Yet there is something still that will always be mine, something I'll take unstained out of this world... mon panache.

I agree that Ratbeard can use an upgrade but do not agree with the upgrades proposed in prior posts. Ratbeard occupies a unique position being the only character up till now with realistic crowd control abilities due to being able to train hold the line Rank 2. I have seen much potential for Ratbeard to hold back a group of opposing melee companions while leaving friendly musketeer companions a clear line of sight. The problem with this methodology is two fold

1) Limited movement- Ratbeard only has 4 movement squares(as do most melee companions with the notable exception of El Toro). This means that Ratbeard can only get a limited distance ahead, reducing crowd control potential.

2) Poor defenses and accuracy- Being a bucaneer, Ratbeard is not renowned for his dodge rather he is renowned for his armor. However, while Ratbeard does have armor, he has less potential armor and health than bucaneers such as Subodai. His active skills(ie Repel boarders, First strike) will often draw Ripostes due to his poor accuracy. reducing survivability and often leading to his crowd control potential lasting only one round. On my PvP trials of this strategy, I trained cheap shot on my ratbeard along with max hold the line to maximize his survivability(as cheap shot is triggered by movement away from his sphere of influence, it is less likely to activate deadly Riposte/Relentless strings) with limited sucess.

I feel the some potential improvements to Ratbeard that would allow him to retain his unique battle style would include one or more of these additions

1) Better durability via armor, health and resistance
2) Better Accuracy
3) One more movement space
4) A skill that reduces adjacents enemies movement or damage potentials for multiple rounds.

All give free hugs to Ratbeard