Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.
3 is average.
5 is the highest rating.
Date Reviewed -
July 15, 2009
Cadet-Captain Mike
Name: St. George (England)
Card: BC #054 (Rare)
Points: 10
Masts: 1
Cargo: 1
Moves: S+S+S
Guns : 4L
Hit %: 33 (S), 33 (L)
Ability: Galley. This ship cannot be shot at by
ships within S of her.
I'm not sure how a saint who slew dragons became the
namesake of a one-masted galley; you'd think England
would have given his name to something bigger. The
St. George probably won't slay any sea dragons, but
she does have her virtues.
Her cargo is not one of them, however. This badly
limits her usefulness as a gold ship. It also holds
her back as a fighter; she can carry only one crew,
which means she can't carry both a Captain and a
Musketeer, which is my usual recommendation for one-masted
fighters with poor cannons. As a galley, she can't
hurt anything by ramming, and one-masted ships don't
win boarding actions very often. So what can you do
with her?
You have three broad choices, and they all hinge on
her having the most obnoxious defensive ability in
the game. She can run gold, one coin at a time,
trusting in her speed and her ability to keep her
out of trouble.
Or she can carry a Captain crew and look for
trouble, trusting in her speed to find that trouble
and her ability to save her from any enemy who is
rude enough to shoot back. If you have the points,
you could use a crew like Hermione Gold (MI) or
Admiral Norrington (PC), who give the move/shoot and
a +1 on cannon rolls against non-English ships. That
adds up to 17 points, and 17 points can buy a lot
more fighting power than one mast with a 50% chance
of hitting (like HMS Apollo [RF201] with a Captain).
But if your battle plan requires a ship that can
avoid being shot just by staying close to the enemy,
this might be the way to do it.
Your third choice is to put Commodore Temple (SM) on
her and use him to snatch a derelict home, then use
her blazing speed to return to the battle scene and
swipe another one. Here again, her speed and her
ability should keep her out of trouble. If the
battle went badly, she can snatch away your own
derelict and bring her home for repairs. In any
case, the St. George isn't a magnificent fighter or
a stunning gold ship. She's a special-purpose ship
that has to use her ability and speed for all
they're worth. Stay focused on that, and she could
do some good things for you.
Remember how I said that S+S+S speed is ALMOST a
sure sign that you should use a ship? The St. George
has the S+S+S speed, but that's one of her two good
traits.
Powers: The St. George's other good skill is that
she can't be shot at by ships within "S" of her, so
she can get in close to huge gunboats and
survive...as long as they don't ram her. She also
has the Galley keyword, so she'll never be derelict.
Cargo Space: A mere one space. Hope you find a
high-point treasure, 'cause that's all this space is
good for.
Masts: A single 4L means that you'd have to put a
World Hater aboard to make her a viable combatant,
which her power suggests is what she's good at.
Base Move: Again, S+S+S. She can move quickly at all
times.
Point Value: I have trouble justifying the 10 point
price tag.
The St. George has good traits, but nothing that
complements another to give the St. George a role.
The best I can think of is to pack her with an
explorer and send her to wild islands ahead of your
other gold ships.
