“Dark Pearl” is a special Oak & Iron ship released by Firelock Games on Apr 1st, 2020, as part of an April Fools event. And while the release announcement of a new faction for the game was a joke, the ship & Captain John Finch are both playable units in the game. This article will go into the details of the ship including its ship stat card, stats analysis, and some recommendations for using the ship in your own games.
Original Release Announcement for the Dark Pearl Ship
Today we want to celebrate the anniversary of the best or worst pirate you have probably ever seen! Captain John Finch is the infamous pirate captain of the Dark Pearl. His ship was rumored to have had a curse as it suffered numerous munity’s during his career. This legendary captain during his early years went onto strange tidings to hunt down a drowned man’s treasure chest near the end of the world. We are pretty sure we are going to need several bottles of rum to finish this dead mans tale, at least five of them.
We hope you enjoy this new ship and captain card from the film Pirates of the sea within the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere that is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the West and South West, to the North by the Greater Antilles starting with Cuba, to the East by the Lesser Antilles and to the South by the North Coast of South America.
-Firelock Games, April 1st 2020
Link to Facebook post
Captain John Finch
John Finch is the second captain added to Oak & Iron (the 1st is Stede Bonnet). Captains are similar to Admirals in terms of adding special abilities and bonuses to a ship. However, they cannot function as the overall Admiral for the Squadron. This means that you will still have to take an Admiral for your force, even if it’s a 0-point Untested Admiral. Because “each ship is limited to a 1 commander card” (Core rules pg 27) that means that Captain Finch cannot be assigned to the same ship as your Admiral. That means if you would like to keep Captain Finch on the Dark Pearl for thematic purposes, the Pearl cannot be your flagship.
Captain Finch Abilities Analysis
Overall, John Finch isn’t stellar, but he is a solid option. If you purchased the Expansion Deck Vol 1 that adds 19 new “generic” Admirals and captains, it contains a “Bold Captain” and a “Lucky Captain” each costing 1 point. At 3 points he is able to take both abilities while still remaining relatively inexpensive.
Special Abilities
Bold is a great ability for making critical attacks when you really need it or if you have a make or break skill test. It is also a good option when using a Fire Ship. While the Dark Pearl is fast and has 5 Broadside granting a 10-Die Fire Ship attack, it is too expensive to make that a viable tactic.
Lucky can be an expensive ability because it also requires a Fortune Point to activate. Late in the game, if you have spent your Fortune Points it becomes a useless ability. However, if your opponent manages to get a critical hit attack that kills your captain, breaks a mast or blows your powder magazine it is the ONLY ability in the game that can save you. Typically, Fortune Points only allow you to re-roll your own attacks. This forces your enemy to re-roll.
Dark Pearl Ship Background
The origins of the Dark Pearl are vague at best. Rumors abound that it was originally named the Bedeviled Barmaid. Once a merchant vessel capable of making the Caribbean rum run in less than 12 fortnights… When one imperial entanglement happened and cargo was jettisoned to avoid any Imperial entanglements the ship was turned to piracy and was re-christened. It’s iridescent hull as dark as a moonless night, with blackened sails to match, this ship quickly developed a legend of its own. Built for speed, it’s said to outrun any other sailing vessels. The ship was most notably captained by John Finch.
Finch was engaged in a quest to recover the cursed treasure horde of one Hernán Cortéz. Repeated failures to recover the treasure led to a mutiny on the Dark Pearl and Finch’s marooning on an island. It was 10 years before Captain John regained his ship. The ship was at the heart of many stories worthy of fireside tales and bedtime stories. She is one of the few ships to have come under attack by Queen Anne’s Revenge and lived to tell the tale.
“The Dark Pearl” Ship Analysis
| Attribute | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maneuverability | 66.67% | ||||
| Speed | 100% | ||||
| Durability | 64.3% | ||||
| Firepower | 46.15% | ||||
| Brawling | 66.67% |
“The Dark Pearl” Ship Overview & Tactics
An Oak & Iron miniature for this specific ship does not actually exist. As this ship is based on a Hollywood creation rather than a true historical ship you will have to proxy a miniature to use it. The stern of the ship is more like the height of tall Fluyt, and the armament is similar to that of a 5th Rate frigate, but its length is that of a 4th Rate Frigate. We recommend you use a 4th Rate or 5th Rate Frigate for this ship found in the Men of War expansion pack.
