Ship of the Line

“Seventy-four guns on two decks, and every one of them speaks the King’s English.”

The Ship of the Line is England’s unique naval unit, replacing the standard Frigate. A massive, heavily armed warship designed to stand in the line of battle, it combines superior firepower, extended range, and robust construction to dominate the seas during the age of sail.

Stats

Special: Cargo capacity: 2 units. Can traverse deep ocean.

Unique Unit: England. Replaces Frigate.

Abilities

• Ranged Attack – Can bombard enemy units and cities up to 2 hexes away (1 hex more than the standard Frigate).
• Transport – Can carry up to 2 land units across water.
• Ocean Capable – Can traverse deep ocean tiles.
• Broadside – Full-power attack when engaging from the side.

Available Promotions

• Combat I – +10% attack (5 XP)
• Combat II – +10% attack (15 XP, requires Combat I)
• Siege – +50% attack vs cities.

Upgrade Path

The Ship of the Line replaces the Frigate and follows its upgrade path to the Destroyer.

Strategy

The Ship of the Line is one of the game’s most powerful unique units. Compared to the standard Frigate, it gains +2 Attack, +2 Defence, and crucially, +1 Range – allowing it to bombard from 2 hexes instead of 1. This range advantage is transformative: it means the Ship of the Line can pound enemy naval units and coastal cities while staying beyond retaliation range of standard Frigates.

As England, your naval dominance should be a cornerstone of your strategy. Build a fleet of Ships of the Line and use them to control the seas, blockade rival ports, and support amphibious invasions. The 2-hex range makes them particularly effective at shore bombardment – they can soften up coastal city defences from safely offshore while your transports prepare to land troops. Against enemy Frigates, your Ships of the Line enjoy both superior stats and a range advantage, making them virtually unbeatable in one-on-one naval engagements.

Historical Background

The ship of the line was the capital warship of the age of sail, so named because it was powerful enough to stand in the “line of battle” – the naval formation where warships sailed in a single file, presenting their broadsides to the enemy. These floating fortresses carried between 60 and 130 cannons on two or three gun decks, crewed by hundreds of sailors and marines.

The Royal Navy’s ships of the line were the foundation of British global power for over two centuries. At the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), Admiral Lord Nelson led 27 ships of the line against a combined Franco-Spanish fleet of 33, employing his revolutionary tactic of cutting the enemy line perpendicular rather than engaging in the traditional parallel formation. The result was a crushing British victory that destroyed 22 enemy ships without the loss of a single British vessel – though Nelson himself was killed by a French sharpshooter during the battle. Trafalgar established British naval supremacy for the next century, enabling the growth and defence of the largest maritime empire in history.