Spain killing me with privateers - what to do

[Karabas1543]

Hey guys,

I'm in the 1630s as Malaya, collecting from Bengal for a decent chunk of change. However, Spain has about 30 privateer ships and they eat a good 15 ducats a month from my trade.

Are there non-war methods of getting rid of them? Pumping more trade power into the node doesn't seem to do much.

And if war is the only option, what are some good tips on battling a giant like that? I actually have a larger navy (200 vs 150 forcelimit), but they have double my land troops (and my troops are scattered all over the place). I have 5 CNs, covering most of the western coast of the Americas - Spain has most of Mexico and carribbean. The privateer CB doesn't really seem feasible - they're allied to portugal, so I don't know if I can meet them in their home waters and blockade them very easily, especially being so far from home.

My best guess is: they have two colonized provinces on Borneo that I have claims on: I could DoW with that CBs, capture the provinces, and then just sit there. If I have a ready fleet, they shouldn't find it too easy to land on home - and capturing CNs really doesn't add much to the WS. Would that work?

 

[Schmoekoeksklok]

Hey guys,

I'm in the 1630s as Malaya, collecting from Bengal for a decent chunk of change. However, Spain has about 30 privateer ships and they eat a good 15 ducats a month from my trade.

Are there non-war methods of getting rid of them? Pumping more trade power into the node doesn't seem to do much.

And if war is the only option, what are some good tips on battling a giant like that? I actually have a larger navy (200 vs 150 forcelimit), but they have double my land troops (and my troops are scattered all over the place). I have 5 CNs, covering most of the western coast of the Americas - Spain has most of Mexico and carribbean. The privateer CB doesn't really seem feasible - they're allied to portugal, so I don't know if I can meet them in their home waters and blockade them very easily, especially being so far from home.

My best guess is: they have two colonized provinces on Borneo that I have claims on: I could DoW with that CBs, capture the provinces, and then just sit there. If I have a ready fleet, they shouldn't find it too easy to land on home - and capturing CNs really doesn't add much to the WS. Would that work?

Yes, declare war with a wargoal you can easily secure, and make sure to do so while your fleet is on top of as many of their ships as possible. Even if your CN's get completely occupied, the ticking warscore should allow you to at least white peace, and meanwhile you blow up their ships as much as possible.

 

[Karabas1543]

Yes, declare war with a wargoal you can easily secure, and make sure to do so while your fleet is on top of as many of their ships as possible. Even if your CN's get completely occupied, the ticking warscore should allow you to at least white peace, and meanwhile you blow up their ships as much as possible.

Do privateers flip to being regular ships during war? Can I whack their privateer fleet like that?

 

[Schmoekoeksklok]

Do privateers flip to being regular ships during war? Can I whack their privateer fleet like that?

Either though they fly the pirate flag, they still belong to the country and will be hostile as normal when you declare war on them.

 

[Karabas1543]

Either though they fly the pirate flag, they still belong to the country and will be hostile as normal when you declare war on them.

Sweet, thanks for the help - it's a 30 light ship fleet, would be easy to wreck.

The only concern is I need my fleet for trade - all my trade power in Bengal is from ships and I would lose up to 60 ducats/month if I take them off. Ok for short-term battles, but impossible if I have to have my navy abroad. Does the AI tend to try to land troops in your home territory or do they just go for the easy pickings in the New World?

 

[deezee]

Sweet, thanks for the help - it's a 30 light ship fleet, would be easy to wreck.

The only concern is I need my fleet for trade - all my trade power in Bengal is from ships and I would lose up to 60 ducats/month if I take them off. Ok for short-term battles, but impossible if I have to have my navy abroad. Does the AI tend to try to land troops in your home territory or do they just go for the easy pickings in the New World?

I mean in my experience as a Asian colonial power, I've never seen Europeans try to land in Asia.
...But I usually play Ming, which is probably why.

I doubt they'll ship main army stacks all the way to Malaya though, especially since the attrition would be considerable; the troops they send should most likely be within your ability to defend. Do you not have a seperate battle fleet of heavy ships that you can use instead of your trade ships?

 

[DukeWilleo1630]

If you can, get the warscore from the peace deal as high as possible. A new function in 1.8 aow is that nations can't send privateers to trade nodes you have power in during a truce.

 

[Karabas1543]

I mean in my experience as a Asian colonial power, I've never seen Europeans try to land in Asia.
...But I usually play Ming, which is probably why.

I doubt they'll ship main army stacks all the way to Malaya though, especially since the attrition would be considerable; the troops they send should most likely be within your ability to defend. Do you not have a seperate battle fleet of heavy ships that you can use instead of your trade ships?

Thanks, yea. Although I did have England land a stack of 15K troops in Bengal when I conquered them as Brunei in 1.7. Wasn't difficult to get rid of.

And yes, I have around 30 heavies, but Spain has 50. Will try to match them and upgrade all my heavies before I decide to actually go to war.

If you can, get the warscore from the peace deal as high as possible. A new function in 1.8 aow is that nations can't send privateers to trade nodes you have power in during a truce.

I didn't realize that was just for 1.8! I figured that was in all patches, good to know!

 

[Zqrfmb]

in 1.8, the AI is a bit better about landings, I was playing as Africa (well, songhai, but I owned all of africa except the parts that had no land access) and my enemies were droping 20-50k stacks on me occasionally, not so frequently that I couldn't consolidate my own army to run them out, but worth keeping in mind that they will at least try to bring their armies to you.

 

[Karabas1543]

Well, forget all that. New Spain declared on my CN, had to come to the rescue - now I'm in a war with Portugal and Spain and all their colonies... oi.

 

[Illianor123]

AI is better at transporting troops in 1.8. Easily siege able war goal is the way to go.