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Ships are an integral part of the navy. They enable them to do their work on the seas, whether it’s catching pirates or seizing illegal goods. Thus, it’s important to use the right fantasy navy ships to match both the period of history your world is in and the story itself. Having the right vessels goes a long way in making your world feel realistic.
There are 4 major ships many people associate with the navy and they’re the main focus of this article. The galleon is the first one and the one people think of when it comes to fantasy ships. It is capable of doing a lot of things that many others can’t which is why the galleon is one of the most versatile vessels of the navy.
There are some fantasy navy ships that specialize in eliminating enemy craft and the frigate is one of them. This intrepid ship moves quickly to take care of hostile forces so that the navy can carry out its mission without having to worry about dealing with them. Going after enemy ships isn’t the only thing the frigate is useful for; it’s also superb in hit-and-run missions due to its fantastic speed.
Trading speed for power, the battleship is nothing to sneeze at. It is considered one of the most powerful fantasy navy ships for good reason. It does a lot of heavy-lifting for the navy, from battling a large enemy fleet to blasting a port city to smithereens in short order.
Not every battle takes place on the surface of the ocean. The development of the submarine opened up a new front in aquatic warfare, enabling skirmishes to occur deep under the waves. This creates a treasure trove of opportunities for the navy to use the submarine for that didn’t previously exist beforehand.
This is article number eight in the series chronicling the fantasy military. If you want to see what else we have, you can find plenty more on our blog page!
If the world you’re creating is set in medieval times, there’s no ship that better epitomizes these times than the galleon. This vessel is capable of doing a lot of things which makes it one of the most useful for the fantasy navy. Though it might move slower compared to its modern counterparts, what it can do makes up for its lack of speed.
Depending on the technology of the world, the galleon relies on either the power of wind or steam to move. In the former, it opens up its sails to let the wind propel it forward, leaving it at the mercy of the wind. In the latter, the steam it generates enables it to move forward at a constant rate of speed.
When it comes to battle, the galleon is a force to be reckoned with. It boasts an impressive number of cannons that can inflict devastating damage on enemy craft which is made out of wood in this period of time. When it is practically next to a hostile ship, its large deck enables its crew to unleash a furious salvo of arrows onto enemy forces and in some cases, these arrows are doused in flames so that they can light the ship on fire.
Of the fantasy navy ships in this era, the galleon is an excellent choice to use for transportation. It can hold a good amount of people and cargo on its deck and in its hold. When the military needs to ferry an army overseas, the galleon is the go-to.
Besides the galleon, there is another vessel that plays a key role in the medieval-era navy. Due to its smaller size, the frigate prioritizes speed in order to eliminate enemy craft so that they no longer pose a threat to the fleet. They are essentially the medieval predecessor of the destroyer.
As with all the fantasy navy ships of the era, the power source of the frigate can either be wind or steam like the galleon. When using the wind, it can glide across the waves faster since it’s not as large as the galleon, meaning it can reach its target faster than the other. With steam as its power source, it can go in any direction which increases its usefulness to the navy.
Like many fantasy navy ships of the era, the frigate uses cannons to deal with hostile vessels. Though it doesn’t carry as many as the galleon does, the number of cannons they have are still capable of causing massive damage and their great speed makes it easy for them to move in, destroy the target, and get out unscathed.
Though the frigate specializes in hunting enemy ships, it has other capabilities as well. For instance, its speediness means it’s great to use for hit-and-run missions such as hitting a major naval fortress’ weak points before the main fleet moves in or wiping out a key enemy ship. It’s also excellent in transporting important people like a country’s leader across the ocean in a short span of time or escorting a fleet of ships across a large water body, taking care of any ships that pose a threat to the fleet while en route to its destination.
Of the many vessels a navy uses, the battleship is the heavy hitter of the fleet. This long ship is a force to be reckoned with on the seas. Though it isn’t as agile as the frigate, it is not to be trifled with since it can blast its enemy to smithereens in just a matter of seconds.
The firepower it carries is precisely why the battleship is among the most valued fantasy navy ships. Its cannons are stationed on its deck, aimed towards the front though in some worlds, they’re capable of swiveling around to fire at the enemy ships attacking from the battleship’s side. There are also some cannons located in the rear of the ship facing the back where they can unleash salvos on those foolish enough to attack from behind.
Due to its enormous size, the battleship requires more people onboard compared to the many other ships of the navy. It is separated by levels with the engine room among the lowest and the command deck among the highest. There is always a constant stream of activity occurring at all hours of the day from crew members cleaning the deck to ship maintenance all over the place.
In order to keep propelling forward, the battleship needs a constant source of power. Since it is a product of both the industrial and modern world, it relies on oil to keep moving. You can use other power sources like nuclear instead of oil. Just be sure that it’s a technology your fictional world has access to.
For most of the history of the world, battles fought on water occurred on the surface. The development and creation of the submarine made it possible for skirmishes to occur underneath the waves which changed the calculus for all aquatic-based warfare. Ships now had to worry about being attacked from underneath and they could be hit at any moment.
Of all the fantasy navy ships, the submarine is the deadliest since it can sneak through an enemy’s line of defense and weaken it from within or obliterate any target found underwater like a military base. It does so using missiles that dart towards its target at dazzling speed. Indeed, this ship is so deadly that technologies were designed to locate their whereabouts were developed so that navies could pinpoint where they were and attempt to destroy them.
The sub spends the majority of its time underwater, only surfacing periodically to restock on supplies. Most of the time, it remains incommunicado with the other ships of the fleet since it doesn’t want any potential eavesdroppers to be aware that it’s there. It only communicates when it needs to.
Since it remains submerged most of the time, the submarine consumes more fuel compared to all other fantasy navy ships. It is for this reason that having access to a constant power source is key to long-term viability. Power sources like oil and nuclear are excellent to use for submarines.
The navy uses a mixture of different ships in its fleets. Each one brings something to the table that the others don’t and having them work together in perfect harmony raises the odds of victory. Some soften up the target and the others move in to finish the job.
When it comes to the navy in medieval times, you’d be hard pressed to not see a galleon appear one way or another. The workhorse vessel, the galleon is capable of doing a lot of things, a trait you don’t see in many fantasy navy ships. It can be an offensive powerhouse or a superb asset in transporting people and goods across the waves.
The frigate’s main purpose is to remove threats on the sea, which are mostly enemy ships and the occasional sea monster. It moves faster than the galleon, meaning it can reach its target earlier and start weakening it so that it’s ready to be pummeled by the other. Its speed is the reason why it’s usually the go-to ship for hit-and-run missions.
The battleship is an indomitable object capable of great destruction. Its powerful cannons rains fire upon its target, leaving nothing but smoldering char in its wake. The battleship is used in many, not all major battles, for this reason which is why it’s one of the best fantasy navy ships.
On the surface, the battleship dominates but underwater warfare is the submarine’s forte. This ingenious vessel can strike any target from under the waves which is why it’s such a threat. It carries out stealth missions all the time and accomplishes them with great fanfare.
When constructing your own navy, these four ships are a great addition, depending on which period of history your world is set in. You can’t go wrong with using any of these four fantastic fantasy navy ships in the world you’re building from scratch as long as they fit in the era of time your world is in!
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