Ahoy, Mateys!

Today, Kaptains Day, begins the Official Voting of the Fantasy Draft IX Teams. Voting will last for 7 days.

Please ensure you make your choice wisely, as recasting of your vote will not be allowed. Once cast, your vote is final.

The captains blurbs will follow shortly in subsequent posts, but first let me remind you of the selected Teams:

Henry Avery:
1) Pirate Nelson (#57267)
2)Sir Henry Morgan (#11685)
3)Shadowood (#56585)
4)Dejanira (#50255)
5)Tom Lowe (#10214)
6)JB-Duke (#54579)
7)El Draque (#76506)
8) Ader Titsoff(R) (#98103)
9) Jim Bergerac (#88947)
10)Noffin (#53779)

seas and greetings:
1) xPROx (#71327)
2)dmanwuzhere (#66793)
3)Feniks (#65591)
4)Dread Danik (#43694)
5)Haron (#57533)
6)SupremeLeaderJuicyP (#18925)
7)DezNutz (#54689)
8)Damn the Torpedos (#40187)
9)Caladan (#71487)
10)Kanu(R) (#99093)

Leo the Conqueror:
1) Lodswe (#35332)
2)Stan Rogers (#43864)
3)William One Eye (#58369)
4)The Accountant (#68285)
5)Silvershadow (#63063)
6)VegaPunk (#14510)
7)Clyde (R) (#95285)
8)Jim Hawkins (#14927)
9)Henry Jennings (#60061)
10)Wally (#48343)

HPWizard:
1) EdwardTeach (#63904)
2)Pulpop (#59264)
3)Captain Da Vinci (#12701)
4)Cutpurse (#66280)
5)Banger (#67360)
6)PhoenixKnight (#28199)
7)The Argonaut (#82050)
8)Kangaroo (#70596)
9)José Gasparila (#89636)
10)Ahmad_R(R) (#99344)


Blunt:
1) Lilone (#67367)
2)Getsum (#52534)
3)Meliva (#58298)
4)Lana (#50727)
5)Trixilikiliki (#41855)
6)XtaylorX (#67299)
7)Lil Lola (#79543)
8)Aunty Social(R) (#99422)
9)Asteria (R) (#98851)
10)Delania (R) (#98840)

(RESERVED FOR BLURB)

First of all, thank you for having me as a captain.
I have researched past forum topics and posts to try and make the best team I possibly could with limited information.
In doing so, I realize some team members may not be known historically to team with one another.
In some cases, there may even be feudal issues.
That is where I hope to earn your vote as a Captain.

Fleets consisted of multiple ships and each required leadership.
I am sure I am not the first to have such a crew.
I would hope to run a 4 Ship Of The Line fleet with a Large Merchantman as a tail or rather bait in this instance.
Doing so would increase my chances of making a possibly unruly group into a cohesive team.
Capable of even wilder feats than what I have read about the individuals I have chosen.

So I will set the fleets up and you, Avonmora, will choose by vote on my ability to have formed a winning team.

1) SOTL 1
xPROx
SupremeLeaderJuicyP
2) SOTL 2
Feniks
Damn the Torpedoes
3) SOTL 3
Haron
Caladan
4) SOTL 4
DezNutz
Dmanwuzhere
5) Large Merchantman
Dread Danik
Kanu
Seas and greetings

This setup allows the 4 SOTL to protect the bait ship as it will be deployed and appear alone and vulnerable.
It would run a route repetitively near ports of interest where suitable cover from different angles could be had by the SOTLs in the fleet.

I feel this setup provides the team with a goal to protect us new players, and with Danik on board, they could employ his tactics to buy time for the arrival of the SOTLs.
I chose a team that has the backing of major bankers, heavy voodoo casters, verbal judo masters, cunning and conniving tacticians, and powerful attackers/defenders.

If you think I have arranged a team and a suitable goal where they can act in unison and for the greater good, just vote Team Seas.
If not, then vote for the team you feel is better.
I can admit I have a lot to learn while still acknowledging you would be wrong.
Vote Team Seas or Die!!!!!

