For the first time in the Total War series, Empire Total War features naval combat. Players will be able to command ships individually or in fleets.

There are four different types of ships players can command in Empire Total War. Each one has unique advantages and disadvantages. Details on the ships appear below.

The First Rate is the largest ship available in the game. It is intended to be the center of the fleet. While these warships are among the most powerful, they are poor sailors, being both slow and unresponsive. They are armed with around 100 cannons firing 32-, 24- and 18-pounder balls on their three decks, and they carry a crew of over 800 sailors, gunners and marines. They are also the most expensive ships in the game, making them available only to the most successful players.Official Site: Empire Total War

Razees are cruisers that can operate independently and are swift enough to hunt down enemy merchantmen. These ships are made by cutting the top deck off a larger ship. One way of creating a large, powerful razee is to take a two-deck ship and, in effect, saw off the top deck creating a single-deck frigate. This allows for heavier guns than those normally found on a frigate, and the new ship generally handles rather well under sail.Official Site: Empire Total War

Fifth Rate is a Royal Navy term for the largest of the single-deck frigates, square-rigged ships that carry some 44 guns, usually no heavier than 12-pounders. Originally a French design, the frigate is used for pursuit, convoy protection, commerce raiding and reconnaissance work. The design’s excellent sailing characteristics and good handling make it a useful addition to any blockading fleet. The frigate’s ability to operate far away from a home port also makes it a useful cruiser, carrying the fight to the enemy in unexpected waters.Official Site: Empire Total War

Sloops are small vessels that handle well in restricted waters. The ability to navigate in exceptionally shallow or dangerous waters makes sloops very useful in such seas as the reef-strewn waters of the Caribbean. They can also operate without the need for extensive onshore naval facilities nearby, and are also extremely useful as fleet auxiliaries, carrying out communications tasks and vital inshore scouting work. The can also hunt down smaller prey such as privateers and small enemy cargo vessels. A sloop-of-war is a different vessel from a civilian, merchant sloop, having a flush deck, two square-rigged masts, guns, and a larger crew.Official Site: Empire Total War

• Official Site: Empire: Total War Naval Units

• Wikipedia: Empire: Total War (Navy Info)

• IGN: Naval Warfare Makes a Splash in Empire: Total War (February 25, 2009)

• GameTrailers: Empire: Total War Naval Battles (Time: 2:37)

• GameTrailers: Empire: Total War - Siege and Naval Battles Overview (Time: 2:10)

• GameSpot: Empire: Total War Empire: Total War Naval Strategy (Time: 3:19)