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Cadet-Captain Mike |
Name: Grand Vainqueur (France)
Card: FS #016 (Rare)
Points: 21
Masts: 3
Cargo: 3
Moves: L
Guns : [3S] 3S, 3L, 3S
Hit %: 200 (S), 100 (L)
Ability: Bombardier. Once per
turn, one of this ship’s cannons can shoot again if
it misses.
The Bombardier keyword falls
roughly into the same category as the Longship
keyword -- it gives greater offense without
improving defense, resulting in a ship that can dish
out punishment but can't take it. The Grand
Vainqueur, for instance, is a three-masted ship that
costs 21 points, another new record. What do you get
for your first-class fare?
You get three decent (but not
excellent) cannons, plus the Bombardier cannon,
which can either double its range or serve as a
Firepot shot.
Too bad you can't pick which kind
of cannon you want at will; you must choose at the
start of the game, and the cannon can shut itself
down if you roll a 1. The built-in Cannoneer is
nice, and will be used often with all those 3-rank
cannons. You'll want some decent fighting crew, but
with only 3 cargo, you'll have to choose wisely, and
one of those choices will certainly be a Helmsman.
Some kind of Captain would be necessary; I'd pick a
sac captain like Arathiel, plus two Oarsmen. This
ship isn't likely to live long once the shooting
starts, so two sac actions should be enough.
Besides, you may not be able to afford anything
better after paying for the ship itself.
As for tactics, that depends on
how you use the special cannon. If you like the
double-range shot, then use her as a sniper and
don't expose her to the heat of battle. If you
prefer the fire shot, then get in close and shoot
often while you still can. Either way, remember that
she has only three masts.
Goldship rating: 2.0 / 5
Gun Ship rating: 3.8 / 5
Boarding rating: 2.6 / 5
Value for points: 2.5 / 5
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Draco
Starcloud |
Grand Vainqueur
Having reviewed some of the Switchblades, we're
moving onto the Bombardiers. Personally, I prefer
them to the Switchblades.
The Bombardier's strength is in that neat moving
cannon at the front of the ship; at the beginning of
the game, you can choose it to be either a
double-range cannon or a double-range firepot
specialist (you can't change what kind of gun it is
later though, so pick wisely). A ship like this
could provide good cover to a bigger gunboat. The
front cannon is a double-edged sword however: if you
roll a 1, the gun jams and you have to use a repair
action to fix it. It also can't be eliminated, but
it also doesn't count as a mast; Bombardiers, though
they have four cannon die printed on their deckplate,
are only three mast boats.
The Grand Vainqueur (I hope I spelled that right) is
a good boat for providing your big fighters with
support; it can hide in the back and take some
pot-shots at gold runners or at gunboats that are in
your sights. Her normal masts are two 3S and a 3L
and her front cannon is also a 3S, so she's good for
a backup roll. She also comes with a built-in
cannoneer. Pick her fire cannon and she also has a
built-in firepot specialist. Having these built-in
crew is good, because she only has three cargo
spaces and you'll need the other crew, like a
helmsman to enhance her base move of L.
Maybe I'm just biased in favor of better shooting
than enhanced ramming, but I think the Graind
Vainqueur is a better use of 21 points than the
Switchblades.
I give the Grand Vainqueur a 3.5/5. |
