Way to beat the Black Ship

[sillyfrenchman]

I heard about the problems people have been having getting the black ship early in the game.

Still on my first campaign on normal with Shimazu, but this is what I've found:

I sent 2 medium bunes and 3 bow kobayas against it and auto-resolved. Lost badly and two of my tattered ships limped away. Then, since the ship was near my trade node, I mobbed it with 10 trade ships. The "advantage slider" thingy that shows the balance of forces was nearly all yellow, 90% to me. Auto-resolved and only lost a few archers with almost no damage. It seems the Black Ship can be won easily by attrition.

Just to test this, I reloaded and added 5 trade ships to the initial fleet I sent, so a 10 ship stack with 5 trade, 2 medium bunes, and 3 bow kobayas. They got destroyed. Sent in the remaining 5 trade ships, they got destroyed too.

It seems a handful of cheap battle ships and then a mob of trade ships over 2 attacks in the same turn works really well. Got the black ship and only lost 3 very cheap vessels.

edit: oops maybe this should be moved to "Strategy"

[Jom]

Moved.

[Jack-El]

I suspect that your usage of auto-resolve was a huge advantage here. In my experience with Nanban Ships, they suffer far more damage in auto-resolve than they would in a real battle. This allows attrition to take its toll and lets you capture an easy prize.

[-iceblade^]

once you have it, how much is its upkeep and does anyone have pics of it on the battle map?

[sillyfrenchman]

once you have it, how much is its upkeep and does anyone have pics of it on the battle map?

1200 a turn. But it's so worth it if you can afford it lol. It can easily defeat many Japanese ships by itself. Give it a few escorts to keep it from being bogged down against full stacks...

Arrows just bounce off its hull and with 360 men, who cares? I think I'll solo the Hojo navy next.

[Zhayedan]

capturing the black ship with auto resolve? there's no way you can capture it that way if you're playing the very hard level
i attacked it with 30 medium bunes and no way i could capture it. i would lose at least 9 ships just to kill that bastard
in the end i lost 7 medium bunes to capture it manually. level: very hard - turn 50

[kronpas]

capturing the black ship with auto resolve? there's no way you can capture it that way if you're playing the very hard level
i attacked it with 30 medium bunes and no way i could capture it. i would lose at least 9 ships just to kill that bastard
in the end i lost 7 medium bunes to capture it manually. level: very hard - turn 50

I captured it with auto resolve, took like one and a half stack in legendary, lost 6-7 in process (all naval battles auto resolved ).

[johannlo]

anyone tried hitting it with swarms of fire arrow bows?

[Maneki]

anyone tried hitting it with swarms of fire arrow bows?

Not myself against it, the Mori managed to capture it somehow and with it quite badly damaged in they're fleet i took it from them!Did go up against a stack of Bow ships that all use fired arrows against me and it did the job against me D: luckly didnt lose it in the end, should of done some more manovering instead of standing there hailing cannons hoping they'd all be dead by the time they reached me D:.~

[IGdood]

I just hit it with 3 Heavy BUnes, numerous medium bunes and countless bow kobayas. The key is this. Sacrifice a kobaya to take a cannon broadside. Then board repeatedly with bunes. Being boarded means the Black Ship's crew is busy, and won't be able to fire their cannons. Keep on boarding, don't let the Black Ship crew reload. In the meanwhile, just keep on shooting.

[DannyTh3Man]

I heard about the problems people have been having getting the black ship early in the game.

Still on my first campaign on normal with Shimazu, but this is what I've found:

I sent 2 medium bunes and 3 bow kobayas against it and auto-resolved. Lost badly and two of my tattered ships limped away. Then, since the ship was near my trade node, I mobbed it with 10 trade ships. The "advantage slider" thingy that shows the balance of forces was nearly all yellow, 90% to me. Auto-resolved and only lost a few archers with almost no damage. It seems the Black Ship can be won easily by attrition.

Just to test this, I reloaded and added 5 trade ships to the initial fleet I sent, so a 10 ship stack with 5 trade, 2 medium bunes, and 3 bow kobayas. They got destroyed. Sent in the remaining 5 trade ships, they got destroyed too.

It seems a handful of cheap battle ships and then a mob of trade ships over 2 attacks in the same turn works really well. Got the black ship and only lost 3 very cheap vessels.

edit: oops maybe this should be moved to "Strategy"

I used 1 nanban trade ship and crossed it's "T"
As in I kept my cannons facing his broadside the entire time

[E.K]

I found the best way to win was with numbers. It took me a stack of medium bune's but I eventually got it. It's definantly worth the frustration

[Goem]

Swarming it works for sure, i went medium bunes and fire arrows and just hammered at it while trying to get it grappled into melee

[General Malaise]

My, my all this autoresolving. Truly a shamefur dispray.

The best way to actually beat it, in my opinion, is simply use junk ships (asian maritime pun intended) to keep it busy while you use Fire Bomb Kobaya to get in close and, preferably, drop some mines it will sail over or, less preferably but nearly effectively, toss explosives onto the ship. The former method it will almost always instantly surrender and with the latter, with some luck it will catch fire quickly and then it's just a matter of time before it surrenders in that case too as well. Of course, it will return more volleys until it does but it's the best way to do I think.

[malidros]

My, my all this autoresolving. Truly a shamefur dispray..

Hehe, my first encounter went horribly awry, but using mostly Bow Kobaya and a couple Medium Bunes. Tore me to shreds. On the second run in things were different; Had 30 ships in the vicinity so I gathered around The Black Ship and led the assault with my generals fleet. This consisted of mostly Medium Bunes, 1 Bow Kobaya, 1 Firebomb Kobaya, 2 Heavy Bunes, and a Sengoku Bune, as for the reinforcements they were a similar montage of boats.

The fight went surprisingly well, not to mention it was raining, which put a damper on The Black Ships' resolve and weaponry . I proceeded to lure its fire with my Bow and Firebomb Kobayas, and sent the Medium and Heavy Bunes in to board the ship. After that it was a matter of time, and some cool 'game watching' as there was very little for me to do.
As for the reinforcements, they just ended up being a security blanket.

[malidros]

Here is the aftermath, at least my generals fleet.

[johannlo]

What is this mystical black ship? Is this the 'european traders' faction and their mysterious ship that circles the islands never doing anything?
Shimazu campaign around 1560, haven't noticed any 'black ship' popups.... and I have a very expensive battlefleet idling lol

[bobtheubilder]

yeah that's the one, it destroys everything it points its guns at. Autoresolving the battle was the easiest for me, that ship seems awful in autoresolve.

[johannlo]

well its come and gone it seems didn't do diddly just circled japan a bit then nothing lol

[E.K]

If you can capture it you are unbeateable at sea.