Submarine

“Silent. Patient. Invisible. The sea hides us, and the sea delivers our justice.”

The Submarine is a stealth naval unit that operates beneath the waves, invisible to most enemy forces until it strikes. Armed with torpedoes, the Submarine specialises in ambushing enemy warships and severing supply lines, exploiting the element of surprise to overcome its fragile construction.

Stats

Special: Stealth unit – invisible to most enemy units until it attacks or is detected. Cannot attack land units.

Abilities

• Ranged Attack – Can fire torpedoes at adjacent naval units without taking melee retaliation.
• Stealth – Invisible to enemy units unless detected by a Destroyer or adjacent unit. Revealed when attacking.
• Wolfpack – Bonus damage when multiple Submarines attack the same target.
• Cannot Attack Land – Torpedoes are ineffective against land-based targets.

Available Promotions

• Combat I – +10% attack (5 XP)
• Combat II – +10% attack (15 XP, requires Combat I)

Upgrade Path

The Submarine has no upgrade path. It is a unique stealth naval unit.

Strategy

The Submarine is the assassin of the seas. Its stealth ability allows it to lurk unseen along enemy sea lanes, waiting for the perfect moment to strike unescorted transports, isolated warships, or the flanks of an enemy fleet. A well-placed Submarine can sink a Battleship before the enemy even knows it is there, and the psychological impact of hidden Submarines forces your opponent to invest in Destroyers and cautious fleet movements.

The key to Submarine warfare is patience and positioning. Station Submarines along likely enemy naval routes – near chokepoints, outside enemy ports, and along transport corridors. Attack when the odds are favourable, then use your 4 Movement to reposition and vanish before Destroyers arrive. Never attack a target escorted by Destroyers unless you have no alternative – the Destroyer’s +100% anti-submarine bonus and detection ability make it the Submarine’s mortal enemy. In packs, Submarines are devastating; alone, they are still dangerous but must pick their battles carefully.

Historical Background

The submarine’s military potential was recognised long before the technology existed to exploit it. Attempts at underwater warfare date back to the American Revolution, when David Bushnell’s one-man submersible Turtle attempted (unsuccessfully) to attach a mine to the hull of HMS Eagle in New York Harbour in 1776. The Confederate H.L. Hunley became the first submarine to sink a warship in combat when it destroyed USS Housatonic in 1864, though the Hunley was itself lost in the attack.

It was World War I that demonstrated the submarine’s strategic potential. Germany’s U-boat campaign against Allied shipping nearly starved Britain into submission, sinking over 5,000 merchant vessels and bringing the island nation within weeks of exhausting its food supplies. The unrestricted submarine warfare campaign was one of the factors that drew the United States into the war. In World War II, the submarine proved even more decisive: American submarines destroyed over 60% of Japan’s merchant fleet, crippling the island nation’s ability to wage war, while German U-boats again threatened to sever the Atlantic lifeline between North America and Britain.