Hulk
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 Hulk is a heavy-built melee warship designed to dominate close-range naval combat. With thick planking and reinforced hull, the Hulk is built to soak melee damage: 4 melee armor for only 1 pierce, and 90 HP. Its own damage is low — 4 attack, plus a single point against Fire Ships. However, the Hulk is a melee vessel — it must close distance to attack, making it vulnerable to Galleys and War Galleys that can kite from range. Use Hulks to protect your fleet from Fire Ship raids and to control narrow waterways where their melee advantage is maximized. Upgrade to War Hulk in Imperial Age for improved stats.
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 Hulk is the **anti-Fire Ship specialist** and melee naval brawler. It fills a unique niche as the only dedicated melee ship counter to Fire Ships in Castle Age.
Tactical Playbook
Fire Ship Counter
+1 vs Fire Ships is the only bonus the Hulk has: 5 damage a hit, before their own melee armor. Its value is defensive, not offensive.
Narrow Waterways
On maps with rivers or narrow passages, Hulks dominate. Enemies cannot kite in tight spaces, forcing the close-range engagements where Hulks excel.
Fleet Tanking
With 90 HP and 4 melee armor, Hulks absorb melee damage well. Use them as a shield for your Galleys and ranged ships.
Ship Bonus
There is no general bonus against ships: against anything other than a Fire Ship, the Hulk hits for its bare 4 attack.
Critical Point
Being melee means **Galleys and War Galleys** can kite you endlessly on open water. Never send Hulks alone — they need ranged ship support to close distance.
Understanding The Stats
The Hulk is a tanky melee ship with exceptional melee armor and strong anti-Fire Ship bonuses, but its lack of range makes it dependent on positioning and fleet support.
Melee Armor Tank
4 melee armor is high for a ship. Fire Ships (which deal melee damage) barely scratch you. This is your primary defensive advantage.
Fire Ship Killer
+1 against Fire Ships, and nothing else: 5 damage a hit, before their own melee armor.
Solid Hull
90 HP is below a War Galley's 125. Combined with 4 melee armor it holds against melee damage — but with 1 pierce armor, arrows go straight through.
Melee Limitation
No ranged attack means you must close distance. On open water, ranged ships will kite you. Choose your engagements wisely.
Coach's Tip
Your 4 melee armor is your best asset. Fire Ships deal melee damage — 4 melee armor absorbs most of it. Position yourself between Fire Ships and your fleet.
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
* 53 civilizations have access to this unit.
Other Units
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
Hulk is a close-range melee warship built for direct contact on the water. It has 90 HP, 4 attack, 4 melee armor and 1 pierce armor, with 1 range, 1.42 speed, and 5 line of sight. Its price is 75 wood and 35 gold, and it trains in 42 seconds. The hull is not a ranged control piece: it must reach the enemy before its attack matters. That makes its value positional. It can absorb some pressure and punish vulnerable fire ships, but it needs a route to contact and should not be sent into a ranged line without support.
History & balance
The Hulk evokes the compact fighting ship that relies on a sturdy hull and a crew ready for close action. The game turns that identity into a readable counter relationship: a ship that wants to touch the opponent is naturally favored against vessels whose strength is a short fire attack, yet it struggles against disciplined ranged galleys. This makes the unit useful for teaching an old naval principle. A stronger boarding posture is valuable only when the fleet can choose where contact happens. Its role stays sharply defined.
In pro play
Use Hulks where the map lets you force contact: around docks, narrow shorelines, and protected fish. Move in a group, approach from an angle, and avoid revealing the whole fleet to a ranged line before the distance is short. The 1.42 speed helps the ship close, but the 42-second train time makes careless losses expensive. Queue them continuously when you commit, keep damaged hulls behind fresh ones, and let the fleet fight near a dock that can replace losses. Your first job is to create contact, not to chase everything.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is letting Hulks reach your ranged ships because the fleet stands still or fights beside a blocking shoreline. The official help gives the categories: Fire Ships as the strong matchup for Hulks, and Galleys as their weakness. In practice, Galleys and War Galleys answer them by applying ranged damage before the melee hull can connect; keep the line spaced, focus one Hulk, and retreat while firing. If you choose Fire Ships, make the close-range fight deliberate rather than accidental. Struggling against Hulks without knowing what to produce or when? AoE Coach reads your matchup and gives you the composition + timing.