Ironclads are a faster and swifter firing version of a Monitor with diminished range, line of sight and hit points (versus a fully upgraded Monitor). They are a mixture between the Frigate and the Monitor; as a result it is merely average at both roles. Both ships out perform the Ironclad in their specific roles. Its reduced range puts it within firing range of Culverins, Light Cannons, and Hand Mortars along a shoreline, along with the usual Mortars and Morutaru artillery units. The Ironclad, like the Monitor, will be helpless in naval warfare unless supported by other ships as even a few Caravels or Privateers can severely damage the vessel.
Though it is fast for what it is, the Ironclad is still much slower than the majority of other warships and will have a hard time catching fleeing ships. This weakness can easily be exploited by an enemy who constantly rotates cheaper, lower hit point vessels back and forth from Docks (for purposes of repairs) while fighting the ironclad and its support fleet.
Special ability[]
Long-range Bombardment Attack: Fires a single mortar shell to the target from a range of 80 which does 200 (1,000 against buildings, 200 against Docks and Ports, 100 against artillery, 40 against villagers) siege damage in a radius of 6. 60 seconds cooldown.
Block (passive; requires the "Hulks" Home City Card for the United States): Gives the Ironclad a 25% chance to block an incoming attack, causing it to deal no damage.
Upgrades[]
The Ironclad upgrade is only available to the United States and Mexicans.
As Ironclads are exclusive to revolutionary European civilizations (and the United States and Mexicans since the Definitive Edition), only technologies that their base civilization have access to are shown in the following table:
As Ironclads are exclusive to revolutionary European civilizations (and the United States and Mexicans since the Definitive Edition), only their base civilization's cards and other civilizations' TEAM cards are shown in the following tables (for the revolting player themselves, non-TEAM cards will only be applied if they are sent before revolting):
Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Ironclad
Green: TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
Purple: Shipment that can be sent an INFINITE number of times
Upgrades Ironclads to Hulks, which get +1 build limit and a 25% chance to block all incoming attacks
Changelog[]
The WarChiefs[]
Ironclads cost 500 wood, 500 coin, give 100 XP when trained or killed, and have a train limit of 3.
The Ironclad cannot be trained, but it can be sent as a shipment from the Home City by any revolting European civilization.
Definitive Edition[]
Although it is not listed in the patch notes, with update 23511, Ironclads cost 500 wood, 600 coin, give 110 XP when trained or killed, and have a train limit of 1.
Although it is not listed in the patch notes, since update 23511, the Long-range Bombardment Attack does 100 siege damage against artillery.
Since hotfix 24632, the Long-range Bombardment Attack does 200 siege damage against Docks and Ports and 40 against villagers.
With the introduction of the United States, it has also become trainable from Docks by them and later by the Mexicans.
It can be sent as a shipment from the Home City by some revolting civilizations.
Around the middle of the nineteenth century, warships armored with iron plates emerged as the dominant naval vessel during conflicts across the globe. In the U.S. Civil War, the Monitor class of steam-powered warships was developed.
In March 1862, the legendary first battle of true Ironclads occurred, pitting the U.S.-built Monitor against the Confederacy's Merrimack. After a four-hour struggle, the battle ended inconclusively with the Merrimack withdrawing to deeper water. Even though neither ship emerged victorious, this day heralded the end of the age of wooden warships.