Should i even build a navy?

[Assyrian]

I am the greek cities so it basically means that every faction by law for some reason must attack me. Between Carthage Egypt Seluicids and Illyrians i cant build ships, if i build a ship in every city they simply whipe them out in a turn or two any tips because im pushing across asia minor and i quicker reinforcement route would be nice

[Mikail Mengsk]

Build large shipyards, train only the biggest warships. No biremes (disband them all: they are useless!), triremes only if you need a warship in one turn only. Quadriremes are the best, IMO: less expensive in building time and denarri than the quinquiremes, and similar stats.

I think quadriremes are the best choice.

Leave your warships inside your ports until you have built a good little fleet in every port (2-3 warships, quadriremes or better if you can). THen merge the fleets as quickly as possible (small fleets are easy prey for the enemy) and fight one enemy after another. Avoid the big fleets and seek for the smaller ones. The AI usually deploy a lot of small fleets (1-3 warships) so you can beat them easily. After that you will probably have an high-experienced navy and you can engage bigger enemy fleets.

Keep building warships until you have total naval superiority. Then seek and destroy every ship of your enemies.

[Assyrian]

thanks i just didnt know because all my friends say to heck with the navy but i will see if it works if i have enough time.

[Mikail Mengsk]

It will take a lot of money.... but greeks (and Carthage too) needs to control the seas: a scattered empire needs safe trade routes. Trade incomes are the main economic resource of this kind of nations.



PS- sorry i didn't understand: what do you mean with "heck"? :hmmm:

[Quinn Inuit]

"heck" is an American euphemism for "hell", popularized by linguistic reformers back in the 19th Century (IIRC) back when "hell" was considered more of a swear word.

[Vectis]

A good navy is a great resource. Build up a large stack of ships as previously suggested and firstly pick on small fleets of your opponents to build up the experience of your admiral. Then start to defeat the larger stacks of your enemies.
Also its always a good idea to click on each opposing fleet to see if they are transporting units. It may not tell you which ones, but if there are question marks then you know they have someone on board. You can then destroy these and send their soldiers to the deep.
If you control the seas in this way you can not only restrict your opponents movements, but can then blockade their ports and restrict their trade. This will effect the ability they have to recruit units.

[Tiberius Tosi]

Also its always a good idea to click on each opposing fleet to see if they are transporting units. It may not tell you which ones, but if there are question marks then you know they have someone on board. You can then destroy these and send their soldiers to the deep.

Very important against Carthage to do that. I've noticed that they like to bring in stacks from Spain to reinforce Sicily if you are playing as Rome. It is much easier to take out a single ship carrying a full stack of troopers than to fight them on the battlefield.

Blockading all of an enemies ports is also a good way to usually force a faction in to peace AND make them give you tribute along with the peace.

[Jamey]

I like to build and deploy fleets in the 5-6 ship size range, using quadriremes or quinquiremes, depending on my faction and finances. I keep them either in my ports or blockading enemy ports when I'm not attacking. I'll bring multiple fleets in to surround and attack the rare enemy fleet which I cannot take with a single fleet.

In my current Roman campaign, I have several fleets of Corvus Quinquiremes with silver weapons, armor, and chevrons. As my front line fleets, they demolish anything the AI sends at me, including a pirate "carrier group" of 18 ships.

[Tony83]

As Greece your ports can earn you a lot of trade revenue, which is compromised every time the enemy blockades them. You'll have probably found that the AI is very fond of sending 1-ship fleets along to do this and, if unchecked, you could end up with the majority of your ports blockaded for most of the time!

I find the best way to counter this is to build fleets consisting of 1 quinquireme and 4 triremes, as I can afford and support them, and use them to sweep my coastlines and keep them clear, on a regular basis. At that strength, it will be a rare enemy fleet that can match yours. It's important to end the turn with your fleet back in a port and keep them in good repair. So plan your attacks carefully, even if it means leaving some of the enemy for another turn.

This way you will keep your coastline clear: force your enemy into a war of attrition that they will eventually lose; and quickly build the experience of your ships and gain a few "legendary" admirals.

[paokmam]

I am the greek cities so it basically means that every faction by law for some reason must attack me. Between Carthage Egypt Seluicids and Illyrians i cant build ships, if i build a ship in every city they simply whipe them out in a turn or two any tips because im pushing across asia minor and i quicker reinforcement route would be nice

Ships are essential my boy! ''Great is the nation that rules the seas'' THUCYDIDES
''Μέγα τό τῆς θαλάσσης κράτος. ''
Θουκυδίδης

[AqD]

I am the greek cities so it basically means that every faction by law for some reason must attack me. Between Carthage Egypt Seluicids and Illyrians i cant build ships, if i build a ship in every city they simply whipe them out in a turn or two any tips because im pushing across asia minor and i quicker reinforcement route would be nice

You need a navy, a very big one, and probably with spy on each fleet.

In my campaign I always have huge navy fleets but small armies. The navy can transfer your army much faster than them to walk themselves, and so you can maintain smaller garrison; and when you want to strike someone, you can use navy to storm their richest, defenseless core cities. It's much easier than facing enemies on the frontline.
________
SuperHotBlondie

[ThePianist]

Build the ships inside the ports and don't sail out till you accumulated a large fleet. As long as the ships are inside the ports the AI can't attack them, even in a port blockade.

[Augustus Octavius]

What does a spy do on your fleet? Can you see all of the enemies ships and number? I never thought to have a spy in my fleets and was just wondering what the benefits are.

[AqD]

What does a spy do on your fleet? Can you see all of the enemies ships and number? I never thought to have a spy in my fleets and was just wondering what the benefits are.

Yes and it can help you find weak spots in enemy territory
________
Volcano Vaporizers

[Delvecchio1975]

if you want to save on your fleets, combine quadri-, tri- and biremes into stacks of six ships (two of each), with the heaviest ships in front. later on in the game, when the AI builds bigger fleets as well, combine three of each for a total of nine ... beats anything and is cheaper than stacks of only quadri- or quinqueremes ...

[Mikail Mengsk]

Biremes??? I think they are simply useless, Triremes could provide for the numbers, and quadri/quinqui for the firepower...

[Delvecchio1975]

if they are numbers 5 and 6 in line, they don't sink, and gain all the experience the others get!

[Mikail Mengsk]

Sure, but they won't inflict so much damage, and if you face big fleets they will take damage, and sink. I think Triremes are much better, altough more expensive. And you can send them alone or with only one or two quadriremes.

[Assyrian]

Thank you guys i have a descent size navy still not dominate but im in the process of taking the black sea area to build an unstopable fleet its easier to hold the helspot and plus my land army is very strong then i plan to invade isreal and then a direct attack on alexandria it was getting annoying when i couldnt even send reinforcements accross the agean to the front in asia minor

[Delvecchio1975]

range of vision?