Originally posted to Miniature Trading on November 23rd, 2017
They’ll never be the best gunships in the game, and not many qualify as the best gold runners either. However, I have a love for the 2 masted schooner ship type. They are sleek, elegant, and even beautiful. They look really cool and fast on the ocean/table, and many of the ones from their first two sets are what I would define as “classics of the game”. Click the pictures to see the game piece pages at Miniature Trading (assuming that site still works as you read this).
Taking a closer look:
The first of MANY excellent 2 masted support gunships in CC and RV, and not just among the 2 masted schooners. The RJ is just perfect as a support ship: great speed, very good cannons, and a nice offensive ability. Throw in a crew from much later in the release schedule, and you even have a decent hybrid option.
One of my very first ships, and arguably the best of the Pirate 2 masted schooners. An even better hybrid than the RJ, the Raven combines wicked speed with good cargo and good guns. Lots of crew options exist, and with the right setup, you can have a “super hybrid”: fight, get gold normally, or steal gold with the immunity to pinning.
One of the best English gold runners, and a stacked ship for cargo in general. She can get a lot of gold from wild islands, or combine that with robbed loot. HMS Goodfellow from RtSS (12 points, 5 cargo, S+S speed, Secret Hold) would have provided some competition for her.
Her ability is not on par with the others listed here, but this is still a good gunship given Spain’s other options at this point cost. A dedicated fort-wrecker can be a nice thing to have againstParadis de la Mer , or campaign games in general (she did well in CG1 against the French).
Along with the Raven, this was the fastest ship of my original collection. Unlike most of these other ships, she’s not going to be a good hybrid or gold runner. However, the Mercure can still be a good “assassin” type ship, with blazing speed and accurate cannons. You could substitute a helmsman for a firepot specialist, or maybe even get Lady Roimata (Captain + SAT) with a firepot specialist and oarsman.
Almost identical to the Royal James, but with a far less practical ability.
The most offensive of this ship type, and one of the most devastating 2 masted gunships in general. Quite pricey, but you get great firepower that can wreck cargo on enemy ships. A captain, helmsman, and musketeer would make this ship quite fierce, or you could try using her as a hybrid with Hammersmith and Coconut .
France has much better options, but this is a fun ship to use with equipment.
An underrated gold runner, I consider this ship France’s answer to the Lady Provost. Not quite as much cargo, but a nice defensive ability.
I’m sick of her, but this is one of the best gold runners in the game.
Almost the same as the Mercure, but slightly worse firepower. A very nice option for towing Minuteman , and again, a firepot specialist on that 2S gun can really give the ship some bite.
That covers the good ones; although there are some subpar 2 masted schooners, this ship type may have a higher percentage of good/great ships than almost any other ship type (5 masters come to my mind as possibly the best on average since there aren’t many mediocre ones). The Flying Fish , Black Arrow , and Glaive (underrated in my opinion) are playable, but the others aren’t as much.
Anyway, really wanted to post this at some point, and I hope you enjoy the aesthetics and gameplay of this ship type as much as I do! 