Destroyer

Destroyer
	55
	6
	375
Unlocked at	Combustion
Upgrades From	Ironclad, Privateer
Abilities	+100% Combat bonus vs Submarines. May withdraw before melee attacks. Has Interception 40.

The Destroyer is a Naval Melee unit available in the Modern Era.

Overview

A destroyer is a 20^th-century ship designed for patrol, escort, anti-air and anti-submarine duties. The earliest destroyers were light vessels not well-suited for oceanic cruises unless accompanied by "tenders" carrying additional fuel. By World War II the destroyers were fast, maneuverable and carried enough weaponry and supplies for long-range missions across the world's oceans.

For weaponry, destroyers carried anti-aircraft guns, light anti-ship guns, torpedoes and depth charges. They often accompanied carrier groups, patrolling the waters around the more valuable and larger ships for submarines and providing anti-aircraft cover as well. They escorted supply convoys and patrolled harbors and coasts as well. Duty aboard a World War II destroyer was dangerous indeed; during the war over 220 British, American, Australian and Canadian destroyers were lost, mostly to aircraft attack.

Strategy

The Destroyer is a Modern Era multipurpose naval melee attack unit designed to defend your fleet from all new dangers of modern combat. It is small and agile, but at the same time it packs quite a punch in naval melee combat. It is especially useful against submarines thanks to its sonar systems which allow it to detect them from afar, and its depth-charges  which can destroy them even though they're under the water. It also has radar systems allowing it to effectively intercept airplanes, although the interception range is not as big as land-based units.

It often acts as an escort to embarked units, battleships and carriers when in range of enemy planes and subs. It is quick, giving it a promotion that gives it a good chance to withdraw to the rear before an enemy naval melee attack can occur.

The Destroyer is a vital counter to the new Modern Era naval weapon - the Submarine - and should be developed ASAP (via Combustion) when your civilization is in danger of entering hostilities with a naval power. Its main use is to patrol the seas, using its fast movement to uncover and attack submarines, and to escort your main fleet of Battleships and Carriers (and later Missile Cruisers), passively defending it against air attacks. It is also the only naval unit in the late game capable of melee naval combat, and thus capturing cities.

Unique Unit Replacements

Icon	Unit	Civilization	Abilities
	Darussalam-Class	Brunei (Omar Ali Saifuddien III)	Weaker and cheaper than the Destroyer. Double movement and a 25% Combat Strength boost in Coast.
	Flower Class	Canada (Mackenzie King)	+25% Combat versus Submarines. Begins with bonus Moves when beginning its turn on a Trade Route in neutral or friendly waters.
	Kang Ding Class Frigate	Taiwan (Chiang Ching-kuo)	+10% vs. other Naval units after Radar Can carry 1 aircraft
	Niels Juel-class	Denmark (Margarethe II)	Generates Great Admiral Points when built in a city celebrating a WLTKD. Doubled Movement when beginning its turn near a city celebrating a 'We Love the King Day'.
	Panserskip	Norway (Haakon VII)	Can attack twice whilst in owned Coastal Tiles. Slightly slower and weaker, but costs less to train.
	River-Class	Australia (Billy Hughes)	-7% Production Cost (350 vs 375) Temporarily grants adjacent land units the Amphibious promotion at the beginning of your turn Passively damages nearby Cities when an adjacent unit is destroyed
	SCG Cruiser	Seychelles (France-Albert René)	After defeating an enemy unit in free territory with the SCG Cruiser, the closest Seychellois city will increase in  Population, with the enemy Unit having a chance to become Seychellois. In Seychellois territory, may be expended to claim all adjacent Sea or Ocean tiles.
	Shetland Bus	Shetland (Brusi Sigurdsson)	When next to an enemy city, has a chance each turn of attracting 1 Citizen from that city. If the Shetland Bus then returns to a Shetlander city, that Citizen moves there.
	Viltgance	Lindblum (Cid Fabool IX)	+384% Production Cost (1440 vs. 375) +9% Combat Strength (60 vs. 55) Requires 1 Oil and 1 Aluminum Cannot detect submarines. Does not have bonus strength vs. submarines Hovering Unit: Can move freely on land and sea tiles. Can travel through any terrain without movement penalty.