OpenFront Warships — 130-Tile Range
OpenFront warship cost, health, range, shell damage and veterancy. Levels come from capturing 25 trade ships or sinking 10 transports, straight from the source.
The short version
- 130-tile range, 100-tile patrol radius. The range is longer, so it reaches out past the circle it patrols
- Shells do 250 damage every 2 seconds. Two fresh warships settle it in about 8 seconds
- Levels come from 25 captured trade ships or 10 sunk transports — +20% health and damage each, up to level 3
A warship needs a port to build, then captures enemy trade ships and sinks transports within 130 tiles. It cuts an opponent’s economy and their amphibious options with the same unit, and almost nobody writes about it.
The numbers
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost (gold) | min(1,000,000, (n+1) × 250,000) |
| Max health | 1,000 |
| Targeting range | 130 tiles |
| Patrol radius | 100 tiles |
| Damage per shell | 250 |
| Shell interval | 2 seconds |
| Retreat threshold | 75% of max health |
The range is longer than the patrol radius. It reaches 30 tiles beyond the circle it is circling, so judging safety by the patrol area alone will get your ships killed.
Warships draw no range circle. SAM launchers and defense posts show you their radius while you place them; warships do not. You have to count it on the
Mgrid — on World Normal, 130 tiles is just over one cell. → How to Measure Distance On Screen
At 250 damage every 2 seconds, two 1,000-health warships resolve in roughly 8 seconds. Veterancy and targeting rolls shift that in practice.
Veterancy — three levels
| How to level up | Required |
|---|---|
| Capture enemy trade ships | 25 |
| Sink enemy transports | 10 |
Each level adds +20% max health and +20% shell damage, capped at level 3.
| Level | Max health |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1,000 |
| 1 | 1,200 |
| 2 | 1,400 |
| 3 | 1,600 |
Sinking transports levels you 2.5× faster than capturing trade ships. A warship parked on an invasion lane grows stronger on its own.
Where to park it
A warship patrols around the tile you clicked when you built it. Three good reasons to pick a spot:
1. On your own trade lanes. Stops enemy warships from taking your trade ships. If you spaced your ports into the 200–400 tile band, the midpoint is the spot.
2. On their trade lanes. Capturing cuts their income and levels your ship. Offense and defense are the same action here.
3. On the coast they will land on. Sinking a transport kills every troop aboard. One warship on the obvious landing lane shuts the whole tactic down.
The mirror of that: when you are the one landing, route around their patrols. A sunk transport is troops gone for nothing, and you only get three boats at a time.
Cost in context
The first warship is 250,000 gold — two cities’ worth. The price caps at 1,000,000 gold.
| nth | Price (gold) | Cumulative (gold) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 250,000 | 250,000 |
| 2 | 500,000 | 750,000 |
| 3 | 750,000 | 1,500,000 |
| 4 onward | 1,000,000 | — |
This is not an early-game purchase. Build warships once trade income is actually flowing and you have something worth protecting. Before that, the same gold buys cities, which is almost always better.
Run the totals in the Building Cost Calculator.
Further reading
- Where Should You Build Ports? — the lanes warships exist to protect
- Combat Math — the ground-war side
- How to Measure Distance On Screen — counting 130 tiles without a ruler