Naval Tips

**dulsin** · 04-01-2009, 16:35

Ship battles are all about movement and the weight of your broad sides. Try not to charge the enemy if there is any chance of defeat. Arrange your fleet in a line across your enemies line of advance. By making the enemy run into your formation that allows your entire fleets broadside to fire on each ship as it gets in range.

Even if you are outgunned 6on1 fights are fast and the odds can quickly swing in your favor.

Chain shot is extremely good at slowing or disabling the enemy but there are a few limitations. When moving against the wind a ships sails are reefed and make poor targets. The chances of doing any significant damage with chain when the sails are not deployed is slight. Chain from the side is much less effective then a rake from the front or back. Chain shot on his broad side only has a chance of hitting one mast but a raking shot can hit 2 or 3 sets of sails and quickly demast the largest ship.

Fire: If your ship catches fire STOP FIRING THE GUNS.
Fire is the easiest damage to spot since you will get a flashing fire symbol on the unit card and the ship will visibly have fires on deck.

If you stop shooting the crew will take the time to put out the fires and the ship can return to the fight.

Sinking: If your ship is in danger of sinking stop all movement.
This is almost impossible to spot and you rarely have more than a few seconds to act. If you see the blue flash on the corner of the unit card immediately dropping anchor will save the ship. You can still fire but never move for any reason.

Maneuverability can be more important than fire power. I will take a 5th rate over a 4th rate any day the 5th rate can turn well inside of the 4th rate. 3rd rates have longer range guns and are faster than a 2nd rate. Being faster with longer guns or a better maneuverability means you get to pick when are where you fight. Two unanswered vollies can erase the difference in firepower then they are yours.

**Fisherking** · 04-01-2009, 20:22

Position your ships up wind of the enemy and start with chain loaded.

More than three ships in a line is unwieldy. Try to mix your fleets with a few light fast ships and the heavies.

I usually never build anything heavier than 3rd Rates. The best Frigates are Razees and sloops are grate for slowing the enemy.

Keeping the light ships in front of the enemy and crossing back an fourth while keeping out of their arc of fire is how I start off. Then bring in the heavier ships that can stand the broadsides.

**Subotan** · 04-01-2009, 20:23

Fluyts conquer all.

**Marquis of Roland** · 04-01-2009, 23:55

Unless conditions are favorable for another kind of approach I usually sail straight for the last ship in the enemy line. That is one of the biggest flaws of line astern; the rear ships MUST follow the more or less exact course of the lead ship, making it a simple matter to predict their movement. When I get to the rear of their line, I make a wide tack around the rear of their line, so as my line circles the rear of their line, as many as 6 to 8 ships' field of fire will overlap on the rear of the enemy line (I like using long line formations of around 8-10 ships each).

So with that done, the AI is probably down a couple ships by this time. While this was going on the AI will probably come about with his lead ship to attack your line. Because you were sailing for the rear of his line, this most likely forces him to make a sharp change in direction; depending on what kind of ships is in the enemy fleet, this may force them into a logjam. While the AI is changing direction chances are he can't attack while your rear ships are most likely tearing him up with raking fire on their bows.

You can also isolate other parts of the AI line in this way, just watch what course their lead ship sails and plan accordingly.

**Prussian to the Iron** · 04-02-2009, 00:02

for some reason my ships keep sinking, even though i have no warning.

and sometimes my ship will ram the enemy ship, greek style. unfortunately then i have about half a dozen cannons shooting my front while im stuck there until it either sinks or my other ships can win the battle. its real annoying...

what countries get fluyts?

**Marquis of Roland** · 04-02-2009, 00:58

Originally Posted by John-117

for some reason my ships keep sinking, even though i have no warning.

and sometimes my ship will ram the enemy ship, greek style. unfortunately then i have about half a dozen cannons shooting my front while im stuck there until it either sinks or my other ships can win the battle. its real annoying...

what countries get fluyts?

I'm sorry, I don't think I understand, are you saying your game is bugged so it won't let you control your ship and actually "mind control" your ship into taking a new heading directly into the AI's ship? Haven't seen a bug like that yet on my games so far.

United Provinces get Fluyts. They're not that great, sorry subotan

. I think most people are having trouble with it because they underestimate the ship, as most people think, and rightly so, that this is a cargo ship. Therefore they go in gung ho with their frigate and try going broadside for broadside with it before coming out disappointed that a lowly cargo ship just wtfpwned their 5th rate frigate.

That is because as far as game stats go, the fluyt is not a cargo ship, but a rather archaic ship of the line, and should be regarded as a line ship when planning your approach. Its 42 gun broadside is more or less comparable with your 5th rate broadside, but the hull is ship of the line strength. Thats why many players new to ETW's naval combat will lose to the fluyt pirate fleet in the beginning of grand campaign; they're thinking they're gonna go in and pick up an easy prize, end up trying to board without causing enough casualties first, then get destroyed at point blank range (the fact that most of us TW veterans, based on our past experience, will always start a new release on VH or H, further exacerbates the uberness of the fluyt).

In fact, when sailed correctly, fluyts and galleons can't really touch a frigate (4th rates die to frigates also), simply because as a frigate you can more or less always keep out of the fluyt's field of fire.

**Warhammer3025** · 04-02-2009, 01:37

I think the game is bugged where i cant do damage worth squat at close range on the enemy while on his stern while he's pounding the ever living crap out of me at extreme range. Also where my ships sink or surrender when they're mostly green and the AI ships keep right on fighting and not sinking despite being very far in the red.

Can naval masters post some vids. We navally challenged need all the help we can get!