Originally posted to Miniature Trading on June 22nd, 2018
Ranking: #001 ships – Flagships of their sets
I’ve always thought that the first game piece of each set had to be at least somewhat special in some way. Normally it’s a large rare ship from the signature/featured faction, or just the Pirates of course.
Here I rank the “flagships” or signature ships of each set against each other! This was actually pretty hard!
1. Revenant
A classic to this day, the Revenant is still a devastating gunship. The sheer firepower is the main attraction, but she’s got just enough cargo, speed, and ability to warrant high consideration when choosing a Pirate gunship at any build total.
2. Black Swan
This ship’s looks and ability are her main calling cards. The guns and cargo are strictly mediocre, but S+S at this size makes her pretty good. The Pirates have better options for large gunships, but the Black Swan is an interesting option if you want to go international. Reasons could include Gus Schultz , Grim the Savage , etc.
3. Deliverance
I like the next ship better, but there’s no denying the importance of speed in this game. S+L on a 5 master is amazing. Everything else is average or worse, with the flashy but overpriced Ghost Ship keyword inflating her cost. Still, a combination of captain/helmsman/world hater/action generator can make this one of the more fearsome flagships out there.
One of my favorite Cursed ships and a classic in my games, this junk is powerful and quick. Essentially 6 rank-3 cannons moving at S+S for just 16 points, she’s a solid deal. A captain and helmsman are needed, and a rare use of Sir Edmund is perfect to allow Davy Jones to come aboard as well. Tons of great combos also available with the linked Fantasma.
A classic remade into a “Pirate” ship, this behemoth is made for monster setups. You’ll want to really crew her up to optimize her effectiveness; I’d recommend starting with captain/helmsman/world hater/oarsman (the latter to “protect” Eternal) and going crazy from there. XD
Almost like the pretty prince in a group of nasty killers, the Nubian Prince would be boring if not for her incredibly overpowered ability. Arguments could be made to move her up or down this list; I’m going in the middle knowing her overall effectiveness is somewhat limited but unfortunately I have to respect how incredible the ability is during gameplay.
Now we get into what I sometimes call “ugly ducklings”. XD Rank these next 3 however you like.
Devastating firepower at both short and long range, this version has always been crippled by a slow base move and a somewhat unfitting ability. Could have been so much more, but still a good option among Cursed gunships.
8. Foresight
A large Pirate hybrid perfect for Hammersmith / Barstow /oarsman, the Foresight is a bit of an enigma among Pirate ships. Severely outclassed by La Victoire , she would be a star in some other factions. As a Pirate ship, she gets passed on for superior options. Still a fun ship, and I can attest to her capabilities – underrated in my opinion.
9. Fool’s Hope
Oof. 19 points for just 3 cargo, very average guns and speed, an underpriced ability (Eternal) and an overpriced ability. The second ability just doesn’t add much – you’re going to eliminate a crew or (unlikely) take a treasure anyway. Using a world hater is a great idea, and the Pirates have plenty of other combo crew (like Hammersmith) to make the low cargo work. Still, the PotC Flying Dutchman is considerably better for just one more point, so Fool’s Hope ranks the lowest of these three 5 masters. If she was the same price as her other version, she’d be a bit more interesting. (but still inferior to that FH, so basically lose-lose…)
10. Nautilus
Tough seeing such a famous ship this low, but she’s not going to be great at getting gold or fighting. She’s often relegated to a bodyguard role in campaign games as part of a super squadron of concentrated cancellers.
11. Grand Dynasty
An unfitting name for such a lackluster ship. A crippling base move combines with a boring ability to make for a not-so-great “flagship”. Solid cannons and a solid link won’t save her. Grand Temple or Grand Path should have been 001 for this set.
12. Beowulf
Better than most icebreakers, but still largely mediocre as far as 3 masted ships go. For a few more points you can get one of the powerful Viking 3 masted longships, and Polaris has a better ability that’s perfect for Sigurd Andersen .
13. Krulth from Return to Savage Shores
Another ineffective squid, much meh.
14. He’e
Awful, awful, awful. Even the Americans have a better creature than this trash. Silly mistake by Wizkids to put this out. No way that gimmicky ability is worth hardly any points. At 9 points (half cost), it would rarely get used. Almost as horrendous as it gets; no redeeming qualities that I can see.