Clone: American schooners

Originally published to Miniature Trading on June 30th, 2013

This is my second entry for nematode66’s Attack of the Clones Fleet Challenge. (first entry here)

Ever since I pulled the Jarvis and the Boston in one of my first packs of Revolution, I’ve been impressed with 3 masted American schooners. Soon after that, I pulled the Swamp Fox, and I was hooked. This was back when Broadsides Attack was generally believed to be quite powerful and useful, and here was a ship that had the ability, as well as a link to a gimmicky crew who’s fun to try and use. They’ve never been one of my favourite factions to play, but between these ships and the Enterprise, the Americans saw a fair amount of action.

When this Fleet Challenge first came up, I naturally thought of my all-time favourite ship type: five masters. With one fleet of five masters already up, I decided to change things up (for me) and give anybody else a shot. I knew it wouldn’t be hard to find other ship types that I could make into fleets. After my 2 masted Corsair galley fleet, I wanted to go a little bit bigger. I considered making a fleet of Pirate four masters, French five masters, and even Jade Rebellion six masters. However, I then thought back to the early days of Pirates when I only had 49 total ships, when the Enterprise and her 3 masted schooner comrades fought against huge odds against the larger factions. Also, I haven’t done an American fleet yet, so here it is.

The Julius Caesar is the flagship, with good speed and nice guns. She also has the Broadsides Attack keyword, so she can even override the “L-range guns can’t hit this ship” ability. Haraden gives her the necessary captain, and the reroll ability to help in combat, whether it be shooting, ramming, or boarding. Ralph David will make your opponent think twice before sinking her, while Fire Shot gives her an added firepower boost.

The Jarvis may not look good to run treasure, but remember that Nolan essentially doesn’t take up space, while the Cargo Master (on the next ship) boosts her cargo hold to 5. In this way, she’ll still have room for two treasures, which she can get by exploring or stealing. She has solid guns to complement her captain, while her S+L+S speed and one of the best defensive abilities in the game allows her to be quite nimble and evasive.

The final ship is the Carolina, who doesn’t actually have the Schooner keyword  , but is still of the same build as the other ships. One of America’s only good treasure runners, in this fleet she gets a major boost from her crew. Cargo Master gives her 5 cargo spaces, with 4 left for treasure after the helmsman comes aboard.

An interesting yet specific weakness of this fleet could be the Julius Caesar and the Jarvis. If Ralph David’s Eternal stopped an enemy from sinking the Caesar, they could capture her instead. Then, they could Broadside the Jarvis to ignore her fantastic ability. However, this won’t happen, since the Caesar and Jarvis are way too powerful to let any gunships come close to defeating them! 

Thanks to nematode66 for running the Challenge, please comment and vote!

Edit: After using this fleet, its record is now 2-0.

Comment below your thoughts on my Clone: American schooners fleet!

Fleet page at Miniature Trading

Clones of the Barbary Coast

Originally published to Miniature Trading on June 20th, 2013

This is my first entry for nematode66’s Attack of the Clones Fleet Challenge.

My collection is still lacking in terms of the Barbary Corsairs, but I’ve always been impressed with them. Pretty much all of their ships are very playable, and their two masters are especially viable for fleets looking for an extra ship. I would’ve used all of them if not for the point limit!

The Queen of Sheba is the unofficial flagship, and she’s going to be fighting and running gold. She’s sailing at S+S+S speed with a captain and two spots available for gold. The Morocco is my best gold runner, with S+S+S speed and room for three treasures. Her ability should enhance even further the gold gathering potential of the fleet. The Gallows is the only true gunship, and she’ll probably escort treasure runners and distract enemy gunships. The Griffin is a nice cheap gold runner, with a base move of S+L. She and the Dervish will explore the islands closer to home. The Dervish is dirt cheap, but still moving at L+S with room for two or three coins. The Agha’s Whip is another gold runner moving S+S+S, and she can take two treasures.

Diver and Raft were added to boost the point total to 60, while giving me gold insurance. The treasure-friendly UT’s should help out my gold adventures, and I might be able to find them early on with the Morocco’s ability.

This fleet’s strengths lie in its speed and numbers advantage; an easy-to-use Barbary swarm fleet. Thanks to nematode66 for running the Challenge, please comment and vote!

