Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.
3 is average.
5 is the highest rating.
Date Reviewed - 06.25.09
Cadet-Captain Mike
Name: La Desesperanza (Spain)
Card: DJ #206 (Limited Edition)
Points: 14
Masts: 1
Cargo: 2
Moves: S+S+S
Guns : 4S
Hit %: 33 (S), 0 (L)
Ability: Ghost Ship.
Spain's only gold ship, "The Desperation," is a one-masted
galley that doesn't get the Galley keyword. She's a
speedster with only one thing on her mind: treasure.
One-masted ships aren't usually fighters, and
definitely not with a poor cannon like this one.
Like all one-masters, she's vulnerable to ramming...
except you can't ram a ghostly ship. That makes this
ship pretty safe, unless she "uncloaks" to load a
coin or two. Her cargo is small for a gold ship, but
with her high speed, she'll get several chances to
bring home the goodies and make you glad you paid
for her.
Her cost is high for one mast, but not grossly bad,
and pretty low compared to many ghost ships.
La Desesperanza, unlike many ships with her ability,
is a good value.
Keep her safe from enemy fighters (ghostly ships can
still be shot) and she'll race back and forth,
running up your tally. Of course, La Monarca could
do the same for six points less, moving a little
faster and carrying twice the gold with each trip.
But La Monarca isn't ghostly. If your enemy likes to
board your gold ships and take away coins that
you've rightfully stolen, then this little ship
could be your best counter-tactic.
La Desesperanza does not differ from the
typical ships of her nation in terms of her cannon
decency (4S), but she does have a few unusual
features. This ship comes in one of those wrapped
tournament packs that is included within a Davy
Jone’s 36 Count Booster Box, and she’s a ship that
is given one prototype but is not given that
prototype’s ability. She will fare well in treasure
hauling with her incredible speed and cargo space,
but do not rely on her in battle. A mast with a 4S
cannon spells bad luck, and that bad luck may follow
you around for a while. Like the El Argonauta with
the Broadsides attack, she’s a lovely ship to behold
but in playability she’s not.
Because this ship is a tournament ship
and has not seen much use, I rate her 3.5/5.
Draco
Starcloud
La
Desesperanza
I has a heckuva time trying to spell this name. This
is one of those rare non-Cursed Ghost Ships, made
even rarer because it's a Limited Edition boat.
Powers: This boat has "Ghost Ship" though I'm
surprised that it doesn't also have "Galley."
Cargo Space: Two spaces would be a bad thing, but
small one-mast boats with gimmicky powers don't tend
to get a lot of space.
Masts: Just one with a 4S gun. Nothing great, but at
least there's a chance you can hit with the gun, if
you survive having an enemy that close.
Base Move: S+S+S is the best a boat can have for its
base move and works well with Ghost Ship.
Point Value: Despite S+S+S speed and Ghost Ship
being a good combination, this ship costs way too
much at 14 points. She doesn't have the cargo or
protection to take advantage of her good traits.
