Name: El Rayo (Spain)
Card: CC #052 (Uncommon)
Points: 17
Masts: 3
Cargo: 3
Moves: S+L
Guns : 4S,4S,4S
Hit %: 100 (S), 0 (L)
Ability: This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls for every friendly ship within S of her.

This week, our focus is on expensive ships. Our first victim is a speedy Spaniard from way back in the Crimson Coast release.

El Rayo suffers from an identity crisis. Her speed and her poor cannons suggest a gold-running role, whereas her ability and her price tag are usually found among fighting ships. She'd make a fine gold runner for half the price, but her 17-point cost could buy you a fleet of four Spanish gold ships. As for fighting, let's say you want to maximize her cannons. That means you need three ships with equivalent speed to stay within S of her (and get in her way), which will cost you as much as El Rayo herself. Even if you just want two ships to make her cannons 2S, those ships will cost you 11 points if you go all-Spanish, and they won't be able to do anything else, which means you just spent 28 points on one fighter. You can get the same guns on the Asesino de la Nave with a Helmsman for half that cost, and the Asesino has a killer ability, too.

See the common thread in this review? No matter what you do with El Rayo, you could get equal value for half of her point cost. That makes her badly overpriced. Leave her home.

Goldship rating: 3.3 / 5
Gun Ship rating: 2.7 / 5
Boarding rating: 2.7 / 5
Value for points: 2.1 / 5

Name: El Rayo
Masts: 3
Cargo: 3
Speed: S+L
Firepower: Three 4S cannons
Cost: 17pts
Ability: This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls for every friendly ship within S of her.
 
This week we’re reviewing expensive ships. Or more to the point, reviewing expensive ship abilities. So I’m going to be criticizing, securitising and analyzing the values more closely. In the search of a potential bargain.
We start with a Spanish ship called El Rayo. She has one of the most overpriced abilities there is. For it to work you have to have numerous ships nearby to receive any cannon bonuses. Which is badly needed since she starts off with poor cannons in the first place. She’ll need a captain, which pushes her point cost up the twenty. Also as many ships as possible, which won’t be many since you’ve spent most of your build total on this ship.
So, now you’re fleet has to go around all stuck together just so this one ship can get a few cannon bonuses. In my opinion if you want a boost to your feet firepower, Robert Santana, flotillas or El Grant offer better options. El Grant is costly too, but considering that she’s a better ship to begin with she might be worth it.

The breakdown of points.
Masts – 1.5pts
Cargo¬ – 1.5pts
Speed – 3.4pts
Cannons – 0.99pts
Ability – 9pts+

Gunship rating 2/5
Gold ship rating 2/5
Fleet support rating 2/5
Value rating 1/5