Warships Guide for OpenFront.io
Main Takeaway:
Warships are pivotal naval units that deter enemy trade, secure your ports’ income streams, and defend coastal territories. Properly acquiring, positioning, and employing warships can shift mid- and late-game momentum in your favor.
1. Overview and Acquisition
What Is a Warship?
A Warship is a boat-type building that:
- Attacks enemy transports and warships.
- Captures rival trade ships, redirecting their gold to you.
- Starts with 500 HP and can heal up to 1 000 HP when you control at least one port.
How to Build
- Port Requirement: Must own at least one Port.
- Build Menu: Right-click any water tile → yellow wrench icon → select Warship.
- Spawn Location: Appears at your nearest port and sails to the targeted tile.
Cost Scaling
- 1st Warship: 250 000 gold
- Each additional: +250 000 gold, capped at 1 000 000 gold
Formula:cost = min(1 000 000, (numWarships + 1) * 250 000).
2. Core Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Points | 500 → 1 000 HP (max) when repaired |
| Repair Rate | +1 HP per tick (100 ms) if you have ≥1 Port |
| Movement | 1 tile/tick (2 tiles/sec) → 2 tiles/tick when chasing trade |
| Attack Rate | 1 shell every 2 s (20 ticks) |
| Shell Damage | 250 HP per hit |
| Targeting Range | 130 tiles |
| Territory Bounds | Unlimited in water |
3. Behavior and Combat
Target Priority
- Enemy Warships
- Enemy Transport Ships
- Trade Ships (for capture)
Engagement Rules
- Automatic Patrol: Warships patrol their assigned sector when idle.
- Auto-Engagement: They fire on any hostile naval unit entering range.
- Chase & Capture: Upon detecting an enemy trade ship (not heading to your ports), they double speed (2 tiles/tick) to intercept and capture it, converting it to your nation’s vessel.
- Return to Patrol: After engagements, they resume patrolling.
4. Strategic Roles
4.1 Trade Denial & Income Theft
By placing warships along enemy trade routes or chokepoints, you can:
- Intercept Trade Ships: Steal gold that would otherwise reach rival ports.
- Economic Warfare: Deny opponents resources to slow their expansion.
Tip: Deploy your first warship early on your most contested sea border to maximize interceptions.
4.2 Coastal Defense
Warships serve as mobile coastal batteries:
- Protect against enemy transports during amphibious assaults.
- Support defense posts by thinning attacking naval forces.
Tip: Position warships near your flanks to shield weaker backline allies and prevent enemy boat raids.
4.3 Fleet Support
In team games, warships can:
- Escort Trade Ships: Escort allied trade convoys to safety.
- Engage Enemy Fleets: Skirmish small enemy naval groups to establish sea control.
5. Optimal Usage Tips
- Early Investment: Build at least one warship after your first port to begin intercepting trade.
- Choke Points: Identify narrow waterways or river mouths—ideal for ambushes.
- Incremental Builds: Consider cost scaling; refrain from over-building until mid-game economics improve.
- Combined Arms: Support warships with nearby ports for continuous repair and with defense posts for layered coastal defense.
- Mobility Exploits: Use manual movement (left-click highlight → target water) to outmaneuver slower enemy vessels.
6. Common Pitfalls
- Overextension: Sending warships too deep without support risks losing high-value units.
- Neglected Ports: Without ports, warships cannot heal or capture trade effectively.
- Cost Mismanagement: Ignoring the 1 000 000 gold cap can lead to inefficient late-game builds.
7. Summary
Warships in OpenFront.io are versatile naval units essential for both offense and defense at sea. By understanding their acquisition costs, combat properties, and strategic roles—particularly trade denial and coastal defense—you can leverage warships to disrupt opponent economies and secure maritime superiority.