Port Battle ship guide

A port battle fleet is only as strong as it's weakest ship and it's vitally important to bring the right tools of the job. The trick to getting this right is information and preparation. Knowing what to have in advance so you can be ready to go makes all the difference between being a vital cog in the machine or the lame duck that costs the fleet the battle.

The first rule of fitting your ship is 'In in doubt ask! The nation is full of experienced players who will be happy to help you with knowledge or sell you the correct equipment. A simple question in nation chat can save a lot of heart ache and lost durability.

Before every port battle announcements will be made in nation chat regarding which ship to bring. But usually it's too close to the battle to give you time to sort everything out. The information below will allow you to be ready long before the battle.

Line of Battle Groups
Line of Battle groups specialize in going toe to toe with enemy heavy groups. Ships should be fitted to soak up and give out heavy damage. Speed and maneuverability are less important.

Battle of Maneuver Groups
The large ships of the line are very slow to turn and can handicap a fleet looking to win a battle though maneuver. For these sorts of battles smaller, more agile ships are required. Macedons are perfect in this role, being a good balance of firepower, maneuverability and defensive capabilities.

Frigate Skirmish Groups
Frigate Skirmish groups are designed to protect the heavy line ships from enemy skirmishers and to probe for weaknesses in the enemy fleet. Long range firepower, speed and maneuverability are essential. A slow ship can be easily left behind and lost so it is important to be correctly fitted. The Hercules Mastercraft is the queen of the skirmish group and so most groups will be made up of Privateers.