Highlights

  • Expeditions in Anno 1800 are crucial for discovering new territories and resources.
  • Different ships have different capabilities, with some better suited for expeditions than others.
  • The Extravaganza Steamer is the best ship for expeditions, combining speed, durability, and a large inventory.

Expeditions are a crucial part of gameplay in Anno 1800 since they enable players to discover distant territories and foreign items or resources that may not be initially available. There are several types of expedition, and each will have its own specific purpose and requirements, but generally, there are some ships better suited to the task than others. Generally, expeditions will require speed, durability, and a decent amount of space for either Cargo or Items - or ideally, both.

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In addition to preparing the expedition with adequate Skills and Supplies, a sturdy vessel will be required for transportation. Fortunately, players are able to produce a range of ships suited to the task from both the standard Shipyard and the Steam Shipyard, which can be unlocked later in the game. Each ship comes with an associated cost and build time, along with some special unlock requirements in some cases.

6 Frigate

Versatile Early Ship For Easier Expeditions

Anno 1800 Best Ships For Expeditions Frigate
  • Hitpoints: 2,000
  • Speed: 4.2 - 18.7

The Frigate is a good general-purpose vessel and can be used for both warfare and exploration. This ship can be a good cheap starting point for early expeditions since it can be produced via the starting Shipyard. The Frigate is armed with 2 cannons and possesses 3 Cargo Slots along with 2 Item Slots.

While the ship is very well-balanced, especially during the early game, it may not be enough to last on more difficult voyages, such as to the Arctic. Additionally, players should be wary if they are at war or in the proximity of powerful pirates since the Frigate can only sustain a relatively small amount of damage before being destroyed.

5 Monitor

Heavily Armored Steam Boat With Average Carrying Capacity

Anno 1800 Best Ships For Expeditions Monitor
  • Hitpoints: 3,000
  • Speed: 10.6

The Monitor is the Steamboat equivalent of the Frigate, and while it has a reduced carrying capacity when compared with some other vessels, it more than makes up for it in durability. With just 2 Cargo Slots and 2 Item Slots, it is best to deploy the Monitor on smaller tasks such as Botanical or Discovery expeditions.

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In order to unlock the Monitor, players must first reach the "Investors" population tier and construct a Steam Shipyard. Following this, the Monitor has an expensive purchase price of $350,000 and a lengthy build time of 12 minutes. For these reasons, it is often best to deploy the Monitor for warfare purposes rather than expeditions when other vessels are available.

4 Ship-of-the-Line

Powerful War Vessel With Medium Inventory

Anno 1800 Best Ships For Expeditions Ship of the Line
  • Hitpoints: 4,000
  • Speed: 3.2 - 14.4

The Ship of The Line is the best choice when sending a boat on an expedition while still using the standard Shipyard. These powerful boats come equipped with two decks of cannons on both sides and a handy carrying capacity of 3 Cargo Slots and 3 Item Slots. The Ship of The Line is equally adept for the purposes of warfare and should have no problem handling smaller enemy vessels, especially in the early game.

Players can also construct a Royal Ship of the Line provided that they have obtained legendary ship specialist Sir Milfoy Credenza-Belfry-Guscott and equipped him in the Harbormaster's Office. Alternatively, the Royal Ship of the Line can be purchased from pirate AI characters once a trade agreement has been made.

3 Cargo Ship

Trading Vessel With Exceptional Carrying Capacity

Anno 1800 Best Ships For Expeditions Cargo Ship
  • Hitpoints: 4,000
  • Speed: 10.4

The Cargo Ship is arguably one of the best base-game ships to use for expeditions due to its large carrying capacity. Aside from this, the stats of the Cargo Ship are quite average, but a total of 6 Cargo Slots and 2 Item Slots make it ideal for Archaeological, Botanical, or Zoological expeditions.

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Though the Cargo Ship is more expensive to maintain than some smaller boats. It is generally cheaper to build and maintain than most of the warships and, therefore, makes an excellent ship for expeditions as well as trade routes.

2 Extravaganza Steamer

Fast And Spacious Steamer With Special Unlock Requirements

Anno 1800 Best Ships For Expeditions Extravaganza Steamer
  • Hitpoints: 5,000
  • Speed: 10.4

The Extravaganza Steamer is by far the best choice of boat for expeditions in Anno 1800. Combining durability and speed with a huge inventory space, the boat has everything needed for a successful and prosperous expedition to take place. With a total of 6 Cargo Slots and 3 Item Slots, no other ship is able to carry as much, let alone with the speed of this Steamer.

In order to unlock the Extravaganza Steamer, players will first need to equip the Specialist, Anna Union, in their Harbormaster's Office. Once this is done, players can then build the Extravaganza Steamer in their Steam Shipyard.

1 Great Eastern

The Creme-De-La-Creme of Industrial Era Seafaring

Anno 1800 Best Ships For Expeditions Great Eastern
  • Hitpoints: 6,500
  • Speed: 11.0

The Great Eastern is a legendary ship that players can acquire from Sir Archibald Blake by building a World's Fair and completing the "The Floating City" quest. The ship has a total capacity of 8 Cargo Slots and 3 Item Slots, making it entirely unrivaled in terms of what it is able to bring back from expeditions.

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Players are only allowed to have 1 Great Eastern at a time unless they own the Land of Lions DLC, which will grant them the option to build another via a Research Institute. Since these ships are rare and particularly well suited to the task, they make for the best ship to send on just about any type of expedition in Anno 1800.

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Anno 1800

Platform(s)
PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Microsoft Windows
Released
April 20, 2019
Developer(s)
Ubisoft
Genre(s)
Real-Time Strategy , Simulation