For the similar Empire: Total War unit, see Third Rate Ship of the Line.
The 80-gun Ship-of-the-Line, or 80-gun Third Rate for Great Britain, is a type of ship of the line in Napoleon: Total War.
Description[]
This is a heavily-armed vessel, with a destructive close range broadside and a very strong hull to withstand return fire.
These large two-decker ships-of-the-line can hold more and heavier guns than most two-deck vessels. They carry 32- and 24-pounders. These powerful cannon do not have the fast reloading times of lighter pieces, but make up for that with weight of shot. It is most advantageous for a captain to hold his fire until close to the enemy, in order to do the maximum possible damage.
Historically, the “new pattern” 80-gun ship with two decks was considered a success. The previous three-deck 80s had been somewhat unwieldy in action. In 1758, the French 80-gun Foudroyant fought an action against HMS Monmouth (66 guns, third rate) off Cartagena in Spain. The fight lasted for over four hours, and only came to an end when HMS Swiftsure (70 guns, third rate) joined the battle. Foudroyant was captured. Once brought back to England, Foudroyant was refitted and repaired. In a further upset for the French, in 1782 HMS Foudroyant captured another French ship, the Pégase, earning her then-captain, John Jervis, a knighthood for the feat.
General Information[]
The 80-gun ship-of-the-line is available to only a handful of factions. For those factions lucky enough to be able to field them, 80-gun ships-of-the-line are an improvement upon the already formidable 74-gun ships-of-the-line, with equal or superior stats in all categories: more men, cannons, firepower, and better hull strength. 80-gun ships-of-the-line are somewhat more expensive to build and maintain. For most factions that can field them, 80-gun ships-of-the-line are the heaviest ships available before the introduction of steam-powered ships. Even with the introduction of steam-powered ships, 80-gun ships-of-the-line remain useful for their much cheaper cost. Indeed, if they can be maneuvered to bring their guns to bear, they are very nearly as good as their steam counterparts.
The versatility and power of 80-gun ships-of-the-line make them a formidable foe to nearly every other ship type. Despite their bulk and number of cannon, they are tied with 74-gun and 64-gun ships-of-the-line for being the fastest conventional ship-of-the-line type, meaning that smaller ships may be hard-pressed to take advantage of their maneuverability. Their thick hulls make them nearly invulnerable to cannon fire from frigates, and they can even weather a few salvos from larger ships of the line before they are in danger of sinking.
The 80-gun Ship-of-the-Line compares similarly to the 80-gun Steam Ship, with identical crew, guns, firepower, reloading skill, and accuracy (although it sports worse hull strength and speed). However, the 80-gun Ship-of-the-Line is considerably cheaper to build and maintain, and can be built much earlier.
In The Peninsular Campaign, 80-gun ships-of-the-line are the heaviest ships that Spain, France, and Great Britain can build. The only heavier ships fielded by the only non-playable faction, Portugal, which can build the slightly larger 86-gun Ship-of-the-Line.
Some factions' ship statistics are different from others; differences are listed below (traits that to not differ are not listed).
Faction | Accuracy | Reloading | Hull Strength | Speed | Morale | Cost | Upkeep |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
France | 50 | 15 | 1970 | 17 | 10 | 1890 SP/2320 MP | 470 |
Great Britain | 40 | 25 | 2060 | 16 | 12 | 1810 SP/2210 MP | 450 |
General | 40 | 15 | 1970 | 16 | 10 | 1850 SP/2270 MP | 460 |
Trivia[]
- Game files categorize the British version of the ship (80-gun Third Rate) as a third rate, but categorize the generic version of the ship (80-gun ship-of-the-line) as a second rate. This would suggest the generic version to be larger ships armed with more and stronger cannons, but the two versions are functionally near-identical in-game.
Napoleon: Total War Ships | |
---|---|
Light Ships | Brig • Galley • Sloop |
Frigates | 24-gun Frigate • 32-gun Frigate • 38-gun Frigate • Carronade Frigate • Razee |
Ships of the Line | 106-gun Ship-of-the-Line • 122-gun Ship-of-the-Line • 50-gun Ship-of-the-Line • 64-gun Ship-of-the-Line • 74-gun Ship-of-the-Line • 80-gun Ship-of-the-Line • 86-gun Ship-of-the-Line • 98-gun Second Rate • HMS Elephant • Santissima Trinidad |
Steam Ships | 38-gun Steam Ship • 80-gun Steam Ship • Ironclad • Steam Paddle Frigate |
Trade Ships | Dhow (Trade Ship) • Indiaman (Trade Ship) • Merchantmen (Trade Ship) |
Support Ships | Bomb Ketch • Rocket Ship |