Fantasy Flight Games

Take Flight

Published 4 September 2012 | Sky Traders

Take Flight

The FAQ for Sky Traders is Now Available on Our Support Page

Hello, Aerial Entrepreneurs!

Today, we’re pleased to present the FAQ and Errata for Sky Traders (pdf, 1.4 MB), now available on our support page.

In addition to a few minor rules adjustments, the errata section includes a change to the position of the Black Market goods slider at setup as well as a new Investment Limit rule. While these are both rather large changes, we think they are necessary to balance the game and provide players with more influence over the sludge and grog markets.

The rest of this document contains Frequently Asked Questions about Sky Traders. This includes rules that required further clarification as well as questions that you, the players, have asked in our forums. As always, we appreciate the feedback and will continue to update this FAQ when needed.

We hope that this document answers your questions, and provides you with a better play experience. Happy gaming!

–Christopher Hosch, Game Producer

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Ply the Skyways

Published 27 June 2012 | Sky Traders

Ply the Skyways

Sky Traders, a Board Game of Aerial Commerce, is Now Available

Behind closed doors, members of the Sky Guild meet to debate and set market prices. At the pounding of the opening gavel, sky traders hastily barter with their peers, hoping to strike a deal that makes them richer and more powerful.

Command your own skyship and become a master merchant in Sky Traders! This high-flying board game of commerce and intrigue for two to five players is now available at your local retailer and on our webstore.

Evade ruthless pirates as you collect influence with the powerful Sky Guild, and manipulate the commodity market using your powers of persuasion. Through clever trades and resourceful captaining, you can seize the title of Master of the Sky Guild!

The Sky’s the Limit

The advent of flying ships has revolutionized the trading industry. After a string of inventions made it possible for entrepreneurs to build and maintain skyships with only a modest amount of capital, it became obvious that sky traders needed a guild to oversee their endeavors. The Sky Guild controls commodity prices and raises or lowers them based on their own secret agenda. However, Wind Pirates still threaten the sky trade, and a healthy black market has developed around the Grog trade.

As captain of your own skyship, you’ll have to decide each turn how to best service your needs. Buying cargo at one port and delivering it to another city where the goods are highly desired is a great way to turn a profit. However, a captain must also consider hiring new crew, checking the ship’s phlogiston (fuel for skyships) levels, repairing damage sustained in pirate attacks, and other important tasks to keep the ship running at peak performance.

Grease a few palms and watch as the goods in your cargo hold surge in value, make a steady return by hauling sludge, or live on the edge of the law by dealing Black Market grog. The winds of trade are blowing; how will you make your fortune? Fly to your local retailer and grab your copy of Sky Traders today!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Soaring Profits

Published 18 June 2012 | Sky Traders

Soaring Profits

The Rules for Sky Traders, the Board Game of Aerial Commerce, are Online

Since the dawn of the Age of Skyships, traders have competed for control of the lucrative trade lanes. To prevent this conflict from turning bloody, the mighty Sky Guild was formed. But like anything of value, it was only a matter of time before the Guild itself became the prize for the highly competitive Sky Traders! Now ruthless Sky Traders compete to become the Master of the Sky Guild! Cloud mining, negotiation, piracy, the black market…which route will make you the new ruler of the skies?

The rules for Sky Traders (pdf, 11.3 MB), the board game of aerial commerce, are now available on our support page!

Your Guide to the Trade Lanes

In this high-flying trading game, two to five players evade ruthless Wind Pirates as they cunningly manipulate the commodities market. Whether working with peers to enrich the economy for everyone or undermining rivals and pocketing the ill-gotten profit, these ambitious businessmen seek soaring profits as they jockey for the ultimate title: Master of the Sky Guild.

Learn more at our description page, then look for Sky Traders to fly into your local game store late next week!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

A Fickle Wind Blows

Published 11 April 2012 | Sky Traders

A Fickle Wind Blows

A preview of Sky Traders, the upcoming board game of aerial commerce

Every sky captain occasionally encounters times of good fortune, when a stiff wind blows and each business opportunity is profitable. But the winds of fate can be a burden as well as a boon, and at times, it seems like disaster lurks behind every cloud; the market violently shifts and trade goods lose all value, you’re busted and outlawed for carrying illegal goods, or the Wind Pirates ruthlessly plunder valuable cargo.

As a captain of your very own sky ship, you’ll experience all of this and more! Announced last month, Sky Traders is a board game of commerce and intrigue in which two to five players evade the ruthless Wind Pirates as they compete to collect influence with the powerful Sky Guild. As you set out for adventure and profit, you’ll encounter all types of exciting challenges. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the source of many of those trials: the Ill Wind deck.