I thought the following picture from my Century of the Empires game was appropriate – the entire Cursed Corsair fleet. The Queen of Sheba is off to the left, with the Morocco and Griffin in the right foreground. The battle report for the game can be found here. In the thread, you can see the same picture, but it’s much bigger and easier to see.

Thanks for checking this out!  What do you think of my Clones of the Barbary Coast fleet?

Fleet page at Miniature Trading

Spanish Lipstick – 2013 Fleet Challenge Entry

Originally published to Miniature Trading on May 2nd, 2013

This is my final fleet for volt’s Lipstick on a Pig Fleet Challenge. This Spanish Lipstick fleet was posted after the deadline, and is not an official entry. (Viking entry, English entry)

The first ship is the Antamasia. She is has a very slow base move, but about half of the time, she will be moving S+L. Her nice cannons are boosted by the stinkpot specialist and cannoneer. Her primary goal, however, is to steal the best treasures from your opponents. Antonio will let you look at their treasures to find the best ones, and then she can swoop in and take them. A captain would be a nice crew to put on the Antamasia, but then neither of the other two crew would fit, plus I’ve used captains in my other fleets for this Challenge.

The second ship is La Repulsa. She is grossly overpriced, but she was in the first pack of Pirates that I ever got, along with the Asesino de la Nave. She will assist the Antamasia in stealing the opponents’ treasure. Her ability might actually come into play if the Antamasia shoots at an enemy ship first. Also, Antonio’s ability can be used for the Repulsa if the Antamasia gets tied up fighting off the opponent’s gunships. The oarsman is there for crew-killers and since the Repulsa has only one mast.

The third ship is the San Theodora. She is the gold runner, equipped with a helmsman to boost her speed to S+S. Her treasure-trading ability will help her make the most of her few treasure hauls, with enough cargo to empty an island.

Rolling Fog was thrown in to fill up the points, and because it’s not a very helpful event. It’s been used some, but not nearly as much as the other events.

The Antamasia and the Repulsa will work in tandem to steal enemy gold, while the San Theodora makes me even richer!

Thanks to volt for running the Challenge, thanks for reading, and please comment and vote! 

Fleet page at Miniature Trading

Another English Fleet Challenge Entry (Lipstick on a Pig)

Originally published to Miniature Trading on April 26th, 2013

This is my second entry for volt’s Lipstick on a Pig Fleet Challenge. (first entry here)  This fleet is designed to steal and sink treasure rather than collect it from the islands.

The first ship is HMS Wallace (0 fleets appeared in), who will use her ability to steal treasure from the opponent, augmented by Roderick the Pure’s (2) bonus. Her S+S+S speed and double-gun from the Longship keyword make her a decent threat.

The second ship is the Moor Hound (0). She will be a good backup ship for the two boarders, and fly around at S+S+S speed with ghostliness.

The third and final ship is the Pandora’s Box (2). She will utilize her large cargo space to and ability with Lynch’s Noose (0) to steal more treasure from the enemy gold ships.

The really nasty UT’s and the two English forts have already been used extensively in other fleets, so I didn’t include them here.

Thanks to volt for running the Lipstick on a Pig Challenge, thanks for reading, and please comment and vote if you saw this English Fleet Challenge Entry! 

Fleet page at Miniature Trading

Lipstick on a Pig Fleet Challenge – Vikings Entry

Originally published to Miniature Trading on March 28th, 2013

This is my first entry for volt’s Lipstick on a Pig Fleet Challenge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is my first Viking fleet, and it’s safe to say that it’s an odd first Viking fleet, at that  . I don’t own any Viking ships yet, but I figured that this Challenge was a good time to delve into what they have a bit.

The main flagship is the Wodin, who has appeared in 5 other fleets so far here at MT. She carries a hefty 18 point price tag for a little 2 master, but she backs it up with her abilities, lots of cargo space to complement those abilities, and solid cannons. Oh wait, I should be talking about what’s bad about the pieces, not the good stuff  … never done that before  .

