You don't want to turn into the wind, because it will slow your turn down dramatically, especially if you have a larger ship. Turning with the wind is a VERY quick turn, so keep this in mind when you want to fire one side, then turn and fire the other. If you are forced to go into the wind, go either left or right and zigzag your way up the screen, much faster. Generally you want the wind at your back, and your enemy to be facing into the wind. This is perhaps one of the most important parts of the game, and you should always keep an eye on wind direction as it can change from time to time. Experience may have some other variables such as reload time, but I haven't seen concrete proof of this. The more experienced the crew, the more accurate their shots, the higher morale they possess (and thus less likely to rout) and the better they fight while boarding. Unit Experience: This is shown as chevrons and stars on the unit icon. A quick ship can generally go into the wind better than larger ships, better able to escape. Maneuverability: How able the ship is to turn, very helpful when you want to fire, turn and fire again. The weakest parts of all ships is the front and rear. Hull: The stronger your hull, the more damage it can withstand without sinking. Since each ship typically has more than one different kind of cannon, it is difficult to calculate the firepower per cannon. Some ships have less cannons but more firepower. The higher the number, the more damage it can do.

Typically the bigger crew wins a boarding, but not always.įirepower: This is the total offensive power of your ship. Your crew are also valuable for boarding enemy ships. So if your crew gets killed, you will notice a decrease in reload speed for your cannons, and you can even see your crew running from one end to the other to fire the cannons because you lack the manpower. The more you have, the better you can man and reload your cannons. There are a variety of different artillery types used in ships, larger ships typically have powerful cannons on the lower deck, medium ones in the middle, and lighter cannons at the top of the ship.Ĭrew Size: How many sailors you have aboard your ship. Usually it's a good indication of the power of your ship. Guns: This tells you how many guns you have on your ship.

Empire total war battles