Man O' War

The Man O' War, or Galleon, as the class was known in non-English speaking countries, was a class of warship operated by, among others, the British, Spanish and Portuguese navies.

During the early 18th century, the Man O' War was among the most well-armed class of warship in operation throughout the Caribbean. Each ship of the class bore three masts, and was capable of fielding up to fifty guns per side over three decks; on top of this, they were fitted with mortars, chainshot, heavy shot and fire barrels, and possessed a hardened hull for improved robustness. Despite all of these major advantages, the Man O' Wars posses a major weakness in terms of speed. The speed of their movement is very slow, and thus a well-armed smaller ship can move to the front or back of the ship to avoid it's broadsides and still land hits to destroy it.

Legendary ships
During the early 18th century, there were five "legendary" Men O' War that roamed the four corners of the Caribbean, each with their unique naval warfare styles and construction. Three of them belonged to the Royal Navy while two sailed under the flag of the Spanish Navy.

These five ships were significantly more well-armed and armored than any other Men O' War in the Caribbean, and provided a significantly greater challenge to any would-be attacker. Their distinguishing characteristics made them notorious throughout the Caribbean, and they were feared by servicemen and pirates alike.

Each of these legendary ships was eventually sunk by Edward Kenway's Jackdaw, and their supply of gold, 20,000 reales on average, claimed by the pirate's crew.

Notable Men O' War

 * Royal Fortune
 * El Arca del Maestro

And five legendary ships;
 * El Impoluto
 * HMS Fearless
 * HMS Prince
 * La Dama Negra
 * Royal Sovereign

Reference

 * Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag