The regional fleet lacks second rates while Spain has them. The preferred response is to wait for first rates instead of spending on second rates whose advantage will be short-lived. Third rates still earn a place because they remain useful alongside the eventual first rates. The campaign choice is a timing problem: spend now for a temporary advantage, or wait for ships considered worth the longer investment.
Notable Point · 3:51-7:20
Choosing when to invest in first and second rates
A campaign decision compares the lasting value of first and third rates with the shorter-lived advantage of second rates.