Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.
3 is average.
5 is the highest rating.
Date Reviewed - 05.01.09
Cadet-Captain Mike
Name: Master Bianco (Spain)
Card: SS #012 (Rare)
Points: 7
Link : Bianco's Haulers
Ability: Cargo Master, Secret Hold.
Master Bianco, like his Haulers, appeared in the
very first Pirates release. In that release, they
were linked to each other, and they provided very
useful abilities for a gold fleet. Thankfully, some
things never change.
The Cargo Master gives every ship in your fleet
(except canoes) an extra cargo space. I shouldn't
have to tell you what that can mean to a gold fleet.
Fighters can benefit from it as well, if it means
adding room for one more crew. Secret Hold means
your ship can't lose treasure to a boarding action,
or to any other ability that would steal your
hard-won doubloons. Bianco will see his best use as
part of a swarm fleet, where he can add cargo spaces
to as many ships as possible. I just made up a
40-point fleet of 7 Spanish ships plus Master Bianco;
that's seven cargo spaces he's adding, plus the
protection he gives to whichever ship he rides on.
WK gave the Spanish just about nothing in combat
ability in Savage Shores, but they more than made up
for it in the gold game. Master Bianco isn't cheap,
but he's an excellent value.
Gold crew rating: 5.0 / 5
Gun crew rating: 2.0 / 5
Boarding rating: 1.2 / 5
Value for points: 3.8 / 5
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Name: Bianco's Haulers (Spain)
Card: SS #027b (Common)
Points: 3
Link : Master Bianco
Ability: This ship can't be shot at while docked
Like Master Bianco, the Haulers are mostly about
gold. Right? I mean, what gold skipper wouldn't leap
at the chance to be safe from all cannons while he's
busy grabbing the gold off a wild island? Then you
can wait until your fighters chase away the enemy,
and run for home and safety. But these Haulers give
an ability no other crew gives, and that ability
could be devastating if it fell into the wrong hands
(like yours, heh heh heh...).
One nasty trick would be to put the Haulers on La
Desesperanza, the Spanish ghost ship. If she's
ghostly, she can't be hurt by anything except
cannons, and if she's docked, the Haulers protect
her from those.
Unless the enemy has a canceller, she'd be
completely invulnerable while docked.
Nastier yet would be to put the Haulers on a
home-island-robbing ship (Spain has six of them).
The biggest risk a robber runs is getting caught and
shot up while at the home island. But if you can't
be shot while docked, the enemy's home becomes
almost as safe as your own home port.
Even nastier would be to put the Haulers on a small
or medium-sized fighting ship with L-range cannons.
She could dock within range of something big and
nasty, and blaze away with impunity. The enemy
couldn't shoot back, so he'd have to retreat. Then
you'd follow him to the next nearby island and
repeat the performance.
There are other things you could do with Bianco's
Haulers, but I think you get the idea. Far from
being a gold-only crew, these guys might be
game-breakers. Three points for all that fun? Now
I'm starting to think about playing the Spanish more
often.
