Here's a fifty point fleet that I'm trying to assemble for my local tournament. It's played under the old (new?) exploring rules where once you explore an island, all your ships can explore for free. I love Blackheart and the Harbinger...don't have one yet, but I'm working on it. Check out this fleet, and tell me what you think.

Harbinger (17pts) w/
Captain Blackheart (5pts)
Calico Cat (3pts)
Helmsman (2pts)
Musketeer (3pts)
Cannoneer (2pts)
Oarsman (1pt)

Longshanks (6pts) w/
Captain (3pts)
Helmsman (2pts)

Zephyr (5pts) w/
Explorer (1pt)

4 Rums

The Zephyr, being fast as is, will run around and explore islands for the Longshanks. It'll pick up any Rums for the Longshanks, so the Longshanks can worry about picking up some real treasure, and with the helmsman, it moves fast, so it can get home and/or go battle some ships. It goes where it's needed mostly. The Harbinger uses Cat to posibly get an extra action, and it has some extra crew that make it more powerful, but can easily be sacked for Blackheart. I'd attack most likely their treasure runners first, and try to ram them before I derelict them, so I could use Blackheart's effect to explore them. Then, I could steal some crew off the ship I explored (for Blackheart), teleport back home, then repair a mast on the ship I just stole. The ships I steal can either be fodder to stall their remaining ships, or they can get treasure for me. Remember, any treasure on their ship when I highjack it gets dropped off on my home island when we teleport back.

Nice variation on the 30points Darkhawk II, Blackheart with Longshanks/Zephyr Fleet.

With 50 point fleets, are you still planning on using 12 gold treasure each?

My only fear is if you really meet a swarm treasure fleet. 50 points is alot and an opponent can easily field:

Ventures X 6 with helmsmen (36 points)
Zephyr X 2 with Explorers (14 points)

Like you, the Zephyrs scoot out to explore. The Ventures go in and scoop treasure. With 6 of them, some can afford to be sacrificed to the Harbinger. Hopefully, with the Ventures will scoop up enough treasure for the win.

Of course, there are variations of the treasure grabbing swarm involving El Chicos, Longshanks and other cheap ships.

Would love to see a Spanish fleet though. With 50 points, the Spanish can pack some punch.

La Joya Del Sol and Pescado da Plata (with Bianco and Haulers) for treasure running.
CAn even use a large ship with Castro, Captain, Del Nero (not sure which is the one that has the ability to eliminate crew with each hit) and Nemesio Diaz...ooohhh, now that could be trouble...

I can't wait for my league to start 50 point games!

I try to follow the WizKids rules forum and while the discussion is still ongoing, Piranha's (WK rules judge) says:

Indeed, you can only explore a wild island as a free action if one of your own fleet has previously used an explore action at that island

It's still a rule. It just wasn't printed in the rule book (for whatever reason).

Officially...

You must perform an explore action before any free explore actions are granted to the rest of your fleet. When you perform your explore action, you leave the marker - not when you dock

While the new rule book leaves out the part about streamers, it seems that the rule was meant to be left in and is still in effect. Hope this helps :)

James

Wolfshead is correct.

WK left out the streamer 'rule' in the new rules.

The idea behind that isn't so much as a rule/must do but to simply use the streamer as a 'marker' or 'flag' to indicate that the island has been explored by a particular player.

So a player docks/arrives at a wild island. He then has to spend a turn exploring the island (*leave a streamer* optional but just to mark the island) or if he has an explorer, he gets a FREE EXPLORE action.

Subsequently, any friendly ship that docks at that island can now explore it as a FREE ACTION.

Hope that makes it clear. This should be in the rules section though!


Subsequently, any other ships that

That's a good looking fleet...I've used one very similar before...

Here's one of my 50 point Pirate fleets:

Harbinger (17pts)
Captain Blackheart (5pts)
Helmsman (2pts)
Musketeer (3pts)
Oarsman (1pt)
Oarsman (1pt) (takes up cargo space)
Oarsman (1pt) (takes up cargo space)

Longshanks (6pts)
Captain (3pts)
Helmsman (2pts)

Carrion Crow (4pts)
Captain (3pts)
Helmsman (2pts)

The 'Shanks is the treasure gatherer naturally. The presence of 2 buddy gun-boats in the waters usually staves off a bumrush on the 'Shanks, and the need of an explorer. The 'Crow is quite deadly crewed out and often times overlooked until she's within striking distance. The Harbinger needs no explanation...the oarsman are the disposable heroes. Having 2's of the guns usually means you don't need the Cannoner slot filled and since Blackheart gets his ability upon sacrifice 'Cat is sort of wasted points as I very seldom ever roll a 5 or 6 when it count.

Good call M.B.Zero, putting a Capt. on the 'Shanks BTW...she's an unexpected gunship...but a dead-giveaway as one once you dock and don't turn over an explorer.

-Q

Well...you didn't really rate my fleet, but anyways...

