Note: Sean J. is a part of the Burnt Island Team and is able to bring a sneak preview of the upcoming Endeavor: Age of Expansion Kickstarter. We’ll be sharing a number of articles in the coming weeks examining this project. Art in these images is not final.

It has been over a year since we left port with an adventurer’s spirit and the hopes of discovering new lands. The Age of Sail was good to us, and in our journeys around the world, we’ve learned many exciting things. We’ve brought home new ideas and new technologies that will forever change the way we approach our endeavors. The time for exploration alone has passed, now it is time for expansion!

Endeavor: Age of Expansion is the first expansion for Endeavor: Age of Sail. It’s coming to Kickstarter on June 18 at 9 AM EST. In this series of articles, we are taking a look at some of the new elements in the game. 

The goal of designer Jarratt Gray, was to retain the overall feeling and experience of Age of Sail, while introducing some fresh elements that will challenge you to approach it from a new angle. This is the perfect type of expansion, delivering an unmistakable Endeavor experience for fans of the game, but completely changing the pathways to success. Players familiar with Age of Sail will have very few rules to learn, however the combination of new Buildings and new Asset cards will force them to overhaul their strategy.

Today, we’re examining the new Level 1 Buildings.

The Naval Yard

Early in the game, the ability to take the Ship action can be very important. The Naval Yard is the only Level 1 Building with the Ship action and only one of two Buildings in the first two Levels. It will be a strong consideration for players seeking to get back out onto the sea and discover new worlds across the ocean. The Naval Yard also allows players to move up one space on the Industry track, giving them a head start towards some of the new higher level Buildings in Age of Expansion.

The Wharf

Like the Market in Age of Sail, the Wharf allows players to make a Draw action. Having the opportunity to claim Asset cards makes a huge difference. It can give you a big boost, especially in the early going. We’ll be discussing the new Asset cards in a future article, but suffice to say, they are powerful enough that you’ll want to get your hands on them. In a nice bit of synergy, the Wharf also allows you to move up on the Influence track, helping with your ability to hold Asset cards.

The Bridge

The last new Level 1 Building in Age of Expansion is the Bridge and it also introduces the first new concept in the game. The Bridge has the Trade ability. This allows you to swap a Trade token from your player board with one anywhere on the map. If you swap out a brown Attribute token, you must move down on the relevant track. The Bridge can be extraordinarily helpful throughout the game, giving you flexibility on how you develop your various tracks. It can also allow you to snatch up a blue Action token for an extra action just when you need it most. This may be the trickiest of the Level 1 Buildings for players to grasp, but used effectively, it can be really powerful. The Bridge also boosts you on both the Industry and Culture tracks for a nice start on both attributes.

Stay tuned for upcoming Endeavor: Age of Expansion articles as we approach the June 18 Kickstarter launch. Over the next few weeks, we’ll examine all of the Buildings and the new Asset cards included in the expansion.