Seamanship is an art, no different from any other art; it cannot be taken up occasionally as a leisurely pursuit – rather it is so exacting that it leaves leisure for nothing else!
– Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War 1.142.9
Hoist the sails, harangue the oarsmen, and pour libations for favorable winds, as CaptureAge prepares to lead you through the many new naval features in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – Chronicles: Battle for Greece.
Right from the start of the Chronicles project, naval gameplay has been central to the vision. We wanted to expand the strategic depth of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition’s naval gameplay, do justice to the importance of naval warfare in classical antiquity, and – most importantly – give players some exciting new toys to play with.
A little historical note: much like the other non-unique units which are shared across all civilizations, the designs of our ships are creative composites of styles from across the ancient world, and from across the time period that Chronicles will eventually cover. Thus the Achaemenids, for instance, have access to large siege ships that are heavily inspired by the Hellenistic and Roman eras.
Chronicles: Battle for Greece is available for pre-order now on Steam, Microsoft Store, and Xbox!
Pre-order now for 15% off, and play on November 14th!
Two Naval Production Buildings
Rather than recruiting all of your naval units from the Dock, in Chronicles you’ll have access to two different naval buildings: the Port and the Shipyard.
The Port is more focused on economic production: here, players can create Fishing Ships, Merchant Ships, Transport Ships, and our cheap scout ships, the Lemboi. Shipyards, on the other hand, are used to create military ships.
Six Military Ship Classes
Lemboi
| Lembos | War Lembos | Heavy Lembos | Elite Lembos |
Lemboi are small and cheap, requiring no gold to create. They are ideal for scouting, and players will receive a free Lembos when they construct their first Port. Lemboi are also effective against Galleys, hurling pots of boiling oil at their foes. The Lembos is the only military ship to be recruited from the Port.
Ramming Ships
| Monoreme | Bireme | Trireme |
A common feature of ancient naval warfare was ramming: ships would smash into the sides of other vessels with metal rams attached to their prows. In Chronicles, these ships are highly effective against Lemboi, and will be essential for closing in on Catapult Ships.
Galleys
| Galley | War Galley | Elite Galley |
The main ranged ship at your disposal is the Galley. These are effective against ramming ships – as long as you can keep them at a distance – and are essential for taking out those pesky incoming Incendiary Ships.
Incendiary Ships
| Incendiary Raft | Incendiary Ship | Heavy Incendiary Ship |
All Age of Empires players love detonating a well-placed Demolition Ship. We couldn’t leave out such an iconic unit, so we made our own, inspired by ancient uses of burning rafts, such as at the Siege of Tyre in 332 BCE. If directed against large groups of enemy ships, an Incendiary Ship can be deadly – and oh so satisfying!
Catapult Ships
| Catapult Ship | Onager Ship |
Speaking of the dangers faced by large groups of ships, a well-timed volley from a Catapult Ship can devastate an unsuspecting enemy navy. Only available from the third Age (referred to in Chronicles as the Classical Age), these large, expensive ships can turn the tide of tight fights.
Leviathans
| Leviathan |
Finally, the siege ship, the Leviathan. Appropriately named after the mythical sea monster, the Leviathan is an enormous Imperial Age unit which can destroy buildings from long range. Make sure your Leviathans are protected – as well as their long-range attack, they also increase the attack rate of nearby ships.
Naval Economy
Oysters
Oysters are a new naval resource, providing gold at sea. They can be collected by Fishing Ships or by Villagers, if the Oysters are sufficiently close to the shore.
Beware: Oyster grounds will be frequent sites of conflict with your resource-hungry foes!
Merchant Trading
In Chronicles, your Merchant Ships (replacing Trade Cogs) bring back both wood and gold when trading with allied docks. You can adjust the ratio of wood to gold in the Port, allowing you to prioritize bringing in the wood you need for naval production, or gold for expensive units and upgrades.
Mastering the seas will be essential to your success in Chronicles. As our story unfolds, you will need to conduct combined land and naval operations to seize coastal fortresses, rely on maritime trade to feed besieged cities, and force your enemies into submission through relentless naval artillery bombardments.
The Battle for Greece campaign features some of the most epic naval engagements in military history – and we can’t wait to have you on board!
Chronicles: Battle for Greece is available for pre-order now on Steam, Microsoft Store, and Xbox!
Pre-order now for 15% off, and be ready to play on release this November 14th!