Name:    USS Albany (USA)

Card:    FN #077 (Uncommon)

Points:  15

Masts: 4

Cargo: 5

Moves: L

Guns : 2S,2S,2S,2S

Hit %: 267 (S), 0 (L)

Ability: If this ship wins a boarding party, she may take as much treasure from the other ship as she can carry.

This is "Ships With 5 Cargo Spaces" Week (we've already reviewed all the ships with 6 or more cargo). Our first victim is a flexible ship from the USA.

The USS Albany seems to want to join the best American ships. I say this because 15 points is an American "sweet spot" that includes such killers as the OE Constitution, Ghost Walker, Eagan, Intrepid, and Bonhomme Richard. SOrry, Albany, you aren't that good and you aren't worth 15 points. The cannons are good (too bad none of them are L-range), so she could be a fighter, but I just named five ships that are better. No, this ship is built for boarding; her ability, her mast count, and her deep pockets are made for robbing somebody blind. Of course, one of those cargo spaces has to go for a Helmsman so you can catch your victims. But four masts means you'll defeat most gold ships when you board them, and your cannons can finish them off once you've picked their pockets.

This is one of the USA's better boarding ships. Boarding is a tough way to win, so be sure you have a decent fighter in your fleet to keep the Albany company. That is the biggest problem with this ship -- she costs so much that it may be hard to afford a decent escort. But if you play big-point games against admirals who like high-capacity gold ships, the USS Albany is a fairly good choice to make them sorry.

Goldship rating: 2.7 / 5

Gun Ship rating: 3.3 / 5

Boarding rating: 3.7 / 5

Value for points: 2.7 / 5