The Barbary Pirates penchant for the Bomb Ketch

[Fisherking]

I just finished up my Prussian campaign. Has anyone else noticed the dubious Barbary naval strategy of spamming flotillas of mostly Bomb Ketches? Apart from their probability of exploding when struck with a broadside they are ineffective to the point of being useless. I hope this gets fixed because it's no challenge at all.

I have seen it!

The thing is you have to fight every darned battle with them too. The Bomb Ketches have such a large auto resolve stat you dare not punch that button.

As soon as they can upgrade their ports they start spamming those things but they may throw in a 2nd rate with them.

The days of the light galley are over with 1.3 guys!

[Prussian to the Iron]

on a side note, i have found that using 2-3 bomb ketches and rocket ships in a fleet of 10 can be really effective. one time i had a single rocket ship beat a first rate:

a single rocket hit, then exploded and destroyed 20 cannons. then it lit them on fire, and i ran my ass away. after a while, they just burned.

[AussieGiant]

I also experienced that in the late game Hosakawa Tito.

And as FK states, they have great auto resolve stats so you have to fight them and never auto resolve.

A, pain, in, the, ass.