Rules for pillaging trade routes?

[Spiceweasel]

Can anyone explain the rules for pillaging trade routes? I know it's possible because I got an alert, "Friendly trade route pillaged", telling me Brazil had taken a piece. But every time I move my privateer over a cargo ship, the pillage option is greyed-out. It tells me, "You must be able to declare war on the owner" or something.

Has anyone figured this out?

 

[hardcore_gamer]

Doesn't this just mean you must be at war with the nations you want to pillage?

 

[Spiceweasel]

Doesn't this just mean you must be at war with the nations you want to pillage?

I don't think so. Brazil was able to pillage my trade route when we were "friendly", and the notification even referred to it as such.

 

[Lyoncet]

I don't think so. Brazil was able to pillage my trade route when we were "friendly", and the notification even referred to it as such.

Are you sure they weren't pillaging a trade route to you by a civ they were at war with? That confused me the first few times it happened.

 

[Paradigne]

Pillaging a trade route is an act of war. Brazil could not have been the one to pillage yours, but as Lyoncet suggested, their route to you was probably pillaged

You cannot pillage a trade route of some one you cannot declare war on. Either through peace treaty or non contact.

 

[Resipsa]

Brazil pillaged a trade route to you by a civ they were at war with most likely. Also you don't even have to manually pillage if you are at war. If you have a military unit in the trade route it will pillage the trade route. I got a notification and was like sweet!

 

[Spiceweasel]

Ah! Thanks for the clarification, folks!