“Sail in sight!” calls the sentry on the tower. To whom do these sails at the horizon belong? A homecoming merchant ship that has a fully loaded hold of gold or salt? An enemy ship with a diplomat on board to negotiate peace? Or are these the black sails of the feared pirates that don’t negotiate but come to plunder and burn down harbors and warehouses? With the expansion Barbarians and Pirates players can add a new party to the game that will challenge the players for sure. The playing pieces of the barbarians and pirates are brought into play by the players and will then be played by AI. Players place them but can’t control them. So, a player needs to be careful what he wishes for. To call for the barbarians and pirates at first might seem like a call for help to threaten your opponents but they can turn their attention quickly towards you. If not opposed right away the hordes of barbarians and pirate fleets can become a real threat to your empire. This expansion brings a lot of variety and fun to the three games of the series. It can be used for all three volumes. —description from the publisher