General description:
Of all non-wooden things classified under "ship," Calim is one of the best. Several super-rare sea monsters challenge it for the best sea monster, but none of the other rare or uncommon sea monsters compare to the usefulness of Calim. The thing that sets Calim apart is it's incredible speed. At S+S+S, it is faster than any other sea monster. It also has a great ability to complement its amazing speed. Furthermore, unlike more recent sea monsters, Calim has some serious cargo space. Five cargo! (I figured this one out...giant squid have ten tentacles. We only see five being used for attack, the other five can hold stuff!)
Uses:
You can either attack or run gold using Calim. Calim isn't strong enough to have much chance against large ships, but gold runners are in serious danger! The ability comes in handy as well, tiny gold running vessels aren't likely to be able to win a boarding roll. If it has less than three masts, destroy it. If it has more than three masts, avoid it. If it has three masts, make the best call you can!
A less used tactic is running gold, but this is what wins the game. Calim is a sea monster, large, fierce, and intimidating. Only large capital ships are likely to attack it. If not pursued by a large enemy, it can clear out all the treasure on an island. Unfortunately, Sea Monsters cannot be given explore actions. The best way to get around this is to use Hidden Cove and a small ship that need not return home (such as the Paradox) to explore the island and transfer the gold. A sea monster also is a safe place to hold treasure, when submerged it is fairly safe from its enemies.
Strategies and game play:
This section is covered in the sections above and below it.
Combos with other miniatures:
The only crew this works well with (not counting Chariot of the Gods crew yet) are the crew that give +L to sea monsters beginning a move action within L. Then Calim moves faster than almost any other ship in the game (San Crisobal, Hai Peng, and several British ships with Griffin being the exceptions).
Chariot of the Gods is a great unique treasure for sea monsters. It allows you to assign a crew. Many crew are good on sea monsters, but a few are simply great. Great crew to assign to Calim are: Davy Jones, Christian Fiore, the Inquisitor, Jacques Duc de Valois, and any extra action crew other than sac-captains.
Another great thing about Calim is that it can carry UT's that it loads from islands. Newer sea monsters can't do this! Here is a list of some positive UT's that would be good to have on Calim:
Dry Powder (And how exactly does this one work?)
Fireworks
Grease Barrels (And you thought it was slimy before!)
Holy Water
Sword (Ninja-squid!)
Neptune's Figurehead
Relics
Plague (Aaaii! Not only is it large and tentacled, it looks diseased!)
Voodoo Doll
Ways to counteract it:
The sperm whale is an excellent option; they will eat this things like candy. Unfortunately, there are no whales in Pirates, so you'll need to think a bit more inside the box.
Ships that shoot at submerged vessels are good, as are ships with boarding bonuses versus sea monsters. The USS Hancock is a fearsome opponent, or at least it would be if it were larger or faster. The best defense against a Sea Monster is a canceler. Simply cancel the keyword and Calim floats to the surface, not unlike that goldfish you had in third grade. At this point, it is simple to shoot it and send it down to Davy Jones.
Also, consider using larger gold runners. HMS Aberdeen Baron, El Neptuno, and all those four-masted runners are good choices. You need not destroy Calim, merely not being destroyed can be enough to negate the usefulness of the sea monster.
Use any big 'ol gunship to sink it when it is above the surface.
Strengths/Pros:
List all the advantages of this miniature
Weaknesses/Cons:
List all the disadvantages of this miniature
Artwork and aesthetics:
It is a bit anthropomorphized with the eyes and the tentacles all have little points.
Overall rating:
I give Calim a 9/10
Miniature Trading
