Ships

Ships are an essential part of Anno 1800 and the backbone of both the trading and warfare systems in the game.

Gameplay

Obtaining ships

Ships can be produced in shipyards or bought from other factions. Players need a trading agreement to be able to buy ships from others. The ships up for sale depend on the amount of citizens players have. If the population on their islands is high enough, they can buy certain ships earlier than they could otherwise have built for themselves.

Pirates sometimes have special ships for sale that can't be obtained in any other way. Pirate ships typically are slightly modified versions that are slightly better in combat than the regular versions.

Transporting cargo

A ship typically has one or more cargo holds, each able to contain up to 50 tons of a single type of good at a time (the only exception to this being the Oil Tanker, which can transport up to 400 tons of oil). Ships can also carry items in their cargo holds, but by equipping them in specialized item slots, the ship will make use of their special effects. Ships can only equip Ship Items, with some of them only available for military ships.

Settling islands

Any ship can build a Warehouse on an unsettled island if it has the required building materials on board (10 and 8 ) and if the player has enough Influence. If the ship moves in range of an empty coast, the blueprint for a Trading Post will appear. Clicking on it and then on the "build" button in the menu that comes up, will construct the Trading Post. All goods that were on the ship will automatically be transferred onto the island. How much Influence is needed to settle an island, island depends on the island's size.

Wind direction

The wind direction shown in the upper-left corner of the minimap.

Sailing ships have to consider wind direction. If a ship sails against the wind, its speed is greatly reduced, whereas if it sails with the wind in its back, it will get a boost. Steam ships aren't affected by wind direction, and the Flagship, being a hybrid, is less affected by wind than other sailing ships. You can check the wind direction by looking at the arrows in the top-left corner of the minimap.

Naval warfare

Naval warfare in Anno 1800 can play an integral part in the game depending on player's preferences. Although the focus of the Anno series is to build an empire based on strong economy and trade, warfare can work to the player's advantage in securing vital resources as well as forging diplomatic relations with the AI. With this in mind, various types of warships are obtainable at different stages in the game making warfare a viable option for the player.

Each naval ship type has its advantages and disadvantages in naval combat depending on its parameters. Some of these parameters are weapon range, hit points, weapon accuracy, firepower, and the aiming direction of the weapons. E.g. a ship-of-the-line has more firepower than a battle cruiser, but the weapons of a battle cruiser possess a longer range and are more accurate. Consequently, in most situations, a battle cruiser will win a one-on-one sea battle against a ship-of-the-line due to its superior range. However, if a ship-of-the-line can get close enough to a battle cruiser, then the odds can turn in its favor and the battle cruiser may go down in defeat.

