Seas of Havoc: Buried Treasure Upgrade vs Base: What's Inside and Who Needs It

Quick answer

If you already own the Seas of Havoc base game and want more variety, the Buried Treasure Upgrade is the cheapest meaningful step up: it adds 2 new captains and 2 new ships and includes the deluxe components. If you are starting from zero, buy the Captain's Deluxe Edition instead, because it gives you the full game plus those same deluxe components in one box.

Seas of Havoc gives each player a unique movement deck tied to their ship and a set of abilities tied to their captain, so more captains and more ships change the game more than a typical expansion. The question is whether you should buy the Buried Treasure Upgrade, jump to the Captain's Deluxe Edition, or spend your money on accessories first.

This comparison sticks to what Rock Manor Games lists for each product. Where a specification is not published, such as exact component counts outside the stated captains, ships, metal coins, and wooden treasure chests, treat that as a decision limitation rather than a reason to guess.

What the Buried Treasure Upgrade actually adds

The Buried Treasure Upgrade is an expansion, not a standalone game, and it is listed at USD 15.00 against a catalog comparison price of USD 30.00. Its contents are specific: 2 new captains, 2 new ships, and the deluxe components from the Captain's Deluxe edition, which means metal coins and wooden treasure chests to hold your resources.

That mix matters because captains and ships are the two levers that define how a Seas of Havoc fleet plays. Adding two of each widens the matchup space for existing owners. The metal coins and wooden chests are the same upgrade pieces sold inside the deluxe box, so this is the cheaper route to them if you already have the base game.

• Check that you own the Seas of Havoc base game before buying, since this is an expansion.

Upgrade vs Captain's Deluxe Edition

The Captain's Deluxe Edition is a full board game for 1-5 players at USD 62.50 against a catalog comparison price of USD 125.00. You captain a ship and fight through a deck of cards that dictates movement and cannon fire, with each player's deck shaped by their chosen ship and their captain's special abilities. Players then compete to gain the most Infamy.

The trade-off is straightforward. Buying the deluxe edition gets a new player everything at once, including the deluxe components that the Buried Treasure Upgrade also contains. Buying the upgrade gets an existing owner the new captains, new ships, and deluxe components for far less, but it does nothing for someone who does not yet own the base game.

• New to the game: buy the Captain's Deluxe Edition, not the expansion.
• Already own the base game: the Buried Treasure Upgrade is the lower-cost content add.

Where accessories fit in the buying order

Accessories change how the game sits on your table rather than what happens in it. The Seas of Havoc Play Mat is a 25 x 17 inch neoprene mat that replaces the quad-fold game board, listed at USD 10.00 against a catalog comparison price of USD 20.00. If your board slides, shifts, or has a fold ridge running through the play area, this is the fix.

The Seas of Havoc: Premium Insert is a different kind of purchase. It is an illustrated modular insert that stores all gameplay content in the Captain's Deluxe or base box, including the new First Mates expansion. It solves storage and setup, not gameplay, so it only earns its place once your collection has grown enough to need it.

• Buy the play mat if table stability bothers you; buy the insert if box space bothers you.

How to decide in one pass

Work through three questions in order. Do you own the base game? If not, the Captain's Deluxe Edition is your entry point and the expansion should wait. Do you want more captains and ships, or the deluxe coins and chests? The Buried Treasure Upgrade covers both at once.

Only after those two questions are settled should you look at the play mat and premium insert. They are quality-of-life purchases, and buying them before you have the content you actually play with puts the cart before the horse. None of these products lists optional variants, so what you see in the catalog is what ships.

• Resolve game content first, then table comfort, then storage.

Trade-offs to weigh before you buy

• Buried Treasure Upgrade: Adds 2 captains, 2 ships, metal coins, and wooden treasure chests, but requires the base game and does not include the full game itself. Best value if you already own Seas of Havoc and want more fleet options plus deluxe components.
• Captain's Deluxe Edition: A complete 1-5 player naval skirmish game at USD 62.50 against a USD 125.00 comparison price, but a larger single outlay than the expansion. The right call for a first-time player who wants everything in one box.
• Play Mat and Premium Insert: The 25 x 17 inch neoprene mat replaces the quad-fold board, and the modular insert stores all gameplay content in the base or deluxe box, but neither changes gameplay. Buy these after your content, not before.

Product facts at a glance

• Seas of Havoc: Buried Treasure Upgrade: The Buried Treasure expansion adds 2 new captains, 2 new ships, and includes the deluxe components from the Captain's Deluxe edition (metal coins, and wooden treasure chests to hold your resources). It is the lowest-cost way for an existing owner to add both gameplay variety and the deluxe components, without rebuying the whole game.
• Seas of Havoc: Captain's Deluxe Edition: Seas of Havoc is a naval skirmish game for 1-5 players where you captain a ship and engage in battle through the use of a deck of cards that dictate your ship's movement and cannon fire, with abilities defined by your chosen captain. This is the complete starting point, so it is the correct first purchase for anyone who does not already own the base game.
• Seas of Havoc Play Mat: A 25 x 17 inch neoprene mat designed to replace the quad-fold game board for Seas of Havoc. It removes the fold lines and slipping of a quad-fold board, which is a table-experience upgrade rather than a gameplay one.
• Seas of Havoc: Premium Insert: A premium illustrated modular insert that stores all of the gameplay content in the Captain's Deluxe or base box, including the new First Mates expansion. It only pays off once your Seas of Havoc collection has grown enough that box organization and setup time become a real problem.

Who should buy what

Best for

• Existing Seas of Havoc owners who want 2 more captains and 2 more ships plus the deluxe metal coins and wooden chests
• Players who want the deluxe components without paying for a second full copy of the game

Not for

• Anyone who does not yet own the Seas of Havoc base game, who should start with the Captain's Deluxe Edition
• Players looking for new scenarios or solo content, since none is listed for this expansion

Buy the Buried Treasure Upgrade if you already play Seas of Havoc and want more captains, ships, and the deluxe components at the lower price. Start with the Captain's Deluxe Edition if you are new, and add the play mat or premium insert only once table comfort or box space becomes the problem.