1st Rate ships of the line were extremely large and powerful and were a true display of a Navy's power. They were, however, expensive to operate, so their service use was limited in times of peace. In the carronade era, a 1st Rate ship-of-the-line was defined as mounting no less than 100 guns. A French Navy 1st Rate can, when using the national special rules, be an extremely resilient foe to dislodge from battle. French ships have access to the 'sturdy' upgrade for a discount, and thus have a significant number of ship point to chew through. Of course, 1st rates are generally very powerful, but point for point, a French 1st rate should be sticking around longer to wreak havoc among your enemy's formations. —description from the publisher