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This article is about the unit Age of Empires II. For the unit in Age of Empires III, see Galleon (Age of Empires III). |
| “ | Stronger than War 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.
| Civilization | Unavailable |
|---|---|
The * indicates that the civilization can fully upgrade their Galleons, i.e. gets Bracer and Dry Dock. Faith and Heresy are not taken into account because they only contribute to their combat strength in a very situational manner.
The ^ indicates that the civilization has at least one civilization or team bonus or a unique technology that benefits the combat strength of the Galleon.
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. Also, Monks can be dangerous, especially without Faith researched.
Further statistics
| Unit strengths and weaknesses | |
|---|---|
| Strong vs. | Transport Ships, Fishing Ships, buildings in the shoreline, melee units in the shoreline, Demolition Ships, Cannon Galleons |
| Weak vs. | Fire Ships, Turtle Ships, Longboats, towers, Castles, ranged siege units on the shoreline |
| Upgrades | |
| Attack |  Fletching (+1) Bodkin Arrow (+1) Bracer (+1) Chemistry (+1)
|
| Range | Fletching (+1) Bodkin Arrow (+1) Bracer (+1)
|
| Accuracy |  Ballistics (hit moving targets)
|
| Armor |  Careening (+0/+1) Carrack (+1/+1, Portuguese only)
|
| Speed |  Dry Dock (+15%)
|
| Conversion defense |  Faith Heresy
|
| Creation speed |  Shipwright (+54%)
|
| Train cost | Shipwright (-20%)
|
Civilization bonuses
- Berbers: Galleons move 10% faster.
- Burmese: Researching Faith is 50% cheaper.
- Celts: Galleons can convert herdables even if enemy units are next to them.
- 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 and Dry Dock are researched 20% faster.
- Portuguese: Galleons have +10% HP and cost 15% less gold.
- Saracens: Galleons attack 25% faster.
- Spanish: Blacksmith upgrades that benefit Galleons don't cost gold.
- Tatars: Galleons deal 50% bonus damage from cliffs and elevations.
- Turks: Chemistry is free.
- Vikings: Galleons are 20% cheaper.
- Koreans: Galleons cost 15% less wood.
Team bonuses
- A team containing Bulgarians: Researching Fletching, Bodkin Arrow and Bracer is 50% faster.
- A team containing Japanese: Galleons have +50% LOS.
- A team containing Lithuanians: Researching Heresy and Faith is 20% faster.
- A team containing Malians: Researching Chemistry and Ballistics is 80% faster.
- A team containing Teutons: Galleons are more resistant to conversion.
Changelog
The Age of Kings
- Shipwright only reduces the wood cost by 20%.
The Conquerors
- Heresy introduced.
- With patch 1.0c, Shipwright also decreases train time by 35% now.
The African Kingdoms
- Malians: Can upgrade to Galleon.
Definitive Edition
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. The name Caravel was later given to the unique unit of the Portuguese.
- In the original The Age of Kings, Galleons made a 'whoosh' sound when they fired their projectile, which they also shared with the Heavy Scorpion. Since The Conquerors, however, the sound no longer occurs due to the file being missing in The Conquerors' files.
- Galleons deal bonus damage against the cheat unit Saboteur (since The Conquerors) because it is in the same unit class as ships.
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. | ” |
Gallery
