Man O' War

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A Man O' War, El Arca del Maestro

The Man O' War (plural: Men O' War), or Galleon – as the class was known in non-English speaking countries – was a class of warship operated by, among others, the British, Spanish and Portuguese navies. They often functioned as flagships for fleets due to their firepower and durability.

During the early 18th century, the Man O' War was among the most well-armed class of warship in operation throughout the Caribbean. Each ship of the class bore three masts, and was capable of fielding up to a hundred guns over three decks; on top of this, they were fitted with mortars, chain-shot, heavy shot and fire barrels, and the sheer amount of material used in their construction made them extremely robust.

However, despite all of these major advantages, Men O' War possessed a major weakness in terms of their speed; as they were very slow, a well-armed, smaller ship could outmaneuver their broadsides and still land hits to destroy them.

One of the few, if not the only Man O' War, to fly the pirate colors was Bartholomew Roberts' Royal Fortune. It was also outfitted with stern cannons, coupled with the ones positioned on its sides and bow, ensuring that it could return fire from any direction. 

In the years surrounding the American Revolutionary War, the Assassin Connor faced many Men O' War along the East Coast with his ship, the Aquila, and was able to destroy them all, making the trade routes along the coast safer.

Legendary ships

During the early 18th century, there were five "legendary" Men O' War that roamed the four corners of the Caribbean, each with their unique naval warfare styles and construction. Three of them belonged to the Royal Navy while two sailed under the flag of the Spanish Navy.

These five ships were significantly more well-armed and armored than any other Men O' War in the Caribbean, and provided a significantly greater challenge to any would-be attacker. Their distinguishing characteristics made them notorious throughout the Caribbean, and they were feared by servicemen and pirates alike.

Each of these legendary ships was eventually sunk by Edward Kenway's Jackdaw, and their supply of gold, 20,000 reales on average, claimed by the pirate's crew.

Notable Men O' War

• El Arca del Maestro
• Royal Fortune
• Hollander

And five legendary ships;

• La Dama Negra
• HMS Fearless
• El Impoluto
• HMS Prince
• Royal Sovereign

Reference

• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag