In all my ranked matches I've noticed that the amount of Privateer companions is drastically lower than Buccaneers, Swashbucklers, and Musketeers and the only classes that even used 1 was the privateers themselves. Why is a entire class of companions not being used? As a privateer main these are the reasons
I think they are underused and what can be done to help the class.

1. Swashbucklers and Buccaneers offer more than privateers. With High health, High will, Medium strength, Medium accuracy/dodge and low agility privateers match up very poorly against swashbucklers and musketeers. Musketeers accuracy makes it so privateers can't dodge them and swashbucklers dodge so they can't hit them but that's fine since I feel the classes were meant to match up this way. However against buccaneers Privateers are the only ones that can take their attacks full on but Still get out traded simply through critical chains and vengeance strikes. With higher Will stat I think the privateer should win that trade not lose it so terribly.

2. Repel Boarders 3 pales in comparison to Vengeance strike 3, Overwatch 3, First Strike 3 and Hold the line 3. Musketeers and witchdoctors will never approach a target to that range and Buccaneers want to get to trigger their vengeance strike and swashbucklers to dodge their riposte. That single epic has me wishing I hit half the time and miss the other honestly does way more harm than good.

Some helpful solutions I've thought up that would help bring the class back into the fold.

1: Allow Privateer companions to be the only class able to stack buffs such as calm the troops, steading speech (only companions not captains). However just the buffs based around stats such as strength/will/agility not the accuracy/dodge that would throw them into the op category again. This would give them back much needed damage and would promote a more offensive playstyle through the captains themselves instead of just a turtle strategy.

2. Change Repel Boarders 3 from giving a accuracy reduction to knockback. Why? it says repel accuracy reduction kinda doesnt make sense a knockback really does.

3. Give privateers a ability similar to gallant defense in place of say repel boarders at tier 1 it only protects 1 unit they take 10% bonus damage then at tier 2 they protect 2 units and take 20% and so forth the damage increase is dependant on the targets protected it's also necessary since fort stacking is a thing and it would help prevent strategie like turn 2 all in's from buccaneers while at the same time be vulnerable to strategie like aoe damage and purge magic.

Feedback would be appreciated i'm curious to know what ratbeard himself thinks of these although 3 is a pretty big stretch I think it would be a helpful addition to a very underused class.