Blockade 2 tiles away = get killed

[Silverwave]

If you want to do a blockade, your naval unit have to be 2 tiles away or less from the port city. So basically, the city will shoot at you every turn, so you won't be blocading for long.

How strange is it?

 

[King Jason]

If you want to do a blockade, your naval unit have to be 2 tiles away or less from the port city. So basically, the city will shoot at you every turn, so you won't be blocading for long.

How strange is it?

Not at all? All it really means is in actuality, blockading requires more than one ship, which makes sense.

 

[Polobo]

Just keep in mind that if you do plan to blockade any damage you take will not be healed until you return to base (unless you have the naval supply promotion - in which case you will heal 2HP/turn).

 

[Mannu]

Yeah, it's weird. It kind of makes blockading useless.

 

[Conspirator]

Well that's blockading out the window then.

 

[JollyRoger]

You might want to have a real navy before you attempt it.

 

[Le Roi Soleil]

If you're only two tiles away from the city, that means you're also likely targetable by land-based ranged units standing next to the city along the coast. This would make blockading a city a very specific and narrow strategy, which is probably good.

 

[Schuesseled]

It just means it can't be abused as an easy tactic to win a game.

 

[Haig]

I'm disappointed to read that, because with the Blockade option in diplomacy screen it would have been cool to "strangle" opponents with your allies without necessary doing an invasion.

In WWI and American Civil War for example blockade helped to defeat Germany and Confederation.

Guess the blockade needs more careful planning maybe.

 

[Wuddel]

Hum, somehow related. How do you think garrison submarines in cities will work out? Range of 3.

 

[Celevin]

Remember you can attack the city and kill defenses at the same time you're blockading, unlike Civ4. You might need to run away to repair while another ship takes over.

 

[hideousmonkey]

Also, every time that you are hit you gain experience, just like every time you attack. So if you have the heal promotion or a base nearby, getting shot at by the city is basically farming experience.

 

[Mannu]

Also, every time that you are hit you gain experience, just like every time you attack. So if you have the heal promotion or a base nearby, getting shot at by the city is basically farming experience.

I don't think ships can heal like that, I think they have to return to your territory.

 

[dtsazza]

Hence "heal promotion or a base nearby". The Supply promotion gives +2 HP per turn healing even in enemy territory (which was the first point), otherwise they will have to return to your territory (the "nearby base") in order to heal up.

Depending on the strength of the city compared to the unit in question, it might well be possible to sustain less than 2 damage per turn in the long run, and thus get XP every turn (assuming no enemy navy comes to interfere, which is perhaps a little optimistic).

 

[Takhisis]

You might want to have a real navy before you attempt it.

This. Single-ship blockades never existed in actuality. Even before the advent of gunpowder artillery, large cities such as Carthage or Syracuse took enormous armies and navies to blockade.

 

[Conspirator]

Yeah I suppose it makes the need for Hong-Kong style military bases and a decent sized navy to work. Do we still get money from blockading?

 

[Tennyson]

If you know that one blockade will cutoff a few capital connections, it might be worth the effort.

 

[CossackProblem]

Hmm... I repeatedly had a barb-ship blockade my capital well out of its defensive range.

 

[Terrance888]

Do you have to be in that range, or can you stay at 3 tile range and use a few more ships. Can you use ships every other tile to blockade?

 

[Ahriman]

Single-ship blockades never existed in actuality

A naval unit does not represent a single ship, except perhaps an aircraft carrier.

Can you use ships every other tile to blockade?

A single naval unit is sufficient to blockade. You don't have to literally stop every tile or every other tile.