Leader Discussion - Edward Teach First Impressions

[disjointaccount]

Breaking up the Xerxes threads, we have the newest addition to the game, Edward Teach.
His leader ability is Blackbeard, which is a three-parter:

• All Naval Units gain the Pirate ability, allowing them to cross borders of other civilizations, Plunder Trade Route from non-allied civilizations, and attack Naval Units of non-allied civilizations without declaring War
• Defeating any Naval Units with your own Naval Units provides Gold equal to a set percentage of its Combat Strength and captures that Unit
• Increased Gold maintenance costs for all Naval Units

His attributes are Economic and Militaristic, giving him access to the Open Markets and Military Aid endeavors.
He has a starting bias for coastal terrain.
Playing as Edward Teach unlocks the Republic of Pirates (otherwise unlocked by plundering 2 trade routes) in the Exploration Age, and France (otherwise unlocked by improving 3 Wine) and Great Britain (otherwise unlocked by having 2 Fleet Commanders) in the Modern Age.
As an AI leader, his agenda is Queen Anne's Revenge - Increase relationship by a small amount with leaders that build Naval Units. Decrease relationship with leaders that do not build Naval Units.

So what are everyone's thoughts? Likes/dislikes? Strengths and weaknesses? Fun strategies? Good civs to pair him with?

 

[disjointaccount]

Here are his mementos. Nothing too amazing imo.

 

[Lord Lakely]

This leader's pretty great. The ability to print naval units is pretty strong with Tonga:

I hard-built exactly ONE kalia, captured the other ships from a hostile city state to the north.

Just be careful to not bankrupt yourself.

 

[MutilationWave]

Does anyone know if fleet commanders will be able to enter other civ territory?

 

[Lord Lakely]

i'll test that and get back at you (I'm most likely going Chola in Exploration)

 

[Andrew Johnson [FXS]]

Let me know if someone completes the Gallery

 

[disjointaccount]

Let me know if someone completes the Gallery

What's the Gallery?

 

[uppi]

This leader's pretty great. The ability to print naval units is pretty strong with Tonga:

View attachment 746795

I hard-built exactly ONE kalia, captured the other ships from a hostile city state to the north.

Just be careful to not bankrupt yourself.

Did all those ships accomplish anything useful? In my experience, more than three ships on a coastline just get in the way of each other in Antiquity.

 

[tedhebert]

Did all those ships accomplish anything useful? In my experience, more than three ships on a coastline just get in the way of each other in Antiquity.

thing is you have to find spots where you’ll be able to have 2 side by side attacking one enemy, or have them one behind the other and swap them mid fight, otherwise you won’t win your fights… At immortal you’re starting at -5CS until you get that tonga civic that give you +3 so … and then when you do win you wind up with three damaged ships, so they become free food if you do meet other ship or even if some slingers/archers are by the coast

 

[Noble Zarkon]

Did all those ships accomplish anything usefu

In my game I had ships sail up a navigable river to help take Egypt's capital whikec4vif then took out one of their city states.

Movement is a challenge but you lose so many (as everyone is hostile to them) a constant supply of replacements is welcome.

 

[Lord Lakely]

Did all those ships accomplish anything useful? In my experience, more than three ships on a coastline just get in the way of each other in Antiquity.

well, not yet lol. (also i have around 10 of them). The coast is full of choke points. Once I get to exploration I'll be able to use them offensively. Right now, the only thing they can do is defend against indeps and errant ships from Napoleon and Charlemagne.

 

[Leucarum]

Not really got any urge to play Teach... Very much not my playstyle. Glad to see he's going down well though. Leader model looks great.

 

[disjointaccount]

Had a few games with him now and he's fantastic. Print boats with all your bonuses and then capture even more. The sheer number of units he can accrue enables a very aggressive, reckless style of combat that's a ton of fun.
Great leader (fantastic model and VA too) with a kit that's both fun to play and thematically very fitting.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I managed to get a galley around to the other side of my landmass in Antiquity and found an island between Frederick and Bolivar where I could snag their traders, but their land units couldn't hit me. I managed to steal several more ships from them and was a thorn in their side until the end of the age. However, at the beginning of Exploration, Bolivar had accumulated his own large fleet and because they were heavy naval and ranged, I couldn't keep my ships there anymore. I booked it across the deep water to the Northeast and fled back to my territory and used the ships to explore until I got Buccaneers.

Spoiler :

 

[phoenixician]

What's the Gallery?

It is a secret quest chain specific to Edward...

Spoiler :

... that starts in Antiquity where you have to kill a dhow, cetbang, and mikasa. It's a little tough to complete due to random spawning and AI's willingness to commit to naval.

 

[disjointaccount]

It is a secret quest chain specific to Edward...

Spoiler :

... that starts in Antiquity where you have to kill a dhow, cetbang, and mikasa. It's a little tough to complete due to random spawning and AI's willingness to commit to naval.

That sounds cool. Don't think I got it in any of my games but now I want to try going for it (or at least, if I did I just clicked through it - I'm very guilty of not reading the events at times). I imagine the rewards are good?

 

[phoenixician]

That sounds cool. Don't think I got it in any of my games but now I want to try going for it (or at least, if I did I just clicked through it - I'm very guilty of not reading the events at times). I imagine the rewards are good?

1 of each Expansion + Econ + Militaristic - Quite decent if you haven't gotten any.