General description:
Since I had my HMS Swiftsure rammed and stolen in a single turn (for the third time), I'm not overfond of single mast ships. They tend to be overpriced, very vulnerable, and have too little cargo space to be really competitive.
HMS Discovery is a good exception: swift, with cargo and cost perfect for the needed crew, and a very good ability!
Uses:
At the price of 12-14 points once manned, this little terrorist can be a wounderful trouble-maker!
Strategies and game play:
A single mast can't usually do much harm, but combined with the reroll ability, HMS Discovery hits on average 133% the times. Always.
What a better use for that single, perfecly aimed shot than a specialist hit?
Since I'm a brawler myself, the obvious choise was Firepot... Couldn't resist the tentation of a sure fire mast within 4S (movement + shot) of one of my ships. And we all know too well how deadly they are. With the help of divers you could even get enough treasure to win the game with this single combo...
But the uses are many: with a Chainshot you can make a tresure hauler stay still enough for your raiders to come by, a Stinkpot stops all that annoying crew almost everywhere... I personally consider Smokepot too technical to be really useful... But that's still a choise.
Combos with other miniatures:
I definitly use it with a Captain, and Specialist shooter.
If you feel very nasty (I usually do), and have a couple of spare points, you can use Thomas Gunn the Younger as Captain, and get the crew-killer ability. Just to teach the other players to hate this ship the better...
Ways to counteract it:
Ram it or sink it before it strikes.
Strengths/Pros:
Best speed available;
Very useful ability;
Good cannon;
Good price.
Weaknesses/Cons:
That single mast can be rammed off too easly for my likings...
Artwork and aesthetics:
This ship is quite plain. That's good, let the other player concentrate on the rest of the fleet till the first firepot arrives...
Overall rating:
Well... 9/10 within the category. Overall 7/10.
Historical Curiosity:
Did you know that the actual HMS Discovery was the consort ship of James Cook's HMS Resolution in his third expedition to the Pacific Ocean, in 1776 - 1780?
Miniature Trading
