Naval Warfare

[LorenzotheMad]

I was just curious, for those of you who do use naval units (continent, archipelago maps) which ones do you make extensively once you reach the late industrial period? It seems to me that the cruiser, destroyer, and battleship are fairly similar. Except for the cost and attack, defense is pretty close together. So do you go for a mixture of these ships or concentrate on one type? Also, do you like to use submarines as invisible water spies off the enemy coast? Finally, how many aircraft carriers do you build? I am currently in a rather interesting monarch level continents game with 3 AI relatively on par with me in tech, power, and landmass. This game has seen the most naval action of any of my civ3 games. Thanks for your advice.

 

[Globo]

I find destroyers very usefull because of their high movement rate. Usually I also build battleships but I find they are costly. I use battleships for bombardment of the coastal tile-improvements of my enemies and their coastal cities. I never make cruisers just don't ask me why. On average I build 3 or 4 carriers and try to move the planes to a captured city as soon as possible. It is just too frustrating for me losing a fully loaded carrier

More often then not I only start building submarines once I can get the nuclear ones. For every nuclear sub I make I also build a tactical nuke which I will have to collect somewhere along the way. I've never really used subs to scout enemy waters. I've had one game in which I regretted not having used subs properly when I got quite a massive nuclear attack from a country I thought couldn't reach me .... I should have looked underwater.

I find a game with a lot of naval activity in the modern age fun but they are scarse. A level of power and tech parity between civs and of course a suitable world are required.

 

[~Corsair#01~]

About 1/2 my navy (excluding transports, and obselete ships etc.) would be destroyers, a 1/4 Battleships, and the rest submarines and cruisers.

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

Destroyers mainly. Quick, detect subs, and decent damage. they are also cheap making effective blockades.

 

[dgfred]

Battleships rule, with escorts of carriers and destroyers of course . The
size of the BBs are impressive at least and they LOOK good .

 

[The Last Conformist]

I often end up with a few CAs, but what I really use are Carriers, with a few BBs to protect them, and DDs for antisub duties.

 

[DS_Legionary]

My navy is centered around my carriers. I generally have about 5-7 on a continent map, all fully loaded of course. I try to have an escort of about 18+ Destroyers. Once nuclear subs are available I send 5-6 with nukes, just in case things get a bit hairy. I may throw in a few Battleships, but I find that destroyers are much faster to crank out, and for the cost much more effective at what I'm using them for. Defending my carriers, so the carriers can worry about bombarding the land.

 

[Theoden]

Destroyers to scout and detect sub's some battleships for bombardement and few subs to spy on the enemy. I never really build carriers since bombers range is fine with me.

 

[rbis4rbb]

I usually have some galleys still running around... But I like destroyers the best.

 

[troytheface]

like all the ship units really, sub would be nice if it had a bombard shot then dive function, ironclad/frigates/privateers are cool graphics- complaints are no frieght /supply ships, no troops ships, no longship for the vikings and no triremes.
Big battles with all those types throughout history and each are linked strategically so all would be more important game wise.

 

[AbuHab]

complaints are no frieght /supply ships, no troops ships, no longship for the vikings and no triremes.

I've been thinking about triremes and longships too.

I figured maybe the galley was kind of a generic class that includes triremes. However, it does suck that for nearly the first 5000 years of the game, you can't seem to sink another ship without ganging up on it (because all ships are 1-1-3), so maybe triremes could be added as "super galleys" (2-1-3).

With regard to viking longships, what would you suggest for specs and tech requirement?

Oh, and just to stay on topic, I use destroyers for their speed and battleships for their power and their 2-square-range bombard. I don't find cruisers, subs, or carriers useful.

 

[general_kill]

i'm kind of disappointed that there isn't a defensive navy unit. to me it seems that in naval combat, who ever strikes first wins. I don't really invest heavily on a navy since ships don't win games. If i'm playing cont. or arch. maps, i'll get mostly transports and some destroyers and nuclear subs if it gets that far.

sure i love ships and navies in real life and the very idea of an aircraft carrier is enticing but the long range of bombers and the relative low carrying capacity of carriers make them just an expansive launching platfom. And to spend shields on battleships/destroyers to protect a carrier is really annoying. give me a bomber or tank over a destroyer anyday.

 

[AmericanGeneral]

i create cbg's, just carriers with one of each combat ships escorting them, i have 32 full carriers in a current game, no navy can do much to mine.

 

[Dave the Monkey]

I tend to make a large number of destroyers to 'police' the sea and keep a smaller amount of cruisers and battleships in port for use in war-time.

Once 'm at war, I tend to use battleships for bombardment of resource tiles, and let my cruisers take pot-shots at coastal cities to damage their garrison ready for my invasion force.

I've never been a big fan of subs. Normal subs are too under-powered and the nuclear subs come very late in the game, imo.

 

[Nobody]

on my current game iam england on a big island alone, with to small colonies around the world New Zealand (a group of small islands) and carthag, my navy consists of destorys around off my water borders about 3 squares apart (about 20 all up) and 3 fleets, each fleet is 4 carriers, (4 fighters on each) 5 battleships, 10 destoryers and 2 transports of marines. also i have 10 subs to stop enemy shiping, but because of the subbug there in port except for when im at war.

 

[jkp1187]

Assuming I'm at peace, and assuming that I'm running a reasonably productive Democracy, I build as many battleships as possible, supplemented by Carriers ONLY if I'm planning an amphibious attack on someone (or when I need to reach targets otherwise out of range). I haven't really thought about the economics of mass-producing destroyers or carriers...I'm often a democracy, and unless I'm playing a religious country (or, unless my back is up against the wall,) hate switching governments too often, so the number of units I have on the board comes into play. Battleships pack a lot of punch!

 

[Olixas]

A interesting change on naval war in C3C is the possibility to use a Marines Army with the amphibius attack hability.
I noticed this possibility only two games ago. A marine’s army have a very strong offensive rate and 2 atacks

In pace times I prepare a good naval force. I ussually divide my navy in 3 or 4 strategic flotes (near my enemy coastal lines but far along bombers use) each with 1 or 2 marines armies.

A good bombardeamment from battleships and bombers from carriers and 4 marine armies (a transport can charge 1 army + 1 unit) and you can take a large number of coastal cities in a few turns. Capture an airport city or move a worker with your flote to build an airbase and send it the infantry.


Dont forget :
- Charge a good number of figthers in your carriers to prevent aerial raids.
- Submarines are so good to find other subs &to find & atack carriers and plenty transports escorted with a lot of ships

 

[Kiech]

I like destroyers as picket ships around my continent. They get supplemented with bombers and battleships.

Nuclear subs are used as pickets around my enemies continents.

Aircraft carriers and cruisers aren't really used unless I see a real need for them...which I usually don't.

 

[Bucephalus]

I always have at least one naval 'battlegroup' consisting of 5 carriers, 5 battleships, 3 destroyers and three transports - one filled with marines, the others with mech. infantry. I keep this at sea in a strategic position, ready to move at a moments notice.

 

[sabo]

I think Destroyers are the most cost-effective and can do some serious damage even to battleships, plus they see subs and they are fast.