A draft for rookie captains. I knew this was going to be interesting from the start, and I just had to participate. Usually it would be odd to consider captains who have sailed Avonmora for 2 years, rookies. But then again, this is Avonmora. This is a harsh world, where sailors are exposed to the raw environment; not only of the raging seas, but also of the community surrounding them. Avonmora - in other words - takes quite a while to adjust to. I cannot say that I am fully adjusted after 2 years of sailing, nor can I say that any of the other captains are fully adjusted either. Some of them have been sailing the seas for less than a quarter of my time. Still, I have no less respect. I respect for any sailor who is able to last more than a few weeks, let alone months or years, in this truly unique place we call Avonmora. And to all sailors reading this, I hope all know you are warmly welcomed, no matter how much we fight, argue, bicker, disagree over anything under the sun - you make Avonmora the truly remarkable, beloved place it is. But, without further ado, I hereby introduce my team:

Lodswe, an old sailor, faithful friend, rare opponent, and truly all around amazing sailor, was my first pick for the team. My reasons go beyond just my history with him as my guildmaster, king, and mentor, however. His collection of exceptionally massive, one-of-a-kind plantations reach all across avonmora, reminding all of his power and wealth. But for such a wealthy man, he is not eager to keep it all to himself. He is known far and wide for his generous donations to help sailors who are new around Avonmora. All of these things made for an unregrettable and strong first pick, and for a man whose rum I would actually consider drinking (even if it was produced in Pania.)

My second pick, Stan Rogers, is a warm Canadian sailor who has time and time again put his friends and guildmates first, before himself. His style is also unique, sailing mostly undercover, leaving others alone. But when the time comes to defend his friends, and specifically sailors new to the waters, he can be seen unleashing slow swarms of voodoo and sailing large, powerful fleets. His courteous ways and amazing skills are why I picked Stan Rogers to be on my team.

There isn't much I can say about my third pick. William One Eye is a fairly quiet sailor who has sailed under many flags, including the Jolly Roger. However, he is not to be underestimated. I have witnessed his power, I have seen him and some colleagues climb to the top and overthrow an entire empire within only a few days. Occasionally, you may even see him confidently sailing his Man o War, knowing that no one would be dumb enough to try stealing it. I could not turn down the opportunity to choose such an amazing sailor to be on my team.

Next up, I chose The Accountant. Known mostly by TA, chances are most of your interactions with him have been his effortless wiping of your ships off the plunderboard. His fleets are extremely tough, and I can't say I have ever won a battle against one of his war fleets. This is a sailor to fear. Even his trading fleets are difficult to beat. On the single occasion that I did manage to beat them, I found a stack of voodoo cards being sent my way. This is a sailor who knows his way around Avonmora very well, which I why I picked him to be on my team.

Silvershadow, the skirmish master. If you need tips on skirmishing, he's who you ask. As it stands, he has over 42K skirmish attacks, and nearly 40K skirmish wins. For him, it's not just an extra way to make income, or a way to maximize profits after a single plunder attack. It's a way of sailing. A way of life. For this, Silvershadow has earned my utmost respect, landing him a well-deserved spot on my team.

VegaPunk was my next pick. Now, this is a player that I truly cannot speak much about. Until recently, I had assumed he was no longer active. But, to my surprise he was very much active, and made a spot as a top fame holder (currently second). He sails under the radar and for a long time operated a small guild with few players, until his recent switch to VUDU. His low ID and consistent activity shows clear dedication, which is more than enough to make me pick him.

I chose to get ahead of the game and make my rookie selection in the 7th round. I did this because I knew other captains may try selecting him as their rookie picks. Clyde, my rookie pick, is a sailor I have watched grow and progress since the very beginning. He started off asking many questions, which is a great sign of a sailor with intent to stay. But oh my, Clyde had intent to more than just stay. He had intent to build, grow, rank up, even start a plantation. I have watched him withstand deterrents like ruthless attacks and raids on him when he was still very new to Avonmora, and I am proud that instead of giving up, he pushed through an continued on with his journey despite being quite obviously annoyed. Avonmora, keep an eye out for this one. Before you know it he'll be taking over your nation.

