Cadet-Captain Mike's Guide to Basic Piracy
Part 2: Ships & Named Crew

• The Big Gunships With Medium Price Tags
  • Le Soleil Royal (RV048, 13 pts)
  • La Tartessos (FN052, 14 pts)
  • USS Constitution (OE086, 15 pts)
  • HMS Grand Temple (OE044, 15 pts)
  Everybody loves a bargain. These five-gunned ships have effective cannons, good abilities, and reasonable speed, for 15 points or less, which makes them very good values. The Grand Temple has six guns, making her an even better buy.

• The Tap-Dancing Elephants
  • USS Enterprise (RV070, 18 pts)
  • HMS Titan (ES-001 [SM], 17 pts)
  The only thing more frightening than a five-gunned attack is two five-gunned attacks in the same turn. These ships, with their second-action abilities, can do just that, roughly one turn out of three, or every other turn if you give them a reroller crew. With their good cannons and a Captain on board, that's a move-shoot-move-shoot combo that can steamroller any fleet into flotsam in no time at all.

• The Unsinkables
  • USS Constitution (RV068, 22 pts)
  • Nautilus (MI001, 16 pts)
  • La Corse (DJ077, 17 pts)
  • HMS Lord Kenyon (BC053, 10 pts)
  • USS Emerald (SC203, 9 pts)
  These ships have the ultimate defensive ability -- it takes two hits from the same shoot action to smash one mast. These aren't the only ships with this ability, but they are the best values. The Nautilus combines great strength with the ability to ram while submerged.

• The Double-Hitters
  • HMS Endeavour (PC003, 21 pts)
  • HMS Leicester (ES-005 [SM], 18 pts)
  • La Mont Blanc (SC078, 12 pts)
  • Delaware (BC092, 12 pts)
  • Santos Romanos (DJ067, 11 pts)
  This is the opposite of the Unsinkables, and is surely the ultimate offensive ability. One cannon hit knocks down two masts; the Leicester could crunch eight masts in one turn. Again, this is not an exhaustive list, but just the ships that are the best value.

• The Four-Gunned Killers
  • La Resolucion (OE060, 13 pts)
  • USS Franklin (RV148, 13 pts)
  • HMS Gallows (MI046, 18 pts)
  The best cannons you can get on a ship are 2-rank. But some ships have an ability that brings their cannons down to 1-rank against most or all enemies. These ships have such an ability, and enough cannons to make full use of it. Four shots that hit on a 2 or better are just plain devastating. In addition, the Spanish and American examples are surprisingly affordable.

• The Big Multitaskers
  • The Darkhawk II (PS-011 [SM], 10 pts)
  • Neptune's Hoard (RV002, 12 pts)
  • La Santa Isabel (RV040, 13 pts)
  • HMS Dover (ES-009 [SM], 10 pts)
  • La Vengeance (RV049, 12 pts)
  These ships have the cargo, guns, and (mostly) speed to run gold and fight simultaneously, a rare talent indeed. Give them a Captain and send them out. They can clean out a couple of wild islands, plaster any gold ship that tries to get there first, and even go toe to toe with secondary fighting ships. Any of these ships will make a fine flagship for a combo fleet. The Darkhawk II is too slow without a Helmsman, but she is one of the best values in the game.

• Other Big Fighters
  • Sea Nymph (PS-009 [SM], 11 pts)
  • Zeus (OE300, 23 pts)
  • HMS Victoria (OE045, 14 pts)
  • HMS London (CC205, 11 pts)
  • Santo Columba (DJ064, 14 pts)
  • Santa Ana (SC061, 15 pts)
  • Le Bonaparte (DJ078, 16 pts)
  • La Ville de Paris (CC066, 16 pts)
  • USS Stephens (MI086, 20 pts)
  • USS Eagan (MI088, 15 pts)
  • Blackwatch (DJ088, 16 pts)
  • Grand Path (SC005, 17 pts)
  • Divine Dragon (OE001, 16 pts)
  • Last Hope (OE143, 12 pts)
  • Executioner (DJ010, 17 pts)
  These ships don't excel in any one area, but are good choices for flagships if your collection doesn't include any of the superstars listed above. The Zeus is the least expensive of the ten-masted junks.

• The Medium Fighters
  • HMS Nautilus (RV028, 10 pts)
  • HMS Victor (PC054, 10 pts)
  • El Monte Cristo (DJ068, 11 pts)
  • La Lyon (OE069, 11 pts)
  • Le Bonne Chance (OE076, 10 pts)
  • Divan's Punishment (BC014, 11 pts)
  • USS Sioux (FN080, 11 pts)
  • Naegling (FN004, 18 pts)
  • Longshanks (PS-018 [SM], 6 pts)
  These ships have three masts, decent speed, at least one 2-rank cannon, an ability that enhances their battle skills, and a price tag of 12 points or less. Such ships make great primary fighters in 30-point games, and can hold their own in any sized game. The Naegling is way over the 12-point limit, but considering that her three masts give six good shots, she rates a mention on this list. The Longshanks' cannons aren't awe-inspiring, but she's the cheapest three-masted fighting ship you can get.

• The Medium Multitaskers
  • Greed's Hammer (SC037, 11 pts)
  • Virtuous Wind (SC010, 14 pts)
  • Tiger's Eye (BC019, 12 pts)
  Three-masted ships like these can bring in gold, fight, or do both at once, without making you spend all your points. The Virtuous Wind is one of the best ships in the Jade fleet, while the Tiger's Eye is almost certainly the best ship the Corsairs have.

