General description:
El Raton is Spain's answer to the Pirates of the Crimson Coast's ship, Mermaid. She is not as fast as her Pirate sister and has a far weaker cannon but at 2 points, she is a welcome addition to the Pirates game and brings us one step closer to the swarm fleets seen before Wizkids limited players to one ship of the same name per fleet.
Uses:
In a DJC or Spanish ships only game, El Raton is a fair means of burning 2 points of your build total. Adding another ship to your fleet which you aren't planning on outfitting with decent crew (and in this case, a ship which you cannot outfit with any crew) isn't always the best move but it has the scent of Eau de Easy Targette about it, and any shot fired at El Raton is a shot not fired at your key ships. Conversely, if your opponent chooses to ignore it, it can be used to pre-explore a wild island to expedite a more self-sufficient gold runner's trip to that wild island in the future.
Strategies and game play:
El Raton joins Mermaid and Rover in the Cheapest Ships in the Game Club.
You should send El Raton en route to an island that your key gold runner has hit once and has left a single coin behind *or* send it on over to a wild island that is far away just for the explore action. If it hasn't been derelicted or sunk, hell, try carting the single coin back and force your opponent to deal with it. As an escort, you can send El Raton on a suicide mission to pin an encroaching enemy ship long enough to buy your gold runner a clean getaway.
Combos with other miniatures:
The most supportive use for a ship this small and cheap is to beef up the cannon rolls of a ship which gets +1 for each friendly ship within S of her (El Garante, El Rayo, Sea Wind, etc.) Add a Mermaid and a Rover to the mix and that's a +3 bonus for 6 points! It could also be the ship you can afford to permanently leave at a Fort Brompton, El Puerto Blanco or Thompson's Island for the bonus/ability it grants. Also, if she can load Explosives, you have a 50/50 chance of taking out a major piece of your opponent's with a minor piece of yours.
Ways to counteract it:
El Raton isn't a strong piece in and of itself. A fast and strong ship shouldn't have any trouble derelicting it but if you should happen to fail the ram roll, your opponent will still be hard pressed to respond with cannon fire with its pitiful 5 rank cannon. One of the worst things you can do is let El Raton sail unchecked. S+L isn't the worst speed in the game and if she can bring even one treasure to its home island, that would make it The 2 Point Investment From Hell.
Strengths/Pros:
An opponent who goes after an El Raton of yours is only doing away with a 2 point piece while simultaneously drawing fire from your key ships.
Weaknesses/Cons:
El Raton can be rammed into dereliction 5 times out of 6, far easier than shooting at it. With no crew on her, she has no surprise factor unless she loads a face-down unique.
Artwork and aesthetics:
The hull has long black marks on it. Are they gaps? Tar? And are those bones on the deck? Why paint that on the mast slot? This ship's appearance should reflect its low cost and it falls short in that respect.
Overall rating:
I give El Raton a 3 out of 10 in and of itself. It's a support piece at heart so its rating as a support piece makes it more than a 3 but hard to nail down. It sort of depends on how well it does in any given game.
Miniature Trading