Let’s see: she’s only got L speed, costs 9 points per mast, and has an ability that is directly in conflict with her low number of masts. That’s why she has a helmsman and a shipwright on her. Her ability doesn’t look fitting at first glance, but you can make it more effective: Deux’s (11 fleets) reroll gives you a second chance at boarding if your first roll doesn’t work out. Her captain status, combined with the Longship keyword, makes the Wodin a potent offensive force. The stinkpot specialist is one of Pirates’ most underrated pieces, and provides a nice boost. You should be able to do some damage before you board, which will make the boarding process much easier. Valgard (2 fleets) is there to keep the other crew in the fight, because without them, the Wodin won’t be very effective. Also, I’ve never used a doctor crew, and maybe never will again . The shipwright will hopefully keep masts up, which the Wodin needs for her boarding rolls. In the end, you’ll bring home some expensive crew to be turned into gold  .

The gold runner is the Freya. This is her first fleet! You can see why she hasn’t seen any action yet, with a high point cost of 14 and slow base move of S. However, she also has a large cargo hold and a neat ability, just like the Wodin. I decided to play around with her crew ability, hiring the extremely expensive PR version of Ralph David to make the Freya ghostly. This is the first fleet he’s been in. For 8 points, the Freya will be able to more easily evade enemy ships, as well as islands and terrain.

The Pirate helmsman makes her speed manageable at S+S. Now all she needs is an explorer, but to change things up, it’s the most unique explorer of them all, Scrye the Explorer. After the crew are added, the Freya still has room for 2 treasure coins, more than enough to win every game  . All in all, for 25 points we have a rare Viking game piece, a promo American, a Pirate crew numbered GT-003, and an English crew numbered PP-375-C, all on one ship! That should make for some kind of bonus  .

St. Pierre has been used in some fleets, but it’s not a very good fort, and since the Vikings have access to it, I decided to throw it into the mix.

Death’s Doll hasn’t been used in a fleet yet, either (other than a canceled user’s private fleet), so that thing should make the game more interesting:

The Aztec Medallion has only been used in one other fleet, and since this fleet won’t be bringing home a ton of gold (at least not the conventional way), it’s a solid fit.

Savage Natives hasn’t been in a fleet yet, and these natives are so savage that they affect the Cursed, unlike the Cursed Natives.

Runes of Power hasn’t been in any fleets, and I figured that most of my opponents wouldn’t be too thrilled to have their abilities cancelled in order to shoot twice with a gold runner.

This is also the first fleet that Bloody Gold has been a part of, and this version affects Spaniards  .

I threw in a 0 point treasure just to try to make this fleet as unique and weird as possible.

Thanks to volt for running the Lipstick on a Pig Challenge, thanks for reading, and please comment and vote! 

Fleet page at Miniature Trading

Hearts of Treason – Second Entry for Cursed FC

Originally published to Miniature Trading on February 13th, 2013

This is my second entry for getempowder’s Cursed Challenge.  (first entry here)

The Cursed have always been the faction (along with the Americans) among the big 6 that is a bit lacking. They own the most expensive crew and ships in the game, but have slow base moves, gimmicky/impractical abilities, and a smaller selection of good crew. The Black Mark keyword allows them to use game pieces from other nations, greatly enhancing their potential.

The flagship of this fleet is naturally the Flying Dutchman. McWarren allows Calypso  to use her unique ability. McWarren also lets Baptiste come aboard, and she’ll provide a valuable reroll for Calypso. How about that! Three female crew on one ship!  When she’s not placing whirlpools, the Dutchman will be moving at L+S speed, with the necessary captain. Her extra abilities will come in handy if she needs them.

The second ship is the RtSS 3 master, the Faerie Fire. Baba Yaga is just proxying in, with the same point cost and mast count.

Faerie Fire
RtSS-024, Common
Cursed
Points: 15
Masts: 3 (B)
Cargo: 3
Move: L
Cannons: 2S-3L-2S
Ability: Ghost Ship

A solid gunship, albeit an expensive one. She needs some crew to beef her up, which is why I’ve put Papa Doc on board:

Papa Doc
RtSS-028b, Common
Cursed
Points: 8
Ability: This ship gets +1 to her boarding rolls. Once per turn, one crew or ship within S of this ship can’t use its ability that turn.

Notice that this is the RtSS version of Papa Doc, not the original that is listed in the fleet build.

The new and improved Doc would have been the first crew canceller that the Cursed had, but it was not to be  . He also provides a +1 to boarding rolls for the Fire, letting her compete with 4 and 5 masters. She’ll be going at L+S speed, and she’s got a captain to let her wreak havoc. Ghost Ship only makes this package more interesting.