• The Two-Masted Fighters
  • Royal James (CC016, 8 pts)
  • Executioner (RV007, 8 pts)
  • Le Courageux (RV051, 10 pts)
  • USS Quigley (MI091, 8 pts)
  • HMS Plantagenet (ES-015 [SM], 8 pts)
  • La Reconquistador (OE066, 7 pts)
  • Gallows (BC023, 8 pts)
  These are your secondary fighters, with decent guns, good abilities, and low price tags. They're ideal for guarding your flanks, protecting your gold ships, finishing off crippled enemies, and rescuing your big fighter if something goes wrong. Le Courageux also makes a fine gold ship.

• The Ship Stealers
  • USS New Orleans (SC094, 12 pts)
  • Philadelphia (RV082, 11 pts)
  • Harbinger (PS-003 [SM], 17 pts)
  • El Dorado (PS-022 [SM], 11 pts)
  One of the fastest ways to change the balance of a battle is to steal an enemy ship and make it your own. These ships allow you to do it in record time. Note that zipping home with a derelict also brings the stealer home for repairs if needed.

• The Home-Island Robbers
  • HMS Gibraltar (CC039, 12 pts)
  • El Algeciras (SC067, 11 pts)
  • L'Heros (SC079, 13 pts)
  • HMS Lady Provost (CC041, 13 pts)
  To dock at an enemy home island, load a treasure, and live to tell the tale, your ship needs high speed, and decent cannons in case she has to fight her way out. These ships will give you a fighting chance to pull off what might be the ultimate act of pirate larceny. Depending on guns and cargo, they can serve as secondary fighters or gold ships as well.

• The Cancellers
  • HMS Rye (SC206, 9 pts)
  • Ghost Walker (OE141, 15 pts)
  • El Alma (FN056, 12 pts)
  A much-loved attribute is the ability to shut down an enemy ship or crew's ability for a turn. These ships give you that ability, plus either a good turn of speed or the ability to do something else useful, like bring in gold.

• The Gold Grabbers
  • Raven's Neck (PS-013 [SM], 12 pts)
  • Raven (CC017, 10 pts)
  • Bloody Jewel (RV008, 6 pts)
  • La Monarca (RV043, 8 pts)
  • Griffin (BC031, 6 pts)
  • L'Intrepide (CC078, 5 pts)
  • Amity (CC009, 12 pts)
  To be a successful gold ship, you need a combination of cargo, speed, low cost, and an ability that enhances your treasure hunting. Not all of these ships have all four, but they will all pay for themselves by ravaging wild islands and staying out of harm's way.

• The One-Masted Ships
  • Le Bon Marin (RV059, 6 pts)
  • Noble Swan (SC021, 6 pts)
  • Fallen Angel (DJ022, 10 pts)
  • Hlidskjalf (FN018, 13 pts)
  One-masted ships don't do well in battle, but they can be useful nonetheless. Le Bon Marin is one of the best gold ships in the game. The Noble Swan is a fine choice if you're expecting an enemy who rams and boards a lot. Fallen Angel is a fast little ship that's very hard to hit. The Hlidskjalf is one of the fastest and least expensive longships, and is hard to hit as well.

• The El-Cheapo Boats
  • Banshee's Cry (RV013, 3 pts)
  • Rover (CC018, 2 pts)
  • Le Coeur du Lion (OE080, 2 pts)
  • El Algeciras (OE067, 3 pts)
  These ships cost no more than a generic crew, but they have enough speed and cargo to pay back their point cost several times over. The Banshee's Cry is a strong contender for the title of "best value in the game." El Algeciras is the lowest-priced fighting ship you can get.

• The Sea Monsters
  • Calim (DJ004, 17 pts)
  • Squalo (OE014, 9 pts)
  • Maxehebel (OE005, 15 pts)
  • Raninoidea (OE026, 21 pts)
  It's hard to get your money's worth out of sea monsters. Calim is one of the most expensive, but it has enough speed and boarding power to be quite useful. Squalo is more limited, but for nine points, how can you go wrong? Raninoidea is technically a titan, not a sea monster, but it has speed and the double-hit ability, and can't be ignored.

• Forts
  • Paradis de la Mer (RV065, 4 gold)
  • Devil's Maw (RV022, 3 gold)
  Of all the forts, the Frenchman is the best value, because it can be almost unhittable. The Pirate fort isn't the best shooter, but her ability is a wonderful thing.

• Combo Crew
  • Captain + crew-kill (Thomas Gunn the Younger, Duque Alfonzo de Castilla) (5 pts)
  • Captain + reroll (Jonathan Haraden, Shayna Duex, etc.) (6 pts)
  • Captain + world-hater (Hermione Gold, Luis Zuan) (7 pts)
  • Sac captain (Capitaine Arathiel, Havana Black, etc.) (5 pts)
  • Crimson Angel (OE039, 5 pts)
  • Domenic Freda (RF062a, 4 pts)
  These crew combine two useful functions into one crewperson, saving a cargo space, and often saving a point or two in cost as well. There are many other combinations of abilities, but these are the most worthwhile. The OE Crimson Angel is an especially good value, but the original Thomas Gunn remains my favorite.

• Single-Skill Crew
  • Skuld Blood-Axe (FN022, 7 pts)
  • Commodore Temple (EC-012 [SM], 6 pts)
  • 5-point Ransom (Hag of Tortuga, Contessa Anita Amore, etc.) (0 pts)
  • Canceller (Nemesio Diaz, Monsieur Lenoir) (4 pts)
  • Treasure+2 (Genny Gallows [SM], Ralph David [RV], Maurice Aristide) (3 pts)
  • World-hater (Brent Rice, Murat Rais, etc.) (4 pts)
  • Firepot Specialist (2 pts)
  Most of these crew cost less than the combo crew above, but they still give plenty of value for their point cost. The firepot specialist may be the most undercosted and destructive of all generic crew.

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