Name:  HMS Apollo (England)

Card:    RV #031 (Common)

Points:  9

Masts: 2

Cargo: 2

Moves: S+L

Guns : 3S,3S

Hit %: 100 (S), 0 (L)

Ability: Schooner. This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls against French ships.

Our first English ship of the week is HMS Apollo. There are four ships in the Royal Navy with that name, and this is the only one that isn't a five-masted bone-crushing thug. That's not to say she's no good.

Aside from her very good movement, she's an average little ship, or a little better than average against the French Tricolour. She makes a good chaser of enemy gold ships; give her a Captain and keep her other cargo space free for the spoils of a boarding action. As a backup fighter, she's okay, but you can get more firepower for nine points (go with HMS Wycliffe, HMS Bolingbroke, HMS Hyena, and especially HMS Victor).

If you expect to fight the French, this is an inexpensive way to make life difficult for them. Any time you get S+L movement for a single-digit price tag, you're in above-average territory already. HMS Apollo may be average, but her low cost makes her a pretty good value.

Goldship rating: 3.3 / 5

Gun Ship rating: 2.4 / 5

Boarding rating: 2.5 / 5

Value for points: 3.4 / 5

Name: HMS Apollo

Masts: 2

Cargo: 2

Speed: S+L

Firepower: two 3S cannons

Cost: 9 points

Ability: Schooner. This ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls against French ships.

All this week we review the Royal Navy. First up is HMS Apollo, a small two mast schooner from RV. Not the cheapest ship the English have in this class, but she’s half tidy.

Her cargo isn’t the best, but her speed is. Since the English don’t excel at gold running you could consider using her just as she is.  Another use for her would be to make her part of a swarm. The English have an endless choice of cheap little ships. HMS Cumberland, HMS Hound, HMS Ram, HMS Blazer.........Well, you get the picture. A few little ships like these, all with captains with a bigger multi-tasker such as HMS London or Dover and you’ve got yourself one punchy, fight anything gold running fleet.

HMS Apollo isn’t the best value, but if you’re short on small cheaper ships and you’re fighting the French then this ship is worth a look. With her base move you probably won’t need a helmsman which will save some points and a cargo space.

That’s take a look at the breakdown of costs.

Masts – 1 point

Cargo­ – 1 point

Speed – 3.4 point

Cannons – 1 point

Ability – 2.6 Points    

Total 9 points.

Gunship rating 3/5

Gold ship rating 2.5/5

Fleet support rating 3/5

Value rating 3/5