Blockades

I'm poking around the western Meditteranean building up ships which I have to sail all the way around Spain from England, Sweden, etc. (I'm the HRE). The Sicilians, my long time arch-enemy (they didn't like me sticking the Pope on a pike in front Rome to discourage re-emergences...), have blockaded most of my ports on the mediterranean (i have all from Toulouse to Venice) which is fine for now cause I don't have any ships there yet. When i DO, however, I wanna do this right Therefore...

how do you blockade someone? just stack up ships next to the sea province in which their port lies?

and I assume you break a blockade by moving your ships into the same sea/bay/whatever as the person you're at war with...or am I wrong?

let's face it, I'm a landlubber, an infantry guy really. these boats and sails and water and things scare me, and as I haven't fought a battle yet I don't have a trusty admiral to turn to. Any tips?

There is only one way to perform the blockade: send ships into the enemy's water and disrupt shipping lanes. If you are already at war with the faction you want to blockade, you don't need to do anything. If you are not yet at war, you can provoke one by attacking one of their ships. But prepare to launch more ships than the enemies, and always have numerical superiority, of not better ships.

You don't need to send ships to each and every enemy's province that has a port. But if you own the Northern side of the Med, protecting those ports would be a good thing.

I was playing Italy and early in the game, I had a naval clash with the Sicilian. They are very territorial (I think all computer factions are if they have a few ships). I found out quickly that Sicilian produces better ships faster than I. So I resort into attacking Sicily by land (via Naples). And the Pope excommunicated me, and the crusades (both from Germany and France) came to Italy. I am in ruin and chalked it off as lost.

I am restarting it from scratch and hope to avoid war with Sicily while building my shipyards in earness.

"Own the med" was a valid Italian strategy and also historically correct thing to do.

Annie

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