Ship of the Line (Civ5)

Ship of the Line
Naval Ranged unit of the Renaissance Era
Introduced in Civilization V
Unique to
Civilization	English
Civilization	English
Replaces	Frigate
Replaces	Frigate
Cost
Production	185
Production	185
Stats
Combat strength	30
Combat strength	30
Moves	5
Moves	5
Range	2
Range	2
Ranged strength	35
Ranged strength	35
Required
Technology	Navigation
Resource	Iron
Upgrades to
Battleship
Battleship
Notes
May not melee attack Extra Sight 1

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Game Info

Unique ranged naval unit of the English civilization. Replaces the Frigate. Requires Iron Iron.

• Common abilities:
  • May Not Melee Attack
• Special abilities:
  • Extra Sight (1)
• Special traits:
  • Extra strength (30 vs. 25 Melee strength, 35 vs. 28 Ranged strength)

Strategy

The Ship of the Line single-handedly affords the English to control the seas in the Renaissance and even the Industrial Era. Its combat strength (both melee and ranged) is significantly greater than that of a Frigate, and its rows upon rows of cannons are terrifying against land units of the time. It also has extra sight, to spot its prey from afar.

To match that, its model is slightly bigger than the Frigate model, visually declaring its magnificence.

Historical Info

Ships of the line are the largest and most powerful sailing vessels ever built. They formed the backbone of Europe's great navies from the 17th to the mid 19th centuries. Ships of the line were named for the classic formation that these ships fought in. In battle, each side's ships would approach the enemy in a line, and as the opposing ships passed, each would let off a thundering broadside of cannon fire, doing horrific damage to the vessels and to those aboard her. Victory usually went to the side with the most cannon and the best-trained sailors. The English were masters at this form of warfare, and their ships of the line dominated the world's oceans for more than a century.