O, Galleys Where Art Thou?

[SMIDSY]

I know in my heart that there is a use for every single unit ingame. I have figured most of them out but damned if I have found a use for galleys of any kind. Perhaps there used to be a way to use that snazzy ram on the front?

Are these ships so useless that I must continue to use them as my Admiral's gig or trans-Med ferry? Or will I one day find a use for these classy ships?

[Sir Winston Churchill]

Cannon fodder?

[lemming3k]

Early game en-masse. cheap and high powered, expect losses, but expect to take a lot out too.

Also make good ferries.

[SCA Tordenskjold]

Trade theater trade route raiders? Blockading enemy ports? Constant bridge-blockade? Hmmm... Scouting, most obviously. The big thing here is the lack of cost, and with the Barbary States you can pretty much rely on galleys and light galleys to hold against their shoddy ships always.

If your navy is inferior, you can obviously use them as bait to draw the AI in odd directions.
I... do suppose you can use a fleet of galleys like so: Place each at a far flank, but staggered (ie depending on wind you have the one flank about 15x shiplengths behind the other). Play the waiting game, and allow the enemy column to come so near that you can reliably run with one part, while the other can chase the column's tail and shoot it in the rear.
That'd demand bloody masterful maneuvering, I think.

[BlueHawke]

I use the to fund my massive spending early on in the game... The barbary states never really get more than 1 or 2 in a stack because EVERYONE hates them and they get destroyed so quickly... Whoever you are get 3 brigs and head into the med and raid the raiders.... you should make more than enough to cover the cost of having those ships there! The rest is a bonus to line your pockets!

You do have to capture them rather than sink obviously.

But as for a use when you have them??? None... except the whole cannon fodder idea. because they are small they are much harder to hit and with their oars they can get ahead of your good ships and take a few rounds while your other ships are doing some damage... but because they are small it only takes a few hits to end it all... Dont bother is my advice... sell em or scuttle em...

[BlueHawke]

I use the to fund my massive spending early on in the game... The barbary states never really get more than 1 or 2 in a stack because EVERYONE hates them and they get destroyed so quickly... Whoever you are get 3 brigs and head into the med and raid the raiders.... you should make more than enough to cover the cost of having those ships there! The rest is a bonus to line your pockets!

You do have to capture them rather than sink obviously.

But as for a use when you have them??? None... except the whole cannon fodder idea. because they are small they are much harder to hit and with their oars they can get ahead of your good ships and take a few rounds while your other ships are doing some damage... but because they are small it only takes a few hits to end it all... Dont bother is my advice... sell em or scuttle em...

[skimyy]

They are really good suicide bombers. I've seen Galleys get too close to my expensive 2nd Rates and blow up. I had to pay so much for repair costs.

[The_Valiant]

They are really good suicide bombers. I've seen Galleys get too close to my expensive 2nd Rates and blow up. I had to pay so much for repair costs.

Kamikazee!! That would be a fun way to take out bigger ships.