Name:    HMS Zephyr (England)

Card:    MI #047 (Uncommon)

Points:  15

Masts: 4

Cargo: 4

Moves: L

Guns : 3S,4L,3S,3S

Hit %: 183 (S), 33 (L)

Link : Hermione Gold

Ability: Schooner. After this ship resolves a shoot action, she may move as a free action.

The first Zephyr was a tiny one-masted pirate ship from the very first Pirates release. This Zephyr is a big, brawling Englishman with a taste for action.

Like the other shoot/move ships we've looked at this week, this is a boarding ship. She needs a Helmsman or she'll never catch any worthwhile victims, which runs up her sailaway cost to 17, which is kind of a lot.

But she can do something that those other ships can't do. When they ram and board, they get pinned, with their one bow cannon facing all of the enemy's guns. But the Zephyr can make contact with a schooner turn, pivoting her side into the enemy's bow. This doesn't damage the enemy like a ram does, but it reverses the usual post-boarding scenario -- now he's pinned and all your guns are pointing at him. Does that sound like fun? Plus, the Zephyr has four masts, which make her that much more effective at boarding.

The linked crew, Hermione Gold, gives the Captain and world-hater abilities. If you use her, that adds 7 points to the Zephyr's cost and turns her into an effective fighter (with a Gunship rating of 3.5), without taking anything away from her boarding game. That's a potent double threat, if you can spare the 24 points. If you just want a fighter, England has no shortage of effective fighters that won't cost you that much. But, of course, most of them won't do as good a job at boarding.

The English navy is all about fighting; everybody knows this. But sometimes it's fun to try something different. It can be an interesting exercise for you, and it can confuse the bejeebers out of an enemy who expects nothing but cannonballs from you. If you get into that kind of mood, and if you can spend the points, HMS Zephyr is an effective curve ball to throw at your foe.

Goldship rating: 2.9 / 5

Gun Ship rating: 3.1 / 5

Boarding rating: 3.6 / 5

Value for points: 2.8 / 5