Armor Plating
Armor Plating is a Commerce Age Dock technology that increases War Ship hit points by 50%. It improves the staying power of a fleet in naval combat.
Research profile
- Age
- Commerce Age
- Civilization
- Asians; Europeans; Federal Americans
- Research location
- Dock
- Research time
- 60 seconds
- Wood cost
- 400
- Coin cost
- 400
- Effect
- War ship hit points +50%
Effect
The bonus applies to War Ships, not Fishing Ships or their gathering rate. More hit points can help ships survive damage over an engagement, but does not remove their vulnerability to focused fire or counters.
Research condition
Available in the Commerce Age at Dock. Research time: 60 seconds. Cost: 400 wood, 400 coin. Civilization-specific building access can vary.
Research decision
Research when several War Ships will remain in action and the fleet needs to hold water for a continuing objective. Avoid diverting resources to it if the map offers little useful water or the fleet is too small to benefit.
When the naval hit-point upgrade pays off
Armor Plating is researched at a Dock from the Commerce Age onward. It costs 400 Wood and 400 Coin, takes 60 seconds and increases War Ship hit points by 50%; it does not increase Fishing Ship durability or gathering. The extra health is most useful when a fleet will stay in repeated engagements, and it can let damaged ships retreat to a Dock for automatic repair. The cost is substantial compared with adding more ships, so research timing depends on fleet size and the value of controlling the water. A small fleet or a map with little useful water may not recover the investment. The TEAM Great Lakes Home City Card, available to the British, Haudenosaunee and Lakota, reduces its cost by 30%; Comanche Trade Language reduces the Coin cost by 10%. Compare the discounted price with the cost of reinforcements before committing resources, and research before the fleet’s decisive battle rather than after losses have already occurred.
Naval hit points for a planned fleet
Armor Plating costs 400 Wood and 400 Coin, takes 60 seconds and is researched at the Dock in the Commerce Age by the listed Asian, European and Federal American civilizations. It increases War Ship hit points by 50%, so its value depends on how many ships will remain in the fleet after the research completes. A player expecting a long water contest can benefit from the added durability across multiple engagements; a player who needs an immediate vessel may prefer to spend those resources on the ship itself. Research it before the fleet is already under concentrated fire, because the technology does not restore a damaged ship to full health. Check civilization access and current match rules before including it in a build order, as not every naval faction shares the same Dock technology list.