Pirate Galleons

**oz_wwjd** · 06-20-2009, 14:42

Are pirate galleons more dangerous than fluyts ? I've had extreme difficulty dealing with galleons and fluyts pirate fleets with my fleet of 1 fluyts 1 5th rate 3 6th rates and 3 sloops,it seems like they outgun me by a lot,as I lost 1 5th rate and 2 6th rates to a galleons and a pirate fluyt,before I finally managed to capture the fluyt and sink the galleon,and usually I can take out AI fleets easily..

**Fisherking** · 06-20-2009, 14:50

Galleons are bad customers by most accounts.

What they are pretty much, is a slow 4th rate. They out gun everything you have there. The best way to handle them is to dismast them from a distance. Using your better maneuverability to stay away form the guns. It can take much more damage than you can.

Take out their sails and then blast them fore and aft with grape shot. As a prize they are usually worth over 1000 each.

**antisocialmunky** · 06-20-2009, 14:59

Its too bad they don't sink randomly during high seas because they are overloaded with treasure like in real life :-p. They were pretty tough IRL I believe though so its not that far fetched.

**Prussian to the Iron** · 06-20-2009, 16:07

word for the wise: early game, galleons are god. you leave them alone, and you're fine. the only real way to sink them before you get 5th and 4th rates is to spam fluyts or 6th rates. they are more maneuvarable and can pack a punch when spammed.

**FactionHeir** · 06-20-2009, 17:48

you can easily take out an AI galleon with 2 light galleys. Just attack click it and the enemy will not even close in but shoot you at long range - where you have the advantage as a tiny target with huge firepower.

**Fisherking** · 06-20-2009, 18:28

Originally Posted by FactionHeir

you can easily take out an AI galleon with 2 light galleys. Just attack click it and the enemy will not even close in but shoot you at long range - where you have the advantage as a tiny target with huge firepower.

Very true! When I have played factions who start with galleys I have found that 3 or 4 are great in a battle so long as you have other ships at hand to take some of the pressure off them.

Use all to target one ship at a time until they kill it our you get sunk. The loss of a galley is no big deal but if they are well used they can be real bad boys.

...now if you are talking about a behavioral exploit, I have not seen that one but it is not the best idea to close on a galley unless you can do it outside of the line of fire.

**FactionHeir** · 06-20-2009, 18:49

I think its probably behavioral as in the AI just drops anchor as well and shoots at you rather than moving towards you when you stop your galleys and just fire at them. Only seems to work when fighting 1 or 2 enemy ships, not more (then they actually (almost) always move towards you).

So I effectively managed to stop Spain from fielding any sort of decent navy by just parking 2 light galleys on the west coast - it'd send a galleon (sometimes two) right at me whenever it finished buiilding them rather than field a larger naval force.

Galleys are simply great at long range because they are small targets and don't suffer the morale penalty of being next to the enemy ship.

**antisocialmunky** · 06-20-2009, 18:58

They also have a nasty tendency of hitting below the water line due to their smallness and shallow ballistic arc.

**Zarky** · 06-20-2009, 23:03

Not to mention the fact that wind on your side you can easily flank them without once going to their line of fire.
And yes they are so damn small target that I've survived dozens of battle without any damage taken, but had much problems with Barbary light galleys :D

**Prussian to the Iron** · 06-21-2009, 01:20

galleys? are oyu kidding me?

galleys are easy to defeat, and far too weak to do anything against a galleon in VH.

**A Very Super Market** · 06-21-2009, 01:36

in VH.

Well, there.

**Marquis of Roland** · 06-21-2009, 01:43

Sloops and brigs are great for killing galleons early in the game. Cheap too. Send them 1 at a time, not as a fleet. 1 ship can easily keep out of a galleon's field of fire.

**Prussian to the Iron** · 06-21-2009, 04:34

Originally Posted by A Very Super Market

Well, there.

if oyu play battles at anything less than VH, than you are depriving yourself of a very enjoyable experience.

do you have any idea how exciting it is when you lose a big battle?! it makes me squeal like a little girl!!