In Corsairs Legacy, the ship system is built as a hierarchical progression that combines a ship type and a subtype. Each successive ship type comes with higher base stats, which directly affects the difficulty of naval combat, boarding actions, and the level of NPC crew.

This article explains the ship structure in Corsairs Legacy and the principles behind how the game’s fleet system works.

This guide covers:

• the full ship progression (including ships designed but not yet added)
• core ship stats (cannons, hull, crew)
• the division into merchant, standard, and war subtypes
• the ship upgrade system
• how ship spawns work on the world map
• boarding mechanics and how difficulty scales with crew size

Overall ship progression in Corsairs Legacy

Cutter → Schooner → Galleon (not yet added) → Sloop → Snow → Pinnace → Brigantine → Brig → Corvette (not yet added) → Frigate (not yet added) → Lineship

This sequence reflects the full progression logic already implemented in the game system. Ships that are currently not present in the game already have defined stat ranges and a place in overall balance, which allows them to be introduced in future updates without changing the core mechanics.

Ship subtypes: merchant / standard / war

Each ship class has three subtypes:

• merchant — the largest cargo hold within the class
• standard — a balanced option
• war — the smallest hold within the class, but higher combat performance and a larger crew

Important: switching to a war subtype (even within the same ship type) makes boarding harder — this is reflected by the boarding difficulty indicator.

Ship stats: cannons, hull, crew

Below are the stats for each ship type, broken down by subtype. All values are ranges that represent the generation/balance limits within the system.

Cutter

Cannons: 8

Hull:

• merchant: 1000–1150
• standard: 1150–1350
• war: 1350–1500

Crew:

• merchant: 15–17
• standard: 18–21
• war: 22–24

Historical note: Cutters were historically used as small, fast vessels for patrol, reconnaissance, message delivery, and escorting larger ships. Because of their compact size, they typically carried limited armament and a small crew.

Schooner

Cannons: 10

Hull:

• merchant: 1500–1650
• standard: 1650–1750
• war: 1750–1850

Crew:

• merchant: 25–27
• standard: 28–30
• war: 31–33

Historical note: Schooners were widely used as merchant and auxiliary vessels thanks to strong maneuverability and efficient sailing performance. They were commonly employed for coastal trade, cargo transport, and communication between ports.

Galleon (not yet in the game, but already defined in the system)

Hull:

• merchant: 1850–2000
• standard: 2000–2150
• war: 2150–2300

Crew:

• merchant: 34–36
• standard: 37–39
• war: 40–42

Historical note: Galleons were large seagoing ships used primarily for ocean transport of valuable cargo and for armed escort of merchant fleets. They combined considerable carrying capacity with the ability to mount artillery.

Sloop

Cannons: 14

Hull:

• merchant: 2300–2450
• standard: 2450–2600
• war: 2600–2750

Crew:

• merchant: 43–45
• standard: 46–48
• war: 49–51

Historical note: Sloops served as versatile vessels for military, commercial, and reconnaissance tasks. They combined relatively compact dimensions with solid endurance and agility.

Snow

Cannons: 10

Hull:

• merchant: 2750–2900
• standard: 2900–3050
• war: 3050–3200

Crew:

• merchant: 52–54
• standard: 55–57
• war: 58–60

Historical note: Snows were used as military and auxiliary vessels, including patrol duties, protection of trade routes, and service in European navies. They typically carried a larger crew than small merchant ships.

Pinnace

Cannons: 18

Hull:

• merchant: 3200–3350
• standard: 3350–3500
• war: 3500–3650

Crew:

• merchant: 61–63
• standard: 64–66
• war: 67–69

Historical note: Pinnaces were used as fast auxiliary and reconnaissance vessels capable of carrying substantial artillery for their size. They were often employed for military purposes and convoy escort.

Brigantine

Cannons: 16

Hull:

• merchant: 3650–3800
• standard: 3800–3950
• war: 3950–4100

Crew:

• merchant: 70–72
• standard: 73–75
• war: 76–78

Historical note: Brigantines were widely used as military and privateering vessels. They combined strong maneuverability with sufficient armament and a crew size suitable for boarding actions.

Brig

Cannons: 16

Hull:

• merchant: 4100–4250
• standard: 4250–4400
• war: 4400–4650

Crew:

• merchant: 79–81
• standard: 82–84
• war: 85–87

Historical note: Brigs were common naval warships used for patrol, convoy escort, and participation in sea battles. They typically carried a sizable crew and adequate artillery for their class.