Now, with the two main gunships out of the way, we get to the theme for this fleet, the traitor scum  .

First up is a crew that nobody should be surprised to see Black Mark on: Blackbeard. I thought he would go the way of El Fantasma after seeing this DJC release, but he stayed Pirate. In this fleet, he commands the Akua Lapu, one of the most unique and useful ships in the game. The Lapu will be an offensive gold runner, similar to my Sea Monkey in my other entry for this Challenge. With a helmsman and explorer, she’s flying around at S+S+S with room for 4 treasures, because of her neat ability. Blackbeard will give her the shoot-and-move when an enemy gets too close, with 4 solid guns primed for firing.

The second non-Cursed ship is a pure treasure runner: the Libellule. Between her S+L speed, twice as many cargo spaces as masts, and cheap point cost, she’s one of the better runners in the game. Her negative ability is offset somewhat by the fact that she’s a Windcatcher. After adding the duc de Valois and an explorer, she still has room for 4 treasures.

My favourite faction in the game is most definitely the English, so I couldn’t resist giving them some love here. Sir Meyer Hampstead is aboard the Aberdeen Baron, another great gold runner. He is not there just to let me use the Baron, but to use his ability to the fullest. With five masts, the Baron should be able to win most (if not all) boarding attempts she makes against enemy gold runners. She’ll be able to catch most of them, too, after the helmsman boosts her speed to S+S+S. When she’s not assailing enemy runners, the Baron can run gold on her own, with her built-in explorer.

The fourth and final non-Cursed ship is from Spain, the Tartessos. The Tartessos isn’t very flashy, but she can be effective. Definitely to be used as a gunship, she packs a punch with her world-hating cannons for just 14 points. After the Inquisitor, captain, and helmsman come aboard, her cargo hold is full. She’s a standard gunship that can attack the enemy, with the Inquisitor adding an element of extra nastiness. You may want to send her after your opponent’s most heavily crewed ship.

Protection from Davy Jones is to be discovered by one of the runners, and used in conjunction with Calypso to provide quick and safe transportation to your HI. With all of the whirlpools that will be in play, it will be nice to have two ships (along with the Flying Dutchman) immune to their potentially harmful effects.

Celestine’s Charts is a proxy for Native Lore:

Native Lore
RtSS-031, Rare
Unique Treasure
Values: 6,5,4,3,3,2,2,1,1
Ability: Place three trade currents, and then remove Native Lore from the game.

Native Lore will speed up my ships, and adds another layer to the game.

Divers add some flexibility and insurance.

One of the best things about this fleet is it’s durability. All of the ships have at least 3 masts, and two of the treasure runners have more than 3 masts. The fleet will function as most fleets would, trying to run gold while sinking everybody else. The whirlpools will add a dynamic that favours this fleet more than the opponent, since my ships are durable enough to go through whirlpools and come out okay. Plus, the Dutchman will be fine as long as Calypso stays safe. The whirlpools will allow me to run gold faster, and possibly get in some surprise attacks against the enemy.

The idea for the name of this fleet was inspired by the song ‘Heart of Oak’, the official march of the Royal Navy. Since the Black Mark crew have essentially betrayed their former nations, they have “hearts of treason”  .

Fleet page at Miniature Trading

Cursed FC: A Devastating Duo

Originally published to Miniature Trading on February 12th, 2013

This is my first entry for getempowder’s Cursed Fleet Challenge. It’s for a 100 point standard game, and has a balance between fighting and gold running. I will describe the gold runners first, and you’ll see why later  .

The primary gold runner is the Sea Monkey, one of the most (and very few) versatile Cursed ships. With S+L speed and more cargo hold (4) than masts (3), she is a good ship to potentially fill the role of both gold runner and gunship, especially because she has the reverse captain ability. In this fleet she has a helmsman and an explorer, letting her fly at S+L+S speed, baffling your opponents who thought you were using the Cursed  . At the start of the game, the Sea Monkey can be “Hidden Cove’d” to the nearest wild island, where she will then use a move action to move to one of the farthest-away wild islands. Ideally, she will discover Fireworks. Since she will probably be closer to your opponents fleet than the rest of your ships, they will go after her first. When they get too close, reveal Fireworks to vastly boost your firepower, shoot your enemy to pieces, and then use the reverse captain ability to sprint home at S+L+S speed! 

