Good Ships for Taking Prizes

[Hyperion74]

I hit M&C recently and now am able to crew the smaller frigates. I have a Renommee Frigate and I have found it exceedingly useful for capping traders. I have spent the last three days doing just that. I have it set up with fine Marines, fine boarding parties, fine muskets, and a fine gunnery handbook. The traders sails come down fast and the boarding is won pretty quickly. Renommee is a great ship for it. I took a Belle with the Reno just to see if I could. I really like the Niagra Brig too. The Snow is a favorite of many and I've sailed one too. The guns are too small, but still a fun and fine ship. 

 

As for fighting, My favorite is the Cerberus Frigate. Lots of fun and if well sailed, it can take a Surprise or a Pirate frigate. I think I took a Belle in it too. When I first got my Cerb I went board to board with a Connie. That tough little ship took at least three broad sides before I had to break off. The Connie has a pretty devastating broad side as you know. Constitution will be mine, oh it will. I like the Surprise Frigate but only after I replaced the top deck caronades with longs.

 

Just a comment about some of the ships that I have sailed in a game that I love.

 

See ya on the sea. (get it)

 

[Porpoise]

Your thoughts are right. Renommee really excels in taking traders and you do not even have to bother yourself with shooting. Over 200 crew is enough to capture every unrated ship in the game. With some skill and solid boarding upgrades you can even capture larger targets like frigates. 

The Cerberus is the first frigate a new player can fully crew. There is big step between sailing the Snow or various brigs, because you just need to master the square rigging management. If you do so, then the frigates are extremely superior to anything smaller. Especially strenght built Cerberus has decent tank which is simply uncomparable to any ship you were using before. 

All the frigates in the game have their pros and cons. For example Renomme is fast and maneuverable, but her armor is paper thin. The Surprise is easy to sail with decent speed and great firepower. Belle Poule is really easy to sail with great tanking ability for her size. When angled, it is almost impossible for any ship equiped with anyhting smaller than 18 pounders to get devastating broadsides on her. The 12 pounders are not that bad as many people think. They are very usefull for fighting ships of up to Trincomalee. 

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Nothing beats the good old privateer/lynx combination when hitting trader routes, especially ambushing player coming out from a known production town.

It might not have the staying power of other ships but you will dictate the fight, and as the objective is to prize cargo shipping or run away if interrupted there is no better choice. And in the event of having to fight it out, both of them will be a nasty shock to the less competent captain muahahaha.

 

If it is for hitting and sinking enemy shipping anything will do. Have run a full 6 pounder Suprise fully equipped for shooting and it really takes care of business. Any Renomee coming one on one will be on for a shock ( but then even the privateer can make the renomee run away with the pride between its planks ).

 

Surprisingly or not a Pirate Frigate, npc sold ship, with the teak speed configuration, and equipped with copper plating is a very good option for a cheap price. Put some spare marines company and equip it fully with 12 pounders and you might get suprised by how fast it gets the job done.

 

 

Note: I favour mediums over any other types so when talking about the guns I always refer to mediums.

[KuroNyra]

The Surprise and Renomee are indeed excellent ship to capture traders and other smaller ships.

The cerberus is also a ok one for that but I wouldn't recommend it.

 

It's not a surprise that this kind of ship was used by the pirates to do there job. A nice firepower and good manoeuvrability.

[surfimp]

Nothing beats the good old privateer/lynx combination when hitting trader routes, especially ambushing player coming out from a known production town.

Agreed. Cheap, effective and fast.

 

Versus AI traders, especially Cutters & Lynxes, you can simply sail along side and decrew using grape. You'll get zero gold and only about 3 XP, but it's quick and gives you a completely undamaged prize ship. My current record is two raking grape broadsides (from a stern quarter, as the target climbed a wave) to decrew and cap an AI Trader Lynx, about 3min total time.

 

Versus player traders, you have to be careful with your attack vector as it's quite easy for them to sail away from you downwind if they're in a crafted Trader Snow (which they often are). But still a great choice.

 

And when they send the frigates out to intercept you, and you sail away closehauled while confirming that yes, you were in fact the one who sank their buddy a minute ago?

 

Pure gold.