Second Rate Ship of the Line

Second Rate Ship of the Line
Belongs to	All factions
Crew	227
Guns	86 (41 on each side, 4 bow chasers)
Firepower	1452
Range	400
Accuracy	30
Reloading skill	10
Hull strength	6486
Speed	14
Maneuverability	Low
Tech requirement	None
Produced from	Naval Hospital or Steam Drydock
Special abilities	Top Gallants
Cost	2650
Upkeep	660

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

Description

The second rate is a three-deck "Battle Ship of the Line" carrying up to 98 cannons, a powerful unit in any fleet.

This three-deck warship is a compromise design between the firepower of a first rate ship and the sea-keeping qualities of a third-rate 74. Like many compromises, the result is something that pleases few, but the extra weight of the broadside does compensate for poor sailing qualities. The design does have one unexpected benefit: enemy captains are often quick to identify second rates as much larger ships and, as a result, flee from a “much superior” enemy!

The lower gun deck houses 32-pounders, and this explains the “tumblehome” shape of all ships of the period: the bulge at water level and just above in the hull allowed more room on the lower decks for the recoil of large cannons; the lighter guns on the higher decks did not recoil as much.

Historically, only the British Royal Navy commissioned many ships of this rating; other nations simply built first rates instead. This might be due to the Royal Navy needing to keep large ships on foreign stations as flagships, an assignment that would have been wasteful and expensive for a first rate.

General Information

Second Rates are powerful warships with strong hulls and a devastating broadside, allowing them to defeat nearly any other ship in a head-on fight. Unfortuantely, they are much worse handling than Third Rates and not much faster than First Rates, making them an awkward compromise between the two. However, as second rates are available much earlier than first rates as they don't require the researching of the Steam Engine to be produced, they serve as the heaviest ships in most navies for quite some time.

Their bulk and sluggish handling makes them prime targets for bomb ketches and rocket ships.

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	6486	12	10	2650	660
France	40	10	6620	13	10	2680	670
Great Britain	30	25	6796	12	11	2720	680
United States	30	20	6796	12	11	2680	670