{"name":"Hell Froze Over - December 2025 Fleet Challenge Entry","ispublic":true,"maxpoints":60,"data":[{"id":666,"crew":[{"id":1973},{"id":1423},{"id":1915},{"id":1947},{"id":1941}],"equipment":[]},{"id":207,"crew":[{"id":1343}],"equipment":[]},{"id":300,"crew":[{"id":2017},{"id":1481},{"id":1411},{"id":1840}],"equipment":[]},{"id":205},{"id":127},{"id":2344},{"id":2346},{"id":2348},{"id":2345},{"id":2342},{"id":9201}],"description":"This fleet is for Babs\u0027 \u0022The Enemy of my Enemy\u0022 Fleet Challenge for December 2025.\n\nFleet Composition:\nThis fleet consists of the \u0027Zeus\u0027, \u0027Banshee\u0027s Cry\u0027, and \u0027Patagonia\u0027. The rivalry comes from Captain Blackheart and Jack Hawkins, who were thick as thieves until they had a falling out over Lady Arcadia de Sol. Hawkins won the girl, and a lifelong enemy in Blackheart, who has hounded him ever since. In light of the Cursed threat, they have made amends (temporarily at least) and now serve together on the \u0027Zeus\u0027, providing a powerful boarding combination. Between the ship, Captain Blackheart, and Jack\u0027s protection, if the \u0027Zeus\u0027 wins a boarding party, she can take as much gold as she can carry AND eliminate all of the other ship\u0027s crew. Jack also has Same Action Twice, which could be useful if Mycron is giving his action to the \u0027Banshee\u0027s Cry\u0027 for gold running. Another rivalry \u0022put aside\u0022 is Captain Nemo, while absent in physical form, he is present in the form of his powerful technology, which can be found throughout the island chain. It clearly took a serious threat to convince him to lend his aid to \u0022surface people\u0022. Last but not least, the English had to \u0022pardon\u0022 Blackheart to gain his help, though they sent Lord Mycron to keep an eye on him. He is too important to get directly involved, but he will make sure the pirates are kept on a short leash.\n\nStrategy:\nDuring setup, this fleet will try to keep islands close together (to speed exploring) and will vote for a minimal number (2) of terrain pieces. Any terrain placed will be whirlpools near outlying islands (if the islands end up further apart) and after that mostly fog banks. The goal is to make it harder for the cursed ships to attack the \u0027Banshee\u0027s Cry\u0027 and provide plenty of places to hide. Bratley\u0027s five points will most likely be used to buy Hidden Cove and three oarsmen, to give \u0027Zeus\u0027 a good head start. (Hidden Cove and the UTs are in the Harbor)\nThis fleet\u0027s strategy is simple: Find the MI UTs and use Captain Jack Sparrow to UPS high-value coins home for Fort building. Nemo\u0027s Plans are most important; they prevent the other UTs from being \u0027one and done\u0027. With the plans, Power Cannons gives the \u0027Zeus\u0027 ten 2L range Rank 3 cannons, while Screw Engine lets it move twice in one move action (L+S+L+S without Metal Hull, S+S+S+S with Metal Hull). Metal Hull requires the enemy to roll a 6 to hit the \u0027Zeus\u0027, and the Periscope acts as a Temu canceler. This makes the \u0027Zeus\u0027 a fast fortress with long-range cannons that can pound the enemy to splinters from beyond their range to strike back, and on a double action can unleash 20 shots per turn. The UPS ability and EA\/SAT mean it should not take long to fully power up the \u0027Zeus\u0027, and the \u0027Banshee\u0027s Cry\u0027 can continue to run gold normally and build forts once some gold has been shipped home, starting with The Devil\u0027s Maw for the \u0027Ghost Ship\u0027 ability.\n\nLore:\nThere was an idea. To unite the two more notorious pirates on the Spanish Main and unleash them against the Cursed. The Admiralty said it could not be done. The Lords of Parliament scoffed at the idea. All but one. Lord Mycron, putting his full faith and trust in his friend Scott Bratley gave him the financial backing and political clout needed to make full use of his own vast network of connections to reach out to both Captain Blackheart and Captain Jack Hawkins. Attempts were also made to reach out to Captain Nemo as well, to bargain for technological wizardry that would give the pirates an edge against the cursed. While Lord Mycron met with the legendary mercenary, Bratley worked the strings of piratical politics like a puppet master, and soon the two most fearsome pirates on the seas were outfitting the decrepit and overlooked \u0027Zeus\u0027 for a great and glorious expedition. Lord Mycron returned with technological plans and Bratley quickly works to acquire the required men and materials and has them strategically placed in a nearby island chain to be installed as soon as possible. With everything in place, Mycron approaches the pirates and offers a deal: pardons and letters of marque and privateers for England, as well as Nemo\u0027s upgrades, if the pirates agree to cease their attacks on the English and to destroy the Cursed threat. After days of negotiation, a deal is struck and the small fleet sails for the nearby archipelago, where the odd collection of unlikely allies has a date with destiny. Will they succeed where others failed, or will their ships join the countless others who thought they could best the Devil? Buy me another round, and maybe I\u0027ll tell ye.\n\nGame Pieces:\nThis fleet is made entirely with Officially Released Pirates CSG game pieces and does not include any custom or unreleased pieces."}