The Sea Duck is a simple gold runner crewed with an explorer, and she is an even more intriguing option to use because her guns are solid for a treasure runner, even without her fun ability.

The Sea Rat has a base move of just L, but since she has five cargo spaces, you can afford to load her up with a helmsman and explorer and send her out with room for 3 coins. Her effectiveness (and potential for nastiness) is only increased by her HI-raiding ability.

The Pestilence is more of a support ship than a gold runner, but she can grab some gold if you need her to. She should stay at the HI and roll for trade currents to help out your other ships, as well as to protect her valuable ability.

The Loki’s Revenge is the main gunship, and she’s crewed with the necessary captain and helmsman to let her move S+S with the move-and-shoot. There are two oarsmen on board to provide for sacrifices, and the Hag of Tortuga (a female crew  ) maximizes the Loki’s cargo space. When it’s all said and done, the Loki’s Revenge can move S+S+S+S per turn (at least twice in the game) and fire off a full dozen shots over the course of the two actions  .

The Hag is on board to boost the speed of the other “gunship”, the mighty Behemoth. One of just two game pieces to have the incredible copy ability, Behemoth is a sight to behold in this fleet. Regularly moving at L+L speed  (fantastic for any sea creature), Behemoth has access to a number of powerful abilities. First and foremost, the captain aboard the Loki’s Revenge allows her to move and shoot, something few other sea creatures are capable of. She can also become an offensive or defensive force, depending on what ability you choose. Copy the Longship keyword to have 10 2S shots, or copy the ability of the Pestilence to become almost invulnerable to enemy attack  . If your opponent brings any valuable abilities to the table, you’ll be ready to use them. You’ll also have access to the reverse captain and helmsman abilities, but that’s just gravy at this point  .

Cursed Natives and Voodoo Doll were added to help out the Cursed nature of this fleet, while Manawa no Kowhatu should provide for some entertainment. After all, what’s a Cursed fleet without a little fun? 

Becalmed was added in the interests of keeping enemy ships at bay while the duo of the Loki’s Revenge and Behemoth closed in on them, while also filling up the points. You could substitute in something like the Nightmare or other events like Foul Winds and Divers. I didn’t include Mermaids or Favour of the Gods because those are the only two game pieces that should be banned (since FotG is basically just the counter).

I was hoping that between the helmsman and the sacced extra actions, the Loki’s Revenge will be able to keep up with the Behemoth, since they’re normally moving at very different speeds (S+S vs. L+L).

Thanks to getempowder for running the Challenge. Not having a point limit makes things interesting. Please comment and vote, and thanks for reading!  Check out more of my fleets here.

Fleet page at Miniature Trading

UNLEASH THE KRAKEN!! A Crazy Gimmick Fleet!

Originally published to Miniature Trading on February 1st, 2013

I’m not entering my own Fleet Challenge; this fleet is just for fun.

Disclaimer: This fleet is not supposed to be the best gimmick fleet. For an all-gimmick fleet that I like a lot more, see my Mind Control fleet. Also, this is not copying shelob’s entry for this Challenge, since I’m using the UT’s with a completely different goal in mind.

I’ve heard about how powerful the Kraken Gong UT is, and I’ve always loved the idea of bringing in game pieces from outside the game into the game for free. Now, this fleet is a gimmick fleet because of the UT’s used, but can be turned into a good fleet if you want to use it in a standard game. Since the UT’s are the focus, I wanted to pick ships that could get them as fast as possible and as easily as possible. If you really hate the San Cristobal that much (or don’t have her yet, like me), you can always use a different gunship that has at least 4 masts and S+L speed.

Between the three core UT’s, we’ll need to do some exploring. On the first turn, the San Cristobal is “Hidden Cove’d” to the nearest wild island. From there, she moves S+S+L+S to the next wild island and explores it, giving her a big head start over the rest of the ships in the game. In a best case scenario, she finds either the Maps of Alexandria or the Pirate Globe, which will make things much easier for you the rest of the game, since you’ll know what islands to hit with the rest of your ships. If you get really lucky, she’ll also find at least one of the three core UT’s, preferably Nemo’s Plans and Runes of Thor (so they’re safe and secure on the best and biggest ship in your fleet). In a worst case scenario, you grab a treasure coin and potentially cripple an enemy ship (since you’ll be so far away from your HI so quick). Sounds like a good start, huh? It gets better  .

