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Name:
La Saragoza (Spain)
Card:
MI #066 (Common)
Points:
8
Masts: 2
Cargo: 5
Moves: S
Guns : 4L,4L
Hit %: 67 (S), 67 (L)
Ability: One of this ship's
treasures is worth +1 gold when she docks at your
home island.
Those of you who have followed my
reviews over the years will probably recall the
scathing words I save for ships with a move of S. In
most cases, I haven't got a bit of use for 'em. But
every now and then, I find an exception to my rule,
and La Saragoza is one of them.
With her low speed, low mast
count, and poor cannons, she fails at all the usual
roles of gold ship, fighter, and boarder. But her
good cargo and low cost let her play a supporting
role, which I call a "gold-fleet mothership." Her
mission is to creep away from her home island while
your speedy gold ships race out to grab the goodies.
Then they meet in mid-ocean and transfer the
doubloons from the gold ships to the mothership. Now
your gold runners' cargo holds are empty for a
second cruise, and they start from mid-ocean instead
of going all the way home.
Meanwhile, the mothership creeps
home with full holds; her speed doesn't matter
because she isn't racing against anybody, and her
ability only enhances her value when she does get
home.
Another role she can play is the
"cashbox." In this role, she stays near home and
receives loads of gold from one gold-runner at a
time. Then she docks, rakes in her +1 bonus, then
moves away for another load. This works better when
the bonus is +2 gold, and Spain has five ships with
a
+2 gold bonus, so the Saragoza
isn't the best cashbox you can find.
You'll never win a gold game by
relying on La Saragoza to get the money for you. But
she can be a big help to the real gold ships (of
which Spain has quite a few). So even though this
ship is drop-dead slow and useless in all the usual
ways, she can still earn her keep if you use her
correctly.
Goldship rating: 2.5 / 5
Gun Ship rating: 1.7 / 5
Boarding rating: 1.9 / 5
Support
rating: 3.8 / 5
Value for points: 2.9 / 5
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