American admirals went bonkers when they saw this
ship's stats. For the first time ever, the USA got a
world-class gold ship.
Seventeen points is a lot for a gold ship, but this
one is worth it, starting with the cargo of 8 (yes,
8). Then add the Hoist keyword, with its triple
abilities to move gold around, and the Secret Hold
ability that safeguards your doubloons against
thieves (like the Cursed Blade that we'll be
reviewing at the end of the week). Her S+S speed
isn't stellar, but it's adequate, and if you can
afford to add a Helmsman, she'll really rake in the
pieces of eight.
A Helmsman is all the crew you'll likely want to
add; an Explorer would be redundant compared to the
Hoist keyword. If you plan to also use the Cargo
Master crew, he might be better off on a ship that
isn't the focus of your enemies' attention. The
American Native Canoes would be especially effective
in combination with this ship; the Frontier loads
the gold, then the Canoes use their ability to take
a coin from a distance and then run for home with
their superior speed.
Unlike almost every other USA ship in existence,
this one isn't meant for fighting. Her high cost
means you'll probably have to compromise on your
other ships' combat ability. USS Emerald would make
a good escort; she's cheap, their speeds match, and
she can soak up so many hits that the Frontier can
make a clean getaway. It took a while, but American
admirals finally have a ship that can be the center
of a gold strategy.
Ship Name: Frontier
Set/Faction: Savage Shores/ American
Number: 005
Ship Type: Hoist
Points: 17
Cannons: 4S,3S,4S
Speed: S+S
Mast: 3
Cargo Space: 8
Abilities: Hoist, Secret Hold
Flavor Text: Constructed in the spirit of
exploration, the Frontier pushes ever onward to new
horizons.
One of the last gimmick ships from WizKids, Savage
Shore gave us a very interesting ship design. Of the
three Hoist ships that have come from the SS set,
the American faction got a needed boost in it’s
limited amount of gold ships. (The English got the
potential fighter while Spain made out with the
cheaper of the three) This ship has a steep price
(17 points) for what is really a three mast ship,
but you really get what you paid for. With a decent
speed of S+S, the Hoist and Secret Hold keywords,
and a very generous cargo space of 8, this ship
pretty much pays for herself from the get go. So add
a helmsman, go quickly to one unexplored island, use
the Hoist arm to explore it, and on the next turn
make that land barren of gold. The Hoist arm itself
can be used in many different ways from exploring
derelict ships to transferring gold from her vast
cargo hold onto other ships while she goes on to rob
islands blind. The problem that I can find with this
ship besides it’s price are it’s cannons. With two
4S and one 3S, you will be missing more than scoring
a hit thought one would wonder why make this ship
into a fighter. You will have to play this ship in a
smart way in a 30 to 40 point game, though at a
higher point game you can provide a sufficient
escort for this ship. Presumably since Savage Shores
may be the last set, America made out very well with
this unique ship.
