How to Counter the - Pirates?

[ashley26ph2003]

Is their any way of neutralizing them they always roam at the map

 

[CuervoGold]

Buy a galleon as soon as you can - they usually will not attack them as they are too strong.

Alternately, I protect my sea lanes to Europe with frigates, they won't come around much if there is a frigate in the area.

 

[Wheldrake]

Attack and destroy their ships, and attack and raze their city or cities. Then they will be eliminated from the game. A privateer with a couple promotions will do the job nicely, or frigates, as Cuervo suggests.

Cheers, --- Wheldrake

 

[ashley26ph2003]

I have Galleon and they attack it

I will buy another Ship of the Line and build many

 

[Dale]

Frigates are good enough to protect your trade lines. Have a frigate every 4 ocean squares (both sides of the trade line).

 

[Refar]

I prefer to counter by deploying lots of own privateers.

 

[ezwip]

You need to send a frigate as an escort. What sucks is that sometimes your ships will reappear after departing Europe in different locations. When that happens you have to mash the gas and hope for the best. Getting lost at sea seems realistic however so that's just how it is.

 

[akr71]

I'm still quite new at CivIVCol (still playing on a low difficulty), so maybe thats why I've never had problems with Privateers.

Actually, its my opponents who've had problems with my Privateers. I'm getting a little iritated that the last few ships I've sunk had no cargo!

 

[BobTheBull]

To the last two replies:

Try sending your frigate to Europe with the cargo ship. Then send them back together. Even if they don't wind up on the same square they should be close. The Spanish did this for their galleons during this period to protect all those heavy cargo loads.

Same experience, akr71. Haven't checked it out, but I assume that at higher difficulty levels your chances of winning go down, but your chances of cargo go up.

 

[ezwip]

It doesn't matter if I group a galleon with a frigate. It's only a matter of time before they appear in different locations. Often 8 moves or more from port. It's not a big deal I've never lost a ship due to this. I switched to the Dutch since they start out with a merchant ship. I'm also using patchmod so maybe that's why privateers show up quick if I'm sailing a caravel.

 

[The Great Apple]

Actually, its my opponents who've had problems with my Privateers. I'm getting a little iritated that the last few ships I've sunk had no cargo!

I try to target ones going to Europe as these seem more likely to contain cargo. Sometimes I grab ones coming back from Europe, but I rarely mess with the ones the AI sends along the coasts from time to time - if they have no boats left then you can't steal their stuff any more!

 

[BobTheBull]

First, ezwip: The point is not how far they are from port, but how far are they from each other. The first thing to do is rendezvous them, then group them and head them to port. In fact, it just occurred to me: Has anyone tried grouping a frigate with merchant ships and sending them to Europe. If they arrive grouped, do they come back grouped? If anybody knows for sure please tell.

And good point, Apple. Don't want to wipe out all their cargo ships. Nothing to steal then. In that line, I would like to see a boarding action for privateers, where you would capture the enemy ship, and if it had cargo transfer it, if not then decide to sink it or let it go. You listening, Dale?

 

[dalgo]

First, ezwip: The point is not how far they are from port, but how far are they from each other. The first thing to do is rendezvous them, then group them and head them to port. In fact, it just occurred to me: Has anyone tried grouping a frigate with merchant ships and sending them to Europe. If they arrive grouped, do they come back grouped? If anybody knows for sure please tell.

Yes they do. Assuming you send them back from Europe on the same turn they are still grouped together when they return to the New World.