Ship Attribute Overview
- With a Fortitude of 3, this ship is as sturdy as a 3rd or 4th Rate ship, putting it in a higher-than-normal class of Durability for its point cost. Ships of that level qualify as Ships of the Line and so are typically unavailable to the Pirates faction. This makes it an excellent option as your flagship.
- A 3 Fortitude means that when attacked at long range from a Sloop or Corvette, they only inflict Damage IF they score a Critical Hit. At cannon range, Brigantines, Fluyts, and Petite Frigates (without upgrades) have only a 5% chance of doing 1 Point damage. In a cannon duel, the Pearl will easily outmatch nearly all smaller ships. Even against larger ships of the line, this ship can hold its own better than ALL other Pirate vessels.
- The ship can be upgraded with “Additional Crew” for only 6 pts. In smaller games, conflicts are often won by depleting an enemy’s Fatigue rather than Damage. In a 50 you should only consider the upgrade based on the # of ships you’ve taken as you’ll have 29 of your 50 pts in the Pearl alone. In a 100+ pt game, I would definitely take the upgrade. It is well worth the +1 on Close Combat and + 3 Fatigue tracks. If you get overwhelmed, use your speed to run from the enemy and Rally before returning to the fight.
- In addition, the ship can improve its Durability with the Stout upgrade. In a 50pt game, it’s not worth it. In a 200 pt game, you will almost certainly face Ships of the Line so it can extend your ship’s ability to stay in the fight.
- At 23 points, the Dark Pearl is the same cost as the 4th Rate Frigate, but it is significantly undergunned by comparison. The Pearl has a Broadside of 5, while the 4th Rate has an 8. Both ships can add Additional Guns for +2 so they are equal there as well. The difference is you can’t take the 4th Rate as the Pirates faction, so the nearest ship to compare it to is actually the Queen Anne’s Revenge. In terms of pure firepower, the Queen Anne’s Revenge also outclasses the ship with a 6 Broadside. The strength of this ship is not its firepower though, it’s speed and maneuverability. Hopefully, you can use it to line up raking shots and make up for the difference.
Strategy & Tactics
- Where the ship shines is its speed. It has a base speed of 3 windward and a Sailing Large of 4. No other ship in the game has a 4 Sailing Large speed. The ship also has Fast as a built-in ability. That means when sailing with the wind you can reach the maximum speed of 5 every single round without a Seamanship Action or Initiative Card Bonus. The high speed can help you avoid your enemy from lining up as many shots. It is also an EXCELLENT attribute for using the ship as a boarding vessel. Moving at 5 will allow you to close on your enemies quickly.
- The ship has the ability to take Weatherly. Normally the Weatherly ability is only useful on larger ships. In this instance, sets the Dark Pearl up to be literally the only ship in the game with a 4 Windward sailing score. Again this gives the ship powerful maneuverability and speed advantages.
- Because of its high Windward speed(especially if you take Weatherly) you need to be extra focused on using the wind to your advantage. If you are looking to board, push as far forward as you can where you can try to push the enemy to sail windward as well so they cannot match your ability. Starting on one edge of the board rather than the middle can extend the windward sailing time.
Pros
- For its size, this ship has the highest durability of any Pirate vessel.
- The ship lives up to its legend as the “fastest ship in the Caribbean“. With a 4 Sailing Large and Fast gives it can move 5 with the wind.
- Weatherly makes this the only ship that can reach a speed of 4 when sailing Windward.
- High Freeboard protects your crew from Fatigue
- The ship is highly customizable for a variety of missions.
- This ship is excellent at Close Combat Boarding Actions.
Cons
- The ship feels slightly undergunned for its point cost. It would be great if it had a base 6 Broadside.
- Because it is such an iconic ship, it will likely be a primary target by the enemy. If you are not careful, this can lead to it getting sunk or captured early.
- The ship is expensive, especially when fully upgraded.
- Stats for the ship are not currently available in the Oak & Iron Force Builder.
Download the John Finch and Dark Pearl Stat Cards
Click below to download a digital copy of John Finch & Dark Pearl Stat Cards in print-ready scale for use on the game table. Oak & Iron John Finch & Dark Pearl Stat Card PDF Download
Additional Content Suggestions
- Get the original PDF that added the ship to the game: “The Sailor’s Devil” – Davy Jones in Oak & Iron
- Since this is a boarding focused ship, you may want to review our Boarding Tips: Ultimate Guide & Top Strategies for Oak & Iron
Product Referral Link
- If you need a 4th or 5th Rate Frigate to proxy the Dark Pearl ship you should consider the Men of War expansion pack.