To resume the regular picks, I chose Jim Hawkins. This is a banker and trader who hits back harder. Known among some pirates as a master of the leviathan, any sailor trying to steal from Jim Hawkins should expect a rough ride. It is quite common to lose more in damages than gained from raiding him. This should be expected though, as he's been sailing in Avonmora for well over 9 years. Although I picked him 8th, I couldn't be farther from scraping the bottom of the barrel.

My second to last pick was Henry Jennings, known better by his former name William Pitt. An excellent sailor, he's been around in Avonmora for longer than his account itself. Causing a little trouble here and there, he settled down in NPS where he helped spread his expertise to new sailors, taking them on many adventures including several wildly lucrative raids. Despite his involvement in the controversial Bully Boys Choir, I have nothing bad to say about him, as he has always prioritized helping other players and put their needs before his. That is why I have chosen him to be on my team.

Last, but certainly not least, I chose Wally. Wally was my very first teacher in Avonmora, helping me learn the ropes and attempting to keep me out of trouble. In one instance, he was able to retrieve a ship of the line of mine that had been sunken by a ticked-off sailor who I rubbed the wrong way. But my fondest memory of him was my very first raid. Although inactive, I plundered several howkers which I then used for fishing. But the entire thing could not have been done without his help. He cast the voodoo the first time, and instructed me on how to use it so I could be the one to cast the next time. Although he was my final pick, he is by no means "leftovers". He sails an astounding number of ships, and is able to pull it off quite well. That, paired with his kindness and early stage friendship, is what lead to my decision to chose him as my closing pick.

And to all other captains, in this draft, and in future drafts as well, I wish you good luck.

Godspeed!

The palm trees appeared on the horizons, little green specks marking the destination for the young Duke, HPWizard. He straightened his maroon coat and adjusted his wig, ensuring that the white curls were perfectly in place; he had to look impeccable. After all, a lone Ship of the Line would not impress the man he was hoping to meet with. Well, his whole fleet wouldn't have been enough, even if he had not sent the rest of his ships to other dignitaries residing in golden palaces or overseeing seemingly-endless fields growing cotton and tobacco.

The ship reached the dock of San Juan, and HP tied the ship to a mooring before stepping onto the dock alongside two of his senior officers. They followed a cobblestone road, past a variety of food stands and a group of children sparring with wooden swords, until they came to a magnificent villa. This was where the esteemed King, EdwardTeach, was said to reside.

HP and his party waited at the gate until an attendant came to greet them. "Can you give this to His Grace, EdwardTeach?" HP began, handing the man a scroll. "I hope to meet with him at his earliest convenience."

"His Grace is not around. An armada of pirates was spotted off our shores, and that problem is being ... resolved as we speak."

---
Weeks had passed, and the Pirates Glory Fantasy Draft Expeditionary Crew was coming together. EdwardTeach returned from his pirate hunting adventure, the crew of multiple Men of War taken prisoner and a sizeable haul transferred to his coffers. A quick meeting later, and he was leaving his island alongside HP. When they had stopped at a market some days later, they found the young Ahmad_R selling tools he had produced in his workshops. Their craftsmanship was stunning, and HP quickly invited Ahmad_R to join his crew. Kangaroo arrived from his massive plantation the following week, along with a message that PulPop had some business he needed to finish at his bank and would be arriving shortly -- it seemed he discovered a handful of Credits that were owned by someone other than him, and he needed to rectify the situation to restore his Credit monopoly. And José Gasparila came straight from his throne room in the United States.

-----
HP took the scroll from the Commander of the fleet he had sent out to Captain da Vinci. He untied the gilded velvet bow, being careful not to rip the unnecessarily-expensive wrapping, and looked over the note.

