Rum and Bones Wellsport Brotherhood Heroes

Last time I reviewed the Bone Devils undead faction of the Rum and Bones boardgame with miniatures. This time I'm highlighting the British pirate faction known as the Wellsport Brotherhood. Note that not all of the crew are British, but most are. Captain Pale and his Wellsport Brotherhood have sacked ports and ships from the Spanish Main to the far Mediterranean to the East Indies.They appear in an area, linger for a year, then vanish out into the blue. No one quite knows where "Wellsport" is, and none of the crews are talking. Theory has it that Wellsport captains can conjure their ship far across the waves to a magical island of piratical delights; ale, women (and men), song, and feasting... but it only works if you've got the coin. Either that or "Wellsport" is whatever local destination they've chosen as their home base. The magic one has a much better ring to it, eh?

The five Heroes shown directly above and below are part of the original boxed game. At the far left is Captain Daniel Pale the Bastard of Wellsport. He commands the Brotherhood with an iron fist and a velvet glove. He's tolerant of their excesses at port and utterly ruthless in his discipline at sea.
To his left is Brute "Stumper" Pete the Chief Wellsport Bosun. He earned his nickname "Stumper" in the Royal Navy after he lost his leg battling the Wellsport Brotherhood. He didn't take well to the constant jokes about his peg leg, so he deserted and sought down Captain Pale, who readily accepted him as a loyal crew member.

In the centre of the group is Gunner Blackout Bart the Drunken Marksman. He is another RN washout. Captain Pale recruited him when he witnessed Bart was just as accurate with his pistols and cannon when drunk as he was when sober. Alcohol has no affect on his aim!
Next in line is Quartermaster Margaret "Miss Mags" Hale the Wellsport Paymaster. She grew up as a seafarer and when she managed to find the semi-mythical island of Wellsport, Captain Pale recruited her on the spot. The two have an obvious affection for one another and as such she has become the de facto First Mate (and any new crewman making the obvious pun only does so once!).
Finally, is Swashbuckler "Mad Ivan" the Dervish of Wellsport. A former officer in the Bey of Algiers navy, Danar ibn Mohammed was forced to flee his post when the Captain-Bey was deposed in a bloody uprising. He soon found employment with Captain Pale and his crew. His nickname resulted from an encounter with Blackout Bart who, whilst drunk, slurred the name "ibn" into "Ivan" and the name stuck.

These five Heroes were all included as stretch goals during the initial Rum and Bones Kickstarter project. I start with Captain Anne Bonny the Ruthless Commander. By joining the Wellsport Brotherhood she was able to fulfil her lifelong dream - being able to command a ship of her own.
Next to her is Brute Baston the "Not So Noble". Twin brother to the French pirate Gaston Duchampe, Baston and his brother cut a dashing pair through the ranks at Parisian court. Where Gaston was lucky in love, Baston was lucky in cards (he was a brilliant cheat). Both brothers were forced to flee Paris by angry men for pursuing their wives and purses. Baston now travels with the Wellsport Brotherhood where his shocking talents with swords and cards earn him praise and renown.

In the centre of the group is Gunner Grace O'Malley the Sea Queen of Connaught. As a leading figure in the Irish resistance to English conquest in the late 1500's, it could be argued that she commanded the whole Irish naval forces at one time. Her skill with paired pistols is the wonder of Wellsport.
Second from the right is Quartermaster Theo the Terror of Nova. Theodore MacAdler was the bastard son of a long-dead captain's widow. He was press-ganged into the HMS Nova at age 17. He eventually jumped ship and found his freedom with the Wellsport Brotherhood.
Last in line is Swashbuckler Slevin the Lucky. Quick with a smile smile or joke, "Lucky" Slevin is renowned for his sunny disposition and brilliant swordsmanship. He's a welcome addition to the Wellsport Brotherhood and a boon to any ship as his luck seems to rub off on anyone he spends time around.
I like this faction very much. I think the three female pirates are just terrific. I love the idea of running an all-female pirate crew. The Wellsport Brotherhood are well matched against the Bone Devils. In the four games that I have played with these two factions, both sides have won twice and lost twice. I have yet to try them out using the new rules from Second Tide. So a rematch is definitely on the cards. I do plan on showcasing the game with a batrep in the near future, so most likely I'll use these two factions for it.