Ship of the Line · published · build 26324538
28 New Historical Battles · 40+ New Ships · American Civil War · Boarding & Sailing OverhaulThis update brings a major expansion to Ship of the Line, with 28 new historical battles, more than 40 new ships, the American Civil War in Career Mode, and significant improvements to naval combat, sailing, rigging, and boarding.From Tudor warships and legendary pirate vessels to Civil War raiders and First World War submarines, the playable fleet continues to grow across centuries of naval history.Many improvements and fixes in this update were made possible by player feedback.
Added 28 historical battles spanning 1644 to 1912, covering the Age of Sail, the Napoleonic era, the American Civil War, and early modern naval warfare.Every new battle is available in both regular Scenarios and Career Mode, with historically based battle locations and participating fleets.17th Century
Battle of Colberger Heide (1644)
Battle of Fehmarn (1644)
Battle of the Gabbard (1653)
Battle of the Sound (1658)
Four Days' Battle (1666)
Battle of Palermo (1676)
Battle of Køge Bay (1677)
Battle of Barfleur (1692)
18th Century
Battle of Imbros (1717)
Battle of Cape Passaro (1718)
Battle of Toulon (1744)
First Battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)
Second Battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)
Battle of Lagos (1759)
Battle of Grenada (1779)
Moonlight Battle (1780)
Battle of Hogland (1788)
Battle of Reval (1790)
Battle of the Kerch Strait (1790)
Battle of Tendra (1790)
Battle of Cape Kaliakra (1791)
USS Constellation vs. L'Insurgente (1799)
19th Century
Battle of Athos (1807)
Battle of the Basque Roads (1809)
HMS Shannon vs. USS Chesapeake (1813)
Battle of Cherbourg (1864)
Battle of Mobile Bay (1864)
20th Century
Battle of Beirut (1912)
The Battle of Hampton Roads (1862) is now also available in the Career historical battle list.Large engagements retain their historical fleet composition while respecting the scenario ship limit.
The naval roster continues to expand with new warships from different nations and historical periods.Tudor & Age of Exploration
Great Michael
Henry Grace à Dieu (Great Harry)
Mary Rose
São Gabriel
Madre de Deus
Golden Hind
Batavia
Legendary Pirate Ships
Queen Anne's Revenge
Whydah Gally
Adventure Galley
Royal Fortune
Fancy
Royal Navy, France & United States
British 80-gun ships of the 1745 Establishment
HMS Shannon
French Le Cygne-type brigs
USS Niagara and Lawrence
Philadelphia gunboat
USS Galena
American Civil War
CSS Alabama
CSS Patrick Henry
New heavy pivot guns
Oared Warships
Swedish gunboats and coastal vessels
American rowing galleys
Russian oared frigates
Early 20th Century
Italian and Ottoman warships from the Italo-Turkish War
New British, German, Austro-Hungarian and Italian submarines
New submarine deck gun armament
Each new vessel includes historically appropriate weapons and improved visual detailing.
The American Civil War is now represented in Career Mode.
Southern states secede according to their historical dates, beginning in December 1860.
The Confederate States emerge as a new nation.
The conflict continues through May 1865.
Players serving the United States remain with the Union.
Historical battles now better account for the size and strength of the player's fleet.
Select which ships from your fleet will participate.
The number of participating ships is limited by the available friendly positions.
Enemy reinforcements come from existing naval forces rather than duplicated ships.
Ships lost in these engagements remain lost.
Overwhelmingly powerful player fleets may not be summoned to smaller historical engagements. These battles proceed independently, with results reported through tavern rumours.
Blockaded ports now display blockade pressure directly on the map.
A new fleet mission allows players to disrupt enemy maritime trade.Assigned fleets can:
Patrol enemy trade-route choke points.
Intercept vulnerable merchant ships.
Pursue suitable targets.
Return to port when prize crews are exhausted.
Players can now grant Letters of Marque from the fleet list.Privateers operate independently and report their activities and condemned prizes.
Capturing an enemy ship of a higher rate than any currently owned by your nation now grants a one-time research bonus for that ship class.
Added a Next Event fast-forward option to advance time until construction, research, fleet movement, or another important event requires attention.
Improved enemy fleet responses to commerce raiders and hostile squadrons.
Trade-focused campaigns now provide clearer information about enemy merchant losses and war weariness.
Clarified national war objectives for the United States and the Netherlands.
A major overhaul brings additional detail and realism to ships across the fleet.Sails & Rigging
Reworked running rigging, including braces, lifts, clewlines and buntlines.
Improved rope textures, thickness and lighting.
Added more natural weathering to sails, including stains, discoloration and worn edges.
Improved the appearance of yards, masts and standing rigging.
Added weathered wire rigging to later historical ships.
Corrected overlapping jibs and several sail-shape issues.
Anchors & Oars
Improved anchor appearance, shadows and deployment.
Added sheet anchors to 195 ships.
Anchor cables now extend and sag more naturally.
Improved oar materials, wear and water effects.
Bow Waves
Moving ships now generate bow spray and foam, providing a more convincing sense of movement through the water.
Boarding actions have received a major visual and gameplay improvement.Boarding parties now:
Throw grappling hooks toward enemy vessels.
Haul the ships together.
Wait until the hulls make contact.
Climb or vault over the rails.
Engage enemy defenders in individual close combat.
Boarding now more closely resembles a physical struggle between two ships rather than an abstract capture action.
Ground Targeting
Ships can now maneuver to bring their guns to bear on designated ground targets.
Bow-mounted guns can align directly toward the target.
Anchored ships can adjust their position using their anchor cables.
Improved manual and delegated bombardment behavior.
Anchored Gunnery
Improved the firing stability and accuracy of anchored ships.
Ammunition
Chain shot now correctly targets enemy rigging.
Grape shot now targets exposed crew on deck.
Chain and grape shot no longer incorrectly produce cannonball holes in the hull.
Gunnery Accuracy
Corrected excessive aiming height against several large ships.
Improved gun alignment and firing behavior.
Fixed several cases where guns failed to engage designated land targets.
Improved fleet navigation in difficult wind conditions and shallow waters.
Fixed squadrons occasionally stopping or anchoring unexpectedly.
Improved fleet movement at accelerated time speeds.
Fixed flagship selection in the open-world tactical view.
Improved camera behavior and ship wakes.
Improved open-world terrain loading and visual performance.
This update also addresses a number of issues reported by the community.
Fixed gun crews and equipment clipping through ship hulls.
Corrected several ship appearances and historical hull assignments.
Fixed wooden hull effects appearing on steel warships.
Fixed cannon muzzle flashes appearing through hulls.
Fixed hit marks appearing above the water on sinking ships.
Improved swimming animations for sailors in the water.
Fixed floating lanterns after mast destruction.
Corrected several rigging and sail display issues.
Improved historical scenario ordering and flag display.
Reduced performance overhead associated with battle effects, rigging, shadows and interface rendering.
Improved overall battle stability and performance.
First Launch Notice: The first battle after updating may run more slowly for approximately 40 seconds while the graphics shader cache is rebuilt. Performance should return to normal afterward.
Many of this update's improvements came directly from community reports, particularly the gunnery fixes, campaign improvements and open-world fleet controls.Thank you to everyone who continues to play, report issues and share suggestions.Ship of the Line continues to evolve toward a more detailed and immersive naval warfare experience, spanning centuries of sailing ships, steam power and early modern warships.Fair winds and following seas!