Difference between revisions of "First Rate Ship of the Line (ETW Unit)"
Tango12345 (talk | contribs) m (updating categories) |
|||
Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
*[[Image:Russia_flag.jpg|25px]] [[Russia (ETW Faction)|Russia]] | *[[Image:Russia_flag.jpg|25px]] [[Russia (ETW Faction)|Russia]] | ||
− | |||
[[Category:Empire Total War Units]] | [[Category:Empire Total War Units]] | ||
+ | [[Category:ETW Ships]] |
Revision as of 00:32, 14 July 2011
These ships were one of the largest rates of the 18th and 19th centuries, and were often used as flagships. They are usually armed with 102 guns in Empire:Total War.
Overview
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.
Historically, first rates were never common, and hardly ever sent to overseas stations. They existed purely to fight in set-piece battles, and were not used for mundane duties such as protecting merchantmen, policing the seas and hunting down privateers.