General description:
The Icicle has the potential to be a very deadly little ship. She can attack smaller ships, treasure runners, and provide backup against large gunships. The great thing is that it is extremely deadly in boarding attacks as well.
But what's really great is the cost. At 10 points this is the cheapest Longship in the game! And its speed means you can save cargo and points on a helmsman!
Uses:
If you have a lot of UTs, this ship can be used as a treasure runner, but for the purposes of this review I will focus on its attack caspabilities. As a support gunship and Treasure runner Hunter.
Strategies and game play:
Because its a longship it can take on ships larger than it and come out pretty well. You have no need to worry about stocking up with crew on this because its ability allows no harm to come to its crew.
The best idea is to ram this ship at another ship whether its a weakened gunship or support vessel, fire its 2 cannons, then board it. Boarding is big with this vessel because it gets +1 to its boarding rolls, and its crew cannot be eliminated if it loses!
But don't take on heavy gunships by itself. They will blow away its one mast or ram it, leaving you sorely lacking in Offense.
Combos with other miniatures:
A captain or crew with a Captain ability is always a good idea with this ship. Although don't use Spanish main or Crimson Coast Hawkins. The ship cannot be pinned and it already has crew protection.
If you wanted a burst of speed you can throw on a helmsman. But with a base move of S+L, the need is not dire.
SCS Calico Cat is useful for rerolling those cannons and boarding rolls.
Calico cat from SM, Le Requin, or Gunner are all useful to get double actions to move and shoot twice. Any of the last 2 would be useful with SCS Calico Cat for the reroll.
If you need a reroll and don't have Calico from SCS, Lady Baptiste is an excellent choice, for a straight reroll.
A musketeer could give you another gun to take on more enemies.
Ways to counteract it:
Counter-action is simple. Just Ram it , or shoot it first. If it has a lot of crew, mermaids works too.
Strengths/Pros:
Longship
S+L base movement
3L Gun
crew cannot be eliminated unless it sinks.
Its cheap
Weaknesses/Cons:
It has only 1 mast.
Artwork and aesthetics:
The icy blue look to it adds to the cold feeling of its name.
Overall rating:
Overall, 8 out of 10. I just wish it had more masts!
Miniature Trading
