was a scuffle, a shout, a handful of coins handed to a child who had no right to any of it. They left the crew with bread, a watch, and a story to tell: that the sea had been visited by thieves who left kindness wrapped in theft. The traditional starting point for the Viking Age
Admiral Corvus is the commander of the HMS Leviathan , a massive, fortress-like ironclad that belches black smoke. He is a man of science and brutality. He believes the boy holds the key to "The Blood of the Earth"—a renewable energy source that could make the Empire invincible, or destroy the world.
Later, in the 1560s, a group known as the made a living preying on North Sea shipping. These "watergeuzen" were a motley collection of outlaws and rebels who would eventually seize the port of Brill in 1572, marking a turning point in the Dutch Revolt. The spirit of the original Viking raiders—of self-reliance, maritime skill, and plunder—echoed through these later privateers, showing that the "Pirates of the North Sea" are a recurring theme in northern European history. The superior shipbuilding technology of the time, with
The secret to their success was the Viking Longship. These vessels were fast, maneuverable, and, crucially, shallow-drafted. This allowed them to sail across the rough North Sea and then immediately navigate shallow rivers to raid inland towns that thought themselves safe. The Age of Plunder: Raiding the North Sea Coastlines
: After the conflict ended and they lost their royal patronage, these sailors had no formal employment. They turned to indiscriminate raiding, adopting the motto: "God's friends and the whole world's enemies" The Likedeelers
