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Pirate Piece of the Day

Sha-Bala

Piece Ratings: 4.00

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale 1 being the worst.
3 ... average. 5 is the highest rating.


Date Reviewed - 5.23.07

 
Cadet-Captain Mike Name: Shal-Bala
Card: OE #139 (Special Edition)
Points: 20
Faction: Cursed

Masts: 4 (rating: 4 / 5)
Cargo: 0 (rating: 1 / 5)
Moves: D (rating: 5 / 5)
Guns : 3S,3S,3S,2L (rating: / 5)
Hit %: 217 (S), 67 (L)
Keyword: Sea Dragon
Ability: Fear

The sea dragons, along with the giant crabs, were probably the most eagerly anticipated new "ships" in Ocean's Edge. Only two were made (the other is a Pirate dragon), and they're both special editions, so they aren't as common as some might like. But are they any good?

The sea-dragon keyword gives two main abilities, a D (for dragon) move and a swoop attack. The D move means you can pick it up and put it anywhere you want, regardless of distance, because it can fly. A swoop attack is an alternative to the usual cannon attack; it hits on a 4+ at a range of L+L, and does two hits' worth of damage. These are both very, very good. Sea dragons are also immune to ramming, pinning, and boarding, but they can't do any of the above, either. Like sea monsters, they can't repair battle damage.

Shal-Bala (and the identical Angelica) is obviously made for attacks of opportunity. Any ship that gets too far from the protection of a big fighter is asking for dragon trouble. Because you can't put a Captain on a dragon, you can't use the D move and any kind of attack in the same turn, which limits the havoc this beast can wreak. This also means you won't want to go toe-to-toe with anything that can shoot back with more than a couple of cannons, or that ship will be having dragon steak for supper. Dragons are snipers, not brawlers. It might be fun to park a dragon on a rich wild island, and swoop at anything that comes close.

The final question is, are sea dragons worth their very high point cost? The answer is "It depends." Most ships in that point range are slow-moving, hard-hitting thugs, with plenty of room for crew, if you can afford crew after spending 20+ points on one ship. A dragon can't be enhanced by crew; what you see is what you get. If the enemy tends to go with one or two big fighters, you might want to leave Shal-Bala at home. If you're expecting a swarm of small ships, a sea dragon could have a field day.

Total rating: 4 / 5

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