Galleon (Age of Empires II)

"Stronger than Galley."

- Age of Empires II description

The Galleon is a naval vessel in Age of Empires II that can be trained at the Dock once the Imperial Age is reached. Galleons are crucial in maintaining control of the seas. As the standard ship for most civilizations, they should be built in numbers so they can effectively take out enemy navies. In groups, they can destroy Demolition Ships and enemy Galleons easily, but are vulnerable to Fire Ships.

Galleons are available to all civilizations except for the Aztecs.

Tactics
The Galley line units are the backbone of any naval army, War Galleys and Galleons are a very cost effective way to deal with Cannon Galleons and Demolition Ships if they are micromanaged properly. They are also useful in shoreline combats against enemy units and shoreline buildings with the exception of Towers, Castles, and siege units. War Galleys work a lot better in large numbers, and they must be paired with Fire Ships in most cases, and are excellent escorts for Transport Ships.

The Galleon's main counter unit is the Fire Ship, but Demolition Ships may also be a problem in many circumstances. Longboats and Turtle Ships are also a threat, and siege units like Trebuchets, Onagers, and Bombard Cannons can be devastating against an army of Galleons in shoreline combats.

Further Statistics
Civilization Bonuses=
 * Berbers: Galleons move 10% faster.
 * Celts: Herdables cannot be stolen within a Galleon's Line of Sight.
 * Chinese: Technologies that benefit Galleons are 20% cheaper.
 * Italians: Researching Careening, Dry Dock, and Shipwright is 50% cheaper.
 * Persians: Galleons are created 20% faster. Careening, Dry Dock, and the upgrade to the Galleon are researched 20% faster.
 * Portuguese: Galleons have +10% HP and cost 15% less gold.
 * Saracens: Galleons attack 20% faster.
 * Turks: Chemistry is free.
 * Vikings: Galleons are 20% cheaper.
 * -|Team Bonuses=
 * A team containing Japanese: Galleons have +50% LOS.
 * A team containing Malians: Researching Chemistry and Ballistics is 80% faster.
 * A team containing Teutons: Galleons are more resistant to conversion.

Trivia

 * In reality, Cannon Galleons fit the actual representation of a Galleon. A better name for the normal Galleon would be Caravel, which was more accurate, commonly used man power and ballistae, and fits the specifications used by the Age of Empires II Galleon.

History
''The galleon was a sailing ship outfitted for war, the largest fighting ship used in the West prior to the mounting of cannons on board. This large and sturdy ship carried a large contingent of fighting men and possibly some heavier siege artillery. The crew would attempt to board and capture an enemy ship in hand-to-hand fighting. Catapults or large crossbows provided additional firepower.''