(If your opponent manages to acquire the UT’s before you do, simply reveal Rollando and steal them right back!  )

I picked the Raven’s Neck and the Morocco for their abilities, which will aid in the discovery of the UT’s. Conveniently, they both also have capacious cargo holds, so they’ll be off exploring. The Raven’s Neck is also a good spot for the Hag, and Hammersmith lets me consolidate my crew so that I still have 3 cargo spaces for treasure. The Morocco is moving at S+S+S with room for 3 more treasures.

The Banshee’s Cry and Mermaid are fragile, but they make up for it by being fast and a great value for their point costs. If you don’t use Events or don’t have Divers, you can put an oarsman on the Cry to let her get home if she’s hit. These two will hit islands, looking for the core UT’s.

Once you actually acquire the UT’s, things start getting interesting. Since Nemo’s Plans can’t be transferred, you’ll need to transfer Runes of Thor to the ship that discovers Nemo’s Plans. The nice thing about Runes of Thor is that the automatic 6 doesn’t apply just to the ship it’s on; it applies to any die roll made. Therefore, Kraken Gong can be on a different ship than the other two UT’s (which helps with cargo and making two ships targets for your opponent(s), not just one).

At the beginning of each of your turns, roll for Kraken Gong. Then use Runes of Thor to change the die roll to a 6, bringing in a Kraken. On the next turn, bring in another Kraken. Do this until you have all five Krakens in play  . At this point, the opposition will have their jaws on the floor, as you’ll have just brought in over 100 points’ worth of devastation into the game! 

The Krakens are as follows (I listed them in the order in which I’d bring them in, but of course, that’s up to you  ):

The Kraken

Kray-kin

Beastie

Terrox

A Fearsome Creature

At this point, your opponent will either give up, try to smash the Krakens, or simply lose at the hands of your powerful combo.

Again, this is a gimmick fleet, not one that should be used competitively. Please vote accordingly. However, you can play it in a more “regular” game as well, since it probably would be able to hold it’s own against other fleets. It’s sort of versatile, in that it can be played as a gimmick fleet, or as a more serious one. I know that this makes it less gimmicky (and it reminds me of woelf’s entry for this Challenge). As a gimmick, I would not rate it much higher than a 3.5, if that. However, maybe a 4 or better as a normal fleet. Hopefully everyone else will see “the best of both fleets”! 

Discussion is, as always, welcome and encouraged! Thanks for reading.  And… UNLEASH THE KRAKEN!!  XD

Fleet page at Miniature Trading

Cat and Mouse

Originally published to Miniature Trading on October 7th, 2012

This is my second entry to lord_denton’s Overthrow of Davy Jones Fleet Challenge.

This is a fog-hopping fleet. Four of the six ships have that unique ability, and I’m also using the Urd for her usefulness in this challenge. The odd ship out is the Sea Monkey, a good ship on her own, but much more intriguing now that she is beefed up.

The overall strategy is one of striking the Flying Dutchman without having to deal with her support ships. The fog-hoppers will lie in wait in the fog, looking for the right opportunity to strike. They will try to attack her from behind, and separate her from her supporters. I was originally going to also include the Needle, but I needed to have some version of Fantasma. Equipment has been emphasized here, as there are no five+ masters or ships with capturing abilities. Instead, there will be a swarm of ships with many guns capable of inflicting different types of damage. Although the build total is listed as 118, it is really the maximum 120 due to the cost of Exploding Shot being 3 points, not 1.

The Sea Monkey is sort of the flagship, with both the captain and reverse captain abilities at her disposal. She is equipped with both Stinkpot and Grape Shot, to make her a mighty three master. Both shot types will ideally be used against Davy Jones, to kill him or prevent him from copying useful abilities and providing extra actions. She is also towing the Silver Coffin, which will provide some extra firepower at long range. That might be useful considering the reverse captain ability, where the Sea Monkey could shoot and move away, giving the Silver Coffin a chance to shoot as well while possibly blocking potential lines of fire for the enemy.

