Miniature Trading

General description:
I don’t know who is credited with coining the term “world hater” but if no one’s coined a term for La Crete Argentee’s ability, I’d like to be the first to do so.

I dub this the “cheerleader” ability.

I wish I knew why Wizkids feels the need to continue to make new cheerleaders for the Pirates line, particularly when they cost more than a player is (or should be) willing to pay. It’s an expenditure of resources that grants a minimal advantage. Flavor text for ships like this make mention of how sailors are happy to see it. I’m never happy to see a cheerleader.

Uses:
She is stuck in the support ship role and she’s not a good one.

Strategies and game play:
La Crete Argentee is about as menacing as a newborn pit bull puppy so don’t send her off on her own. The best strategy I can offer for her is to move her first each and every time you plan on using her to augment a friendly ship’s shoot action. First move her within S+S of an enemy ship. Then move your gunship up between La Crete Argentee and the enemy ship, making sure to be within S of your cheerleader, and open fire with your now bonus-enabled cannons.

Combos with other miniatures:
Do I even need to state that a Helmsman should be aboard almost every ship? Well, at L speed, she needs one more than most. A Musketeer would be a nice little surprise if your opponent’s ship decided to ignore her… but without the cargo space for a Captain it is doubtful that she’d be able to get a shot off first before being derelicted. For named crew… I don’t know… do you really want to put someone of high point value aboard her? Monsieur LeNoir would add a small amount of protection by blanking enemy Captains; preventing a move-and-shoot... but it won't work forever.

Ways to counteract it:
There’s no strategy for countering La Crete Argentee that is exclusive to her. Handle her the way you’d handle any 1-master. Ram her to derelict her and shoot her to sink her, in that order. Don’t be afraid to zero in on her. She’s only got about a 16.66 chance of hitting you and she’ll have to do it more than once in able to derelict anything that could reasonably be called a gunship. The dirtiest trick she may have up her sleeve crewwise is perhaps a Monsieur LeNoir to neutralize your gunship’s Captain.

Strengths/Pros:
- The bonus she provides is enough of an irritant that your opponent will feel obligated to sink her.
- The number of masts she has makes it too tempting to resist taking her out.
- If she is derelict, the ability still works.
- Must be sunk in order to prevent her ability from aiding friendly ships, effectively drawing two hits away from the ship or ships she is assisting.

Weaknesses/Cons:
- Second slowest speed in the game which is bad news for a ship that needs to be within S of friendly gunships (since they’re generally much faster) in order to do what she does best.
- A poor cannon rank, regardless of its L range.
- One mast means that she’ll be derelict after one hit.
- A price high enough to buy some of the best ships in the game with cannon ranks that are formidable to start with.
- Has to be in the thick of the action in order to be successful, making her a target that’s all too easily picked off.
- Without another friendly ship to assist, she’s practically worthless. If she’s your last ship, you might as well concede the game.

Artwork and aesthetics:
Her sails look like bed sheets from a cheap motel. Still, it stands out from the rest, which is helpful because when I dig into my box to fish out a specific sloop, I’ll recognize La Crete Argentee as the ship I’m NOT looking for.

Overall rating:
When selecting ships for your fleet, each one should be able to do one thing marginally well in exchange for a decent price. A bonus to cannon rolls is a good thing to have but world haters (named crew that have the “this ship gets +1 to her cannon rolls against non-(nationality) ships or forts” ability) do a good enough job of that already and they are less expensive plus they can't be sunk.

If you insist on learning the hard way how ineffectual cheerleaders are, pass up La Crete Argentee for Crimson Coast’s Scepter. With the same ability, L+L speed, 3 cargo, a rank 4 cannon and a wealth of Pirate crew from which to choose, she’s a far better pick. If you don’t have a Scepter, don’t fret. There are cheerleaders in later sets. I could name them but I’d be an accomplice to the crime of enabling you to use one. For giving you far less for your buck than 85% of the other ships in her price range, I rate La Crete Argentee a 2 out of 10. She can’t run gold effectively, she can’t deal damage consistently and she can't benefit from her own ability. If winning is your goal, apply those 14 points toward buying a competent ship with cannons that are competent to begin with. This ship will only bring you grief.