Corvette (not yet in the game, but already defined in the system)

Hull:

• merchant: 4650–4800
• standard: 4800–4950
• war: 4950–5100

Crew:

• merchant: 88–97
• standard: 98–107
• war: 108–117

Historical note: Corvettes were fast warships used for reconnaissance, escort duty, and operations against merchant shipping. They occupied a middle position between smaller fighting ships and frigates.

Frigate (not yet in the game, but already defined in the system)

Hull:

• merchant: 5100–5250
• standard: 5250–5400
• war: 5400–5500

Crew:

• merchant: 118–127
• standard: 128–137
• war: 138–147

Historical note: Frigates were full-fledged fighting ships used for long-distance deployments, ocean-route patrol, and participation in major naval engagements.

Lineship

Cannons: 52

Hull:

• merchant: 5500–5700
• standard: 5700–5850
• war: 5850–6000

Crew:

• merchant: 148–157
• standard: 158–167
• war: 168–177

Historical note: Lineships formed the core of battle fleets and were used in line-of-battle engagements. They typically had the largest crews and the heaviest artillery.

Unique ship stats and the upgrade system

In Corsairs Legacy, each ship has a unique baseline set of stats and its own growth potential. Even ships of the same type can perform very differently in combat depending on how far they have been upgraded.

There are 5 ship elements that can be improved:

• crew
• hold
• sailing speed
• sails
• hull

Each element has 5 upgrade levels that gradually improve ship performance.

Ship upgrades can be done at shipyards (located in colonies) or at caravel merchants (found in smuggler settlements).

How upgrades affect progression

A key principle of the system: an unupgraded ship of a previous type always has lower hull and crew values than a ship of the next type.

However, a fully upgraded ship of the previous type can outperform an unupgraded ship of the next type in key areas — hull durability, survivability, and crew size.

This means ship progression in Corsairs Legacy is not purely linear “take a bigger ship.” The player is consistently choosing between investing resources into upgrading the current ship or moving to the next type without full preparation.

Why the upgrade system matters for the fleet economy

As a result, ship performance is determined not only by ship type but also by upgrade level. Ships of the same type can differ noticeably in combat parameters, and advancing to the next ship type does not always guarantee higher effectiveness without additional investment.

How ship spawns work on the world map

The world map is designed so players can “skip” progression, but with risk:

• 10–15% of ships spawn 1 step above your current ship type
• ≈5% of ships spawn 2 steps above

In addition to random encounters, the game includes:

• events
• military convoys where you can meet specific ship types and subtypes

In the future, the plan is to increase the number of events so players can more often search for a specific ship intentionally rather than relying only on randomness.

Ship difference = NPC crew level difference

Core balance logic in Corsairs Legacy: the stronger an NPC ship is compared to the player’s ship, the higher the level of each NPC crew member becomes.

In practice, this means:

• more HP for enemies
• higher damage per hit
• boarding becomes significantly more dangerous even with similar crew counts

Boarding: how to capture a ship 1–2 tiers above

Core boarding principle: the most reliable way to capture a larger ship is to reduce its crew before initiating boarding. One common method is to use grapeshot to cut down crew numbers.

The ship type itself is not the deciding factor: if the crew is nearly eliminated, the ship becomes capturable. In theory, even a cutter can capture a lineship if the target is left with a minimal crew.

Cannon layout across the ship

In Corsairs Legacy, cannons are mounted along the port and starboard sides on all ships.

Exceptions:

• Pinnace — has 2 additional stern cannons
• Ship of the Line — has 2 additional stern cannons

Stern cannons affect:

• chases
• retreats/withdrawals
• positional control in local battles

How to identify a ship subtype before combat

There are three key methods:

• spyglass
• hull color (red — merchant, dark — war)
• heraldry (shield elements indicate a warship)

Heading angle: a hidden advantage of different ship types

Each ship type has an optimal heading angle where it can sail faster than others. This can be used in local battles to:

• force a favorable distance
• escape a stronger enemy
• outplay an opponent through maneuvering rather than raw power

Overall summary of the ship system

The ship system in Corsairs Legacy is designed so that choosing a ship type, its subtype, and upgrade level creates different progression paths. Crew size, cargo capacity, and hull durability define both economic potential and the difficulty of combat encounters, creating a multi-dimensional fleet progression model.