Man O' War

The Man O' War (plural: Men 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, French, Spanish and Portuguese navies. They often functioned as flagships for fleets due to their firepower and durability.

History
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 a hundred guns over three decks; on top of this, they were fitted with mortars, chain-shot, heavy shot and fire barrels, and the sheer amount of material used in their construction made them extremely robust. However, despite all of these major advantages, Men O' War possessed a major weakness in terms of their speed. As they were very slow, a well-armed, smaller ship could outmaneuver their broadsides and still land hits to destroy them.

One of the few Men O' War to fly the pirate colors was Bartholomew Roberts' Royal Fortune. It was also outfitted with stern cannons, coupled with the ones positioned on its sides and bow, ensuring that it could return fire from any direction. Another pirate, Alonzo Batilla captained several Men O' War, including the Abyss.

Some time later, during the Seven Years' War between Britain and France, Templar Shay Cormac faced numerous Men O' War in the North Atlantic with his ship, the Morrigan. Most notably, Cormac fought against French and Assassin warships, being allied with both the British and Templar Order. Men O' War were extremely uncommon in the River Valley, as the waters were too shallow for a ship of that size. Near the end of the war, the French managed to get a Man O' War into the River Valley, using its mortars to bolster their firepower in the region.

James Cook was the captain of a Man O' War, the HMS Pembroke, during the Seven Years' War. Shay was the helmsman of the Man O' War during the Battle of Louisbourg.

In the years surrounding the American Revolutionary War, the Assassin Connor faced many Men O' War along the East Coast with his ship, the Aquila, and was able to destroy them all, making the trade routes along the coast safer. These Men O' War possessed a significant weakness to chain-shot, which could destroy their masts and cripple them, leaving them an easy target.

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, faster 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.

Years later, around the time of the Seven Years' War, there were seven more of these ships roaming the corners of the North Atlantic, all equipped with heavy armaments and supported by other ships. One of these ships was the fearsome Storm Fortress, under control of the Assassins. However, Shay Cormac defeated her and the other five ships by using the Morrigan.

Notable Men O' War

 * Abyss
 * El Arca del Maestro
 * Gerfaut
 * Hollander
 * HMS Courage
 * HMS Pembroke (1756)
 * King George
 * Royal Fortune

Legendary ships

 * Argonaut
 * Cauldron
 * Couronne
 * El Impoluto
 * Formidable
 * HMS Fearless
 * HMS Pembroke (1710)
 * HMS Prince
 * La Dama Negra
 * Pilgrim
 * Princesa do Céu
 * Royal Sovereign
 * Sceptre
 * Storm Fortress

Trivia

 * Although the plural for "Man O' War" is "Men O' War", in the Assassin's Creed III memory "Biddle's Hideout", Richard Clutterbuck referred to them as "Man O' Wars".