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Pirate Piece of the Day

Jack Hawkins
Pirates - Crimson Coast

Once per turn before you give this ship an action, roll a d6. On a 5 or 6, this ship may be given the same action twice. This ship’s crew cannot be eliminated unless she sinks.

Type - Crew
Collector's Number -  025

Piece Ratings:

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale 1 being the worst.
3 ... average. 5 is the highest rating.


Date Reviewed - 08.18.05

Captain Jack Hawkins
Pirates - Spanish Main

This ship may move and shoot using the same move action. On the turn this ship is pinned, eliminate one crew from the enemy ship.

Type - Crew
Collector's Number -  004

Piece Ratings:

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale 1 being the worst.
3 ... average. 5 is the highest rating.


Date Reviewed - 08.18.05

Countess Diana Doone
English - Spanish Main

Place this crew face up during setup. Reduce the cost of all other crew placed on this ship by 1.

Type - Crew 
Collector's Number - EC-006

Piece Ratings: 

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale 1 being the worst.
3 ... average. 5 is the highest rating.


Date Reviewed - 08.18.05
 

 

 WildWill

Pirates of the Spanish Main – Captain Jack Hawkins – #PC-004 (1st), #4 (Unl)

 

Name: Captain Jack Hawkins

Set: POSM

Card #s: PC-004 (1st), #004 (Unl)

Type: Crew

Cost: 4 Points

Rarity: Common

Faction: Pirates

Ability: “This ship may move and shoot using the same move action. On the turn this ship is pinned, eliminate one crew from the enemy ship.”

Flavor Text:  “Hawkins was an expert marksman and poacher until he was caught and shipped to Port Royal as an indentured servant. Blackheart liberated Hawkins when he sacked Port Royal, and the pair was dynamic until a dispute over Lady Arcadia de Sol. Hawkins won the girl, but also a powerful enemy. “

Pirates of the Caribbean week continues with WizKids version of the seminal Johnny Depp role, Captain Jack Sparrow.  And since there’s actually TWO different versions of Mr. Hawkins, I thought I’d actually review both, giving you a bonus treat today, a THREE-FER! 


The first version of our lad is the original Spanish Main piece, which costs a mere 1-point more than a standard captain.  The additional ability to eliminate 1 crew from an enemy ship on the turn that his ship is pinned on, really isn’t much of an ability, because how often do you actually WANT to get pinned?  Sure, it’s good when ramming and boarding, but you can’t move until your opponent moves or is derelict.  And if he’s derelict, then all his crew are dead anyway.  To me, it’s a worthless ability, and I wouldn’t use this piece at all.  Unless I was playing in a sealed environment.

 

At least he’s a common, and basically if you pay more than buck for him, you’re getting ripped of.  I guess the best thing that can be said for this card is that it comes with an additional basic crew.  I forget which one, but it does.

 

My Ratings

Playability 2 of 5

Collectability 2 of 5

 

Pirates of the Crimson Coast –Jack Hawkins – #025

 

Name: Jack Hawkins

Set: POCC

Card #s: #025

Type: Crew

Cost: 6 Points

Rarity: Common

Faction: Pirates

 

Ability:  “Once per turn before you give this ship an action, roll a d6. On a 5 or 6, this ship may be given the same action twice. This ship’s crew cannot be eliminated unless she sinks.

Flavor Text:  “There are more stories about Jack Hawkins' adventures than seem possible given his age. He has taken more treasure and ships than any other pirate in the Caribbean, yet he is always broke and looking for a new ship. He courts only the most beautiful—and deadly—women, with more than his fair share of love-hate relationships, emphasis "hate."”

Why WizKids decided to re-do this piece is beyond my comprehension.  But at least they did, and wonder of wonders, you can actually use BOTH Jack Hawkins pieces in your fleet build should you desire to do so.  I don’t know why you would, but you can.  This particular Jack Hawkins is much more desirable than the POSM version, as anytime you can get an extra action you’re on the winning track.  The additional ability that the ship’s crew can’t be eliminated is basically free, and worthwhile at that. 

 

Again, as a common, you shouldn’t have to spend more than a buck to get him.  He’s a full portrait card at that, which is kind of nice that instead of making all full portraits rares, WK decided to vary the rarity on full portrait cards.  Good on them.

