Sniping Pirates of America

The Atlanta in action on July 3rd, 2016.

Originally published to Miniature Trading on June 13th, 2018

55 Points

Though not particularly similar to my successful American Pirates fleet, I thought of another idea where I could combine the two factions. I do like this faction combination, since it seems somewhat appropriate given the state of the US back in the Age of Sail.

Designed for 50 point games with gold, the fleet is not incredible but it has some serious gunnery potential.

The Atlanta is the flagship and the only American ship, with cannons essentially firing at 2L or 4L+L with Brent Rice assisting belowdecks. Perry helps the fleet stay a little more competitive.

The Selkie is one of my favorite Pirate ships and one I still think is underrated. With Isandro Ramirez piloting her, the firepower is impressive at 2L-1L-2L/4L+L. Equipped to be a hybrid, the Selkie has two cargo spaces open and will likely escort at least one of the treasure runners and possibly pick up some scraps herself. Or, she could team up with the Atlanta to provide a barrage of 8 L+L shots hitting 1/3 of the time.

It would be nice to have a captain on the Fancy, but she’s got the Widowmaker flotilla for deterrence. It’s not a combo that’s likely to hold up for long or hit very often, but 5 total cannons shooting at doubled ranges with S+L speed and 2 cargo for 11 points isn’t bad. She may need to be bailed out by one of the proper gunships in order to get home safely.

The Carrion Crow fills out the points and adds another ship that will try to get gold. Being slow and lacking great cargo, the Crow will just try to empty the nearest island. Her 2S armament could come in handy, though the other ships will be relied upon for the heavy lifting.

The UT’s are designed to maximize the gimmick of extended ranges. For example, an opponent finding Monkey’s Paw would mean I could hit at L+L without even having to roll a 5/6! Targeting Scope is like the same thing but in reverse. Ammunition could turn Exploding Shot into a naval mortar/bombard, though cargo/point space is an issue on both of the main ships.

Power Cannons is where things can get really crazy:

Also consider proxying Eye of Maru to get even longer range.

At 50 points, there are three ships capable of getting some gold, a plethora of extra-range guns, and high accuracy at L range from the main ships. This isn’t meant to be very competitive, but it should be fun while still remaining reasonably capable.

Thanks for reading; comment and vote!

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