"What's this? He wants to meet with me in person before deciding whether or not to accept?" HP walked over to the calendar nailed to the vessel's walls, frowning as he started counting the days. There was not going to be enough time for him to assemble the rest of his crew. Do I just settle for an alternative? Or do I make this journey, and resign myself to filling out my crew with the first Toms or Joes I encounter in a tavern, landlubbers or not. Or I suppose I could just call forth the Flying Dutchman.

HP Wizard gathered the men he had invited to the expedition and started chanting the ancient lines that would summon the ghost ship. The sea in a small region next to the ship became choppy, and a dark shadow appeared in its center. Then a grey sail rose from the water, followed by the rest of the ship. It was illuminated in a ghostly, yellow light that still creeped him out whenever the ship lined up alongside his own. Still, HP Wizard climbed the railing and leapt onto the Flying Dutchman with practiced ease, and the rest of the men quickly followed. And once they were aboard, the ghost ship lurched forward into a swirling grey cloud with flashes of bright colors. It would only take moments for the ship to appear halfway across the globe.

The swirling grey cloud dissipated, and HP looked out towards a port city with golden-domed buildings glistening in the midday sun. After they stepped ashore, he looked back to see the ghost ship sink into to the sparkling, dark blue water. He also noticed a dockyard, filled with rows upon rows of ships. "There must be hundreds of ships, thousands even," HP noted. "Is this where all of the nobles and the Bourgeoisie keep their ships?"
José chuckled first. "Not quite. That is Captain da Vinci's private property. Last I heard there were 16,000 ships in there, all owned by this one man. And that was quite a while ago, so the number may be even higher now."

"Oh," HP said, a red tint seeping into his cheeks. "I suppose with all of those ships, it shouldn't be a surprise that he collects crowns like the average sailor might collect casks of rum. 75 crowns, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Yep," Kangaroo replied. "He recently conquered Spain singlehandedly, waging war against some of the wealthiest men in Avonmora for crown 74, and then he moved across the Mediterranean and settled in Morocco to get one more." With that, the group started making their way to the palace where they could meet with the eminent King.

---
Cheers and drunken merriment could be heard from the tavern down by the bay. This was one of the places where pirates and privateers tended to gather, so it didn’t take much imagination to figure out what they were celebrating. And a few successful pirates would make a mighty fine addition to the team.

HP led his crew, all carrying their cutlass (as this was not a place to be without one) and filed inside. They found a table, allowed it to become vacant (not that they forced the previous occupant to get up or anything), and sat down around the table. EdwardTeach went to get the rum, while HP looked around for three honored guests. He found two of them -- Banger and Cutpurse -- and approached them, interrupting their argument about whose haul was more valuable. Cutpurse had carried stacks upon stacks of gold bars off a convoy of merchant ships, while Banger just took a whole ship-of-the-line, cargo and all. “Come, discuss your exploits over some rum with my Pirates Glory Fantasy Draft team, and your dispute can be settled by some of the greatest kings and tycoons Avonmora has ever seen.”

--
The following morning, Argo was sitting on the dock, staring out to the grey-green churning seas beyond the stillness of the bay. Feeling under the weather from a rather extended period of casting voodoo spells, she watched the Merchantmen and Galleons plying back and forth. Traders and merchants doing their thing... and her wanting their things.

She started heading to the market to figure out what goods were available for the taking, when she took a left turn at the chandlery and ended up on the streets of Slack. She spotted an old sea hag, who mentioned that HP Wizard was looking for her down on the docks... something about a crew. I wonder what HP wants she thought as she turned on her heels back to the port.

Upon arrival at HP’s mooring, Argo found the crew busy loading and unloading, stacking, packing and polishing as if in preparation for a historical battle. On entering the main cabin, she was greeted by that notoriously fearsome rogue EdwardTeach. "Shiver me timbers!! What’s going on when the famed and feared Blackbeard greets you?” The cabin was plush and luxurious, and fabrics lay about everywhere. Upon entering, all chatter stopped and 3 more famous faces turned to her. They sat around a grand walnut table in their finery, jewels on their fingers catching the dim light of the lanterns. There was Pulpop, that mercenary ****** pirate of old … Captain King da Vinci, from that old draft years ago, and Kangaroo, dressed in his elegant robes, gold thread and finery.

