Ships of the Line
Ships of the Line
The British organized warships into five rates based on the number of guns they carried. They chose to term them generically 1st rate, 2nd rate, 3rd rate etc. Ships large enough to fight in fleet engagements are generically termed ships of the line.
Although the size of the guns is not factored into the British rating system they varied greatly. The larger ships generally carried larger guns and thus the difference in firepower between the rates is greater then the raw number of guns would indicate. For game purposes firepower of all ships is considered to be the same, as is the amount of damage needed to sink a ship. Smaller ships were generally faster and more maneuverable than larger ships. This too is ignored. Ships are considered to vary only in Morale.
1st Rate: Guns 100+, Mrl 4, $15, 18 Months
2nd Rate: Guns 84+, Mrl 3, $12, 15 Months
3rd Rate: Guns 70+, Mrl 2, $10, 12 Months
4th Rate: Guns 32+, Mrl 1, $8, 9 Months
NOTE: These are for use with the Advanced Naval Rules from the General. Morale is not modified by nationality. Nations do have a naval tactic doctrine and fleets which are in port or from the time they leave port until the start of their next turn are at –1 on naval combat rolls.
Main Page