Ironclad

Contrasting the norths initial hesitancy over the construction of ironclad vessels, the south with Secretary of Navy, Stephan R Mallory at the head quickly saw the potential of such weapons and jumped fully onboard. They did not have the most optimal forge situation for the production of ironclads, nor did they have all of the metal necessary, with speed being against them, nevertheless, they worked to produce 22 (or in some sources 23) vessels to combat the federal blockade. One problem to emerge in the construction of ironclads was labor. The south was largely unsympathetic to the value of a mechanic in a war plant as opposed to his value on the line with the infantry. This led to the pirating of workers which became yet another problem to be dealt with. Several of their ironclads were manufactured in Europe and towed to southern waters. Almost all southern ironclads were defined as “Ironclad Ram’s” with only a few such as the CSS Georgia defined as an Ironclad Floating Battery. The first Confederate ironclad, the CSS Manassas only projected 2 ½ feet above the water and had only one gun, relying almost entirely on it’s ram. Most ironclads though had a ram and four to six guns and after the CSS Virginia debacle, less than ten feet of draft. (The CSS Virginia had a draft of 22 feet and had to be destroyed by her own crew because it could not go farther up the James River.) In virtually every instance, the engines were insufficient to power them properly. The armor averaged at 4 inches thick, insufficient to stop several types of shot, and most of the ships laid down were never completed for lack of plating. All ironclads were different in one way or another with size, armor, power, and armament, but their advantages and defects were mostly inherent in the design.

Information

Attacks (damage × count)

	ram	fire	33 × 1	melee	(naval)
	heavy shot	impact	13 × 4	ranged	(no counter-attack, attack only)
	shell	fire	10 × 4	ranged	(slows, stun, no counter-attack)

Resistances

	blade	30%			pierce	80%
	impact	80%			fire	60%
	cold	0%			arcane	60%