Types of ships allowed in port battles?

[Farrago]

Someday there might be a manual for this game. In the meantime, I've learned what I have in my few short weeks from countless YouTube videos, published guides, and helpful answers on chat. THANK YOU to everyone who responds to questions and those who have spent the time making the guides and videos.

Now, for this evenings question:

I know port battles are limited to 25 ships. In a line ship battle, does that mean all 25 have to be 1st rates? A 4th rate battle means all 25 have to be 4th rate. Shallow water can be any ship that has shallow draft?

[SirSamuelHood]

That simply denotes the largest vessel that can take part in the battle. A Lineship battle can be 25 first rates against 25 first rates, but doesn't have to be. The attacking team usually brings one or two mortar brigs to kill port defences, and the defending team usually brings a frigate (most commonly a constitution) to tackle said mortar brigs.

 

Thus, a 4th rate port battle is any ship 4th rate or smaller, and is usually going to be a smattering of Agamemnons, Wappens, and Ingermanlands with again, a mortar brig or two. 

 

The reason you see so many of the same ship fighting each other is that people generally don't want to bring anything less than the best into a battle. Yes I CAN bring my Bellona into a lineship port battle, but knowing that I'll be facing 20+ First Rates, why would I? People like to bring the best tier ship they can into battles, and at the moment that tends to be first rates for lineship battles, and agamemnons for 4th rate battles. 

[van der Clam]

Also, bringing to PBs the same ship with the same cannon and similar builds allows for better management. Some nations on PvP1 are very meticulous with the ships they want in battles.
To clarify SirSam's answer, when it says:
1st rate PB, that means any ships from the Niagara on up, also including the Mortar Brig. I don't believe you can bring ships smaller than a Niagara.
4th rate PM means nothing higher than the 4th rate ships: Connie, Inger, Aggie, Wappen; and nothing smaller than the Niagara.
Shallow means anything smaller than a Niagara.
(...unless things have changed, or I've misunderstood...)
Here's the Wiki: http://www.navalactionwiki.com/index.php?title=Port_Battles

[Sir Texas Sir]

http://www.navalactionwiki.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

 

http://www.navalactioncraft.com/

Two good resources of things about this game along with many great videos out there.

 

Decken posted the link for the BR limits for PB's but i think they tweeeked it abit as they allowed the Waffel in and it had higher BR than the other 4th rates unless they lowered it.  Cause it can now get into 4th rate battles.

[Farrago]

Thank you.