[General description:
The Hessian's ability is one that has been bestowed sparingly in the past and usually only to crew. (Barbary Coast contributed the first ship with this ability with the Spanish El Paso and South China Seas had the LE English galley HMS Rye) Crew with this ability would cost you 5 points and naturally takes up one cargo space. So retroactively, the Hessian works out to a 4 point 5 cargo ship with no ability that can spot weld a Nemesio Diaz to its deck.
Uses:
Many. Robbing an opponent of a key ability puts a hole in a strategy and can open worlds of pain for a key ship.
Strategies and game play:
The Hessian could serve a fleet best by tagging along with a gunship and taking out an annoying defensive ability.
Combos with other miniatures:
- Hidden Cove can be a nice little surprise for the ship that thinks it's got everything under control.
- Although it's not a combo exclusive to Hessian, it bears mentioning that 1-masters are immune to the effects of Reefs.
Ways to counteract it:
It's got to either be sunk or derelicted and avoided and both are fairly easy to do thanks to its below average base move.
Strengths/Pros:
- 9 points and 4 cargo spaces make for a number of possible crew combinations.
- Ability works on any player's turn.
- Can nullify a move-and-shoot attack from a ship with a Captain (within S), allowing a chance for escape.
- Deadly accurate S-range cannon.
- Ability cannot be affected by a crew killer.
- Ability cannot be silenced by a Stinkpot Specialist.
- Ability can still be used if derelict.
Weaknesses/Cons:
- Same weakness as all 1-masters: one shot/ram and she's derelict.
- Second slowest speed in the game.
- Dependent on a larger ship to capitalize on the opening it provides.
- Too slow to be a serious gold runner and nowhere near enough masts to be a gunship or escort, Hessian is a born support piece.
Artwork and aesthetics:
Hessian has a different color scheme than most 1-masters although she still seems a hair stuffy.
Overall rating:
I rate Hessian a 4.5 out of 10 by itself. As with any ship, its true rating isn't known for sure until outfitted with solid crew. And 5 points, which is what a crew with this ability would cost, would *beep* a lot of crew points out of a ship's "room points". Hessian gives you the ability minus the room point drainage. El Paso may have an additional mast and L-range cannons but she costs a point more, has the same speed, has one less cargo space and higher cannon ranks. HMS Rye has demon speed at S+S+S and costs the same as the Hessian, but with a 5 rank cannon, she cannot exploit the Specialist Cannoneer abilities as successfully as the Hessian could.
Miniature Trading