Why, these are wealthy fancy gentlemen and I am mere sea robbing pirate .. I am out of place here she thought to herself. But then, HP entered and greeted her, looking every bit the part of captain even though his face held so much youth, holding out his hand. His wide smile made Argo feel most welcome. "Welcome to Fantasy Draft IX. I am your Captain, HPWizard."

---
That evening, as the crew lounged on deck watching the sunset and drinking rum, a strange object seemed to fall from the sky, as if hurled by the sun itself. HPWizard ran over to the telescope to see what it was, while the crew muttered guesses of their own.

"That looks like PhoenixKnight," Argo said with a smile. And sure enough, there was the adventurous maniac, in his red and gold robes hurling through the air on a flying machine, with a giant wooden crate trailing behind him. HPWizard ordered the ship to turn to meet him, who was losing altitude and approaching the water. The airship touched the sea alongside HP's Ship of the Line, and the crew hoisted PhoenixKnight and his cargo all on board.

HP addressed Phoenix. “You are late, sailor. I was worried that I'd be shorthanded without you being here.”

PhoenixKnight grinned. "Apologies captain, but it was for good reason. After negotiating a treaty between some monarchs, I heard tales of a mad fellow making wonderous things in Italy. I had met the man way back and went to investigate the rumors. He was commissioned by the King of France to make new cannon balls that the seas have never seen. Orbs that could pierce through any hull, causing a big explosion, and sink even a Frigate with a single shot. I told myself I’d be damned if some king got his hands on them, so I went there and took it. But Alas! I was recognized and could not return to the harbor. Luckily that scientist had this flying boat that he showed last year. I loaded the chest onto it and flew it out of his tower. Five days I have been flying, I tell you, looking for you. Looks like the winds of luck were with me after all, since I found you before I went down.”
HPWizard smiled and pat PhoenixKnight on the back. "Well done my man. These will be a nice secret weapon if we end up in a fight. I shall reward you when we win our keep."

Ladies not on my team and gentlemen of Avonmora, I humbly stand before you today to express my fulfillment of creating the best team.
Those of you who do not share this sentiment, I ask that you hear me out so you may understand why I make that claim.
Look at these teams that are not mine and tell me what you see.
I tell you, not a single one holds a candle to mine.

As I thought on the task before me to gather the best team, I had a revelation.
The best team. The best team, AH HAH, I will make the best looking team.
Look at the sordid lot these other captains have pooled together to create their teams.
How many are missing limbs, eyes, manners, and good hygiene?

Then look at my team.
Whether they dress in rags, ballroom gowns, or pirate attire, they have no competition from these other teams.
So today, I ask that you vote not for the surly wild and crazy bunch that only a select few saintly mothers could love.
Instead, vote for the team you would most like to see in a bathing suit.
The team you would most enjoy watching in battle as you eat popcorn and cheer.
If that is not my team, you need more time aboard a ship with the ugly you deserve and the foul food you are used to!
#TEAMBLUNT #BESTLOOKINGTEAMEVER

Congrats to the all the Captains and Teams!! Another Draft in the books. Thank you to Dez and others for running the draft! After all its been a year since the last draft and it great to see some new names on the draft boards.

Good luck to the 5 teams and again, congrats to all who were selected!

-Shadowood

Congrats to all the captains and their respective teams.
All the best, happy to see the newcomers get a chance to shine.

In other news:
VOTE TEAM LEO!!

:

Henry Jennings wrote:Congrats to all the captains and their respective teams.
All the best, happy to see the newcomers get a chance to shine.

In other news:
VOTE TEAM LEO!!

:

Why vote for team Thunderless

Meliva wrote:

Henry Jennings wrote:Congrats to all the captains and their respective teams.
All the best, happy to see the newcomers get a chance to shine.

In other news:
VOTE TEAM LEO!!

:

Why vote for team Thunderless

Meliva lines Henry Jennings in her sights ... She be the first to fire