Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.
3 is average.
5 is the highest rating.
Date Reviewed - 04.07.09
Cadet-Captain Mike
Name: HMS Malton (English)
Card: SC #046 (Uncommon)
Points: 14
Masts: 4
Cargo: 4
Moves: L
Guns : 3L,3L,3L,3L
Hit %: 200 (S), 200 (L)
Link : William Dampier
Ability: As part of a move action, this ship may
initiate a boarding party against a ship up to S
away from her, without having to ram. The boarded
ship may not use any boarding bonuses.
There are 18 ships so far with the S-board ability.
The HMS Malton is the only such ship in the Royal
Navy, so Anglophiles who want to board without
getting pinned don't have much choice. Do they?
She looks like a typical four-masted fighter, with
okay cannons, average speed, and decent cargo. The
absence of S-range cannons can be a handicap if the
enemy brings an L-immune ship like the Jarvis or the
Batavian Bat. Four masts give pretty good chances of
winning a boarding action, whether by ramming or
from S range. If boarding is your game, I'd use a
Helmsman and either Lord Thomas Gunn (OE 054), who
gives a move/shoot and reroll, or Bonny Peel (DJ
043), who move/shoots and lets you steal the enemy's
best crew for ransom. Or if you have lots of points
to spend, go with the Helmsman, William Dampier (the
linked crew who gives a SAT and lets Pirate crew
serve), and either Will Turner (PC
059) or Jack Hawkins (OE 037), both of whom give a
move/shoot and a boarding bonus.
For a fighting role, HMS Malton is a poor choice;
HMS Apollo is bigger and better for the same price,
and HMS Royal and HMS Forge are considerably better
for one point less. If you want to board without
getting pinned, you could try HMS Viceroy, which
cannot be pinned, has a few S cannons, and costs
only 11 points. But if it warms your English heart
to think of boarders swinging on ropes to the enemy,
then this isn't a bad ship, as long as you can
afford to crew her properly.
