Ironclad - L’ocean class is a type of ironclad in Fall of the Samurai.
Description[]
Large vessels, the Ocean class ironclads are heavily armoured, and possess excellent long-ranged and accurate guns.
Ocean class ironclads are an improved version of the French “Provence” class. They are screw-driven battleships fitted with metal-reinforced rams below the waterline that make them particularly deadly to smaller wooden vessels. They have excellent range and accuracy and the crew has exceptionally high morale. The crew are armed with rifles, ready to repel any boarding attacks from those ships fortunate enough to get close enough to attack. The sheer size of these warships makes them ideal for large naval engagements at sea, but they are less suited to small scale port battles as they are less manoeuvrable than some of their smaller counterparts.
The Ocean class ironclads were designed by French naval architect Henri Dupuy de Lome. He was educated at the Ecole Polytechnique and spent some time studying in England. His radical ideas about ship design were not immediately welcomed on his return to France, but after the construction of “Le Napoleon”, the first ever screw-driven battleship, there were few who questioned his methods.
His inventiveness was not confined to the conventional. In 1870 Dupuy de Lome put his considerable experience to use designing the first ever navigable balloon. The French government provided him with anything he required, including large amounts of money, to complete the project. The ‘Dupuy de Lome’ became the first operational airship and was used to great effect during the Franco-Prussian War.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Medium-speed ironclad vessel
- Large crew
- Excellent range and accuracy
- Excellent morale
- Large number of guns
General Information[]
L'ocean class ships are tough and versatile, with very strong hulls as well as good firepower. They also have superior range to Japanese ships, allowing them to get the first crucial volley off. If they have a weakness, it is their light armament relative to their cost: they can be cost effectively become overwhelmed if mobbed by cheaper ships.
L'ocean class ships are one of only two ship types that can engage in ramming, alongside the Ironclad - Kotetsu class. They are the superior choice for ramming due to their much stronger hull strength, but this is still a risky maneuver, particularly against ships armed with armor-piercing shells.
While they aren't as powerful or as strong as the Ironclad - Warrior class ship, L'Ocean ships are cheaper, more maneuverable, built more quickly, and have a unit cap of two instead of one. L'ocean can only be built by factions with a diplomatic mission to France; factions without a diplomatic mission with France cannot build one even if they capture a province with a French trading district.