Trade Routes

For more details see: trade routes

Expeditions

For more details see: expeditions

Statistics and ship comparison

Construction and upkeep costs

Icon	Ship type	Description	Constr. Cost/Time	Prerequisite or Vendor	Purchase/Sell Value	Upkeep Cost
Sail ships
	Schooner	Two-masted trade ship with a medium sized cargo hold.	20 10 03:00	150Workers Sold by Blake and Sarmento	5000	−15 1
	Gunboat	Very fast, one-masted military ship with a small cargo hold. Armed with a front howitzer, though not the sturdiest.	10 20 7 03:00	150Workers Sold by Blake and Sarmento	12500	−25 2
	Frigate	Fast, three-masted military ship with a medium sized cargo hold. Armed with side cannons.	40 20 15 06:00	1Artisan Sold by Blake and Sarmento	20000	−100 4
	Clipper	Fast, four-masted trade ship with an increased cargo hold.	40 30 06:00	750Artisans Sold by Blake and Sarmento	15000	−175 2
	Ship-of-the-line	Slow, four-masted military ship with a medium sized cargo hold. Armed with side cannons.	60 30 30 12:00	750Artisans Sold by Blake and Sarmento	50000	−250 8
Steam ships
	Cargo Ship	A sturdy and reliable trade ship, with a large cargo capacity.	20 20 09:00	500 Engineers Sold by Blake and Sarmento	300000	−500 3
	Battle Cruiser	A slow but powerful military ship, armed with advanced turrets designed for long range attacks.	60 20 25 15:00	500 Engineers Sold by Blake and Sarmento	800000	−850 12
	Monitor	A heavily armored steam-powered military ship capable to carry a low amount of cargo. Armed with a heavy mid-range turret.	40 10 10 12:00	1 Investor Sold by Blake and Sarmento	350000	−300 6
	Oil Tanker	Designed and built to carry oil barrels, and nothing else.	20 20 09:00	500 Engineers Sold by Blake	300000	−500 5
	World-Class Reefer	The swiftest ship to ever ply the international trade, fording great distances in record time.	45 25 14:00	500 Engineers Reaching the highest exporter level with any good and completing a questline Requires Docklands DLC	450000	−750 6
Hybrids
	Flagship	Hybrid steam and sail ship, useful in any situation.	Cannot be constructed	150 Workers or previous Flagship sunk Sold by Blake and Sarmento	5000 Cannot be sold	0 0
Airships
	Airship	A trading vessel that flies! Very fast and suitable for long-distance trades, but high cost and 'only' 4 cargo slots. Cannot be attacked. Content from The Passage DLC	25 50 25 40 15:00	750 Technicians	650000	−1200 4
Special ships
	Extravaganza Steamer	Larger, more durable Cargo ship with an extra item hold.	20 20 09:00	Specialist: Anna Union Sold by Pirates	500000	−100 6
	Pirate Gunboat	Pirate version of the classic Gunboat with increased speed and dps.	10 20 7 03:00	Specialist: Gideon Small Sold by Pirates	25000	−25 2
	Pirate Frigate	Pirate version of the classic Frigate with increased speed and dps.	40 20 15 06:00	Specialist: Petra Piper Sold by Pirates	40000	−100 4
	Pirate Ship-of-the-line	Pirate version of the classic Ship of the Line with increased speed and dps.	60 30 30 12:00	Specialist: Shih Yang Sold by Pirates	100000	−250 8
	Royal Ship-of-the-line	Royal version of the classic Ship of the Line with increased damage and durability.	60 30 30 12:00	Specialist: Sir Milfoy Credenza-Belfry-Guscott Sold by Pirates	100000	−250 8
	Pirate Monitor	Pirate version of the classic Monitor with increased speed and dps.	40 10 10 12:00	Specialist: Maria Pizarro Sold by Pirates	500000	−600 6
	Pyrphorian Monitor		40 10 10 12:00	Specialist: Stilton Snood Sold by Pirates	500000	−600 6
	Pyrphorian Warship		50 15 15 12:00	Specialist: Slinky Sinistra Sold by Pirates	700000	−800 9
	Pyrphorian Battle Cruiser		60 20 25 15:00	Specialist: Suspicia Slyhood Sold by Pirates	1200000	−1000 12
	Great Eastern	Legendary Trade Ship with 8 cargo slots	1 Permit 60 30 18:00	Quest after first World's Fair, Aquired from Sir Archibald Blake Alternatively: Research	750000	−1000 10
	Salvager	Content from Sunken Treasures DLC	Cannot be constructed	Aquired from Old Nate	5000 Cannot be sold	N/A

Ships statistics

Icon	Ship type	Cargo/Item slots	Hitpoints	Dmg per shot (per second)	Attack Range	Speed	Navigation/ Naval Power
Sail ships
	Schooner	2/1	1000	-	-	4.4-15.8	20/0
	Gunboat	1/2	850	105 (21)	40	4.0-18.0	20/10
	Frigate	3/2	2000	140 (28)	55	4,2-18.7	10/20
	Clipper	4/1	2500	-	-	5.5-19.8	20/0
	Ship-of-the-line	3/3	4000	525 (53)	68	3.2-14.4	0/50
Steam ships
	Cargo Ship	6/2	4000	-	-	10.4	20/0
	Battle Cruiser	3/4	6000	280 (40)	84	9.0	0/70
	Monitor	2/2	3000	93 (31)	48	10.6	20/30
	Oil Tanker	1(400t for oil)/0	5000	-	-	9.0	0/0
	World-Class Reefer	6/1	5000	-	-	11.0	20/0
Hybrids
	Flagship	3/2	2000	175 (44)	55	8.0-18.0	15/20
Airships
	Airship	4/2	1200	-	-	9.4-32.8	?/0
Special ships
	Extravaganza Steamer	6/3	5000	-	-	10.4	20/0
	Pirate Gunboat	1/2	850	105 (26)	40	4.8-21.6	20/10
	Pirate Frigate	3/2	2000	140 (35)	55	5.0-22.5	10/20
	Pirate Ship-of-the-line	3/3	4000	525 (70)	68	3.8-17.3	0/50
	Royal Ship-of-the-line	3/3	5000	650 (65)	68	3.2-14.4	0/50
	Pirate Monitor	2/2	3000	93 (39)	48	12.7	20/30
	Pyrphorian Monitor	2/2	5000	55 (37)	24	10.6	20/30
	Pyrphorian Warship	2/2	6000	45 (45)	33	10.6	20/30
	Pyrphorian Battle Cruiser	3/4	8000	145 (50)	42	9.0	0/70
	Great Eastern	8/3	6500	-	-	11.0	20/0
	Salvager	6/3	4000	-	-	10.6	10/0