High Seas Set Review: Pirates on the Horizon
High Seas arrived with enormous hype. Pirates were a long-requested FaB flavour, and the double-faced mechanic introduced in Rosetta expanded here to cover three new heroes. Did the set deliver? Let's break it down.
The Pirate Meta Flavour
High Seas introduces treasure mechanics — cards that generate gold tokens, treasure chests, and resource bonuses tied to looting. Conceptually, it's one of the most cohesive flavour packages FaB has produced. Mechanically, the question is whether the "accumulate treasure" gameplan is fast enough in a competitive context.
Short answer: Marlynn yes, Gravy Bones sometimes, Puffin probably not at the top tables.
Gravy Bones / Gravy Bones, Shipwrecked Looter
Grade: B+
Gravy Bones is the aggro option in this trio. His base form pressures the opponent from turn 1 with cheap pirate action cards that generate gold tokens as a side effect. His back face, Shipwrecked Looter, converts accumulated gold into a combat boost.
The transformation is quicker than most Rosetta heroes — often triggering by turn 2 or 3 if you opened aggressively. The power level on transformed turns is legitimately threatening.
Weakness: Gravy Bones runs fairly low block values in his optimal build. Against well-constructed control lists, he struggles to close out games before falling behind on board presence.
Competitive grade: B+. Strong, fun, and aggressive. Not quite top tier.
Marlynn / Marlynn, Treasure Hunter
Grade: A-
Marlynn is the strategic standout of High Seas. Her treasure-finding mechanic generates card advantage in a way that feels genuinely novel — digging through your deck for treasure cards while building a more powerful board than your opponent.
The key insight: Marlynn's transformation doesn't require you to spend resources directly. The board state she builds on her base face is the resource for the transformation. This is more like Oscilio's approach than Florian's — consistent and reliable.
Her ceiling is arguably the highest in the set. A mid-game Treasure Hunter turn with three buried chests can generate enough tempo to close from any life total.
Competitive grade: A-. Legitimate contender.
Puffin / Puffin, Hightail
Grade: B-
Puffin is the wild card. Her base form generates value through movement and evasion — she's designed to pressure opponent equipment by forcing unfavourable blocks. Hightail adds a haste-style burst that can win from nowhere.
The problem is consistency. Puffin needs specific draws to execute her gameplan, and her transformation trigger is harder to guarantee than Marlynn's or Gravy Bones'.
In casual play, Puffin is an absolute blast. In a competitive setting, she gets outpaced by heroes with more linear and reliable gameplans.
Competitive grade: B-. Underrated in casual, overrated for competitive.
Supporting Cards
Treasure Island / High Seas Map — the double-faced environment card is a genuine format-shaper. Treasure Island transforms into High Seas Map on a trigger, and the bonus it grants is significant enough to build around. Expect this card to be banned or restricted if the format accelerates.
Goldkiss Rum — equipment card with flavour-appropriate mechanics. Strong in Gravy Bones specifically.
Set Verdict: 8/10
High Seas is a successful expansion. The flavour is the best since Monarch, the heroes are varied enough to appeal to different playstyles, and Marlynn is a legitimate competitive addition. Puffin might be waiting for a format where her evasion tools shine.
The set loses a point for the treasure mechanic feeling occasionally parasitic — too many cards only fire at full power with specific treasure counts that can be hard to reach against disruptive opponents.