Anyone use Privateers?

[Akalabeth]

I've only given them a go once, but they seemed fairly useless. The few I built got shot out of the water. I'm not sure what their actual attack values are, civilopedia says 1/1 but I've seen 2/1 somewhere else. If they could capture ships they might be super cool.

Has anyone used them? Or did they get a boost in the expansions? Maybe they'd be more useful in an age of sail scenario.

 

[vmxa]

I do not, but the AI likes them.

 

[Tasslehoff]

I've made a small stack (3-5) of them in several games, and sent them cruising around attacking ships for enslavement. They aren't particularly useful, but they're fun.

 

[swift_like_wind]

In Civ 3 Conquests, Privateers are slightly stronger. They also have a 1/3 chance to ENSLAVE ememy ships they defeat (including barbarian galleys) into another privateer. This gives you free units!! Also, since they retain their nationality (barbarian privateers say "Privateer (Barbarian)" lol), they do not require unit support. When Using privateers, be sure to attack and not be attacked. You should have a stack of 3-5 when taking on another ship.

Personally, I love using privateers to destroy unsuspecting AI ships (despite it hurting my rep).

 

[TheOverseer714]

I prefer to use the MoW for slavery games, they are much more useful. Privateers are great bait to lure in enemy naval forces into kill-zone traps, but thats about it for their usefulness. The downside is the privateer in port bug, where even friendly AI's will declare war by attacking your privateers in a port city. Not sure if it's even been fixed in updated copies.

 

[Skibatized]

I dont build ships until ironclads, and even them I dont use them I just stack them to upgrade to destroyers lol

 

[swift_like_wind]

AI's can declare war on you by attacking privateers in ports!!!??? What version did you see that in??

Aditionally, I love naval warfare, so I find privateers very useful.

 

[TheOverseer714]

Out of box Conquests. Ver 1.00. Like I say I'm not sure it's ever been fixed. I can't tell for sure, as it's been years since I have used privateers.

 

[againsttheflow]

Privateers are 2a 1d in both patched vanilla and conquests. It sure seems like they were 1.1 in unpatched vanilla though; maybe it was just the civ-pedia.

 

[ecuwins]

Never. Conquest Man-o-Wars are fun though.

 

[ecuwins]

Never. Conquest Man-o-Wars are fun though.

Geez, it double posted. I can't find the delete function. Is there one? If not will a moderator please take care of this.

 

[againsttheflow]

There is no delete function.

 

[Quintillus]

Privateers did get increased to 2/1 attack/defense, though I remember when they were 1/1 in Vanilla 1.07. They were nigh useless then! And it was in Conquests that they gained the enslave (capture) ability. They're still not super-useful, though - they don't enslave nearly as often as they lose. I build them for fun more than anything else.

 

[Headbanger]

If they looked like that and played the song "Under Jolly Roger", I would so build them. I would build a million of them and throw on an eyepatch.

 

[Nergal]

I did once build a stack of abut 15 ... left them in an inland bay and watched the AI die in droves. It wasnt useful in game terms but it was funny. AI ships seek them out so they just suicided on the stack. It stops AI ships wandering through your territory. I just had one attack a stack of 4 MoW, and kill one, the rest chased it and captured it, naughty Theodora.

 

[Marsden]

AI's can declare war on you by attacking privateers in ports!!!??? What version did you see that in??

Aditionally, I love naval warfare, so I find privateers very useful.

That happened to me, too. And I have Complete, with all patches included. I noticed if you keep a land unit in the city the AI will act like it can't see it, but if it's an empty city they will see the ship and attack.

 

[PaperBeetle]

In C3C I use them to fight the AI at sea during a proper war. I build a mix of frigates and privateers. Frigates do the bombing, and privateers finish off the wounded AI ships. After all, they have the same ATT as a frigate but cost less - 10 shields less in the first instance, but you need build fewer of them because of their slavetaking.
And during peacetime they can be used to keep chipping away at an AI, but without the bombard cover of the frigates, the privateers stand less chance against the AI's DEF 2 transports. So I only use privateers during peace to try and disrupt tactical AI shipping, i.e. ships that I think are carrying settlers, or are exploring and likely to make the AI a new contact.
But once the AI gets into its "3 frigates and a galleon" mode, privateers can find themselves pretty well outgunned.

But in Vanilla and PtW, they don't enslave, and that shortcoming drops them below the "worth building" threshold.

 

[swift_like_wind]

Marsden... is this Complete you're talking about Conquests v1.22?

 

[againsttheflow]

Complete has Conquests patched to 1.22.

 

[D0NIMATRIX]

I like privateers for their enslave, and I use them for peace-time blockades. But their usefulness is so short (a dozen or so turns) that they aren't there to be useful, just for fun.