Lord · Champion
Fleet Admiral
水师提督
A Fleet Admiral commands Cathay's war-junks, and wherever the jade sails reach, there the seas of Cathay begin.
Identity
- Rank
- Lord (generic)
- Role
- Champion and commander: naval spear, best against large targets
- Recruited from
- The Fleet Admiral tab of the lord recruitment panel; one unlocked for every major port you hold
- Limit
- No cap beyond the major ports you hold
Background
Cathay has an old saying: the Great Bastion does not end where the sea begins, for the sea is itself another Great Bastion. The Fleet Admiral is the warden of that bastion upon the water. Beneath the jade sails the war-junks stand in line like merlons, and the water between one hull and the next is the wall itself; pirates and monsters of the deep are held to the same measure, and none who crosses that line is given a second chance. But an admiral has more than the enemy to contend with. Storms scatter a fleet, currents drag a course astray, and by the third month at sea the crews begin to wonder why they are still out here at all. The fleet holds together because the flagship has not turned; and the flagship has not turned because nothing the sea can raise will move the one standing at her prow.
Stats
| On foot | Jade Longma | Sea Longma | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armour | 100 | 110 | 110 |
| Melee attack | 56 | 56 | 58 |
| Melee defence | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Weapon strength (base / AP) | 120／290 | 120／290 | 130／300 |
| Charge bonus | 30 | 70 | 90 |
| Health | 4860 | 6072 | 6572 |
| Leadership | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| Speed | 38 | 82 run / 105 fly | 115 run / 133 fly |
Three separate forms: equipping a mount switches the whole profile, nothing stacks. All three use the same spear and have no missile weapon. On foot he encourages, resists charges and can hide in forests; mounted he encourages, flies and causes fear, and on the Sea Longma he also gains the Wake of Breaking Waves passive.
Weapons
Naval-issue spear · 120 / 290 (Sea Longma 130 / 300)
Bonus vs large +25; the same spear in all three forms. It is not magical, and no skill makes it so – targets with high magic resistance are this lord's weak spot
Mounts
Jade Longma (gained automatically at rank 10)
A flying mount: armour 100 → 110, charge 30 → 70, health +1212, melee defence and weapon strength unchanged; speed up to 82 run / 105 fly. Gains flight and Causes Fear, loses charge defence and Hide (forest)
Sea Longma (gained automatically at rank 19)
His finest flying mount: melee attack 56 → 58, charge 30 → 90, health +1712, weapon strength up to 130 / 300; speed up to 115 run / 133 fly. Otherwise as the Jade Longma, plus the Wake of Breaking Waves passive
Unit traits
Encourage
All forms; raises the leadership of nearby allies
Charge Defence vs. Large
On foot only; comes with the spear
Hide (forest)
On foot only
Can Fly
Both mounted forms
Causes Fear
Both mounted forms
Abilities
Will of the DragonsPassive
Allies within his aura gain leadership +4 (the standard vanilla Cathay lord passive)
WoundsPassive
The standard vanilla passive for single-entity units: below 25% health, weapon strength −20% and speed −10%
Wake of Breaking WavesPassive · Sea Longma only
Charges up once he is in melee: after about 15 seconds, and then every 20 seconds, he raises a surge of water in front of him for 22 damage (7 of it armour-piercing). It hits only enemies, and stops charging when he leaves melee
Aura of EndurancePassive · from the Lead from the Front skill
Allies within 35 m gain melee defence +5 and missile resistance +5% (as on the vanilla Celestial General)
Vanguard DeploymentWhole army · from The Art of War skill
Every unit in his army gains Vanguard Deployment (as from the Lord Magistrate's skill of the same name). The Art of War is a standalone node at the end of his unique line, open from rank 23
BroadsideActive · from Naval Spearmanship, the first unique skill
Target a point on the ground; 2 seconds later a salvo of 18 cannonballs comes down on it. 3 uses per battle, cooldown 120 seconds
River SweepActive · from One Sweep Across the River
A whirling sweep around himself lasting 4 seconds; cooldown 120 seconds, unlimited uses (a copy of the vanilla Celestial Sweep)
Unit attributes
Encourage
All forms; leadership aura
Yin / Yang
All forms, fixed by variant: First Aboard and Tide-Reader are Yang, Order to Fire is Yin. Counts towards his army's Harmony alongside the Jade Sea Warriors and Empyrean Guard (Yang) and the Tide Guard, Fleet Gunners and Abyssal Grand Cannon (Yin)
Harmony Amplifier: +50%
All forms; the standard rate for a generic Cathay lord, the same as Shen Changfeng
Traits
There are 3 variants and each comes with one of these (see Unlocked by above).
First Aboard
- Allows attacking coastal settlement garrisons directly from the sea, without needing to land first (Lord's army)
- Melee attack: +8
- Weapon strength: +10%
- Leadership: +8 for Melee Infantry units (Lord's army)
- Melee attack: +6 for Melee Infantry units (Lord's army)
He is always the first over the rail in a boarding action. The men under him are loyal to a fault, and follow him across.
Order to Fire
- Allows attacking coastal settlement garrisons directly from the sea, without needing to land first (Lord's army)
- Casualty replenishment rate: +6% (this force and all forces in circle of influence)
- Ammunition: +20% for missile units (Lord's army)
- Missile damage: +5% for missile units, base and armour-piercing alike (Lord's army)
Elevation, windage, the rhythm of the loading: all of it hangs on one word of command. His quartermasters answer to the same voice: any allied army within his ship's circle of influence replenishes its losses faster.
