Name:    Sol (Spain)

Card:    FS #066 (Common)

Points:  12

Masts: 2

Cargo: 3

Moves: L

Guns : 3S,3S

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

Ability: Galley. When this ship is given an explore action, you can swap a treasure on the wild island for a crew on any friendly ship.

Spanish galleys are an interesting lot. They are fairly good ships, but with limited usefulness; they are usually good at just one thing, and lack the versatility that this reviewer prizes so highly. The Sol

("Sun") fits in that category.

Her ability means she's a gold ship, as does her slightly above-average cargo rating. Her low speed is a handicap for a gold ship, so she's gotta have a Helmsman. Now, how to use that odd-sounding ability? You can play it two ways: either use it to get a crew that this ship needs, or use it to safeguard a treasure. The latter is more gold-ship-like; if you discover a 6 or 7 coin, "fling" it to some ship that's safe in your backwaters in exchange for some crew that doesn't matter. You might even keep a super-cheap ship like the El Afortunado (4 points, another

galley) near home with a couple of Oarsmen, just to swap for the goodies this ship might find. That way, some villainous raider or boarder can't steal your best treasures. You can keep the crew, or leave him on the island to make room for other gold that you want to load.

Of course, the Sol plus a Helmsman costs 14 points, which is one more than La Santa Isabel, which is a much better choice if you're running gold for Spain. The only reason I can think of to use this ship is to use its ability to frustrate an opponent who needs to be frustrated.

Granted, that can be a lot of fun. But this will never be on many Spanish admirals' A-list for ships they use often.

Goldship rating: 3.3 / 5

Gun Ship rating: 1.9 / 5

Boarding rating: 2.2 / 5

Value for points: 2.8 / 5