 

My Ratings

Playability 4 of 5

Collectability 2 of 5

 

Pirates of the Spanish Main – Countess Diana Doone #EC-006 (1st)

 

Name: Countess Diana Doone

Set: POSM

Card #s: EC-006 (1st)

Type: Crew

Cost: 2 Points

Rarity: Common

Faction: English

Ability:Place this crew face up during setup. Reduce the cost of all other crew placed on this ship by 1.”

Flavor Text:  “Countess Doone is the sweet-talking belle of English Caribbean society. Her dark secret is that she was actually shipped to the Spanish Main as an Irish indentured servant. When her ship was attacked by pirates, she took advantage of the chaos to take the possessions and personality of a rich young lady who no longer "needed" them. She has spellbound the Jamaican royal court ever since.”

The lovely Countess here is WK’s version of Elizabeth Swan from the move, she’s also linked to Brother Virgil.  This piece shares her ability with several others, (including Ruth Lee – American, Phillipe du Brissac – French, Inquisitor Sebastián Blanco – Spanish and The Stump – Pirates) so that there’s one crew for each faction with this ability.  That’s pretty balanced I’d say.  The nice thing is that they’re all 2 points and have the same exact ability.  Being able to knock the cost down by 1 point for each crew on the ship is quite useful, especially if you use the linked characters.  Sure, she takes up a cargo spot, so in order to make her extremely useful you’ll have to have a ship with a big cargo hold and place a good number of crew on board.  Of course this also makes her very susceptible to Mermaids, but what are you gonna do?  There’s always going to be a trade off. 

 

Again, the Countess is a common, and shouldn’t cost you more than a buck.

 

Playability 3 of 5

Collectability 2 of 5.

 

 

Next Time:

Our time in the Caribbean concludes, it’s always far too short, just like the ride at Disneyland.

 

 

 
Aethereal Captain Jack Hawkins

This isn't a bad guy if you ask me. Basically, by adding this to a
gunship (which should have a Captain on it, no questions asked), you're
paying an extra point to give your gunship the ability to do some
serious damage when it rams an opposing ship. The ability to knock off
their best crew member when you hit them is quite good, not to mention
you can still shoot that turn *and* you might even take out a mast too.
The only problem I have with this guy is there's better crew available
for Pirates (*cough* Blackheart). The ideal ship for this is a gunship,
because of the Captain ability, but Blackheart is so much better for
gunships. Hawkins doesn't make you crew-reliant, helping you avoid the
onslaught of Mermaids, but overall this guy isn't as good as what we
already have. He's good, but not good enough.

Rating: 3.5/5

Thursday: Countess Diana Doone

I've never been a big fan of the crew members that reduce the cost of
the other crew by 1. On a gunboat, using this puts a big target on that
ship's head (Mermaids). On a treasure hauler, that's another cargo
space you're losing that could be dedicated to treasure. On
medium-sized ships (10-12 points), you usually don't have enough crew
to make this worth the 2 points and the cargo slot. You need at least 3
other crew to give you any point benefit from using this. Oarsmen can
help here, especially since they don't take any cargo space, but like I
said, I've never been a huge fan of this crew type and I don't see that
changing anytime soon.

Rating: 2/5
 
Pippin CAPTAIN Jack Hawkins

This ship may move and shoot using the same move action. On the turn this ship is pinned, eliminate one crew from the enemy ship.

Hawkins was an expert marksman and poacher until he was caught and shipped to Port Royal as an indentured servant. Blackheart liberated Hawkins when he sacked Port Royal, and the pair was dynamic until a dispute over Lady Arcadia de Sol. Hawkins won the girl, but also a powerful enemy.

Jack Hawkins

Once per turn before you give this ship an action, roll a d6. On a 5 or 6, this ship may be given the same action twice. This ship¹s crew cannot be eliminated unless she sinks.

There are more stories about Jack Hawkins' adventures than seem possible given his age. He has taken more treasure and ships than any other pirate in the Caribbean, yet he is always broke and looking for a new ship. He courts only the most beautiful‹and deadly‹women, with more than his fair share of love-hate relationships, emphasis "hate."

Ah time for the patented crew-fer two-fer. This week is Pirates of the Caribbean week still, and these two crew are the closest thing to actual cast of the movie I could think up (other than blackheart, but hes already been reviewed).