Whether or not you like calico, she's still useful. Like Myngs on a titan. You don't need him, but he can make a difference. Plus, I can use Blackheart when I need him, making his effect a little better than the titan's at a cost.
Rather than just waste cargo space on oarsmen that do nothing for me, why not put crew there that you can use, but don't need to rely on? The cannons are good, but the cannoneer can prove useful, because I will probably miss at least once.
Calico just sweetens the deal, that chance of another action for free is a good offer. Hows this: you get calico, and your opponent's 5 master is hanging around, so you move and shoot, move, ram and shoot, then use blackheart to explore the wasted ship? Plus, why fill the Harbinger with useless crew of your own, when you can steal some crew you probably can't use off of theirs?

I agree with Quantrill.

With Blackheart, you NEED fodder. If you spend 3 points putting in Calico Cat instead of 3 Oarsman, you get

I know you can derelict an enemy ship and steal their crew, but you need to spend a precious turn exploring to take their crew onto your ship.

Quantrill is right in saying that the cat roll is pure luck. You may not get it when you are counting on it.

But both your variations on the fleets are strong in their own right.
It's not a fleet I'd like to meet. If I saw a Harbinger loaded with crew, I brandish the Plague and I RUN for the treasure!

Also, I believe that in a 50 point (technically, it should be 45 as the game is played in 15 point increments) game, you need to add 1 island per player and an extra 3 gold per player.

I like this fleet!

Well, I said it was a good looking fleet. If you want my rating then...

Build - 4.75/5
It's a good fleet, I just think points could be alotted elsewhere and the Harbinger needs cheap throw-away crew to take advantage of Blackheart's killer SA. Oarsman are best for this...they are there to feed the Captains lunacy.

Tactics - 3/5
I think playing rum heavy treasure is lame and can backfire on you... Especially if your opponent runs it too. Plus your fleet is crewed out, not a the best thing to do with rum. The saving grace is you can cause your enemy's ships to waste a turn drinking rum and get the drop on them with Blackheart.

Style - 5/5
For using Blackheart on his ship, not having dupe ships and running pirates pure. A++ in my book. =)

The Blackheart "steal/teleport" ability is oportunistic. Not something to sloely rely on. It takes a turn, so it's slow and gives your enemy the chance to retaliate. It's best to use it on a loner ship. Again the saving grace that Rum could possibly slow your enemy down is a bonus here...the teleport mus be timed proper and the Harbinger could be spanked. Most smart enemy gunfleets will run ships in a close formation to dogpile Blackheart's boat.

Just my opinions.

-Q

5 points of crew on a 4 point ship...

</GaymBoi>

Whether or not the rules say anything about point cost in incriments of 15, the privateer is setting it up as fifty. It works: Each player brings five islands, and twelve treasure equaling twenty gold. It's crowed, but fun. And forty-five points just isn't as much fun! :)
At any rate, play testing it I've found that it's difficult to hunt for treasure and battle at the same time. We're starting last-man standing rules too, so I need to be prepared for both. After reading reviews and much deliberation, I've changed my fleet; it can do either-or, and it has more food for Blackheart at the same time. Check it out:

Harbinger (17pts) w/
Captain Blackheart (5)
Helmsman (2)
Calico Cat (3)
Oarsman x3 (3)

Longshanks x2 (12) each w/
Captain (6)
Explorer (2)

4 Rum

Here's the deal: Yes, there are dupes...I don't like it either, but out of necessity I have to use them. Depending on my opponent's fleet, I can start the two Longshanks out with either a Captain (if they're running a battle fleet) or an Explorer (if they're running for treasure). The remaining two crew get to hang out on my home island to refill Blackheart when he comes home. I still have Calico, because I like her, and I get to use her fairly often. She's a bonus effect; I can use her in conjunction with Blackheart to make a triple move beat down (I've done it; it's beautiful), or I can use her in place of Blackheart if I roll her. But, if it comes down to it, I can feed her to Blackheart. She's not necessary, but she can save a few crew for me.
Here's how the dual function fleet works:
If my opponent is running for treasure--The two Longshanks get loaded up with the explorers, and leave the captains home. They run to different islands, and begin doing their thing to help get some gold home for me. Meanwhile, the Harbinger preys on their ships, stealing them (giving me all the treasure on the ship when she was taken, and any extra crew) and my new ship gets to repair a mast before she goes out to hunt for more treasure for me. If need be, when Blackheart comes back, he can stock up on the Captains.
If my opponent is trying to run a battle fleet--Load the two Longshanks up with the Captains and leave the Explorers behind. They move in together to do as much damage to my enemy's fleet as possible anyway they can: pin, ram, shoot, whatever needs to be done. The Harbinger moves in behind to prey on the leftovers, hopefully taking out their ship(s) and stealing ships if need be. I can steal their ships to replace any busted Longshanks, or to keep them from taking their ships back. With a three gun ship fleet, I should be able to take 'em out.

Let me know what you think of my revised fleet...and thanx for rating.

TAKE THE PARROT! Lucky lets you scope out what kind of crew the other person has. Replace another oarsman with an explorer. It just makes sense to maximize your capabilities.

Other than that, it loks like a very clever arrangement. Captains or explorers for the Longshanks depending on what the other fleet looks like. Longshanks are awesome, every fleet should have a couple.

</GaymBoi>

Doh! You're correct. I usually do that with the Treachery for a 5 pointer.

My apologies...good eyes Gaymboi.

Strike the 'shanks helmsman, replace with explorer and upgrade the 'crow to the Treachery. That should fit.

-Q