Carrack
ShipBase values, before Blacksmith upgrades. The Blacksmith raises attack and armour for infantry, cavalry and archers — Blast Furnace, for instance, gives "+2 Attack for infantry & cavalry". Late in a game, the real numbers are higher.
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The coach's briefing
Commander, the Carrack is the undisputed master of close-range naval warfare. It carries the heaviest melee armor of the line — 135 HP, 4 attack, 6 melee armor for 1 pierce. Its 1.52 speed makes it the fastest warship in the game, able to run down most fleeing ships. Its only bonus is +1 against Fire Ships. In fleet composition, Carracks serve as the unbreakable vanguard — absorbing fire, ramming through Fire Ship screens, and creating space for your ranged ships to operate. A fleet of 5 Carracks supported by Galleons is one of the most feared compositions on water maps.
STRONG AGAINST
You win these trades cost-effectively.
WEAK AGAINST
Avoid these fights or bring support.
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Strategic Analysis
Tactical Identity
The Carrack is the **ultimate naval melee platform** — a floating fortress that dominates any close-range naval engagement and makes Fire Ships completely obsolete.
Tactical Playbook
Fire Ship Obsolescence
+1 vs Fire Ships, and 6 melee armor against their 4 melee attack — most of what they throw is absorbed. The defence is real; the offence is not.
Fleet Breaker
With 4 attack and no bonus against ships in general, the Carrack does not break a fleet by damage. Lead with it to absorb fire and open space.
Speed Surprise
At 1.52 speed, Carracks are faster than Galleons (1.36). You can actually chase down and ram ranged ships that try to kite — a unique advantage for a melee vessel.
Demolition Bait
With 135 HP, you take a Demolition Ship explosion better than most vessels — but 315 damage still sinks you. Use Carracks to absorb Demo ships while your fleet remains safe.
Critical Point
Still vulnerable to **mass Galleons** at range on open water. A large Galleon fleet will eventually wear you down before you close distance. Demo Ship explosions remain dangerous despite your HP.
Understanding The Stats
The Carrack is the ultimate stat-monster of naval melee. 135 HP, 4 attack, 6 MA — the heaviest melee armor of any ship, and a single point of bonus against Fire Ships.
Fortress Armor
6 melee armor is unprecedented for a ship. Fire Ship attacks are reduced to 1 damage. You are virtually immune to melee naval threats.
Devastating Attack
4 base attack, with +1 against Fire Ships and nothing against other ships. Against Fire Ships, +10 bonus brings it to 32. Nothing survives in melee range.
Massive Hull
135 HP and 6 melee armor make the Carrack the toughest melee ship in the game. Can survive Demolition Ship explosions and keep fighting.
Surprising Speed
Faster than Galleons. A melee ship that outruns ranged ships is a nightmare scenario for conventional fleet compositions.
Coach's Tip
135 HP, 6 MA, 1.52 speed — you are the fastest hull on the water. Lead every naval engagement. You only have 1 pierce armor, so arrows hurt on the way in: close the distance fast rather than tanking it.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Fire Ship | +1 |
Armor Classes
Ship
Takes bonus from Heated Shot, Fire Ships, and Demolition Ships.
Melee Ship
Vulnerable to units with bonus damage vs this class.
Key Upgrades
Castle Age
Imperial Age
Civilizations
* 46 civilizations have access to this unit.
Other Units
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Carrack is a heavy warship with 135 HP, 4 attack, 6 melee armor, 1 pierce armor, a 1.52 speed and a close-range 1 attack range. It costs 75 wood and 35 gold, trains in 27 seconds and sees 6 tiles. That profile explains the unit immediately: it is built to enter a naval fight, absorb contact and keep hitting rather than kite. The official help gives the categories: strong versus Fire Ships and weak versus Galleys. Carracks are therefore a pressure unit for a fleet that expects a close engagement, not a universal replacement for ranged ships.
History & balance
The Carrack has a clear place in the game's naval vocabulary: it is the answer to a fleet built around close-range fire ships. Its unusually high melee armor makes its identity different from the classic Galley line, while its short attack range prevents it from playing like a ranged warship. The design creates a simple strategic question for the player: can the fleet reach contact with enough numbers, or will ranged ships control the approach? That tension is what makes the Carrack useful as a specialist unit. It rewards a player who reads the engagement before committing, then turns the first collision into sustained pressure.
In pro play
Use Carracks when the map and the scouting report say that contact is unavoidable. The 75-wood, 35-gold price and 27-second train time let a Dock support a steady line, but the unit still needs a screen because range 1 means every approach is a commitment. Move as a group, let the Carracks take the first collision, and use the rest of the fleet to punish ships that turn away. Their 6 melee armor matters most when several units are fighting in the same space; it does not make a lone Carrack safe. The professional habit is to choose the fight first, then add Carracks to win the collision rather than sending them forward blindly.
How to counter it
The classic mistake against Carracks is answering a close-range bruiser with Fire Ships and letting it reach the line. The official help gives the categories: strong versus Fire Ships, weak versus Galleys. In practice, Galleys and War Galleys are the clean response because their ranged attacks keep distance while the Carrack only attacks at range 1. Focus one Carrack, retreat before contact, and keep the formation open. If you keep losing to Carracks without knowing what to build or when, AoE Coach reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.