Tide-Reader
- Allows attacking coastal settlement garrisons directly from the sea, without needing to land first (Lord's army)
- Campaign movement range: +10% (this force and all forces in circle of influence)
- Mass: +25% for cavalry and beast units (Lord's army)
- Charge bonus: +20% for cavalry and beast units (Lord's army)
- Speed: +8% for cavalry and beast units (Lord's army)
One who masters the tide hears what lies beneath the wind. The ebb and flow have a language of their own, and whoever can read it is always a step ahead of the storm. Any allied army within his ship's circle of influence travels that faster road with him.
Skill tree
Only this mod's own nodes are listed. The vanilla army, campaign and combat lines are left out. All three variants share the same tree; only the mounts' looks and the innate trait above differ.
Naval Doctrine
Naval Spearmanship opens at rank 9 and brings the Broadside ability. The four after it – Boarding Tactics, Gunnery Instruction, The Pilot's Art and Maritime Trade – can be taken in any order, and all four are needed for The Dragon-Prowed Fleet. The Art of War is a standalone node at the end, open from rank 23 and needing nothing before it.
Naval Spearmanship
Unlocks at rank 9
- Melee attack: +6
- Bonus vs Large: +10
- Unlocks the battlefield ability "Broadside"
An inch longer, an inch stronger. It is true of the spear, and it is true of the gun.
Boarding Tactics
Requires Naval Spearmanship
- Weapon strength: +10% for Melee Infantry units (Lord's army)
- Charge bonus: +8% for Melee Infantry units (Lord's army)
The moment the grapnel bites the gunwale, only one rule holds between two ships: whoever jumps first, wins.
Gunnery Drill
Requires Naval Spearmanship
- Reload time reduction: +10% for gunpowder and artillery units (Lord's army)
- Missile strength: +10% for Iron Hail Gunners, Crane Gunners, Grand Cannon and Fire Rain Rocket units (Lord's army)
Charge, ram, level, fire. Only once all four are drilled past the need for thought is a man allowed to take his place at the guns.
The Pilot's Art
Requires Naval Spearmanship
- Campaign movement range: +15% whilst at sea
- Replenishes 10% campaign movement range after winning a battle
- Immune to High Seas, Reef and Storm attrition (Lord's army)
Reefs and monsoons sink more ships than any enemy ever does. A good pilot uses them as seamarks.
Profits of the Sea Trade
Requires Naval Spearmanship
- Income from post-battle loot: +20%
- Tradable resources produced: +5% (factionwide)
An admiral's seal signs marching orders. It signs bills of lading just as well.
The Soaring Dragon Armada4 of 4
Requires Boarding Tactics, Gunnery Drill, The Pilot's Art, Profits of the Sea Trade
- Replenishes 10% campaign movement range after winning a battle
- Upkeep: -10% (Lord's army)
- Recruit rank: +2 for all units (Lord's army)
- Ammunition: +15% for missile units (Lord's army)
Wherever the jade sails turn is the Emperor's land. Wherever the armada reaches is an inland sea.
The Art of War
Unlocks at rank 23
- Attribute: Vanguard Deployment (Lord's army)
All warfare is deception. Advance on the tide with colours struck and oars muffled, and let the broadsides speak before the enemy can form.
Admiral in Battle
His own fighting power: Wave-Breaking Spearwork opens at rank 13 and leads into One Sweep Across the River; Lead from the Front is a standalone node from rank 11.
Wave-Cleaving Spear
Unlocks at rank 13
- Melee attack: +10
- Weapon strength: +60%
- Bonus vs Large: +15
- Weapon strength: +10% (Lord's army)
The admiral handles a spear as though a sea god were guiding his hand.
One Sweep Across the River
Requires Wave-Cleaving Spear
- Enables sundering attacks
- Unlocks the battlefield ability "River Sweep"
A white gleam sweeps the river; the light on the water meets the sky.
Lead from the Front
Unlocks at rank 11
- Passive ability: "Aura of Endurance"
Where he stands is the front rank.
Campaign
The standard vanilla campaign line, with one node swapped out. Only Admiral's Renown is this mod's.
Admiral's Renown
Requires Route Marcher
Level 1
- Dragonship crew growth: +1
Level 2
- Dragonship crew growth: +2
Level 3
- Dragonship crew growth: +3
A sailor picking a berth does not look at the ship. He looks at who is standing on her bow.
Mounts and General
Both mounts arrive on their own: the Jade Longma at rank 10, the Sea Longma at rank 19. Beyond the Summit opens at rank 36 and has 100 levels of +1% health each, a place for surplus skill points.
Jade Longma
Unlocks at rank 10
The court's own mount, issued to an admiral along with his seal.
Sea Longma
Unlocks at rank 19
- Unlocks the battlefield passive "Wake of Breaking Waves"
The herd that stood upon the reefs once the typhoon had passed. No one issued them to the fleet; the fleet gathered them in itself.
Beyond the Summit
Unlocks at rank 36
Level 1
- Hit points: +1%
… level 100
- Hit points: +100%
Their art has reached its peak; any further training can only harden the body. A sink for surplus skill points.