Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.
3 is average.
5 is the highest rating.
Date Reviewed - 06.24.09
Cadet-Captain Mike
Name: Drowned Man (Cursed)
Card: DJ #141 (Uncommon)
Points: 16
Masts: 4
Cargo: 3
Moves: S+S
Guns : 3S,3L,3L,3S
Hit %: 200 (S), 100 (L)
Ability: Ghost Ship.
Now here's something you don't see every day: a
ghost ship with the cannons to do some real
fighting. The Drowned Man also carries more of those
cannons than most ghost ships, which opens up some
unusual possibilities.
Obviously, she can run gold, although her cargo is a
bit small and her point cost a bit high for that.
But add a Captain, a crew you don't see often on
ghost ships, and now she's a double threat -- she
can grab two good treasures, and she can blow the
snot out of most gold ships and secondary fighters.
Or you can give her a fighting crew (like Captain,
Helmsman, and the DJC El Fantasma for a world-hater,
reverse captain, and Fear) and forget about gold;
now she's a four-masted battle boat that can't be
rammed or boarded. The only problem is her cost; for
one more point, you could buy the Executioner, a far
better fighting ship.
The Drowned man is above-average in most ways. The
combination of good guns and ghostliness make her
flexible, which is always a good thing in my book.
But for 16 points, she doesn't quite deliver enough
to make her a good value. Cut her cost by a point,
or give her S+L speed, and she'd be excellent across
the board. Nevertheless, she ought to do good things
for you if you can afford her.
The first thing I looked at while
analyzing the deck plate of the Drowned Man
was its value of 16 points, putting it just a point
less than the Banshee’s Wail, a by far worse
ship. They both have one less cargo space then they
do masts, move S+S, and should not belong in a game.
The fact that Cursed ships are outrageously priced
is not a new feature, and the cheapest ship I had
ever seen so far was the flotilla Death’s Anchor
at seven points, and even that’s not technically a
ship because it does not meet the speed standards.
However, this ship is a little bit flexible with its
four masts, being capable of breeching small level
defenses put up by treasures, as long as it has the
required helmsman and captain. To be a little bit
more efficient, another wise strategy would be to
put an oarsman onboard so that your ship can kick
out something if it meets a large ship in battle. If
you want to go treasure hunting, I recommend that
you dispose of this ship because she doesn’t meet
the recommended requirements for exploring.
Like the Spanish, Wizkids did not really
seem to enjoy the Cursed. It initially seemed to be
another side faction that expanded into a major
faction at last minute after the Frozen North and
Mysterious Islands. The Cursed either have the best
ships with slow speed or the worst ships with
everything messed up about them. The Drowned Man
falls between these two extremities, and I hope
that whoever picks up the Pirates! Franchise after
their closure will give the Cursed better cannons.
Just to be nice to the Cursed, I rate this ship
grudgingly a 3/5.
Draco
Starcloud
Drowned Man
This is an odd name for a ship, if I ever heard one.
It looks to be one of those pretty good SE Cursed
fighters that's appeared in most sets the Cursed are
in.
Powers: Like the other ships, the Drowned Man has
the "Ghost Ship" keyword, but it seems to work
better on this ship.
Cargo Space: Three spaces is good for a fighter,
decent for gold Drowned Man can do a little of both.
Masts: Four masts with two 3S and two 3L guns is a
vanilla blend, but it works.
Base Move: S+S is a good move for a fighter. These
kinds of boats usually get "L."
Point Value: In other factions, 16 points might be a
little overpriced, but I've come to expect that from
the Cursed. Still, you get a solid fighter who can
hold good crew and can use Ghost Ship to quickly get
past obstacles to intercept gold runners or enemy
fighters. Give this guy a captain and a helmsman for
sure.
