First Rate Ship of the Line

First Rate Ship of the Line
Belongs to	All Western and Eastern factions
Crew	267
Guns	106 (49 on each side, four stern chasers, four bow chasers)
Firepower	2488
Range	400
Accuracy	30
Reloading skill	10
Hull strength	8368
Speed	14
Maneuverability	Low
Tech requirement	None
Produced from	Steam Drydock
Special abilities	Top Gallants
Cost	3240
Upkeep	810

The First Rate Ship of the Line is a ship type in Empire: Total War.

Description

The first rate is the largest type of "ship of the line", intended to be the command ship at the centre of any fleet.

While these warships are among the most powerful vessels afloat, they are poor sailors being both slow and unresponsive. This is not a serious shortcoming because, armed with around 100 cannons firing 32-, 24- and 18-pounder balls on their three decks, they can fire a terrible and destructive broadside. They carry a crew of over 800 sailors, gunners and marines and have more artillery than most land armies. Their cost, however, is a drawback and few navies can afford to build or maintain more than a handful of them. Their great size, however, means that an admiral and his staff can be carried with little disruption to the normal working of the ship.

General Information

First rates are some of the most powerful ships in the game. With over one hundred guns and near-impenetrable hulls, they can deliver heavy broadsides and wade into the thick of the fighting without too much worry of sinking. Due to their size, their speed and maneuverability is limited, and once committed they may have trouble disengaging. What speed and maneuverability they lack they make up for in size and integrity of the hull. First rates are correspondingly expensive to build and maintain.

Some factions' ship statistics are different from others; differences are listed below (traits that to not differ are not listed).

Type	Accuracy	Reload Skill	Hull Strength	Speed	Morale	Cost	Upkeep
Standard	30	10	8368	12	10	3240	810
France	40	10	8568	13	10	3350	830
Great Britain	30	25	8772	12	11	3310	820
Spain	30	10	8368	12	10	3200	800
United States	30	20	8772	12	11	3250	810

Gallery

A first rate ship of the line