Navy

[DVX BELLORVM]

I wonder, do you keep large navy, and wage a naval warfare?

In all of my previous campaigns I did, as I consider a naval supremacy to be one of the keys to victory.

But in my current HRE campaign, I decided not to build any fleet. I did built a small one, to transport my crusaders to the Holy land and back home, but it was destroyed in a battle soon after. I never re-built it, as my empire is mostly land-locked, my possessions in the Holy land are well established, without a need for intervention from Europe. I also read somewhere that the AI is unable to set a meaningful naval blockade, usually lifting it after a turn or two. Well, that's not entirely true, at least in this case.

The Egyptians sent one large and one smaller fleet all the way from Egypt to blockade my Italian ports, the only ones that produce large income. The smaller one soon withdrew, only to be replaced by the Hungarians! So I waited and waited, but after 5-6 turns, my ports were still blockaded, and my economy on a brink of collapse.

I finally decided to build my own fleet. As my ships approached the blockaded ports, both Egyptian and Hungarian fleets fled. As a bonus, the Hungarians parked their ships right next to the Papal fleet (Pope is my ally). I attacked it, and Pope joined the battle, resulting with Hungary being excommunicated and in war with the Pope

[phonicsmonkey]

the AI naval behaviour can be a bit weird - their ships just seem to wander aimlessly around until one day they decide to randomly blockade one of my ports and start a war for no reason (as is well documented)

I tend to keep one or two decent stacks of ships around for transporting troops and lifting blockades (although I prefer to do that with diplomacy where possible) - I have to say I've never considered it necessary to dominate the seas in order to win the game, but it is almost too easy to economically cripple the AI with blockades if you feel like it...

[Sheogorath]

I generally avoid having a navy at all. Ships are expensive and you go through them fast. And their upkeep is ungodly.
If I HAVE to I purpose-build fleets then get rid of them quickly to avoid that horrible upkeep. Its not the most effecient method, but I prefer to focus on my land based forces anyway.

[DVX BELLORVM]

If I HAVE to I purpose-build fleets then get rid of them quickly to avoid that horrible upkeep.

Considering their cost/upkeep ratio, that does sound like a good compromise.

[Ramses II CP]

Yeah, if you're keeping a stack of ships around it had better be small and blockading an enemy port, otherwise it's like bleeding florins. I tend to use the mercenary ones for transport only until it's time to go to the new world.

[Cheetah]

Don't know. The upkeep is not terribly high compared to elite units such as knights etc. Also it is not terribly high compared to the income loss due to enemy blocades. Also, the more factions you are fighting the higher the chance that one of them sends a fleet to blocade your key port.
So even though I am not too eager to build large fleets, I find myself, sooner or later, depending how many ports I have and what at sees, to be forced to build at least a half stack or full stack of ships. Since the AI usually cannot focus its fleets one stack (half stack) is enough to wipe out any competition.
Also if you want to transfer troops with ships you need a decent stack, as tranfering troops with merchant gallleys is a suicide in the later game (assuming you are in fight with a decent number of factions).

[foop]

I usually keep one or two biggish fleets handy in case the AI manages to get a coherent blockade together. Since the patch, it's also handy for squashing Portugal's occasional attempts to invade Ireland and/or Wales.

Sometimes the AI handles its fleets quite well (or, appears to do so by luck), sometimes it's just bizarre. My most recent game is a good example. I toggled FOW to sate my curiosity about the Mongol advance and on the way to the Holy Land saw this.



I might have expected a few Papal and Sicilian fleets around there. The Spanish were probably just wandering past. The Byzantine admiral in chief is clearly barking mad.

[DVX BELLORVM]

It almost looks like they organized a regatta. America's Cup in medieval Europe .

[Grog]

Yes, a very nice regatta indeed!

Personally, the amount of navy I build/use depends on the area of the map and faction I play.

ie: as Byzantine I'd keep a fleet (3-4ships) in the straits between constantinople and nicea, mainly for logistics/fast reinforcements (save a 2-3 turn walk), and to blockade neutral fleets.
Also, when playing england I would keep a navy at dover and also off cornwall to stop anything sailing in from the atlantic.

Basically, I only really use navy to blockade choke points occasionally, ie: gilbraltar is a good one when you own spain etc and for logistics- drop merchants on N africa coast as a eurofaction and its only a 5-6 turn walk through the desert to gold!

[Joh]

Personally, I neglect my navy in the first 20-25 turns as I like to enjoy peace with other factions for a while, focusing first on rebels. I do not try any alliance though. This is total war, isn't it?

After that, AI usually starts its foolish attack and blockades my ports. Then, unfortunately, upgrading my cities has taken most of my money, so I go for a minimal navy, which does not take a lot in upkeep.

The drawback is that the AI seems not to do such a bad job and keeps pounding my small fleet until it is sunk. AI does not blockade a specific port consistently, but it nonetheless keeps randomly blockading one/a few of them. Is that a smart technique to deny a counter-attack or pure randomness?

Anyhow, is it only my feeling or the casualties in naval battles are tuned down when compared to MTW or RTW? Now, I can actually win naval battles (H/VH) without overkilling strength ratios.

[TheLastPrivate]

Depends on faction...factions like denmark/byzantine/sicily might want/need good navy for obvious reasons of expansion and landbridge blocks...