Miniature Trading

General description:
Raft functions to unload your cargo when your ship sinks. It is useful only in limited circumstances, usually the ship that just sank you can simply go to the island and pick up what was there. If you prepare for those limited circumstances, perhaps planning the sinking of one of you own vessels, Raft can hold a valuable place in your schemes.

Uses:
Most people simply use Raft to fill in the space between 39 and 40 points. With Divers, the Jolly Mon, Oarsmen, and Explorers, it doesn't see a whole lot of use. Used alone, as an incidental event, Raft merely slows you opponent down and allows him to pick up your crew. Used in a planned manned though, you can do a lot of very sneaky things.

Strategies and game play:
Raft is a tool with a single purpose, it moves cargo to the nearest wild island. The rest of the pieces on the board will determine the value of Raft much more than the event itself.

Combos with other miniatures:

Crew: One type of crew is excellent to use with Raft, Marines! Although expensive, they can defend your treasure from small ships and slow down larger ones. Other good crew to use with Raft are any crew that are from minor factions (Jade Rebellion, Barbary Corsair, Viking) that your opponent will not be able to load and use against you. If for some reason you want to sink and not be towed, throw a shipwright on the ship.

Ships: Raft is bad on ships with Ransom crew, as it gives an easy chance to capture them. It is good for most other ships, especially ships laden with gold. Remember, the nearest wild island need not necessarily mean near. You can cruise all the way to the edge of the playing area before being inevitably sunk and have Raft somehow land your crew back on the most distant island. This might buy you the time needed to pick up the gold and get home. Another trick is to go home island raiding with a ship that can take it all, steal a large chunk of the gold, and then raft it all away when they sink you. The previously mentioned shipwright is critical here. Also, consider putting a fort on that wild island.

Forts: Raft can't bring your cargo to your fort, but you can sure bring a fort to your cargo! If you see a ship in a situation where it is likely to sink, simply dock another ship at the nearest wild island and prepare to build a fort.

UT's: If you have Raft and certain UT's, things can become very fun. Scurvy, Plague, Runes of Death, Enemy of the State, and many negative UT's can be very good with this event, especially if used intentionally. Enemy of the State is probably the best negative UT to use with Raft, because it makes it hard to recover your gold. Neptune's figurehead is also helped greatly by Raft, you can easily recrew your ship if you reach the wild island.


Ways to counteract it:
Derelict enemy ships instead of sinking them.

Strengths/Pros:
Acts instantly and reliably, can be good if it is planned well.

Weaknesses/Cons:
You still need to get the gold and crew from the wild island, and whatever sunk your ship still is out there. It only works when you have lost a ship, which you probably didn't want to do in the first place.

Artwork and aesthetics:
The artwork is neat, but I would have liked to see a crew on the raft. To impress your friends, when your ship sinks put the Raft token beside it and all the treasure and crew on the raft. Then slide it slowly across the table to the wild island, acting quite relieved that everyone survived.

Overall rating:
5/10, it has limited usefulness and always requires losing a ship.

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