I seem to have had a string of wars as recent and therefore my powerful capitol ships are all 6+ turns away from my main continental base, I have seen a lot of American naval activity off my coast and am therefore worried about sending unescorted Transports to sea although I need to in order to keep my offensive going against the Vikings. Is it possible therefore to fire cruise missiles from a transport whilst at sea? If it is then I can use a destroyer and a transport loaded with missiles to make match wood out of anyone foolish enough to attack my transports that have tanks and mech infantry on board.
Armed Transport?/Escort
- Thread starter bigFRANK
- Start date
I don't know the answer to the specific question regarding transports and cruise missiles (I don't usually use cruise missiles). However, your cross-continent offensive might be easier airlifting your units across the ocean. You can do a rush-job airport on a city you've captured on the continent you are attacking, or if you have a worker over there (even a slave), you can build an airfield.
Sparthage
Fighting Tyranny
You cannot launch bombardment attacks from Transports (Galleons, etc.). I generally have terrrible luck with Cruise Missiles and find that bombers (or even better, stealth bombers) do the job much better and you can use them many times.
Just out of curiousity, what are your capital ships doing away from your supply route?
Huge map, many random civs and my battleships are protecting my carriers in their bombing role last opponent was in effect on the other side of the world to me in a war they started.
Last night I tested out the potential to bombard from a transport using cruise missiles and as you rightly point out you cant, so orders for more escort shipping where placed during last nights play, just switched to Commie so I can support a larger army.
On a huge map I would probably just ignore them. Why did you decide to go after them? The reason I ask (other than curiousity) is because it might be more cost effective to attack a nearby Civ for a quick conquest than trying to colonize so far from your base. Unless they really had something I wanted, I wouldn't go after them across the world. Let them come to you and kill them in detail. That way, all of your strenght is massed and you don't need to worry about American pirates. I just sit back and enjoy the war happiness while they try to reach me.
Good question the Romans really had very little that I needed other than some dye, wine and ivory. The Scandinavians however would have just cleared away my entire conquest of the Romans inside half a dozen turns had I not turned the fleet back round and landed my troops and used airpower.
From squishing the Vikings I now have another source of oil, coal, saltpeter and aluminum together with most of the worlds supply of ivory, not to mention the Statue of Zeus.
From squishing the Vikings I now have another source of oil, coal, saltpeter and aluminum together with most of the worlds supply of ivory, not to mention the Statue of Zeus.
My concern is that your fleet was out of position in the first place. Unless there is something I really need, I don't send a large fighting force half-way across the world. From what you said above, you already had a source of oil, coal, saltpeter and aluminum. I would make it a priority to secure a second source - though by oil and aluminum I usually care less about saltpeter and loss of coal is an inconvenience. But if I have a source, I usually don't make it an urgent priority - enough to send a large fighting force away from my main base (or to a nearby theater of conquest so they are close at hand).
Without completely knowing your world, it sounds like the Americans are a nearby neighbor. Wack them with that fleet and army and no more pirates. Worry about the long range enemy when they trickle in to attack you. With battleships and aircraft carriers running blockade, they probably won't even slip a transport past you.
Then you can just island/continent jump your way to the Romans or Vikings (or whoever) and attack them at leisure with secured supply lines.
One other thought - if the Americans can sail close enough to threaten your troop movements, perhaps you could seal up your cultural boarders and keep them out that way. At least if they are going to attack they will need to declare (or leave on demand) and take a few turns to make it to your transports, rather than jumping them in international waters. Depending on the map, that may or may not work. At least your transports will have warning to head to port.
A last thought (I know, shut up already) - ship chain your transports so that even if the Americans attack a transport or two, that is all they get. With a ship chain, all the cargo will be delivered every round. Better a 100 shield transport than a 100 shield transport loaded with 960 shields worth of MA. 200 shields is worth it in war happiness alone if ask me. Then you can show them what righteous vengeance looks like.
Without completely knowing your world, it sounds like the Americans are a nearby neighbor. Wack them with that fleet and army and no more pirates. Worry about the long range enemy when they trickle in to attack you. With battleships and aircraft carriers running blockade, they probably won't even slip a transport past you.
Then you can just island/continent jump your way to the Romans or Vikings (or whoever) and attack them at leisure with secured supply lines.
