Name: HMS Iron Prince (England)
Card: MI #048 (Uncommon)
Points: 10
Masts: 3
Cargo: 4
Moves: L
Guns : 3S,2L,3S
Hit %: 167 (S), 67 (L)
Ability: Ramming cannot eliminate this ship's masts.

Ten-Point Ships Week begins with an English ship whose name suggests toughness, and the same goes for its ability. How should you use her?

She's a bit slow for a gold ship; you could add a Helmsman, but for a sailaway cost of 12 points, England can do better. Her cannons are adequate for the fighting role, and her ability patches a small ship's big weakness in pitched battle -- the enemy can't compensate for bad cannons (or bad dice luck) by knocking a mast off with a ram. Give her a Captain and Helmsman and sic her on enemy gold ships, or use her to back up your big fighter. Don't hesitate to send her into the thick of the action; let the enemy ram her, with nothing to show for it except getting himself pinned. You might want to keep an Oarsman on board as a sacrifice crew in case the enemy follows his useless ram with a boarding action.

The Iron Prince isn't as good as some English ten-pointers (HMS Dover, Nautilus, Raven, or St. George, to name a few), but she's a good little fighter for a fair price tag.

Goldship rating: 2.8 / 5
Gun Ship rating: 3.5 / 5
Boarding rating: 2.6 / 5
Value for points: 3.4 / 5