War Cog

His are the ships reared aloft in the sea like mountains.
	— The Qur'an, 55:24

In game

War Cog — Vital statistics
	Heavy ship with powerful attack and range, strong against warships and fortifications alike. Strong versus light missile weapons, light ships, buildings Weak versus siege weapons, fireships
Prereq:	Build time	HP	LOS	Attack	Attack speed	Movement speed	Upgrade of	Upgrades to
[3];	18s (270t)	270	13	16	2.6s (40t)	41		|
Cost			Created from	Armour	Weapon range	Specialty
Base	Ramp	Pop
: 60; : 60	: 1; : 2	2		4	0–10	Moderate attack bonus versus buildings. Poor turn speed. ( only): 0–8 range, 6 armour, 32t attack delay

Overall strategy

A leg up from the Roundship, the War Cog is sturdier, stronger, and thus can carry a greater number of marines on board, making confrontations far more lethal. Carrying powerful arbalest-type weapons, War Cogs in large numbers can easily mow down warships and units alike, as well as provide sufficient fire support against castles, although they can only do so in large numbers. War Cogs still remain a fairly expensive investment, and are best used as the vanguard of your war fleet, and for reducing recalcitrant defenders whenever you find them, so keep an eye out for your opponents' fire boats, whenever you can.

Unit summary

• Fire Hazard — Fire ships are most powerful against any form of heavy ship, so keep these as far away from your War Cogs at all costs.
• On Stranger Tides — Factions fronting the Yellow Sea do not build War Cogs in the Imperial Era, but rather can construct South Sea Barques, which are stronger but albeit costlier than War Cogs. The War Cog's equivalent, the War Junk, is available to China and Japan in the Castle Age.
• Nau — This Portuguese unique unit replaces War Cogs, but has tactical stats similar to a Carrack, albeit with better speed and fastr build time.

History

The renowned workhorse of mediaeval empires, the cog, was a variant of roundship unique to Northern Europe. Taller and sturdier than the Norse-styled longships of old, the cog not only could carry more goods than the former, but it also surpassed them in combat performance, with its higher freeboard and fo'c'sles, which granted the advantage of a higher position for the men on board. The success of the Hanseatic league, and later the Victual Brothers (a guild which later turned to piracy in the Baltic) were all due to the use of the cog in battle. Ships of similar size and operation were also used in the Mediterranean, where their main use continued to be transport of goods by sea.