Steamship Tactics

[HMS Belfast]

I was playing an only sea battle earlier and I was a first rate. My opponent was a steamship. I thought this would be a walk in the park but he took all my sails down and then sunk me. How do you use a steamship against a first rate?

[Lumina]

As you just stated take all their sails out and sink them. Heavy First Rates only get four cannon on the baw and two on the sturn. Meaning a broad side from a Steamship will easily win once it can get infront of a heavier ship.

Steamships Advantages

1: Greater Weight of Cannon, it is one of the few ships to have all big guns, meaning despite having so few guns, those guns are very powerful, in a broad side fight a Steamship can take on a 4th Rate and below in a slug fest shoot out.

2: It can sail against the wind, sail without sails, only ship in the game that can go anywhere, any time, in any weather.

3: Unbelieveable Agility, it is the most agile ship in the game which carries a medium average weight payload of cannon shot, it is in fact one of the most agile ships in the game over all only being equal to the smallest ships in turning rate.


Disadvantages

1: Prone to Catching Fire and Exploded more Easily

2: If the engine quits it's done for even with sails, it doesn't have enough sails to go without it's engine at a reasonable speed. It is possible for the engine to get disabled, but normally only after a broadside shoot out with another ship and it's hull strength is pretty much destroyed.

3: Slow Reload Rate of Guns, though it has powerful guns, they also take forever to reload for a ship of it's size.

4: Range, for a ship it's size it's range is extremely limited, kind of takes the fun out of the class, but it's still powerful none the less.