FIRST UP! Is CAPTAIN Jack Hawkins. Old Jack is a spitting image and swagger of Jack Sparrow and they are both named Jack with a bird as their last name (coincidence? hmmm is that how you spell coincidence? hmmmmm) Oh sorry lost in thought. It happens more as I get older. ANYWAY!

Captain Jack Hawkins comes to us from Pirates of the Spanish Main and is 4 points for a move-shoot and kill-a-crew if ramming. The crew you kill had better be worth it because I personally see no use for ramming at this point. Its bad for the rammer because you can't move, and not so bad for the rammee because you still have a chance to repell boarders (and of course the lose a most thing, but if you want a better chance at it, just shoot them.
Those are cannons you got there, not pottery.)

BUT! His saving grace is that he is seen again (in the market for a ship as it were) as Jack Hawkins in Crimson Coast. No longer a captain but with a better support ability. A "roll-a-6d-for-a-double-move" deal but with a twist, no crew can be eliminated except by sinking. But alas poor Jack has gone up on his rates, he is now a 6 point crew (kinda up on himself and all). But his ability reflects his inflation.

So for the first Captain Jack Hawkins:
REVIEW:
Points: 3/5 - 4 points for a captain with a seldom used effect really is not that great, but you are getting a captain effect AND for 1 point getting a ramming effect. So take it or leave it.

Ability: 1/5 Ramming ability, 5/5 Captain ability, ALL TOGETHER 3/5:
Captains are probably the best crews in the game. Without them, you can't mount an effective offense. But ramming just isn't great yet, unless Barborry Coast (is that how you spell Barborry? hmmmmm) makes some major changes, it could get the ax from play all together.

Collectibilty: 2/5 - Hes pretty good to own and a common to boot. He is a common that I would be happy to get.

ALL TOGETHER: 2.7/5 A bit over average, but only for being a captain.

Now on to Jack Sparrow (Crimson Coast)
Points: 3/5 - 6 points is a bit steap but his effects refelct the rise.

Ability: 4/5 - Would be a 5/5 but he lost his captain ability. Double move and no crew die except on sinking is definate plus.

Collectibility: 4/5 - Its a portrait card but a common. His relationship to the movie increases his collectibility a bit, and besides, hes just cool to me.

ALL TOGETHER: 3.7/5 Not a bad addition.

-------------------------------------------

Countess Diana Doone

Place this crew face up during setup. Reduce the cost of all other crew placed on this ship by 1.

Countess Doone is the sweet-talking belle of English Caribbean society. Her dark secret is that she was actually shipped to the Spanish Main as an Irish indentured servant. When her ship was attacked by pirates, she took advantage of the chaos to take the possessions and personality of a rich young lady who no longer "needed" them. She has spellbound the Jamaican royal court ever since.

Wow! Now here is firey red-headed little cannon. A former servant girl who takes on the roll of her servee's life when she finds herself aboard a ship that is attacked by pirates and her master is no longer in need of such things.

Now I know this is not anything like Miss Swan in PotC, but she does kind of look like her, more so than my second choice, the Hag of Tortuga (although Tortuga was mentioned in the movie. In reality they are FAMOUS for their rum). She is a foxy lady of the English court and red-headed to boot like Mrs. Knightly in the movie.

On to the review. Her affect is a must in any sac-captain fleet (but I don't know of a sac captain in the British set. Do you?) Seeing if this is true, her affect has no hidden ajenda. If you want to pack a ship with crew shes pretty good and her cost of 2 points makes her very affordable, plus shes common and from Spanish Main which means she will be printed in Unlimited for quite some time.

REVIEW:
Points: 4/5 - 2 points for any crew is good. My score on points is strictly based on the affordability in a 40 point game and 2 points is good.

Ability: 2/5 - Point allocation is very very important in a limited game of 40 points. She would get a 5/5 in a sac-captain fleet BUT there is none I know of.

Collectibility: 2/5 - A common and as of now next-to-useless effect makes her not so desirable by most. If ya need her, you can readily find her.

OVERALL!: 2.7/5 A bit above par. Could be better in future sets.

Until next time, Bob's your uncle, Fannies your aunt.
 

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