Rocket Ship

Rocket Ship
Belongs to	Most Western factions
Crew	19
Guns	3 rockets, facing forwards; no cannons
Firepower	0
Range	750
Accuracy	40
Reloading skill	20
Hull strength	548
Speed	16
Maneuverability	Low
Tech requirement	Explosive Rockets
Produced from	Steam Drydock
Cost	2100
Upkeep	520

The Rocket Ship is a ship type in Empire: Total War.

Description

A rocket ship is a floating arsenal, usually converted from a two-masted ketch-rigged vessel. The whole ship is given over to a rocket battery and the necessary stores.

A rocket ship is intended to plaster a large area with a huge number of rocket projectiles in a very short time. The need for a large deck space to be clear for the rockets’ launch troughs compromises the ship’s handling and sailing qualities, but this is a small price to pay for horrendous and terrifying firepower! There is also the danger to the crew: the risk of explosion is enough to age any captain prematurely, and rigging chains (not ropes) and wetted sails are standard features.

Military rockets are the result of European troops getting some very nasty surprises when campaigning in India (Congreve’s rocket system was designed to copy Indian weapons). The large variety of warheads, including explosive shells, makes rockets a versatile but often inaccurate weapon. The best way of using rockets is en masse: the more fired at a single target, the better, given that some are almost inevitably going to fly astray – not that this inaccuracy matters to those on the receiving end!

Historically, the Royal Navy used rockets to bombard ports and enemy fortifications. The phrase “the rockets’ red glare” in the US national anthem commemorates the use of Congreve rockets against Fort McHenry, which guarded the harbour entrance at Baltimore, Maryland, during the War of 1812.

General Information

Rocket Ships are support ships, firing deadly rockets from afar. While they may not be very accurate, the rockets that are fired are quite numerous, and have a high chance of setting a ship on fire or even making it explode if the rockets connect. However, rocket ships are very fragile up close, with weak hulls and no defensive armaments whatsoever.

Rocket ships may only be constructed by Western factions. As they are very fragile, it is difficult to capture them intact.

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	40	20	548	15	6	2100	520
France	50	20	562	16	6	2170	540
Great Britain	40	35	578	15	7	2135	530
United States	40	30	578	15	7	2100	520