Spanish Galleons for Newbs

[OBLITZ]

Unless you have 2nd Rates or higher, run, you run your ass off when Spanish Galleons are spotted! lol

[fidgej6]

I've taken out Galleons (Spanish or otherwise) with 4th Rates. One on one they're faster and if you play the naval battle correctly, you'll beat a Galleon with a 4th Rate and above

[OBLITZ]

Ok I will give you that but even 4th rates come later. For a while the Galleons and the Spanish will own you at first. Galleons have 4000 hull which nothing until 4th rate can defeat.

[OBLITZ]

Plus they are fast with a ton of guns.

[lillemingo]

U.P (Dutch) Fluet can match a galleon if used correctly. And the Galleon has 1 major fail.. Turning speed if turned up against the wind.. And if you use a brig and you got the wind on your side you can fire at the galleon and run away before they fire at you (brigs long range cannons) , that can be repeated several times until the galleon losses masts. Then its just sail behind it (avoid galleon firing area) and give it a few shots from astern.. U understand? I can beat a galleon with a brig ! So 4th rate is no achivement :D But I'll give U this, 4th rate is good and a huge step up from 5th and 6th rate.

[OBLITZ]

Ah. I have not played Dutch at all, but I must suck as a sailor! lol. I have tried everything (so I thought), howevever, in my infinate land lubber wisdom I have failed to avoid the gun range, haha. I tried to capture them as well but my whole fleet was destroyed before grappling the ships. In the end I do win out but I find the cost of large Navies (full of 2nd rates with a few 1st rates), although practically unbeatable just too expensive than my country can support. I do love this game though. I have heard people say its easy. That is not the experience I get. Does this mean I'm bad at it or what? lol

[OBLITZ]

I have played Most countries but playing them, France, Spain, Prussia and all the Muslim countries tick me off so bad I refuse to play as them. lol

[lillemingo]

1 tip: Never EVER have big navies.. Max.. 5 - 7 ships depending on size.. And 1st rates are waste of money (unless you play easy) I mostly just use brigs and a few 5th rates the first 5 - 15 years (Depending on my econimics to expand navy). Normally I practice in a Singleplayer battle until i find a way to win that particullar scenarie.. (naval pro) So your not bad, you just need to practice.. But it sound like a lot of practice is needed! Haha! But try U.P and their Fluets they can handle every problem and escord Trade Fleets to the african west coast (thats where there are the fewest pirates) (btw how you find my English, just say if theres something you don't understand, my explanations are a bit wierd and complicated sometimes) :D

[Insaniac]

Generally I'd simply advise not wasting time on building navies early game. Capturing enemy ships is okay, but I wouldn't go out of my way to try and build a good navy in the early phase of the game. I'd make sure your ports are defended so that the enemy can't make you waste money on repairing them. That said, once you do have a navy, I suggest avoiding gimmicky hit and run tactics, at the end of the day, 20 admirals first rates will smash anything else.

[lillemingo]

Kumelowski where do you raise funds enough to build 20 admirals first rates? ;) And 20 admirals first rate scan be takes out with.. .. about 6 - 8 Spannish galleons if done correctly. (maybe even less) :O

[Insaniac]

Originally posted by ใïใใ€สำïЛgの ¤:

Kumelowski where do you raise funds enough to build 20 admirals first rates? ;) And 20 admirals first rate scan be takes out with.. .. about 6 - 8 Spannish galleons if done correctly. (maybe even less) :O

1. Build a good economy.
2. Both of them are in effect heavy battleships, they're like the line infantry of navies. Saying galleons can beat first rates is like saying Prussian Line Infantry can defeat Swiss Guard.

[lillemingo]

"Heavy battleships" ? The Galleon is a "heavely armed trade ship" And the first rates are normally seen as a "Floating fortress". There is a huge difference.. And naval battle cant be compared with land battle, the land battles (with untrained line-inf) is just walls firing at each other.. the wall that fires the fastest and holds ground the longest win. The ships are dependent on wind, turning speed, speed and accuracy. And the ships have many more tactics to approaching the enemy than the land armies have. [DOT]. And why have 20 admiral ship laying around when it ain't nessesary.. you can blockade almost all the worlds ports if you use smaller vessels. No need to make big fleets and smash everything "american Style"(blow em all up) small, fast and effective fleets. (At the buttom of this it's just a matter of what the players personal style of warfare is) But up to the year 1710 - 1720 i would recommend small fleet with midd/small sized vessels with high speed and long range guns for getting the most out of the money you are paying for the ship. :D - Or just buy sloop and a brig and make a suicide mission with the sloop HAHA! :D (THATs "American Style" (not to offend any americans, its an awesome method and I don't have anything against you) xD :D lol'

[lillemingo]

(DOT) Wut Steam fail -.- meant .. (use .. a lot)..

[GrandHardy]

I'm pretty sure the idea behind 1st rates was simply to fire as much shot as quickly as possible, a first rate isn't manouverable in real life and i'd say Kumelowski was right, i'd say in a battle a broadside of a 1st rate is very similar to a rank of line infantry and the tactics in total war to take them on are pretty similar

[Empire_TW]

Gallens are simple, use fast ships and chain shot and turn them into usless floating tubs

Using a 2nd rate or 1st rate or heavy first rate is over kill
sloops, brigs, and fifth rates (if there is a big fleet of them) is all you need
a single fifth rate can take out 5-7 galleons (with alot of micro managing and manuvering)

[Rye]

Read about historical naval battles of the time, before serious battle was joined there was always lots of manouvering and the rigging was heavily targeted moboility is the deciding factor of a naval battle.