Cerb or Surprise

[GenTech]

A lot of ppl say the Cerb is a bad ship, and i should take a Surprise instead. Even tho i have only 200 crew and you need 240 crew for it. I just want to confirm if this is right or not? since i am like: But then im 40 man short...

[Bach]

For port conquest, under the current rules set, there is not a lot of s turning or fancy maneuvering. So you can take the surprise with shorted crew. If you actually had to fight other ships then you would likely be better off with the Cerb on the Open sea.

[GenTech]

I also have the upgrade item "Powder monkeys" Mastercraft item -4% reload time

[Ratline]

Cerb is not a bad ship at all. Fit turning trim and lightweight ropes and blocks and it's fine. Obviously not as tough or heavily gunned as a Surprise but undercrewing sucks, even in port battles.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Ratline

[maturin]

For port conquest, under the current rules set, there is not a lot of s turning or fancy maneuvering. So you can take the surprise with shorted crew. If you actually had to fight other ships then you would likely be better off with the Cerb on the Open sea.

On the other hand, now that Cerb and Surprise carry the same caliber of gun, you're probably better off with the higher RoF anyhow.

[kumisz]

Do they? Doesnt the Surprise have 12lb guns?

 

On the other hand, now that Cerb and Surprise carry the same caliber of gun, you're probably better off with the higher RoF anyhow.

[Tindahbawx]

I dunno man, 10,000exp is a fairly long grind in a ships thats 20% undercrewed.

[Pirate]

Do they? Doesnt the Surprise have 12lb guns?

 

Nope. Surprise is 12 9 lbers and 7 6lbers, Cerberus is 13 9 lbers. With the undercrew penalty it is very possible the Cerberus wins out in firepower. 

 

 

 

The main problem with being undercrewed is that you are screwed if you lose crew. 

 

I used a Cerberus, I had no problem taking on 2 NPC Snows. It was easy taking on a single larger ship, such as a Surprise or Frigate. In these fights though I would lose maybe 10-15 crew, which is not a problem, but if you are already starting 40 crew down, losing 10 or 15 more can be a bit of a problem. 

 

If you enter into OS PvP in an undercrewed ship you are asking for trouble. A player is not an NPC, they are going to spot that and take advantage of it. 

 

PB's are a little bit different, but the question is, does the Surprise offer enough benefits in a PB compared to the Cerberus to warrant dealing with being undercrewed with your other activities. Personally, I don't think it does. 

 

Also,  people say you can put xxx mod on to lessen the impact of crew penalties, this is stupid, mods don't suddenly stop working with fully crewed ships. 

Edited February 13, 2016 by Pirate

[Ratline]

As far as PvE the Cerb can easily handle anything a Master & Commander level mission would throw at you. PB aren't really that different, they may start off with nice pretty lines of ships popping off broadsides at long range but they often descend into a melee where being undercrewed will be a horrible disadvantage, especially when you lose crew as Pirate points out. Even before the brawl your nerfed rate of fire means you bring less to the fight than a Cerb and your extra hull counts for less at that stage. Once in close the ability to maneuver and bring guns to bear/avoid fire counts for far more than you would gain in a Surprise.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Cerberus is a demanding mistress and a excelent entry choice to bigger vessels if you already have a keen interest in manual control. Requires a bit more attention to detail and sail position and one of those ships where manual decidedly shines over auto.

It may not have an extremely good top speed but its ability to pick up wind when needed is one of its best qualities IMO. Does not sail good close haul but has a nice through wind tack if timed correctly ( which I keep messing at times... ugh  ).

 

Take both if funds allow.

[Mirones]

use extra hammocks and you are fine.

from cerb to surprsie is an huge upgrade when using carros only compared to the single deck.

if you were asking to switch from cerb to rennomée i would tell you to skip it since besdes higher speed only 4x6lb guns are your upgrade wich would not justify the amount of money to buy a renomme.

otherwise stick to Cerb and jump to belle poule.