One other thought - if the Americans can sail close enough to threaten your troop movements, perhaps you could seal up your cultural boarders and keep them out that way. At least if they are going to attack they will need to declare (or leave on demand) and take a few turns to make it to your transports, rather than jumping them in international waters. Depending on the map, that may or may not work. At least your transports will have warning to head to port.
A last thought (I know, shut up already) - ship chain your transports so that even if the Americans attack a transport or two, that is all they get. With a ship chain, all the cargo will be delivered every round. Better a 100 shield transport than a 100 shield transport loaded with 960 shields worth of MA. 200 shields is worth it in war happiness alone if ask me. Then you can show them what righteous vengeance looks like.
My core is in the NNW, although I own and have populated the entire continent that stretches almost pole to pole. The Romans where close to the Persians in the SE of the map I had previously launched an offensive into Persia after they attacked me, I sued for peace (with the Persians) rather than overstretch my army after taking all their strategic resources. My fear was with the Romans that they would ally with the Persians and possibly the Iroquois and push me west and back into the sea. Instead I enlisted the help of the Scandinavians, Chinese and the Babylonians and crushed the Romans only to sink a Scandinavian transport ship with a sub shortly thereafter (it ran into the sub) thus starting an unwanted 3rd war that had to be fought to protect my new territory.
WhiteRabbit
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2011
- Messages
- 29
Whenever I have to send an army or reinforcements overseas, especially in war conditions, I like to set up a transit convoy. That means I park a battleship & submarine every six squares from my home port to the destination port.
Then my transports just hop from one fortified/defended position to the next - back and forth across the ocean. I never lose any transports this way.
I can't imagine using capital/surface warships for anything but defending transports (or carriers). This is the most important role for these ships in my game.
Then my transports just hop from one fortified/defended position to the next - back and forth across the ocean. I never lose any transports this way.
I can't imagine using capital/surface warships for anything but defending transports (or carriers). This is the most important role for these ships in my game.
Denial of sealanes and bombardment are also important roles for surface war ships, one of my neighbors has to spend 20+ turns sending vessels from his east coast to his west coast thanks to 2 old man-o-war's that are parked in a narrow sealane that joins to the southern ocean. On the bombardment front I have a bit of Persia that sticks into my soft underbelly, whilst I can crush the Persians without much worry due to them being stuck without oil or rubber (an earlier war I took these assets off them) the Persians could rush cavalry through this gap and into my lightly protected cities, however they have to pass through the guns of my fleet that is stationed just off shore.
Well I pushed the Persians into a war just before bed yesterday, sure enough the spur of land they own was the route most of their offensive units followed to come and attack me, wallop straight into the combined naval bombardment and artillery stack I had placed up there. I anticipate that the war with Persia will last no more than 5 turns maybe less if I can land troops in (or close too) their more remote cities, that domination win is getting closer.
WhiteRabbit
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2011
- Messages
- 29
Submarines seem to be more efficient for the anti-surface ship (aka defensive) role since they can also see approaching subs.
As for naval bombardment of cities or land, I consider that next to useless. If I need serious bombardment, I've got carriers with bombers, city-based bombers or artillery, all of which seem to be far superior to naval bombardment.
ChaosArbiter
King
That's because they are. Battleships are 8 Bombard, 2 Range, 2 RoF. Artillery are 12 Bombard, 2 R, 2 RoF (and Radar Artillery have 16 Bombard!), and Bombers have 8 Bombard, 6 Range, 3 RoF. The only difference between the Bombardment of a Battleship and that of a Cannon is that the Battleship has slightly better Range.
As far as I can tell, Battleships have virtually no worth. The AI doesn't (or at least *rarely*) builds them and Destroyers are much cheaper with decent Attack (12; the BB has 18). If you absolutely need a Bombard-capable Warship, the AEGIS Cruiser (Vanilla/PtW) or the Cruiser (Conquests) is fine.
Sparthage
Fighting Tyranny
I've seen an actual AI Carrier task force with 2 Carriers, 1 Battleship, and several destroyers. What a shame I had several subs near by to *ahem* "take care of" their nice investments. 
EvilConqueror
Warlord
The AI loves to use battleships as transport escorts. They have the best defense value of any ship.
ChaosArbiter
King
Huh. I've seen them mass Destroyers and the occasional Cruiser, but I've never seen BBs from them. Maybe I should play more Archipelagos?
