Masts: 3
Cargo: 3
Moves: S+L
Guns : 4S, 3L, 4S
Hit %: 117 (S), 50 (L)
Ability: After looking at treasure on a wild island,
you can trade any one treasure from that island for
a random treasure on any other wild island. This
ship must load the traded treasure.
We've looked at four 9-point ships this week, and
this is the cream of the crop. High speed and a good
gold-ship ability make the Ranger a fine choice for
bringing home pieces of eight. Cargo is a bit low,
but that's not as big a handicap as it would be on
most ships because you don't need any crew. An
Explorer might be worthwhile if your enemies use
super-fast gold ships - you can get to a wild island
just after the enemy does, swap out one cruddy coin,
and then grab the good ones while the enemy is still
lowering his anchor. Otherwise, leave her cargo
empty for treasure.
You could use her for fighting or boarding, but
she's not too hot at those roles, and it would be a
waste of a good gold ship. With one more cargo, or
with a slightly lower point cost, the Ranger would
get a perfect score on value. As she is, she's not
far off the mark.
