| Category |
Ships |
| Class |
warship |
| Builder |
varies |
| Commissioned |
varies |
| Owner |
any |
Vessels of the Line are a class of warships. These ships are commonly heavily armed and a source of great pride for a nation's naval forces. Due to their substantial expense and extended construction period, an empire typically maintains no more than three or four 1st Rate ships, eight to twelve 2nd Rate ships, and varying quantities of lesser ships of the line. The term "Rate" refers to the sub-class of ship, determined solely by the number of guns it carries.
| 1st Rate |
45 guns |
battleships, three-deckers, main fleet flagships |
| 2nd Rate |
40 guns |
cruisers, three-deckers |
| 3rd Rate |
26 guns |
destroyers, two-deckers, the mainstay of battle fleets |
| 4th Rate |
19 guns |
see frigate |
| 5th Rate |
9 guns |
corvettes, which can also be rowed |
| 6th Rate |
4 guns |
pursuers, small auxiliary and courier vessels for the fleet |