The second ship, the Sea Hag, is a simple four master that will dart in and out of the fog. She carries the vital Fantasma, who I picked based on his essential immortality and how he fits into this fleet, with the Ghost Ship keyword making a fog-hopper truly elusive. Between the Sea Hag’s ability and her ghostliness (plus the fact that the Sea Hag is the most durable ship in the fleet), Fantasma should be relatively safe.

The Mist Walker is one of the most unique sea monsters, between her ability, fast base move, and relative cost-effectiveness. She will zoom out of the fog and pin the Dutchman in place, letting her comrades swarm around the Dutchman before her support arrives. She even has good firepower, making her a potential game-changer.

The Urd can take out any icebergs that get in the way, and she has Stinkpot Shot aboard, to cancel enemy crew. She was also selected for her ability, which is one of the best in the game. If possible, other ships will take out the crew surrounding Davy Jones via equipment and/or boarding, and then the Urd can make a fatal ram and pin attempt to take out Jones. Either way, the Urd is a nice support piece that is surprisingly cheap.

The Hangman’s Joke is a pesky ship with nice guns that has her cargo hold maxed out. She may not look like much, but her combination of good guns and devastating equipment may prove to turn the tide against Davy Jones’ fleet. Just one hit from either one of her equipment pieces can lay waste to an enemy ship’s chance of having an impact on the game.

The final ship, Howl, is another fog-hopper used for support. She is unique only in that she is the only ship moving S+S+S in the fleet, and the only ship with all L-range guns.

Thanks for reading, commenting, and voting, and thanks to lord_denton for running the challenge!

Fleet page at Miniature Trading

A Swift Victory – The Overthrow of Davy Jones Fleet Challenge Entry

Originally published to Miniature Trading on September 23rd, 2012

A link to the Fleet Challenge that this fleet is designed for.

Let me start off by saying that this isn’t my typical fleet; I don’t usually use a lot of sea monsters in my games, and I have had a truly terrible experience with my ten masters in the past. I was originally going to base a fleet off of the Divine Dragon as a boarding monster, but that idea has already been used. I’ve come up with a few other ideas using fog hoppers and crew with the Black Mark keyword, but suddenly I remembered an old fleet build that isn’t all that great, but that would be perfect for this challenge.

Basically, we have a flagship that will try to end the game as quickly as possible.

(Italics added  )

How it Works

This is how the strategy is supposed to work. Calim and Mist Walker will do their best to pin the Dutchman in one place so she can’t escape (especially by copying Mist Walker’s ability). Mist Walker may be able to slip in behind the van of the enemy fleet by using her sneaky ability and bypassing the gunships that will presumably lead the fleet of Davy Jones. The sea monsters and the Nightmare clear a path through the enemies for the Delusion to pass through.

Then the real fun starts. The Delusion sacrifices an oarsman so she can move L+S+L+S. This will put her in range of the Flying Dutchman and her All-Powerful captain. She would fire a few shots off, hoping for at least one hit (I have fired full broadsides with the Delusion before and usually hit ~ 2 times or less). Then she will use Ibrahan Ozat’s ability to board without ramming. Since the Dutchman would most likely have at least one mast missing, the Delusion should win the boarding party (Even if the Delusion can’t score a hit, in a worst case scenario, the Dutchman can tie it at 11-11 if she rolls a 6 and the Delusion rolls a 1). Nemo’s ability captures Davy Jones and the game is over! (for a swift victory!)

Fiore is there to cancel Davy Jones. Thane Hartless is there for the possibility of a bad die roll. There is also another oarsman for sac fodder. If there is not a clear path to the Dutchman, the Delusion can become ghostly and bypass anything in her way, and then shoot a handful of cannons at the Dutchman, and then board her on her next turn.

On top of it all, the Delusion is Eternal, so even if things get wacky and she sinks, she’ll have another shot. Killing Fantasma is a tall order for Davy Jones’ fleet, since they’ll have to either sink the Delusion twice (22 hits) or eliminate all other 7 crew first.

Raptor Maw will be an option if something improbable happens, and that crew-killing ability could come in handy.

The Nightmare is there to fill up the points and provide a small measure of extra firepower.

Thanks to lord_denton for running the challenge!

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