A bittersweet breeze

Before a sky captain can set sail each turn, he must submit to the capricious whims of fate, represented by the Ill Wind deck. Ill Wind cards offer its share of advantages; perhaps you’ll draw the Economic Boom card that increases the value of all trade goods, or the Treasure Map that allows you to immediately gain one legal good of your choice. You may even draw the Grog card and win the coveted grog guzzling competition!

On the other hand, the Ill Wind deck contains plenty of events to derail your quest for fortune. The Toxic Damage card causes damage to your ship’s cargo holds if you are carrying sludge, the waste byproduct of phlogiston that captains sometimes haul out of cities and dump for profit. As a Captain, you may want to think twice about taking noxious sludge aboard, since the Toxic Damage Ill Wind card is one of the more common cards in the deck.

If you’re a captain that prefers to operate on the edge of the law, you’ll dread the Sky Patrol Ill Wind card. Authorities of the sky, the Sky Patrol will attack if your ship is carrying illegal grog or if you have a wanted token from committing an act of piracy, dumping sludge in a city, or defeating the Airmarshal Ill Wind card. We’ll discuss wanted tokens and combat in a future preview.

Rob, steal, and plunder

Perhaps the biggest threat in the Ill Winds deck is the dreaded Wind Pirates. While some pirates are content to leave you be as long as you “share” some of your most valuable cargo, other pirates viciously attack any sky ship unfortunate enough to cross their path. The most unfortunate sky trader may even run across the Wind Pirate King! If you do, you’ll have the opportunity to turn tail and run, but if you defeat this legend in combat, you’ll receive a massive bounty.

The fickle Ill Winds deck adds surprises and challenges to your quest to grab the title of Master of the Sky Guild in Sky Traders. Check back for more previews of this board game of intrigue and adventure, and look for Sky Traders to dock at your local in the second quarter of 2012!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Become a Merchant of the Sky

Published 6 March 2012 | Sky Traders

Become a Merchant of the Sky

Announcing Sky Traders, a board game for two to five players

Command your own skyship and become a master merchant in Sky Traders, a board game of commerce and intrigue for two to five players. Evade the ruthless Wind Pirates as you collect influence with the powerful Sky Guild. Manipulate the commodity market using your powers of persuasion. Through clever trades and resourceful captaining, you can seize the title of Master of the Sky Guild!

Life on the edge

At the start of the game, players construct the game board from 14 hexagonal tiles. These tiles feature different areas, including cities, Hyperzephyrs, the mighty volcano, and more. Since the board is newly constructed for each game, there are nearly countless configurations.

Before setting sail each turn, every player has to draw an Ill Wind card. These cards create a range of effects, including Wind Pirate attacks. The Wind Pirates are ruthless, so you will have to choose whether to submit to their demands, or attempt to fight them off. At the same time, some of the Ill Winds cards provide rewards. Prepare for anything when drawing from this deck.

When the game begins, you'll want to fill your ship with cargo and start trading. To do so, sail to a city and use your starting money to purchase goods. Each city specializes in selling one of the six types of goods in the game, so head to the city that carries the good you want to purchase.

Sky traders can also make money by transporting sludge or grog, but these types of goods come with certain hazards. Dumping sludge in an unauthorized area is not advised, as the authorities quickly track down any captain foolish enough to do so.

Turning a profit

To sell goods, move your skyship to a city and check the Commodities Exchange sheet. This card displays the current value for all types of goods. Multiply the current value of the goods you're carrying by the amount of goods you have. You’ll then receive that amount of money from the Treasurer in exchange for your goods. Shrewd captains can influence the price of the goods they are hauling in the Guild Council phase to maximize their profits.

If you’re in need of a burst of speed, travel to one of the Hyperzephyr tiles. These contraptions transport ships to another area of the board instantly. Otherwise, you’ll have to move about the board at a slower pace, burning precious phlogiston. If you run out of fuel, you can mine the clouds for small amounts of phlogiston. To avoid this somewhat embarrassing situation, be sure to purchase fuel when you are in a city, or mine large amounts of fuel from the Phlogiston Geyser tile.

A meeting of the minds

At the end of each turn, players can attempt to manipulate prices and secure Influence with the Sky Guild. Team up with like-minded traders to increase the cost of the goods you are carrying, or flat-out bribe your peers for their assistance. However you do it, you’ll be rewarded handsomely for adeptly playing the market.

Purchasing Influence costs a princely sum, but the only way to take control of the Sky Guild is to become its most influential member. As traders move up the Influence track, they can more easily control prices and exert pressure. Powerful guild members are likely ruffle a few feathers during their rise to power, so they’ll have to be on the lookout for rivals who want to take revenge.

Launch your skyship into the clouds and experience adventure and intrigue in Sky Traders. Trade your way to fortune and fame as you attempt to take control of the powerful Sky Guild.

We are excited to announce that Sky Traders arrives late second quarter of 2012. Watch out for future previews of this game in the coming weeks.

Discuss this article
in our forums!