The Caravel is one of the first military ships available in the game other than the Galleon or Fluyt. Although it is one of the weakest warships in the game in terms of survivability, it is fast, versatile, relatively cheap and yet has surprisingly heavy firepower and high DPS for its cost and small size. It costs only 300 wood and 100 coin and can be built in a short amount of time. The Caravel is very useful at exploring uncharted waters because it is not big as other large ships so it can move faster and can store troops inside it and transport them faster. It can also be used to clear out weak coastal enemy positions at beaches as well as harassing enemy Fishing Boats. However, it is most effective combined with the heavier Galleons and Frigates to take the heat while the Caravels exploit their high DPS. Moreover, care should be taken when near Outposts and Town Centers that can easily destroy one in just a few shots. The Caravel is also one of the only warships that can harvest from fish and Whales just like Fishing Boats, with a gather rate of 0.67 and 0.5.
Caravels are one of the easier ships to repair at a Dock due to their low hit points, this means a player can withdraw a damaged vessel and have it back in the fight in a relatively short period of time.
The Spanish may want to use Galleons and Privateers instead, due to the "Spanish Galleons" and "TEAM Inquisition" cards.
Most civilizations can ship Privateers during the Commerce Age. Though they lack a Caravel's speed and ability to gather resources, they are tougher and possess greater line of sight than most ships in that Age.
Special ability[]
Broadside Attack: Fires a volley of five cannon shots at an enemy ship within attack range, with each shot doing 100 siege damage. 60 seconds cooldown.
In the Definitive Edition, Broadside Attack is now a charged ability that is automatically activated when attacking.
Civilization differences[]
Asian civilizations which can ally with the Portuguese at the Consulate will be able to research the Exploration Fleet technology, which ships one Caravel with three Petards.
The Caravel uses a low-pitch version of the voice clips of the Musketeer (depending on their language).
The model for the Caravel is actually based on a carrack. The real caravel doesn't have a forecastle, and the caravel's sails are triangular lateen sails.
Caravels were developed by Portuguese shipwrights in the fourteenth century, and were initially used to explore the coast of Africa. They had two masts with square sails and one forward triangular, or lateen, sail. They were relatively small ships and wide for their length, giving them a shallow draft and the ability to sail safely in shallow waters. These two factors made them extremely popular with explorers until the Spanish Galleon took over about 200 years later.
Approximate weight: 80 tons. Length: 50 feet.
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Gallery[]
A stationary Caravel
A Caravel in a heated debate over the salvage rights on a nearby wreck
Broadside Attack: Fires a volley of five cannon shots at an enemy ship within attack range, with each shot doing 100 siege damage. 60 seconds cooldown.
Armor Plating (+50%)
Carronade (+25%)
Percussion Lock (+50% Broadside Attack damage)
Town Watch (+2)
Apache Endurance (+5%)
Gill Nets (+15%)
Long Lines (+30%)
Excessive Taxation (+50% from whales)
Huron Fish Wedding (+20%)
Navajo Craftsmanship (+20% from whales)
Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost)
Coffee Trade (-10% speed, Dutch only)
High Crusade (-5% hit points, Knights of St. John only)
