Miniature Trading

This was a great challenge!! I used ships and abilities I never had applied in a fleet. I spent a lot of time double-checking the rules from the game packs as well as checking Woelf's Rules Clarifications and official FAQs. All in all, I think this fleet made me a better fleet-builder, providing me with tools to devise clever strategies. And, I made the fleet and as I was typing up Variations for this fleet, I realized that my variation is better than my original. So, I went back and changed it. I'm not so sure this fleet would win a deathmatch, but it would sure be fun to play! At the bottom of this description, I listed what was in this fleet originally. I like my change. Before we continue, I'd like you to know that no humans were harmed in the creation of this fleet.


Ship Makeup and Breakdown

The most powerful item in this fleet is the all-powerful, ever-frightening The Kraken! I've never incorporated kraken or octopi into a fleet, mainly because of the cost, but with 50 points to work with, I could use one ship with 8 cannons, er, tentacle-shooting things! Of the four kraken from the Disney's set, I feel that The Kraken is the best of the four. It boasts 2 cannons ranked 3S, and 6 cannons ranked 2S! Her, er, his, er ITS abilities are pretty vicious. First, the Kraken keyword keeps it protected from any shot until it surrounds a ship. Which is really helpful since this kraken only move L and will have to play catch-up with the opponents. Secondly, this kraken has the Eternal keyword, which seems to be the catch-phrase for deathmatch games. However, this is where it gets "confusing". Krakens are not allowed to be given repair actions, but ONLY after using the Eternal keyword to save its dead carcass to the home island. AND, finally, the funnest and most frustrating ability of all: At the beginning of each turn roll a d6. On a result of 5 or 6, no crew abilities can be used that turn. This is mandatory and affects ALL crew abilities, even my own. Its just my way to mess with the game. But it also levels out the playing field a bit, knocking out anyone's canceller, doctor, or any other defensive ability.

Now, my second Biologically Diverse ship is the Black Swan. Aside choosing this ship because of its biological name, this is a 5-master with a lot of potential. She's average on her own, with 3S cannons, 4 cargo, and S+S speed. Her ability is even average: Crew of any nationality may use their abilities on this ship. But for 13 points, I got a ship with some offense and defense. Its what you put on her that makes her special. First, Captain Davy Jones (no, not the all powerful DJC or OE versions) commands the fleet. Of course, with a Kraken in the fleet, this guy is AWESOME! First, he gets the Fear keyword. Eh, its OK. Its fun to use, but highly unreliable. Lets review its use. Every enemy ships within S of Davy's ship get a die rolled for them at the beginning of Davy's turn. On a 5, no crew or ship abilities can be used this turn. On a 6, the ship can only move S on her next turn. I would prefer the 5 over the 6, but I won't squeal in excitement when either of them is rolled. The reason Capn' DJ is here is because of what he can do with the big squid. Instead of giving the Swan an action, I can declare an opponent's ship as a target for The Kraken and give the squid an extra +S and a move and shoot. Now, we're talking. Furthermore, whenever any crew is to be eliminated, DJ can capture, assign, and link up that crew on a roll of a 6. Just maybe, a helmsman can be captured and help out the Swan's speed. If DJ's targeting ability is not going to be used, Maccus is there to provide a Captain ability to the Swan. Jimmy Legs provides a sacrifice a crew for extra action, but wait! That's exactly 13 points of crew, the same point cost of Black Swan. Here come the beauty: Jonah. All crew on this ship is now 0 points. Which allows Davy Jones to capture crew, link them to himself, and never go over the point cost for crew allotment. That crew can be eliminated or used however is most useful.

Uses and Applications
So here's how the game goes as I foresee it:
Use Captain Davy Jones' targeting ability early in the game to get The Kraken out there, and then ease off of it until The Kraken is within striking distance. Remember, The Kraken cannot be shot at until it surrounds a ship. So, if you use Davy Jone's ability correctly, you can declare a ship a target, move The Kraken L+S, and then fire all tentacles within range, without putting The Kraken into danger by surrounding an enemy ship and then becoming a target itself. But, whenever The Kraken is defeated, don't forget the Eternal keyword and repair as much of it as you can spend time to do. That means the Swan may need to run for a bit, if it can.
It is important to keep Black Swan out of the fight until it can do a coup-de-grace of sorts or when it needs to defend itself. It isn't important to keep the ship with the squid since they would actually work better separated.

Simple Strengths
Here are the strengths that cannot be forgotten:
1. The Kraken cannot be shot at until it surrounds a ship.
2. Use Captain Davy Jones' ability to keep The Kraken alive by using a move and shoot rather than a surround the ship move.
3. Captain Davy Jones could add 2 points of crew to the Black Swan through his ability, which can be helpful.

Weaknesses and Counter-Measures
Here's some weaknesses to exploit:
1. Once a canceller shows up, The Kraken could be in serious trouble.
2. NO DEFENSE AGAINST MERMAIDS! Oh well, its back to pre-SCS days!
3. Giving the Black Swan some heat will slow this fleet down, which is already pretty slow in comparison to other fleets.

To Sum Up. . .
1. The Kraken is nigh unstoppable and all-powerful.
2. Captain Davy Jones has some excellent powers when a Kraken is around.
3. A lot of risks are applied for precise rolling in order for this fleet to work, but thats a lot like those multi-action fleets, too.

Variations
1. Originally, there was no Princess or Jimmy Legs. Instead, Exploding Shot was on Black Swan helping to eliminate masts and crew faster. AND, Favor of the Gods was there too to help get theBlack Swan unstuck, but if Mermaids was dropped on her, she'd be sunk before Favor of the Gods can be any help.

2. Use Coleoptera instead of Black Swan to ferry Davy Jones around. Keep it submerged and he is never threatened. Of course, there's some small tweaking with crew members, but it'd be worth it. **Note: I would have put this in my fleet if I hadn't just read ziotoo4's fleet. D'OH!